Douglas Park
A 42-year median age and 95.8% detached-home share give Douglas Park an established, family-oriented profile, while its 2.56% annual growth forecast points to renewed demand. The suburb has 1,386 residents across 26.77 square kilometres, so its density of 51.8 people per square kilometre is far lower than denser Campbelltown. Household income sits at the 85.3rd percentile nationally, and 48.3% of homes carry a mortgage, supporting its mortgage-belt character. Growth is linked to internal migration, but an aging trajectory and a 3.7% rise in senior share suggest future demand will increasingly include established households and downsizers.
Local council: Wollondilly
Population
1,386
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,250/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
33
Douglas Park suits buyers seeking space, privacy and a lower-density setting rather than apartment living. Separate houses account for 95.8% of dwellings, while 65.2% have 4 or more bedrooms and the average household size is 3.1, creating practical capacity for families, home offices and extended households. The typical monthly mortgage figure is $2,368, equal to 24.3% of household income, below the 30% stress benchmark often used in affordability discussions. With 48.3% of properties mortgaged and 41.4% owned outright, owner-occupier demand is higher than the 9.1% rental share. Buyers should allow for car dependence and compare exact sale prices by dwelling size.
For Buyers
Douglas Park suits buyers seeking space, privacy and a lower-density setting rather than apartment living. Separate houses account for 95.8% of dwellings, while 65.2% have 4 or more bedrooms and the average household size is 3.1, creating practical capacity for families, home offices and extended households. The typical monthly mortgage figure is $2,368, equal to 24.3% of household income, below the 30% stress benchmark often used in affordability discussions. With 48.3% of properties mortgaged and 41.4% owned outright, owner-occupier demand is higher than the 9.1% rental share. Buyers should allow for car dependence and compare exact sale prices by dwelling size.
For Investors
Douglas Park has a relatively shallow rental market, with only 9.1% of households renting, weekly rent of $446 and a 4.3% vacancy rate. The low rental share is below the combined owner and mortgage groups, so tenant depth may be narrower than in more renter-heavy suburbs. Demand prospects are supported by a 2.56% annual growth trend and internal migration as the primary driver. Development activity is also notable, with 35 applications recorded over 12 months, although the examples are mainly alterations, sheds, pools and individual dwelling work rather than a clearly stated large project. Rent growth of 84.9% is higher than real income growth of 19.8%, making yield analysis and future affordability important.
Development Activity
Total DAs
138
Last 12 Months
33
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+6.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Douglas Park
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Douglas Park has a median age of 42, around 2 years older than the national comparison, and an average household size of 3.1, which is 0.6 higher than the national figure. University attainment is 21.6%, or 8.5 percentage points below the national level, while the overseas-born share is 12.4%, 9.2 points lower nationally. English ancestry is the largest reported group at 531 people, followed by Irish at 148 and Scottish at 111. Christianity accounts for 879 residents and no religion for 357. These patterns align with a stable, Anglo-leaning population, while the 86.9% five-year stay rate is higher than the 13.1% turnover rate and points to strong residential continuity.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.8%
Houses
3.5%
Townhouse
0.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Douglas Park's housing stock is strongly detached and family-sized: 95.8% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 3.5% semi-detached homes and 0.7% apartments. Four or more bedrooms account for 65.2% of homes, while 3-bedroom dwellings represent 27.0%, making larger properties much more common than compact housing. Tenure is also distinctive, with 41.4% owned outright, 48.3% under mortgage and only 9.1% rented. Mortgage payments equal 24.3% of household income, while rent represents 19.8%, both below common stress thresholds. Compared with apartment-oriented locations, Douglas Park provides more land and space but less dwelling diversity and fewer obvious entry-level formats.
Mortgage / mo
$2,368
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$446
Census 2021
HH Size
3.1
Personal Income / wk
$861
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.3%
Unoccupied
19
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
51.2%
Couples with children
39.4%
Couples, no children
10.0%
Single parent
381
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction is Douglas Park's largest industry at 17.7% of employed residents, well above manufacturing at 6.2%, followed by healthcare at 13.4%, education at 12.7% and public administration at 12.2%. The occupational mix includes 124 trades workers, 100 professionals, 94 clerical and administrative workers, 91 managers and 74 community or personal service workers. Participation is 61.4%, full-time employment is 55.1% and unemployment is 1.2%, indicating a stronger labour position than many lower-income areas. SEIFA results are uneven but generally advantaged: IRSAD is in decile 8, IRSD in decile 9 and IER in the top decile 10, while IEO is lower at decile 6. The trade-heavy economy helps explain why high advantage coexists with university attainment below the national comparison.
Unemployment
1.2%
Labour Force
688
Unemployed
8
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.1%
Part-time
29.4%
Participation
61.4%
Employed
680
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
21.6%
Postgraduate
5.0%
Born Overseas
12.4%
Dwellings
429
Transport to Work
Douglas Park provides a low-density lifestyle across 26.77 square kilometres, but daily mobility is more car dependent than public-transport oriented. Car drivers account for 64.2% of journeys, compared with 1.1% using public transport and 1.1% walking or cycling, while 29.5% work from home. One local government primary school, Douglas Park Public School, supports primary access; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address and investigate secondary options in nearby centres. The school network is smaller than in larger regional hubs, so commuting and catchment planning matter. For safety, use current local incident information and inspect the exact street at different times. Social advantage is relatively high, with an IRSAD decile of 8 and an IRSD decile of 9.
Drive
64.2%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.1%
Work from Home
29.5%
Growth Outlook
Douglas Park is forecast to grow at 2.56% annually, with internal migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 57.2% over ten years, higher than the suburb's established label might suggest. The trajectory is aging, supported by a 3.7% increase in senior share and a 4.1% decline in working-age share. Affordability has worsened from 40.7 in 2011 to 51.1 in 2021, while rent growth of 84.9% has outpaced real income growth of 19.8%. Gentrification is rated at 25 and classified as early signs, below the separate shift score of 49, so growth appears more closely tied to household movement and housing demand than to a fully mature lifestyle transformation.
Population trend: Wollondilly council area
Douglas Park sits in the Wollondilly council area. These are the council area's residents, not Douglas Park's.
Residents 2025
62,080
Growth, 5 yr average
+3.0%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+3.9%
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 Douglas Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Douglas Park a good suburb to live in?
Douglas Park can suit households wanting space, quiet streets and larger homes. The median age is 42, 95.8% of dwellings are separate houses and 29.5% of residents work from home. Daily life is more car dependent than public-transport based, with 64.2% driving and only 1.1% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Douglas Park?
Use a current property sales source for Douglas Park's median house price because values change by dwelling type and sale period. Useful affordability benchmarks are weekly rent of $446, a monthly mortgage figure of $2,368 and mortgage payments equal to 24.3% of household income.
What schools are in Douglas Park?
Douglas Park Public School is the local government primary school. Families should check enrolment zones for the exact address and compare secondary options in nearby centres. With 1 local school and 95.8% of homes being separate houses, school access should be considered alongside transport and catchment requirements.
Is Douglas Park safe?
Douglas Park's population is 1,386, but population size alone does not establish safety and a current crime rate should be checked before moving. Review recent incidents for the exact street, visit at different times and assess lighting, traffic and access to services rather than relying on a single suburb-wide impression.
Is Douglas Park good for property investment?
Douglas Park has some investment positives, including $446 weekly rent, a 4.3% vacancy rate and a 2.56% annual growth trend. However, only 9.1% of households rent, so the tenant pool is lower than in renter-heavy suburbs. Thirty-five development applications in 12 months also warrant checking for local supply and streetscape effects.
How is Douglas Park's population changing?
Growth is forecast at 2.56% annually and internal migration is the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 57.2% over ten years, while Douglas Park is following an aging trajectory: the senior share has risen 3.7% and the working-age share has fallen 4.1%.
What development is happening in Douglas Park?
Thirty-five development applications were recorded over 12 months. Recent examples include a dwelling house, swimming pool, shed, carport, deck and alterations to existing structures. The available examples point more to individual home improvements and new structures than to a clearly identified large apartment or subdivision project.
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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