Old Guildford
At 2,857 residents packed into 0.96 square kilometres, Old Guildford is one of Western Sydney's most densely populated pockets, reaching 2,973 people per km2. What makes the profile distinctive is the contrast: a median house price of $1,282,500 sits alongside household income at the 47.2nd percentile nationally, creating significant mortgage pressure. The median resident age is 29, eleven years below the national average, and Lebanese ancestry is the most common at 968 people, with Arabic spoken by 618 residents. Households average 3.8 people, which is 1.3 above the national figure, reflecting the large family sizes typical of the suburb's demographic base.
Population
2,857
Median Age
29.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,511/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
33
Median House
$1.3M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $1,282,500 puts Old Guildford above the broader Western Sydney median, yet household income sits near the 47th percentile nationally, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.5%, above the 30% stress threshold. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,058. Detached houses dominate at 88.8% of stock, with only 4.8% apartments and 6.4% semi-detached, so the market is almost entirely separate-house transactions. Bedroom distribution skews toward larger homes: 38.1% have four or more bedrooms and 43.1% have three bedrooms, consistent with the average 3.8-person household size. Prices rose from $1,230,000 in 2024 to $1,350,000 in 2025, a 9.8% gain over one year.
For Buyers
The median house price of $1,282,500 puts Old Guildford above the broader Western Sydney median, yet household income sits near the 47th percentile nationally, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.5%, above the 30% stress threshold. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,058. Detached houses dominate at 88.8% of stock, with only 4.8% apartments and 6.4% semi-detached, so the market is almost entirely separate-house transactions. Bedroom distribution skews toward larger homes: 38.1% have four or more bedrooms and 43.1% have three bedrooms, consistent with the average 3.8-person household size. Prices rose from $1,230,000 in 2024 to $1,350,000 in 2025, a 9.8% gain over one year.
For Investors
Renters make up 34.7% of households, providing a moderate tenant base, with weekly rent at $420. Against the $1,282,500 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 1.7%, low for Western Sydney. The vacancy rate is 7.1%, elevated compared to most comparable suburbs, suggesting that not all rental supply is absorbed quickly. Development activity is active with 31 applications lodged in the past 12 months, including secondary dwelling and granny flat proposals, pointing to some densification under way. Rent-to-income at 27.8% keeps tenants below the 30% stress threshold, which supports rental stability. The 9.8% price gain from 2024 to 2025 is the main investment driver, with yield secondary to capital growth in the current cycle.
Development Activity
Total DAs
102
Last 12 Months
33
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+43.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 29 is 11 years below the national figure, making Old Guildford one of the younger-skewing suburbs in NSW. Overseas-born residents reach 41.1%, which is 19.5 percentage points above the national average. Lebanese ancestry leads at 968 people, followed by English (205) and Chinese (174). Arabic is spoken by 618 residents, with Mandarin (46) and Cantonese (34) also present. Islam is the largest religion at 1,384 adherents, ahead of Christianity at 791. University qualifications reach 23.1%, which is 7 percentage points below the national rate, and average household size of 3.8 is 1.3 above national, consistent with multi-generational living patterns common in the Lebanese-Australian community.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.8%
Houses
6.4%
Townhouse
4.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is split across three groups: 29.1% own outright, 36.2% hold a mortgage and 34.7% rent. Outright ownership at 29.1% is a sign of established, longer-held property rather than a churn of new buyers, though mortgage holders slightly outnumber them. The stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 88.8%, rare for a suburb this dense, because the 0.96 km2 footprint is built almost entirely on traditional house lots. Four-plus bedroom dwellings account for 38.1% and three-bedroom for 43.1%, so smaller two-bedroom stock at 16% is limited relative to state averages. Prices moved from $1,230,000 in 2024 to $1,350,000 in 2025, an annual growth rate of 9.8%, with the current median sitting at $1,282,500 based on recent PSI data.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,058
Rent / wk
$420
HH Size
3.8
Personal Income / wk
$468
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.1%
Unoccupied
51
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.5% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
10.8%
Couples, no children
2,388
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest industry at 16.6% of workers (62 people), followed by Construction at 14.4% (54) and Education at 9.6% (36), with Manufacturing at 7.8% and Transport at 7.5%. By occupation, Clerical and Administrative roles lead at 125 workers, with Professionals at 114 and Labourers at 70. The unemployment rate is 13.1%, considerably higher than the NSW average, and the labour force participation rate is low at 27.7%, with 1,165 residents not in the labour force. Full-time employment among those working reaches 61.2%, however, indicating that those who do work are mostly in full-time roles. The high non-participation rate is consistent with a young suburb where many residents are students or primary carers.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.2%
Part-time
25.7%
Participation
27.7%
Employed
510
Occupations
Top Industries
University
23.1%
Postgraduate
5.8%
Born Overseas
41.1%
Dwellings
669
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 81.1% of residents drive to work, while only 6.9% use public transport and 4.6% walk or cycle, broadly in line with comparable Western Sydney suburbs rather than inner-city areas. The suburb has no crime statistics available in this dataset, so direct comparison is not possible. Need for daily assistance reaches 7.6% (193 residents), above what the median age of 29 alone would predict, which may reflect the high proportion of large families including members with disability. Volunteering sits at 7.2%, lower than the national average. The 3.8-person average household size and the prevalence of four-bedroom homes suggest livability is shaped primarily by family-oriented considerations rather than amenity or walkability.
Drive
81.1%
Public Transport
6.9%
Walk / Cycle
4.6%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Old Guildford compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Old Guildford a good suburb to live in?
Old Guildford suits families who prioritise space and community stability over walkability. Separate houses make up 88.8% of stock and average household size is 3.8, well above the national 2.5. The median age of 29 is 11 years below national, pointing to a young, family-oriented population. The main trade-offs are an 81.1% car-dependence rate and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.5%, above the 30% stress threshold.
What is the median house price in Old Guildford?
The median house price is approximately $1,282,500. Prices rose from $1,230,000 in 2024 to $1,350,000 in 2025, a 9.8% annual gain. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,058 and weekly rent is $420, giving a rent-to-income ratio of 27.8%.
What schools are in Old Guildford?
No schools are recorded inside the Old Guildford boundary in this dataset. The suburb's 23.1% university qualification rate is 7 percentage points below the national figure, and families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs such as Guildford and Merrylands.
Is Old Guildford safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Old Guildford in this dataset. As a broader context, the suburb has an unemployment rate of 13.1%, which is higher than the NSW average, and 7.6% of residents (193 people) need daily assistance. These factors are worth considering alongside direct crime data from NSW Police before drawing conclusions.
Is Old Guildford good for property investment?
Prices rose 9.8% from $1,230,000 in 2024 to $1,350,000 in 2025, which is the strongest case for investment. Gross rental yield is near 1.7%, low against the $1,282,500 median. The 7.1% vacancy rate is elevated compared to most comparable Western Sydney suburbs, and the 34.7% renter share provides a moderate tenant pool. Capital growth rather than yield drives the investment case.
How is Old Guildford's population changing?
The suburb's 2,857 residents are concentrated in 0.96 km2, giving a density of 2,973 people per km2. The median age of 29 is 11 years below the national average, indicating a young and growing resident cohort. Annual turnover is 14.5%, with 85.5% of residents staying year on year, suggesting high retention relative to more transient suburban markets.
What languages are spoken in Old Guildford?
Arabic is the most common non-English language at 618 speakers, reflecting the suburb's Lebanese-Australian population of 968 residents by ancestry. Mandarin (46 speakers), Cantonese (34) and Urdu (22) are also present. With 41.1% of residents born overseas, 19.5 percentage points above the national average, multilingual households are common.
How much development is happening in Old Guildford?
There were 31 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including secondary dwelling proposals and at least one granny flat. For a suburb of only 0.96 km2, that rate is moderately active. Applications include CDC modifications, food premises change of use, and dual-occupancy constructions, indicating incremental densification within the existing detached-house fabric.
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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