Auburn
Few Sydney suburbs compress as much demographic intensity into 8.56 square kilometres as Auburn does. Population sits at 39,333 with density of 4,593 per km², roughly four times the metropolitan average, and the median age of 31 runs nine years below the national figure. The headline number is 69.7% born overseas, 48.1 percentage points higher than the national average, with Mandarin, Nepali, Arabic and Urdu all clearing 1,600 speakers each. House values have moved from a $642,500 median in 2024 to $900,000 in 2025, a 40.1% lift that outpaces almost every comparable migrant gateway in western Sydney, including neighbouring Lakemba and Granville. Apartments make up 47.4% of stock versus 42.2% separate houses, marking Auburn as one of the few middle-ring suburbs where flats now outnumber freestanding homes.
Population
39,333
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,533/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
214
Median House
$735K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Auburn presents an unusual buy-side calculus for a suburb 19km from the CBD. The median house price of $735,000 sits well below Strathfield two stations east, yet the 40.1% jump from $642,500 to $900,000 in a single year shows a market repricing rather than a stable entry point. Apartments dominate at 47.4% of dwellings, with two-bedroom stock making up 39.8% of all homes, so first-home buyers chasing a freestanding three or four-bedroom house are competing for a much thinner 53.7% slice. Mortgage-to-income at 30.1% has crossed the stress threshold, higher than the 25-28% typical of comparable migrant-gateway suburbs. The trade-off is clear: Auburn line access and a $2,000 monthly mortgage versus the $4,000+ servicing cost of nearby established suburbs like Strathfield or Burwood.
For Buyers
Auburn presents an unusual buy-side calculus for a suburb 19km from the CBD. The median house price of $735,000 sits well below Strathfield two stations east, yet the 40.1% jump from $642,500 to $900,000 in a single year shows a market repricing rather than a stable entry point. Apartments dominate at 47.4% of dwellings, with two-bedroom stock making up 39.8% of all homes, so first-home buyers chasing a freestanding three or four-bedroom house are competing for a much thinner 53.7% slice. Mortgage-to-income at 30.1% has crossed the stress threshold, higher than the 25-28% typical of comparable migrant-gateway suburbs. The trade-off is clear: Auburn line access and a $2,000 monthly mortgage versus the $4,000+ servicing cost of nearby established suburbs like Strathfield or Burwood.
For Investors
The investor case in Auburn rests on rental depth rather than yield compression. With 52.6% of dwellings rented compared to a Sydney metro average closer to 35%, the tenant pool is genuinely structural, not cyclical. Weekly rent of $410 produces a gross yield around 2.9% on the $735,000 median, lower than Lakemba or Bankstown but offset by a 27.6% annual mobility rate that keeps re-letting velocity high. The 9.5% vacancy figure looks alarming on the surface and is materially above the 2-3% Sydney benchmark, but this reflects Auburn's apartment glut rather than house weakness. Development pipeline is substantial at 188 DAs in 12 months, signalling continued supply pressure on apartment investors. Houses with land remain the defensible play here, particularly given the 40.1% capital growth recorded from 2024 to 2025.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1,093
Last 12 Months
214
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-3.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Auburn iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Alpha Omega Senior College
7-12 · 822 students
Al-Faisal College
K-12 · 2282 students
International Maarif Schools of Australia
K-11 · 362 students
St John's Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 353 students
Trinity Catholic College
7-12 · 1313 students
Demographics
Auburn ranks among the most demographically distinctive postcodes in Australia. Born-overseas share at 69.7% runs 48.1 percentage points above the national average, and university qualification at 43.5% sits 13.4 points higher, a combination that contradicts the assumption that high-migration suburbs are educationally underweight. The ancestry mix is genuinely plural: 8,574 Chinese, 2,452 Lebanese, 2,393 Indian residents, with 3,219 Mandarin speakers, 2,843 Nepali speakers and 2,053 Arabic speakers as the three dominant home languages. Religiously, 15,155 residents identify as Muslim against 5,990 Christian and 5,356 Hindu, making Auburn one of the few Sydney suburbs where Islam is the plurality faith. Median age 31 is nine years younger than the national median, and average household size of 3.3 versus the 2.5 national figure reflects multi-generational and family-formation households rather than the share-house pattern of inner-ring suburbs.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
42.2%
Houses
10.1%
Townhouse
47.4%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock tells a transition story. Auburn moved from a $642,500 median house price in 2024 to $900,000 in 2025, a 40.1% one-year jump and a CAGR identical to that single-period figure. Tenure is renter-dominated at 52.6%, with mortgaged owners at 24.6% and outright owners at just 22.9%, well below the 31% national benchmark for outright ownership. Apartments make up 47.4% of dwellings against 42.2% separate houses, an inversion you do not see in Lakemba or Bankstown where freestanding houses still dominate. Two-bedroom homes account for 39.8% of stock, three-bedroom for 33.5%, and four-plus for only 20.2%, constraining family-upgrade options. Mortgage-to-income at 30.1% has crossed the stress flag, though rent-to-income at 26.7% remains below the 30% stress line, a split that explains the suburb's renter tilt.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$410
HH Size
3.3
Personal Income / wk
$580
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.5%
Unoccupied
1,152
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.1% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.5%
Couples, no children
27,774
Total families
Economy & Employment
Auburn's labour market reads less like a commuter suburb and more like a working economic node. Healthcare leads industry employment at 22.3% with 1,816 workers, followed by retail at 11.4% and hospitality at 8.4%, a service-heavy mix that includes Auburn Hospital and the Auburn Central retail strip. Occupationally, labourers (2,371) edge out professionals (2,187), an inversion compared to inner-west suburbs where professionals typically lead 3-to-1. Unemployment at 13.6% is more than double the 6% NSW state average, and the participation rate of just 38.9% indicates a large not-in-labour-force cohort of 14,371 residents, partly explained by the young median age and large family households. Median personal weekly income of $580 sits well below the Sydney metro average of around $850, though household income of $1,533 reflects multi-earner households in the 48.3rd percentile nationally, almost exactly at the median.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
52.3%
Part-time
34.1%
Participation
38.9%
Employed
10,911
Occupations
Top Industries
University
43.5%
Postgraduate
14.5%
Born Overseas
69.7%
Dwellings
10,944
Transport to Work
Liveability in Auburn divides cleanly along the train line and the school sector. Public transport mode share at 25.8% is roughly double the metropolitan average of 13%, reflecting the Auburn station's position on the T1 Western and T2 Inner West lines. Schools are unusually plural for a 39,333-person suburb: Al-Faisal College anchors the independent sector with an ICSEA of 1,077 and enrolment of 2,282, the largest single-school enrolment in the suburb, while Trinity Catholic College sits at ICSEA 1,016 with 1,313 students. Government schools run lower, with Auburn Girls High at ICSEA 966 and Auburn Public School at 983, both below the 1,000 ICSEA midpoint. Average household size of 3.3 versus the 2.5 national figure and 6.1% volunteering rate point to family-anchored daily life rather than transient apartment dwelling, despite the renter majority.
Drive
61.5%
Public Transport
25.8%
Walk / Cycle
5.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Auburn compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Auburn a good suburb to live in?
Auburn suits buyers who value transit access and cultural plurality over space. The median house price of $735,000 is well below nearby Strathfield, public transport mode share of 25.8% runs roughly double the metro average, and 69.7% of residents were born overseas. Trade-offs are real: apartment vacancy at 9.5%, mortgage stress at 30.1% and unemployment of 13.6% reflect a gateway economy rather than a polished middle-class enclave.
What is the median house price in Auburn?
Auburn's median house price reached $900,000 in 2025, up 40.1% from $642,500 in 2024. The reference median used for affordability comparisons sits at $735,000. Median weekly rent is $410, producing a gross rental yield around 2.9%, lower than Lakemba or Granville. Mortgage-to-income at 30.1% sits above the 30% housing stress threshold, while rent-to-income at 26.7% remains below it.
What schools are in Auburn?
Auburn has 10 schools across government, Catholic and independent sectors. Al-Faisal College (ICSEA 1,077, enrolment 2,282) and Alpha Omega Senior College (ICSEA 1,111) lead the independent sector. Trinity Catholic College sits at ICSEA 1,016 with 1,313 students. Government options include Auburn Girls High (ICSEA 966) and Auburn North Public (ICSEA 1,015). Independent ICSEA scores run 60-100 points above the government schools.
Is Auburn safe?
Specific crime rate per 1,000 residents is not currently reported in the dataset for Auburn, so direct ranking against the NSW state average is not possible here. Indirect signals: population density of 4,593 per km² is among the highest in middle-ring Sydney, unemployment of 13.6% runs above state averages, and annual residential mobility sits at 27.6%. Consult BOCSAR's quarterly LGA reports for Cumberland Council for current crime trends.
Is Auburn good for property investment?
Auburn offers tenant depth but compressed yield. With 52.6% of dwellings rented versus a Sydney metro average closer to 35%, demand is structural. However, apartment vacancy of 9.5% sits well above the 2-3% Sydney benchmark, and 188 DAs in 12 months point to continued supply. Gross yield around 2.9% on the $735,000 median trails outer-west alternatives. Focus on the 42.2% freestanding-house segment where 40.1% capital growth was concentrated.
How is Auburn's population changing?
Auburn's population of 39,333 is being refreshed primarily by working-age migrant arrivals. Born-overseas share at 69.7% runs 48.1 percentage points above the national average, the median age of 31 is nine years younger than the national median, and annual residential turnover sits at 27.6%, above the Sydney metro 18-20% range. Combined with 188 DAs lodged in 12 months and a 40.1% house price lift in one year, Auburn is in a clear demand-led growth phase rather than a stable demographic plateau.
What languages are spoken in Auburn?
Auburn is one of Sydney's most linguistically plural suburbs, with 69.7% of residents born overseas. The five most-spoken home languages are Mandarin (3,219 speakers), Nepali (2,843), Arabic (2,053), Urdu (1,607) and Cantonese (1,165). No single non-English language dominates, which contrasts with Lakemba where Arabic is the clear plurality language. Religious affiliation similarly splits across Islam (15,155 residents), Christianity (5,990) and Hinduism (5,356).
What is the development pipeline in Auburn?
Auburn recorded 188 development applications in 12 months across an 8.56 km² footprint, roughly one DA per 209 residents, higher than many comparable middle-ring suburbs. The mix spans complying development for dwelling alterations, industrial redevelopment, and specialised retail. With apartments already at 47.4% of stock and 9.5% vacancy, this pipeline signals continued apartment supply pressure while freestanding-house demand stays tighter.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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