Guildford West
A median age of 31 sits a full 9.0 years below the national figure, and that youth shapes almost everything else here. The population of 5,762 lives at 3,582 residents per km2 in just 1.61 km2, with 39.7% born overseas, 18.1 points above national. Lebanese ancestry leads at 1,325 residents and Arabic is the top non-English language with 842 speakers. Housing is overwhelmingly detached at 77.6% of dwellings, yet the median house price has reached $1,176,000, and the SEIFA picture is split: IRSD relative disadvantage sits in decile 1 while education and occupation (IEO) reaches decile 5, a gap that signals a skilled but lower-income migrant base.
Population
5,762
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,583/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
63
Median House
$1.2M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $1,176,000 median house price climbed 8.8% over a single year, from $1,120,000 in 2024 to $1,218,750 in 2025, faster than most Sydney middle-ring markets. Buyers here get space rather than units: 77.6% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.9% are apartments, with 43.7% holding three bedrooms and 42.1% four or more, suited to the larger average household of 3.4 people, 0.9 above national. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,286, but against a household income in the 51.6th percentile that produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 33.4%, above the 30% stress threshold. The 38.7% mortgage share already exceeds the 27.1% who own outright, so most local buyers are carrying debt into a market that is appreciating faster than incomes are rising.
For Buyers
The $1,176,000 median house price climbed 8.8% over a single year, from $1,120,000 in 2024 to $1,218,750 in 2025, faster than most Sydney middle-ring markets. Buyers here get space rather than units: 77.6% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.9% are apartments, with 43.7% holding three bedrooms and 42.1% four or more, suited to the larger average household of 3.4 people, 0.9 above national. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,286, but against a household income in the 51.6th percentile that produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 33.4%, above the 30% stress threshold. The 38.7% mortgage share already exceeds the 27.1% who own outright, so most local buyers are carrying debt into a market that is appreciating faster than incomes are rising.
For Investors
A 34.2% renter share and weekly rent of $460 give landlords a steady tenant base, and against the $1,176,000 median that implies a gross yield near 2.0%, low but typical for detached Sydney stock. The 6.2% vacancy rate is moderate and leaves room for rent growth, which has already run 25.0% over the measured period. Demand is migration-driven: net overseas inflow adds 373 residents a year while internal migration removes 151, so population still grows at 1.36% annually. Development is active with 57 applications in 12 months, many dual-occupancy and attached-dwelling builds that add supply on existing detached lots. The investment case leans on rental demand from a 39.7% overseas-born population and steady appreciation rather than high yield, since rent-to-income already sits at 29.1%.
Development Activity
Total DAs
293
Last 12 Months
63
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 Guildford West iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Guildford West Public School
K-6 · 366 students
Demographics
The median age of 31 runs 9.0 years below the national figure, one of the youngest profiles in middle-ring Sydney, which explains the large 3.4-person average household, 0.9 above national. Overseas-born residents reach 39.7%, 18.1 points above national, and the cultural mix is led by Lebanese ancestry at 1,325 residents ahead of English at 773 and Chinese at 266. Arabic is by far the dominant non-English language with 842 speakers, followed by Mandarin at 66 and Persian at 63. Islam is the second-largest religion at 1,815 residents behind Christianity at 2,504, a far higher Muslim share than national. University qualifications sit at 28.1%, which is 2.0 points below national, so the population is young and family-oriented rather than degree-heavy.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
77.6%
Houses
20.5%
Townhouse
1.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure leans toward debt: 38.7% carry a mortgage, 34.2% rent and only 27.1% own outright, so mortgage holders outnumber outright owners, a sign of recent family buying rather than long-held wealth. The stock is 77.6% separate houses against just 1.9% apartments and 20.5% semi-detached, and three-bedroom homes (43.7%) plus four-or-more-bedroom homes (42.1%) dominate, matching the larger household size. The median house price rose from $1,120,000 to $1,218,750 across 2024 to 2025, an 8.8% one-year move. Mortgage-to-income at 33.4% sits above the stress threshold while rent-to-income at 29.1% stays just under it, a divergence that reflects how purchase costs have outrun the 51.6th-percentile local incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,286
Rent / wk
$460
HH Size
3.4
Personal Income / wk
$569
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.2%
Unoccupied
103
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
33.4% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
13.0%
Couples, no children
4,822
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in service and trade sectors: Healthcare leads at 17.9% (174 workers), Construction follows at 13.5% (131) and Education at 11.6% (113), with Finance at 8.2% and Professional/Tech at 6.7%. By occupation, Clerical and Admin (296), Professionals (295) and Managers (202) are the largest groups. The unemployment rate of 9.9% runs well above national, and participation reads just 35.3% because 2,081 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the very young median age and large families with dependents. The SEIFA split is telling: IRSD relative disadvantage sits in decile 1 and economic resources (IER) in decile 2, yet education and occupation (IEO) reaches decile 5, meaning skills outpace income, a classic migrant working-family signature.
Unemployment
11.3%
Labour Force
11,359
Unemployed
1,284
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.1%
Part-time
25.0%
Participation
35.3%
Employed
1,380
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.1%
Postgraduate
6.2%
Born Overseas
39.7%
Dwellings
1,548
Transport to Work
This is a strongly car-dependent suburb: 86.7% of commuters drive while only 3.7% take public transport and 2.1% walk or cycle, well below the national balance and reflecting the limited transit options in a 1.61 km2 footprint. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas, a practical trade-off given the very young median age of 31. The IRSAD advantage score sits in decile 3 and IRSD disadvantage in decile 1, placing Guildford West among the more disadvantaged areas nationally, and 7.5% of residents (394 people) need daily assistance. Residential turnover is low at 17.4%, with 82.6% of residents staying put, which points to settled migrant families rather than transient renters.
Drive
86.7%
Public Transport
3.7%
Walk / Cycle
2.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.36%/yr
(+339 people/yr)
EstablishedGuildford West is an established suburb expanding faster than its decile-1 disadvantage ranking would suggest, with annual population growth of 1.36% and a 20.6% rise over 10 years. The medium forecast lifts the wider area population from about 25,095 in 2026 to 26,791 by 2031, a steady upward trend. Net overseas migration of 373 a year is the sole growth driver, offset by net internal outflow of 151, so the suburb is being repopulated by new arrivals rather than retaining existing residents. The gentrification stage reads early signs with a score of 34, supported by a population up 26% since 2011 and growth accelerating from 9% to 16%, though real income growth of just 2.4% shows wealth has not yet followed the population in.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+373
Net Internal / yr
-151
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +26% since 2011, Net internal outflow -151/yr, Strong overseas inflow +373/yr, Accelerating: 9% → 16%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Guildford West compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Guildford West a good suburb to live in?
Guildford West suits families seeking detached housing, with 77.6% separate houses and a young median age of 31, which is 9.0 years below national. The trade-offs are a decile-1 IRSD disadvantage ranking and a $1,176,000 median house price that has outrun the 51.6th-percentile local incomes.
What is the median house price in Guildford West?
The median house price is $1,176,000, and prices rose 8.8% from $1,120,000 in 2024 to $1,218,750 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $460 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,286, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 33.4%, above the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Guildford West?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.61 km2 Guildford West boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. University qualifications among residents sit at 28.1%, which is 2.0 points below the national figure, in a young, family-oriented population.
Is Guildford West safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Guildford West in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the most disadvantaged tier, and 7.5% of its 5,762 residents (394 people) need daily assistance.
Is Guildford West good for property investment?
Rent of $460 a week against a $1,176,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.0%, and the vacancy rate is a moderate 6.2%. Net overseas migration of 373 a year supports rental demand, with population growing 1.36% annually, so returns lean on appreciation more than yield.
How is Guildford West's population changing?
Population grows 1.36% annually with a 20.6% rise over 10 years and is up 26% since 2011. Growth is driven by net overseas migration of 373 a year, offset by a net internal outflow of 151, with the gentrification stage reading early signs at a score of 34.
What languages are spoken in Guildford West?
About 39.7% of residents were born overseas, 18.1 points above national. Arabic is the dominant non-English language with 842 speakers, well ahead of Mandarin at 66 and Persian at 63, reflecting a Lebanese-led migrant community of 1,325 residents.
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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