Emerton
At a median age of 32, Emerton sits 8 years below the national figure, yet 55.8% of households rent rather than own, placing it firmly in the renter-majority tier rather than first-home-buyer territory. All four SEIFA indexes land in decile 1, the bottom advantage tier nationally, which helps explain why household income sits at the 27.3rd percentile and only 15.8% of residents hold university qualifications, 14.3 points below the national rate. Despite this, the median house price reached $800,000 in 2024 and climbed to $865,000 in 2025, an 8.1% annual gain, making affordability the central tension for anyone looking to settle here.
Population
2,295
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,238/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
11
Median House
$800K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price rose from $800,000 in 2024 to $865,000 in 2025, an 8.1% one-year increase that outpaced many comparably priced western Sydney corridors. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,618, which sounds manageable in isolation, but the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 30.2%, crossing the standard stress threshold given household income in the 27.3rd percentile nationally. Separate houses dominate at 78.2% of the stock, with semi-detached at 16.1% and apartments at only 5.7%, so buyers are largely competing for detached homes. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 68.6% of the stock, the clear majority format, and four-plus-bedroom homes represent a further 16.9%. Buyers should note that only 24.4% of households carry a mortgage, because 55.8% rent, which limits comparable sales volume.
For Buyers
The median house price rose from $800,000 in 2024 to $865,000 in 2025, an 8.1% one-year increase that outpaced many comparably priced western Sydney corridors. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,618, which sounds manageable in isolation, but the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 30.2%, crossing the standard stress threshold given household income in the 27.3rd percentile nationally. Separate houses dominate at 78.2% of the stock, with semi-detached at 16.1% and apartments at only 5.7%, so buyers are largely competing for detached homes. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 68.6% of the stock, the clear majority format, and four-plus-bedroom homes represent a further 16.9%. Buyers should note that only 24.4% of households carry a mortgage, because 55.8% rent, which limits comparable sales volume.
For Investors
A 55.8% renter share is substantially above state and national averages, meaning landlord demand is structural rather than opportunistic. Weekly rent of $320 against an $865,000 median implies a gross yield around 1.9%, which is low, but the 8.1% price appreciation recorded between 2024 and 2025 adds a capital-growth dimension. The 6.1% vacancy rate is elevated compared to healthy markets that typically run below 3%, so investors should weigh short-term letting risk. Only 9 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, signalling constrained new supply in a suburb covering just 0.9 square kilometres. Net overseas migration of 173 per year sustains demand from new arrivals, though this is offset by net internal outflow of 332 per year as established residents move to neighbouring areas.
Development Activity
Total DAs
46
Last 12 Months
11
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Emerton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Holy Family Primary School
K-6 · 201 students
Emerton Public School
K-6 · 218 students
Demographics
Emerton's median age of 32 is 8 years below the national figure, reflecting a genuinely young resident base rather than a skewed sample. Overseas-born residents account for 35.4% of the population, which is 13.8 percentage points above the national average, consistent with the suburb's position as a landing point for migrant families. The top ancestries are English (549) and Samoan (168), with a notable Filipino community (152), and Samoan is the most common non-English language spoken at home (85 speakers). Household size averages 2.9 persons, 0.4 above the national figure, reflecting a predominance of family units: 697 couples with children compared to 262 couples without children. University qualifications reach only 15.8%, which is 14.3 points below national, pointing to a workforce concentrated in trade, labouring and community-service roles.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
78.2%
Houses
16.1%
Townhouse
5.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Emerton's housing stock is 78.2% separate houses, which is high relative to Sydney-wide averages, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 68.6% of dwellings. Despite this conventional format, the tenure split is unusual: 55.8% of households rent, 24.4% hold a mortgage and only 19.8% own outright, making renting the dominant household mode by a wide margin. The median house price moved from $800,000 in 2024 to $865,000 in 2025, an 8.1% annual gain. Rent-to-income at 25.8% sits just below the 30% stress threshold for renters, which is notable given that household income is in the 27.3rd percentile nationally. The 6.1% vacancy rate is above typical healthy-market benchmarks, suggesting not all rental stock is filled at current asking rents.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,618
Rent / wk
$320
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$562
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.1%
Unoccupied
47
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.2% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
14.4%
Couples, no children
1,822
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry employing 21.6% of local workers, followed by Retail at 12.7% and Manufacturing at 10.0%, with Construction (6.9%) and Education (6.2%) rounding out the top five. By occupation, Machinery Operators and Drivers lead at 134 workers, then Labourers at 103 and Community and Personal Service workers at 77, a profile consistent with decile 1 SEIFA scores across all four indexes. The unemployment rate stands at 13.9%, well above national benchmarks, because the participation rate is only 37.8%, meaning many working-age residents are not actively in the labour market. Personal weekly income averages $562, placing the suburb in the lower income bands nationally. The IRSAD decile 1 and IRSD decile 1 scores both confirm high relative disadvantage compared to the rest of Australia.
Unemployment
17.7%
Labour Force
7,750
Unemployed
1,369
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.2%
Part-time
20.9%
Participation
37.8%
Employed
558
Occupations
Top Industries
University
15.8%
Postgraduate
3.0%
Born Overseas
35.4%
Dwellings
719
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 81.9% of residents drive to work, compared to only 6.0% using public transport, a pattern typical of western Sydney suburbs with limited rail access. The 6.0% volunteering rate is low compared to national norms, reflecting a community where time and economic resources are stretched. No schools are recorded within Emerton's 0.9 square kilometre boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs of the 2770 postcode. Crime statistics are not available in the current dataset, though the decile 1 IRSD score places Emerton in the highest relative disadvantage tier nationally, which is typically associated with above-average crime incidence. About 9.3% of residents need daily assistance, which is above average and consistent with the older-age cohort growing: the senior share rose 4.1 points over the decade.
Drive
81.9%
Public Transport
6.0%
Walk / Cycle
0.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.09%/yr
(-17 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth is effectively flat, with a 10-year change of -0.4% and a current trend of losing around 17 persons per year. The medium forecast projects the broader area population declining gradually from 18,979 in 2025 toward 18,678 by 2031. The primary demographic driver is overseas migration, adding 173 residents annually, but this is more than cancelled by net internal outflow of 332 per year, as households move to higher-opportunity areas. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying, consistent with decile 1 SEIFA scores and a net outflow dynamic. Rent growth of 66.7% over the decade signals that affordability has worsened materially, while real income growth of 12.0% did not keep pace, widening cost-of-living pressure for lower-income renters.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+173
Net Internal / yr
-332
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -332/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Emerton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Emerton a good suburb to live in?
Emerton offers affordable renting (55.8% of households rent) with a genuine young community, median age 32, but all four SEIFA indexes sit in decile 1, the lowest advantage tier nationally. Household income is in the 27.3rd percentile, university qualifications are 14.3 points below national, and car dependency is high at 81.9% driving to work. It suits renters and families on tighter budgets who prefer detached housing.
What is the median house price in Emerton?
The median house price is $865,000 as of 2025, up from $800,000 in 2024, an 8.1% annual increase. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,618, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.2% that exceeds the standard stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $320.
What schools are in Emerton?
No schools are recorded within Emerton's 0.9 square kilometre boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in the surrounding 2770 postcode area. Locally, only 15.8% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 14.3 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Emerton safe?
Specific crime statistics are not available for Emerton in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the lowest tier nationally, and 9.3% of residents (191 people) need daily assistance, both suggesting elevated vulnerability compared to the national average.
Is Emerton good for property investment?
The 55.8% renter share is well above state averages, providing a deep tenant pool, and the 8.1% price gain from 2024 to 2025 shows recent capital momentum. However, a 6.1% vacancy rate is elevated, gross yield near 1.9% is modest against the $865,000 median, and net internal population outflow of 332 per year limits organic demand growth.
How is Emerton's population changing?
Population is essentially flat at around 2,295 residents, with a 10-year decline of 0.4% and a current annual trend of -17 persons. Overseas migration adds 173 residents per year, but net internal outflow of 332 per year more than offsets this. The profile is slowly aging, with the senior share up 4.1 points over the decade.
What languages are spoken in Emerton?
About 35.4% of Emerton residents were born overseas, which is 13.8 percentage points above the national average. Samoan is the most spoken non-English language at home (85 speakers), followed by Arabic (36) and Hindi (12). Samoan ancestry (168 residents) and Filipino ancestry (152) are among the top five ancestries recorded.
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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