Austral
With 1,128 development applications lodged in a single 12 months, Austral is one of the busiest building sites in the South West Sydney growth corridor, and the rest of the numbers follow from that. The median age of 31 sits 9.0 years below the national figure, the population is forecast to grow 3.39% a year, and detached houses make up 91.7% of all dwellings. Household income lands in the 82.7th percentile nationally while 46.5% of residents were born overseas, 24.9 points above national. This is a young, family-formation suburb being built almost from scratch on greenfield land, where 4-plus bedroom homes account for 70.3% of the housing stock.
Population
6,847
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,168/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1,197
Median House
$665K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $665,000 is well below Sydney's metro median, which is the main draw for the family buyers who dominate Austral. Prices rose a modest 2.1% from $655,000 in 2024 to $668,500 in 2025, slower growth than the established inner suburbs but on a far lower base. The stock is built for families: 91.7% are separate houses and 70.3% carry 4-plus bedrooms, with only 2.5% apartments. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,535, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27%, below the 30% stress threshold despite 53.2% of households carrying a mortgage. Outright ownership is low at 17.9% because most homes here are new builds bought with finance rather than long-held assets, which tells you this is a market of recent entrants, not established owners.
For Buyers
The median house price of $665,000 is well below Sydney's metro median, which is the main draw for the family buyers who dominate Austral. Prices rose a modest 2.1% from $655,000 in 2024 to $668,500 in 2025, slower growth than the established inner suburbs but on a far lower base. The stock is built for families: 91.7% are separate houses and 70.3% carry 4-plus bedrooms, with only 2.5% apartments. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,535, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27%, below the 30% stress threshold despite 53.2% of households carrying a mortgage. Outright ownership is low at 17.9% because most homes here are new builds bought with finance rather than long-held assets, which tells you this is a market of recent entrants, not established owners.
For Investors
Austral suits investors chasing growth corridor exposure rather than immediate cash flow. Weekly rent of $520 against the $665,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.1%, higher than premium inner Sydney but typical for new outer suburbs. The renter share is 28.9%, below the Sydney average, because the area is owner-occupier heavy with 53.2% of households on a mortgage. The investment case rests on demand: net internal migration averages 2,100 people a year, the primary growth driver, and rent has grown 56.2% over the period. The 6.7% vacancy rate is elevated, reflecting the wave of new completions hitting the market at once, so timing matters. With 1,128 development applications in 12 months, supply is heavy, which caps near-term rent growth even as population swells.
Development Activity
Total DAs
5,609
Last 12 Months
1,197
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+12.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Austral iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Al-Faisal College - Liverpool
K-12 · 1573 students
Arrahman College
K-6 · 256 students
Unity Grammar College
K-12 · 1428 students
St Anthony of Padua Catholic College
K-11 · 1539 students
Austral Public School
K-6 · 846 students
Demographics
Austral skews young and migrant. The median age of 31 is 9.0 years below national, and the working-age share rose 1.0 point while the senior share fell 0.5 points, the opposite of most aging suburbs. Overseas-born residents reach 46.5%, which is 24.9 points above the national figure, making this one of Sydney's more international growth fronts. The top non-English languages are Arabic (290 speakers), Nepali (176), Urdu (111), Italian (106) and Hindi (96), and the religious mix is broader than average, with Islam (1,008) and Hinduism (677) sizeable behind Christianity (3,241). University qualifications sit at 40.9%, 10.8 points above national, and the average household size of 3.1 is 0.6 above national, consistent with the 3,244 couple-with-children families that anchor the suburb.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.7%
Houses
5.8%
Townhouse
2.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure leans heavily toward recent buyers: 53.2% of households carry a mortgage, 28.9% rent and only 17.9% own outright. That low outright share, well below what you see in established suburbs, signals housing bought new with finance rather than wealth held across decades. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 91.7% separate houses, with apartments just 2.5% and semi-detached 5.8%, so density remains low at 387.7 residents per km2 across 17.66 km2. Large homes dominate, with 70.3% holding 4-plus bedrooms and 23.3% three-bedroom. The median house price moved from $655,000 to $668,500 across 2024 to 2025, a 2.1% rise. Mortgage-to-income at 27% and rent-to-income at 24% both stay under the stress threshold, which is unusual for Sydney and reflects the lower entry price relative to the 82.7th-percentile household incomes here.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,535
Rent / wk
$520
HH Size
3.1
Personal Income / wk
$930
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.7%
Unoccupied
142
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
18.6%
Couples, no children
5,869
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 19.1% of workers (380 people), ahead of Construction at 10.8% (214) and Education at 10.7% (213), with Retail at 8.4% and Professional/Tech at 7.5%. The strong construction share fits a suburb mid-build. By occupation, Professionals (695) top the list, followed by Clerical/Admin (467) and Managers (349), with Machinery operators and Drivers (289) reflecting the blue-collar and trades base. Unemployment runs at 5.2% and the full-time employment rate is 69.8%, while participation reads a low 49.7% because 1,556 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the young families and at-home parents the household profile implies. On SEIFA the suburb is mixed: IER economic resources reach decile 8, above average, while IEO education and IRSD disadvantage both sit at decile 5, because new mortgage-heavy households score well on assets but the younger, still-qualifying population pulls the education index down.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
10,723
Unemployed
381
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
69.8%
Part-time
25.0%
Participation
49.7%
Employed
2,404
Occupations
Top Industries
University
40.9%
Postgraduate
12.6%
Born Overseas
46.5%
Dwellings
1,918
Transport to Work
Austral is built around the car: 86.3% of residents drive to work, well above the metro norm, while only 6.1% take public transport and 2.0% walk or cycle, a reflection of greenfield streets where rail and bus networks are still catching up to the homes. No schools are recorded inside the 17.66 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families currently rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a known gap in fast-building corridors. On SEIFA the suburb scores decile 6 on IRSAD overall advantage and decile 8 on economic resources, above the national midpoint, though IRSD relative disadvantage sits at decile 5. Only 3.9% of residents (244 people) need daily assistance, low and consistent with the median age of 31, and housing costs stay manageable with rent-to-income at 24%, below the stress line.
Drive
86.3%
Public Transport
6.1%
Walk / Cycle
2.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+3.39%/yr
(+764 people/yr)
EstablishedAustral is one of NSW's fastest-expanding suburbs, with annual population growth forecast at 3.39%, well above the national rate, roughly 764 people a year, after a 39.5% rise over the past decade. The historical series shows the corridor population climbing from 16,742 in 2023 to 22,535 in 2025, and medium forecasts carry it to 22,794 by 2031. Internal migration is the engine, adding a net 2,100 residents a year, far higher than overseas migration at 138. The split gentrification reading reflects this: the longer trajectory scores 60 (Active), driven by 35.8% real income growth and 56.2% rent growth, while the development model flags New development at score 0, because greenfield construction, not displacement of existing residents, is reshaping the area. Affordability improved from 67.9% in 2011 to 63.5% in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+138
Net Internal / yr
+2,100
Gentrification Signal
New development
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Austral compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Austral a good suburb to live in?
Austral suits young families wanting space at a lower entry cost: the median house price is $665,000, well below Sydney's metro median, and 91.7% of homes are detached. Household income sits in the 82.7th percentile nationally. The main trade-offs are car dependence, with 86.3% driving, and no schools yet recorded inside the boundary.
What is the median house price in Austral?
The median house price is $665,000, below the Sydney metro median. Prices rose 2.1% from $655,000 in 2024 to $668,500 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $520 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,535, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27%, under the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Austral?
No schools are recorded inside the 17.66 km2 Austral boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs, a common gap in fast-building growth corridors. The resident base is fairly educated, with university qualifications at 40.9%, which is 10.8 points above the national figure.
Is Austral safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Austral in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 6 on IRSAD overall advantage and decile 8 on economic resources, both above the national midpoint, and only 3.9% of residents need daily assistance.
Is Austral good for property investment?
Rent of $520 a week against a $665,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.1%, higher than inner Sydney. Net internal migration of 2,100 people a year drives demand, but the 6.7% vacancy rate and 1,128 development applications in 12 months signal heavy new supply that caps near-term rent growth.
How is Austral's population changing?
Austral is growing fast, with population forecast to rise 3.39% a year, about 764 people, after a 39.5% increase over the past decade. The corridor count climbed from 16,742 in 2023 to 22,535 in 2025. Internal migration drives it, adding a net 2,100 residents a year versus 138 from overseas.
What languages are spoken in Austral?
About 46.5% of residents were born overseas, 24.9 points above the national figure. English is dominant, with Arabic (290 speakers), Nepali (176), Urdu (111), Italian (106) and Hindi (96) the most common other languages, reflecting a strongly international growth-corridor population.
How much development is happening in Austral?
There were 1,128 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, very high and among the busiest in South West Sydney. Most are new dwelling houses and secondary dwellings on greenfield land, consistent with a suburb growing 3.39% a year and being built largely from scratch.
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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