Westmead
Hospitals, high rise housing and migration define Westmead more than detached suburbia. In 2.93 sq km it holds 16,555 residents at 5,658.7 per sq km. Apartments make up 76.1% of dwellings and renters 70.4%, while residents are 7.0 years younger than the national median and the overseas-born share is 50.6 percentage points above national. Compared with nearby Parramatta and Northmead, Westmead reads as a hospital precinct and apartment gateway rather than a conventional family-house market.
Population
16,555
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,144/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
51
Median House
$2.0M
12m to Jun 2026 (PSI)
Homebuyers are mostly buying into compact, transit-linked stock rather than land. The house median is $585,000, with the latest PSI-derived point at $586,500 in 2025, only 0.9% higher than 2024. Separate houses are just 15.0% of stock, compared with 76.1% apartments, so choice is weighted to 2-bedroom homes, which make up 62.0%. Mortgage costs absorb 21.5% of household income, below common stress thresholds, helped by household income in the 81.7th percentile.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are mostly buying into compact, transit-linked stock rather than land. The house median is $585,000, with the latest PSI-derived point at $586,500 in 2025, only 0.9% higher than 2024. Separate houses are just 15.0% of stock, compared with 76.1% apartments, so choice is weighted to 2-bedroom homes, which make up 62.0%. Mortgage costs absorb 21.5% of household income, below common stress thresholds, helped by household income in the 81.7th percentile.
For Investors
Investors face deep tenant demand but also clear vacancy risk. Renting covers 70.4% of households, far higher than a typical owner-occupier suburb, and the median rent is $410 a week. The vacancy rate is 14.9%, so leasing strategy and building quality matter more than simply buying near the station. Development is active, with 37 applications in 12 months, while rent growth in the shift measure is 23.5%. That points to liquidity, but new supply can compete with older apartments.
Development Activity
Total DAs
269
Last 12 Months
51
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+8.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Westmead iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Mother Teresa Primary School
K-6 · 389 students
Westmead Public School
K-6 · 717 students
Westmead Christian Grammar School
K-6 · 196 students
Sacred Heart Primary School
K-6 · 182 students
Catherine McAuley Westmead
7-12 · 1210 students
Demographics
Westmead is young, highly educated and strongly migrant-led. The median age is 33, which is 7.0 years below the national benchmark, and 67.9% hold university qualifications, 37.8 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents are 72.2%, 50.6 points above national, led by Indian ancestry at 5,905 people, Chinese at 1,268 and English at 1,168. Hindi has 867 speakers, Gujarati 558 and Nepali 328, which explains the strong South Asian retail and service mix.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
15.0%
Houses
8.9%
Townhouse
76.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is dominated by apartments and renters rather than equity-rich owners. Prices moved from $581,500 in 2024 to $586,500 in 2025, a 0.9% lift, with the peak also at $586,500 and no fall from peak to latest. Tenure is unusual compared with the Sydney house-belt pattern: 9.9% own outright, 19.7% have a mortgage and 70.4% rent. The bedroom mix reinforces the apartment profile, with 62.0% 2-bedroom dwellings and only 7.8% at 4 or more bedrooms.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General (12m to Jun 2026 (PSI))
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (January to March 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $410.
$650
Bond data Mar 2026 · houses $718 · units $640
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$974
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
14.9%
Unoccupied
1,021
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.3%
Couples, no children
12,725
Total families
Economy & Employment
Westmead's economy is anchored by hospitals and white-collar work, which explains high education scores but mixed disadvantage measures. Healthcare employs 1,362 people, or 20.5%, just above Professional/Tech at 1,325 and 20.0%; Finance adds 706 workers. Professionals are the largest occupation at 3,406. Unemployment is 8.8% and participation 59.6%. SEIFA is split: education and occupation sit in decile 8, economic resources are decile 2, disadvantage is decile 5 and advantage-disadvantage is decile 7. That gap fits a renter-heavy area with skilled workers but lower asset ownership.
Unemployment
3.5%
Labour Force
15,468
Unemployed
547
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
73.4%
Part-time
17.8%
Participation
59.6%
Employed
7,106
Occupations
Top Industries
University
67.9%
Postgraduate
28.8%
Born Overseas
72.2%
Dwellings
5,836
Transport to Work
Livability depends on being close to the medical precinct, rail and schools, not quiet streets. Public transport is used by 19.5% of commuters and 14.1% walk or cycle, both important because apartment density is 5,658.7 people per sq km. Six schools sit in the suburb across Government, Catholic and Independent sectors, with ICSEA results from 1,086 to 1,121. Mother Teresa Primary School, Westmead Public School and Westmead Christian Grammar School sit at the top of that range. IRSAD decile 7 is above average, although no current crime rate per 1k is available.
Drive
59.8%
Public Transport
19.5%
Walk / Cycle
14.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.55%/yr
(+608 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is already running above a stable-suburb pace. The forecast trend is 2.55% a year, or about 608 people annually, taking the medium scenario from 24,417 in 2026 to 27,454 in 2031. Migration is the main engine because overseas inflow averages +1,008 people a year while internal movement averages -762. The gentrification score is 44 and stage is Active, supported by a 49.8% 10-year population change and 39.7% real income growth, so pressure is more about density and turnover than detached-house renewal.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+1,008
Net Internal / yr
-762
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +57% since 2011, Net internal outflow -762/yr, Strong overseas inflow +1008/yr, Accelerating: 7% → 47%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Westmead compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Westmead a good suburb to live in?
Yes, Westmead suits buyers and renters who value hospitals, rail access and schools more than large blocks. It has 16,555 residents, 76.1% apartment stock and 19.5% public transport commuting, so livability is higher for convenience-focused households than for people seeking detached housing.
What is the median house price in Westmead?
The median house price in Westmead is $585,000. The latest PSI-derived 2025 point is $586,500, only 0.9% above 2024, so recent pricing looks steady rather than strongly cyclical.
What schools are in Westmead?
Westmead has 6 listed local schools across Government, Catholic and Independent sectors. ICSEA ranges from 1,086 to 1,121, with Mother Teresa Primary School, Westmead Public School and Westmead Christian Grammar School at the higher end.
Is Westmead safe?
Current crime totals and the crime rate per 1k are not available, so safety should be checked against recent NSW Police and street-level reports. For context, 14.1% of commuters walk or cycle and 19.5% use public transport, so inspect routes to the station and hospitals at peak and late hours.
Is Westmead good for property investment?
Westmead can suit investors because 70.4% of households rent and median rent is $410 a week, which is higher tenant exposure than owner-led suburbs. The caution is a 14.9% vacancy rate and 37 development applications in 12 months, meaning stock selection matters.
How is Westmead's population changing?
Westmead is growing quickly, with the trend forecast at 2.55% a year, or 608 people annually. The medium scenario rises from 24,417 in 2026 to 27,454 in 2031, above a flat established-suburb pathway.
What languages are spoken in Westmead?
English sits alongside large South Asian language groups. Hindi has 867 speakers, Gujarati 558, Nepali 328 and Punjabi 288, reflecting an overseas-born share of 72.2%, which is 50.6 percentage points above national.
Is there much development in Westmead?
Yes. There were 37 development applications in the past 12 months, including dual occupancy, commercial changes and demolition or temporary works. That is high enough to affect apartment competition and streetscape change compared with quieter established suburbs.
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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