Canada Bay
Half of Canada Bay's employed residents work from home, with a 50.6% work-from-home rate helping explain the suburb's quiet, highly residential feel. The 1,308 residents occupy only 0.32 sq km, producing a density of 4,057.1 people per sq km. Household income ranks at the 92.0 percentile nationally, while university attainment is 51.7%, or 21.6 percentage points above the national level. At a median age of 40 and an average household size of 2.7, the profile is mature and professional. Compared with nearby Five Dock and Concord, Canada Bay's compact footprint makes short local trips and housing form especially important to daily life.
Local council: Canada Bay
Population
1,308
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,473/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
10
Canada Bay's housing mix gives buyers more choice than a purely apartment market, with separate houses accounting for 59.1%, semi-detached dwellings 16.5% and apartments 24.4%. Three-bedroom homes are the largest bedroom group at 38.6%, followed by 4-plus-bedroom homes at 25.8%, supporting both established households and buyers wanting extra space. Monthly mortgage payments average $3,033, while mortgage costs equal 28.3% of household income and rent equals 22.2%. The 34.5% outright ownership rate is higher than the 32.8% mortgage and 32.8% rental shares, suggesting a substantial owner base. Buyers should compare current sales carefully because a headline median sale price is not stated.
For Buyers
Canada Bay's housing mix gives buyers more choice than a purely apartment market, with separate houses accounting for 59.1%, semi-detached dwellings 16.5% and apartments 24.4%. Three-bedroom homes are the largest bedroom group at 38.6%, followed by 4-plus-bedroom homes at 25.8%, supporting both established households and buyers wanting extra space. Monthly mortgage payments average $3,033, while mortgage costs equal 28.3% of household income and rent equals 22.2%. The 34.5% outright ownership rate is higher than the 32.8% mortgage and 32.8% rental shares, suggesting a substantial owner base. Buyers should compare current sales carefully because a headline median sale price is not stated.
For Investors
Canada Bay has a meaningful rental base, with 32.8% of households renting and a weekly rent of $550. The 7.1% vacancy rate is higher than the 3.0% unemployment rate, so investors should test leasing assumptions rather than assume every property will remain occupied. The rental share is also higher than the 24.4% apartment share, indicating that tenant demand extends beyond one dwelling type. Eleven development applications were recorded over 12 months, including examples involving 1 new dwelling and 2 attached dwellings. That level of small-scale activity may gradually add competing stock, while the 59.1% separate-house share supports a family-oriented rental strategy.
Development Activity
Total DAs
42
Last 12 Months
10
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+66.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Canada Bay
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Canada Bay's median age of 40 is aligned with the national figure, with an age difference of 0.0 years. The university-educated share is 51.7%, standing 21.6 percentage points above the national level, while the overseas-born share is 32.1%, or 10.5 points above national. Average household size is 2.7 people, 0.2 above the national figure, and couples with children account for 51.1% of families. Italian ancestry is the largest named group at 317 people, followed by English at 260 and Chinese at 165. Italian is spoken by 71 residents, ahead of Mandarin at 24. With 82.9% staying at the same address and turnover of 17.1%, the suburb has more residential continuity than churn.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
59.1%
Houses
16.5%
Townhouse
24.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Canada Bay combines a majority of separate houses with a substantial medium-density component. Separate houses represent 59.1% of dwellings, higher than the 24.4% apartment share and the 16.5% semi-detached share. Three-bedroom homes account for 38.6%, 2-bedroom homes 34.1% and 4-plus-bedroom homes 25.8%, so the stock can serve both smaller households and families. Tenure is evenly divided between outright owners at 34.5%, mortgaged owners at 32.8% and renters at 32.8%. Household income is at the 92.0 percentile nationally, while the average mortgage is $3,033 per month and weekly rent is $550. Mortgage and rent burdens remain below the stated stress flags at 28.3% and 22.2%.
Mortgage / mo
$3,033
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $550.
$885
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $1,300 · units $800
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,056
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.1%
Unoccupied
36
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
51.1%
Couples with children
32.8%
Couples, no children
16.4%
Single parent
372
Total families
Economy & Employment
Canada Bay has a professional and service-led employment base. Education is the largest named industry at 13.0% with 61 workers, followed by healthcare at 12.2% and 57, finance at 10.9% and 51, professional and technical services at 10.2% and 48, and construction at 9.6% and 45. Education's share is higher than construction's, reflecting a stronger concentration in knowledge and community services. Professionals number 200 and managers 130, both above trades at 62 and sales at 48. Labour-force participation is 61.7%, full-time employment is 65.9% and unemployment is 3.0%. The mix supports the suburb's 50.6% work-from-home rate because many residents work in occupations suited to office-based or hybrid employment.
Unemployment
3.0%
Labour Force
656
Unemployed
20
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.9%
Part-time
25.9%
Participation
61.7%
Employed
636
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
51.7%
Postgraduate
16.1%
Born Overseas
32.1%
Dwellings
472
Transport to Work
Canada Bay is well suited to residents who value compact living and home-based work. The work-from-home rate is 50.6%, while 39.0% drive to work, a share higher than the 3.6% using public transport and the 1.7% walking or cycling. This pattern means daily convenience may depend more on local services and nearby destinations than on a high level of public transport use. One local school, Lucas Gardens School, provides government education for specific purposes; families should check placement rules and enrolment zones against the exact address. With 1,308 residents in 0.32 sq km, the dense setting can make local traffic, parking and walking conditions vary by street. A current crime rate and socioeconomic decile should be checked separately when comparing Canada Bay with neighbouring suburbs.
Drive
39.0%
Public Transport
3.6%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
50.6%
Growth Outlook
Canada Bay's current growth signals point to a settled but active inner-west housing market. Population is 1,308 within just 0.32 sq km, and density reaches 4,057.1 people per sq km, so additional change is more likely to come through redevelopment and turnover than broad land release. Residential turnover is 17.1%, lower than the 82.9% share who stayed at the same address, indicating stronger stability than churn. Eleven development applications over 12 months included a new 1-dwelling house and a 2-dwelling attached dual occupancy. Compared with a high-turnover market, this combination of stable households and small-scale approvals suggests gradual evolution, with planning controls and site-by-site redevelopment likely to shape the pace.
Population trend: Canada Bay council area
Canada Bay sits in the Canada Bay council area. These are the council area's residents, not Canada Bay's.
Residents 2025
93,006
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.2%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Canada Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada Bay a good suburb to live in?
Canada Bay may suit professionals, established households and people working from home. Its 50.6% work-from-home rate, 92.0 household-income percentile and median age of 40 point to a mature, well-paid profile. The compact 0.32 sq km area and density of 4,057.1 people per sq km mean buyers should assess parking, traffic and dwelling privacy street by street.
What is the median house price in Canada Bay?
A current median house price is not stated. Useful affordability reference points are the $550 weekly rent and average mortgage payments of $3,033 per month. Buyers should compare recent sales for similar 3-bedroom and 4-plus-bedroom homes, which represent 38.6% and 25.8% of the local bedroom mix.
What schools are in Canada Bay?
Lucas Gardens School is the named local school and is a government school for specific purposes. Families should confirm placement, eligibility and enrolment arrangements directly because school access can depend on the exact address. Canada Bay has a 51.7% university-educated share, but that figure does not indicate school performance.
Is Canada Bay safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not stated, so current police and council information should be checked before making a safety decision. Canada Bay has 1,308 residents across 0.32 sq km, creating a dense setting where lighting, parking, traffic and activity can differ between streets. Inspect the specific pocket at several times of day.
Is Canada Bay good for property investment?
Canada Bay can suit investors seeking an established rental market, with 32.8% of households renting, weekly rent of $550 and vacancy of 7.1%. However, 11 development applications in 12 months may add competing stock. Check the individual dwelling's tenant appeal, maintenance costs and comparable rents rather than relying on suburb-level figures alone.
How is Canada Bay's population changing?
Canada Bay has 1,308 residents today. The 82.9% same-address rate is higher than the 17.1% turnover rate, showing a relatively stable population. Eleven development applications over 12 months, including examples for 1 and 2 dwellings, indicate incremental housing change rather than a broad release of new land.
What languages are spoken in Canada Bay?
Italian is the most prominent named language, spoken by 71 residents, followed by Mandarin at 24, Cantonese at 23, Arabic at 14 and Greek at 11. The overseas-born share is 32.1%, which is 10.5 percentage points above the national level and contributes to the suburb's multilingual household profile.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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