State Electorate · Area profile
Penrith
74 km²
A high proportion of people work from home or drive to nearby jobs in Penrith, where most residents live within a short walk of parks and shops. The community is noticeably younger than the national average, with the typical resident aged 36. While the population has shrunk by about 8% since 2011, it remains a large area with over 84,000 people. This is a diverse place where a strong sense of local identity is paired with a high number of young families and a growing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.
30 schools within reach make Penrith convenient for families.
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The area is younger than the national figure, with 19.2% of people being children under 15. There has been a significant increase in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, which rose to 5.2% since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the proportion of people born overseas has fallen sharply from 48.9% in 2011 to 19.7% in 2021. Australian and English are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 80.5% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home has fallen significantly since 2011 and is now well below the national figure.
More than half the population identifies as Christian, while 34.8% report having no religion. This lack of religious affiliation has risen by 19 points since 2011.
Education levels are lower than the national figure, with only 50.4% of residents completing Year 12. The proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher fell to 19.0% over the last ten years.
Typical weekly household income is $1,738, which is about the same as the national figure. However, personal incomes are higher than the national average, with a typical weekly income of $858.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 30.7% of residents. Mental health conditions are particularly high at 10.9%, which is well above the national figure.
Participation in volunteering is much lower than in most areas, falling to 10.2% since 2011. About 11.1% of people provide some form of unpaid care.
One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, making up 17.8% of households. This is alongside a high number of people living alone, who account for 27.8% of the community.
Renters are much more common here than elsewhere in the country, making up 37.3% of households. While many live in detached houses, the typical monthly mortgage payment of $2,100 is much higher than in most areas.
Working from home has become very popular, rising from 2.3% in 2011 to 28.5% in 2021. Despite a high number of public transport stops, only 2.1% of people use it to commute.
The area has seen a decline in recent overseas arrivals, which fell from 27.3% in 2011 to 9.6% in 2021. About 37.7% of the population moved house in the last five years.
About 61% of adults are working or looking for work. The most common industries for local workers are health care and social assistance, followed by construction and retail.
Life here is very walkable, with a score of 7.4. Nearly all homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, and 85.7% are within a short walk of groceries, far exceeding the state average.