Cabramatta West
Vietnamese ancestry (2,896) exceeds the next group by 2:1, and Buddhism (2,840 adherents) outpaces Christianity (2,426), making Cabramatta West one of the few Australian suburbs where a non-Christian religion leads. The $1,331,250 median house price surprises against an IRSAD decile 1 (bottom 10% nationally), but the explanation lies in household size: at 3.5 persons, one full person above the national average, multiple incomes pool to service property costs. With 59.0% born overseas (37.4 points above national), a participation rate of just 34.7%, and 3,303 people not in the labour force, the suburb houses a large non-working population, including elderly parents and recent arrivals.
Population
7,822
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,509/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
51
Median House
$1.3M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $1,331,250 median rose from $1,292,500 in 2024 to $1,385,000 in 2025 (7.2% growth). Separate houses at 85.6% dominate, with three-bedrooms at 43.3% and 4+ bedrooms at 42.9% split almost evenly, reflecting the large household format. Monthly mortgage at $1,950 against household income of $1,509/week yields a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.8%, just below the 30% stress threshold. Semi-detached at 11.2% provides some alternatives. No schools sit within the suburb boundaries, requiring families to travel to adjacent Cabramatta or Canley Heights for education.
For Buyers
The $1,331,250 median rose from $1,292,500 in 2024 to $1,385,000 in 2025 (7.2% growth). Separate houses at 85.6% dominate, with three-bedrooms at 43.3% and 4+ bedrooms at 42.9% split almost evenly, reflecting the large household format. Monthly mortgage at $1,950 against household income of $1,509/week yields a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.8%, just below the 30% stress threshold. Semi-detached at 11.2% provides some alternatives. No schools sit within the suburb boundaries, requiring families to travel to adjacent Cabramatta or Canley Heights for education.
For Investors
The 39.8% renter share provides a solid tenant pool. Weekly rent of $380 against the $1,331,250 median produces gross yield of approximately 1.5%, extremely low. Vacancy at 3.5% is near the 3% equilibrium, indicating balanced supply. Development activity at 52 DAs in 12 months includes group homes and secondary dwellings, diversifying housing types. Population grows slowly at 0.67% annually (123 persons), driven by overseas migration at 227/year against internal outflow of 290/year. Turnover at 16.5% is the second lowest in this batch, indicating residents stay long-term once settled.
Development Activity
Total DAs
279
Last 12 Months
51
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-17.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The 59.0% overseas-born share is 37.4 points above national. Vietnamese ancestry (2,896) dominates, followed by Chinese (1,441) and English (481). Khmer (208 speakers), Cantonese (171), Arabic (154), and Mandarin (99) are the top non-English languages. Buddhism (2,840) is the leading religion, ahead of Christianity (2,426), a demographic structure rare in Australia. University qualifications at 32.4% are 2.3 points above national. The average household size of 3.5 is 1.0 above national, the highest in this batch. Couples with children (2,227) outnumber childless couples (935) at a 2.4:1 ratio, consistent with multi-generational living.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
85.6%
Houses
11.2%
Townhouse
2.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Renters at 39.8% lead tenure, with outright owners at 32.1% and mortgage holders at 28.1%. The 32.1% outright ownership in a suburb with IRSAD decile 1 suggests long-held properties purchased before the current price surge. Stock is 85.6% separate houses, 11.2% semi-detached, and 2.9% apartments. Three-bedrooms (43.3%) and 4+ bedrooms (42.9%) split the market. Prices grew 7.2% from $1,292,500 to $1,385,000. Mortgage-to-income at 29.8% sits just below the stress threshold, while rent-to-income at 25.2% is moderate. The IER decile 2 (low economic resources) reflects that wealth is locked in property, not liquid assets.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wk
$380
HH Size
3.5
Personal Income / wk
$481
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.5%
Unoccupied
75
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
14.2%
Couples, no children
6,562
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads at 17.5% (197 workers), followed by Retail at 10.4% (117), Education at 9.3% (105), Manufacturing at 8.7% (98), and Professional/Tech at 8.5% (96). The low absolute worker counts reflect the 34.7% participation rate, the lowest in this batch, with 3,303 people not in the labour force. Machinery/Drivers (402) narrowly top occupations, followed by Professionals (400) and Labourers (343). Unemployment at 10.4% is very high, more than double the national average. The occupational split between Machinery/Drivers and Professionals reflects a dual economy of manual labour and education-credentialed workers in the same suburb.
Unemployment
6.8%
Labour Force
8,552
Unemployed
582
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.6%
Part-time
26.0%
Participation
34.7%
Employed
1,981
Occupations
Top Industries
University
32.4%
Postgraduate
4.1%
Born Overseas
59.0%
Dwellings
2,069
Transport to Work
No schools sit within the suburb boundaries, requiring travel to adjacent areas. Car driving at 85.6% is the dominant transport mode, with public transport at 2.9% and walking/cycling at 1.7%. The IRSAD decile 1 places the suburb in the bottom 10% nationally for socioeconomic advantage. Need for assistance at 8.4% is above the national average. However, the low vacancy rate (3.5%), below-threshold housing stress ratios (29.8% mortgage, 25.2% rent), and very low turnover (16.5%) suggest a functionally stable community despite the disadvantage indicators. Volunteering at 4.7% is below average.
Drive
85.6%
Public Transport
2.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.67%/yr
(+123 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grows at 0.67% annually (123 persons), projected to reach 19,442 by 2031. Overseas migration at 227/year is the driver, while internal outflow of 290/year exceeds it, creating slow net growth. The gentrification score of 14 (not gentrifying) and stable affordability (75.5% in 2011 vs 76.5% in 2021) confirm no upward socioeconomic shift. The young share declined 2.8 points while working-age expanded 1.3 points and seniors grew 1.2 points. Turnover at 16.5% is low, indicating that established Vietnamese and Chinese families create residential stability even as new migrants filter through.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+227
Net Internal / yr
-290
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +12% since 2011, Net internal outflow -290/yr, Strong overseas inflow +227/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Cabramatta West compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cabramatta West a good suburb to live in?
Cabramatta West suits buyers comfortable with a Vietnamese-Chinese cultural environment (59.0% overseas-born, 37.4 points above national). The $1,331,250 median reflects large houses (42.9% with 4+ bedrooms) suited to multi-generational living with an average household size of 3.5. However, the IRSAD decile 1 places it in the bottom 10% nationally for socioeconomic advantage, and no schools are within the suburb.
What is the median house price in Cabramatta West?
The median is $1,331,250, rising from $1,292,500 in 2024 to $1,385,000 in 2025 (7.2% growth). Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,950, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.8%, just below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent is $380. The high median despite low SEIFA scores reflects large lot sizes and multi-generational home demand.
What schools are in Cabramatta West?
No schools are located within the Cabramatta West suburb boundaries. Families access primary and secondary schooling in adjacent suburbs such as Cabramatta and Canley Heights. This absence of local schools is notable for a suburb of 7,822 people and likely contributes to the 85.6% car commute rate for school and work trips.
Is Cabramatta West safe?
Crime data is not published at suburb level for NSW. The IRSAD decile 1 and IRSD decile 1 indicate high relative disadvantage, which nationally correlates with higher crime rates. Unemployment at 10.4% is more than double the national average. However, the 16.5% turnover rate is very low, the 32.1% outright ownership provides residential stability, and the multi-generational household structure adds informal social oversight.
Is Cabramatta West good for property investment?
Gross yield at approximately 1.5% ($380/week on $1,331,250) is extremely low. The 3.5% vacancy rate is near equilibrium, which is positive. The 39.8% renter share provides tenants, but household income at the 47.2nd percentile limits rent growth capacity. Capital growth of 7.2% in one year is solid. Development at 52 DAs in 12 months, including group homes, adds supply diversity. The suburb is a capital-growth play, not a yield play.
How is Cabramatta West's population changing?
Growth is slow at 0.67% annually (123 persons), projected to reach 19,442 by 2031. Overseas migration at 227/year is offset by internal outflow of 290/year. The 59.0% overseas-born share is 37.4 points above national. Vietnamese (2,896) and Chinese (1,441) ancestry dominate. The young share declined 2.8 points over the decade while the senior share grew 1.2 points, suggesting gradual aging of established migrant families.
What languages are spoken in Cabramatta West?
With 59.0% born overseas, Cabramatta West is one of Sydney's most linguistically diverse suburbs. Khmer (208 speakers), Cantonese (171), Arabic (154), and Mandarin (99) are the top non-English languages. Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cambodian communities form the cultural core. Buddhism (2,840 adherents) exceeds Christianity (2,426), one of the few Australian suburbs where this occurs.
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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