State Electorate · Area profile
Lakemba
24 km²
A huge population growth of 40% since 2011 has made Lakemba one of the largest communities of its kind in the region. It is a remarkably young and diverse place, with a typical resident aged just 34 and nearly half the population born overseas. Many households are large and multi-generational, which helps explain the high number of children and the crowded nature of the housing. This creates a busy, high-density atmosphere where most residents live within a short walk of shops and transport.
Lakemba has many young families but fewer schools per child than most areas.
Families are well catered for: 27 schools serve Lakemba.
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The area is much younger than the national figure, with 21.9% of people under 15 and a typical age of 34. This youthfulness is reflected in the population structure, while the proportion of seniors has fallen to 13.7%.
Nearly half of all residents (49.4%) were born overseas, a figure far above the national average that has risen 19 points since 2011. The most common ancestries include Australian, Chinese, and English.
Language diversity is very high, with 68% of people using a language other than English at home, including 24.7% who speak Arabic. This is far above the national figure, although the proportion of people speaking little or no English fell slightly to 14%.
Islam is the most common religion at 41.6%, and Christianity follows at 32.4%. Those reporting no religion make up 11.3%, which is far below the national figure.
The area has a high number of school enrolments and 61% of residents finished Year 12, which is a little above the national figure. However, the proportion of adults with a bachelor degree fell 16 points since 2011 to 23.3%.
Typical incomes are much lower than in most other areas, with the typical household earning $1,332 a week. Only 4.5% of people earn $2,000 or more weekly, which is well below the national figure.
While 20.5% of people have a long-term health condition—well below the national figure—the number of people needing help with daily activities rose to 7.4% since 2011.
Volunteer rates are among the lowest at this level at 7%, falling 15 points since 2011. Unpaid care for children and housework is also lower than the state and national figures.
Homes are often crowded, with 3.1 people per household, which is a little above the national figure. One-parent families have also increased to 15.8% since 2011.
Renters make up 44.2% of the community, far above the national average, while separate houses are much less common here than elsewhere. Overcrowding is evident, as there are 1.1 people per bedroom.
Public transport use is higher than most areas, and 13.5% of homes have no motor vehicle. Working from home has grown significantly since 2011 to 26.1%.
The community is relatively stable, as the proportion of people who moved in the last five years fell to 34.2%, which is well below the national figure.
The unemployment rate is 9.8%, well above the national figure, and those working or looking for work fell to 43.8%. Most residents work in health care, retail, or transport.
Lakemba is very walkable, with 99.9% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and 96.7% within a 15-minute walk of groceries.