Earlwood
A $1.955m house median sets the tone in Earlwood: this is a premium, detached-heavy pocket of 18,053 people where 80.2% of dwellings are separate houses. The median age is 44, 4.0 years above the national benchmark, and household income sits in the 82.3 percentile. Compared with nearby Canterbury and Marrickville, the appeal is more about established family houses than apartment turnover, although the latest house price is 5.2% below the 2024 peak.
Population
18,053
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,164/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
178
Median House
$2.0M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Homebuyers are paying for space and tenure security. Separate houses make up 80.2% of stock, well above the 11.5% apartment share, while 44.4% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 33.6% have 4 or more. The $1.955m median house price means the $2,817 monthly mortgage sits at 30.1% of household income, so borrowing capacity matters. Families get more detached stock than in many inner Sydney areas because redevelopment has been slower.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are paying for space and tenure security. Separate houses make up 80.2% of stock, well above the 11.5% apartment share, while 44.4% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 33.6% have 4 or more. The $1.955m median house price means the $2,817 monthly mortgage sits at 30.1% of household income, so borrowing capacity matters. Families get more detached stock than in many inner Sydney areas because redevelopment has been slower.
For Investors
For investors, Earlwood is a lower-turnover, yield-conscious market rather than a pure rental play. Renters are 21.1% of households, below the 45.6% owned outright share and 33.3% mortgage share, and median rent is $570 a week. The 6.3% vacancy rate is higher than the tightest Sydney rental pockets, so tenant selection and presentation matter. There is still activity: 157 development applications in 12 months point to renovations, additions and dual occupancy demand.
Development Activity
Total DAs
894
Last 12 Months
178
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-6.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Earlwood iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 374 students
Earlwood Public School
K-6 · 600 students
Undercliffe Public School
K-6 · 152 students
Clemton Park Public School
K-6 · 500 students
Demographics
Earlwood skews older, educated and strongly migrant-influenced. The median age is 44, which is 4.0 years above the national benchmark, and 36.0% of residents were born overseas, 14.4 percentage points above national. University attainment is 44.9%, also 14.8 points higher. Greek ancestry is the largest named group at 4,029 people, followed by English at 2,692, while Greek is spoken by 1,571 residents at home.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
80.2%
Houses
8.3%
Townhouse
11.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is dominated by long-held family homes. Outright ownership is 45.6%, higher than the 21.1% renting share, which helps explain the lower turnover feel compared with more apartment-heavy neighbours such as Marrickville. Prices have softened from $2,010,500 in 2024 to $1,905,000 in 2025, a 5.2% fall from peak to latest. Yet the dwelling mix remains scarce: 80.2% separate houses, 8.3% semi-detached homes and only 11.5% apartments.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,817
Rent / wk
$570
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$837
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.3%
Unoccupied
413
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.1% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.9%
Couples, no children
15,364
Total families
Economy & Employment
Earlwood's economy leans white-collar but is not single-sector. Healthcare employs 800 residents or 13.8%, education 783 or 13.5%, and professional or tech roles 729 or 12.5%, with construction at 508 and finance at 484. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 2,438, above managers at 1,448. SEIFA is consistently high, with IEO, IER and IRSAD all in decile 8 and IRSD in decile 7. Participation is lower at 46.4% because 5,970 residents are not in the labour force and the age profile is older.
Unemployment
2.6%
Labour Force
10,869
Unemployed
282
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.8%
Part-time
28.5%
Participation
46.4%
Employed
6,659
Occupations
Top Industries
University
44.9%
Postgraduate
12.1%
Born Overseas
36.0%
Dwellings
6,132
Transport to Work
Livability is family-oriented but car-led. Public transport is used by 6.9% of commuters, well below car driving at 82.5%, while 4.4% walk or cycle. School choice is a clear strength: 4 local primary schools span ICSEA 1038 to 1110, led by Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School at 1110, Earlwood Public School at 1107 and Undercliffe Public School at 1092. The mix covers Catholic and government sectors. A suburb-level crime rate per 1,000 is unavailable, so street-level checks still matter, while IRSAD decile 8 points to above-average advantage.
Drive
82.5%
Public Transport
6.9%
Walk / Cycle
4.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.05%/yr
(+10 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is close to flat rather than expansionary. The forward trend is just 0.05% a year, or about 10 people annually, which is lower than the earlier 7.3% population change over 10 years. The medium path rises from 18,239 in 2026 to 18,291 in 2031. Migration is doing the balancing work: overseas migration averages +188 people a year, while internal migration averages -175, with overseas migration the primary driver. Gentrification is scored 10 and staged as Not gentrifying.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+188
Net Internal / yr
-175
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -175/yr, COVID recovered (-2% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Earlwood compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Earlwood a good suburb to live in?
Earlwood suits buyers wanting a detached-house, family-oriented area close to inner Sydney. It has 18,053 residents, 80.2% separate houses, 4 local primary schools and household income in the 82.3 percentile, but car dependence is high at 82.5%.
What is the median house price in Earlwood?
The median house price in Earlwood is $1,955,000 for the 2024-2025 PSI-derived quarter. Recent price history shows a move from $2,010,500 in 2024 to $1,905,000 in 2025, a 5.2% fall from peak to latest.
What schools are in Earlwood?
Earlwood has 4 local primary schools. Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School has ICSEA 1110 and 374 enrolments, Earlwood Public has ICSEA 1107 and 600 enrolments, Undercliffe Public has ICSEA 1092, and Clemton Park Public has ICSEA 1038.
Is Earlwood safe?
A suburb-level crime rate per 1,000 is unavailable, so safety should be assessed with current NSW Police tools, inspections and local advice. The family profile, 4 schools and 80.2% separate-house stock are useful context, but they do not replace street-level checks.
Is Earlwood good for property investment?
Earlwood can suit investors seeking established-house scarcity rather than high rental churn. Renters are 21.1% of households, median rent is $570 a week, vacancy is 6.3%, and 157 development applications in 12 months indicate renovation and dual occupancy activity.
How is Earlwood's population changing?
Earlwood is forecast to grow very slowly, at 0.05% a year or about 10 people annually. The medium path reaches 18,291 by 2031. Overseas migration adds about 188 people a year, largely offset by internal migration of -175 a year.
What languages are spoken in Earlwood?
Earlwood has a strong multilingual profile, with 36.0% of residents born overseas. Greek is the leading non-English language at 1,571 speakers, followed by Arabic with 488, Italian with 274, Portuguese with 259 and Mandarin with 230.
Is there much development in Earlwood?
Yes, there were 157 development applications in the past 12 months. Recent examples include alterations and additions, internal minor works and a dual occupancy with 2 dwellings, suggesting renewal of existing homes more than large-scale apartment change.
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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