> Source: https://www.k-stra.com/australia/sydney/ > Updated: 2026-11-03 Australia · NSW · Sydney # How many people live in Sydney, and how far does the city reach? A city of harbours, national parks and long drives: in Sydney the distance that matters is measured in minutes on the road, and income changes from one postcode to the next. In short Greater Sydney had 5,638,736 residents at 30 June 2025. 4,435,276 of them live within a 45-minute drive of Martin Place, and 893,519 within 15 minutes. Income is highest within ten kilometres of the CBD and on the North Shore, lowest in the south-west, and growth is fastest on the outer edge, in Camden and The Hills. [Draw a catchment in Sydney](https://www.k-stra.com/a/?b=15,30,45&mv=151,-33.85,9.3,0,0&src=australia-sydney) Drive times ## How many people live within 15, 30 and 45 minutes of central Sydney? *[Image: K-Stra map of the 15, 30 and 45-minute drive areas from 2 Martin Place, Sydney, with the residents of each band and the full table of population by band.]* People & Economy · Sydney 4,435,276 residents within 45 minutesDrive bands from 2 Martin Place in average traffic, residents by band. One topic, 2 credits. Within 15 minutes of Martin Place by car, in average traffic, live 893,519 people; between 15 and 30 minutes, 1,907,973; between 30 and 45 minutes, 1,633,784. The 45-minute area covers 1,929 km² and 78.7% of Greater Sydney’s residents. The inner west, the eastern suburbs and North Sydney are within 15 minutes; Parramatta, Canterbury-Bankstown and Ryde between 15 and 30. Blacktown, Liverpool, Fairfield and Sutherland fall almost entirely in the 30–45 minute band, as do most of The Hills. Residents by drive time from 2 Martin Place, Sydney Drive time Residents Cumulative 0–15 min 893,519 893,519 15–30 min 1,907,973 2,801,492 30–45 min 1,633,784 4,435,276 Source: K-Stra analysis of 2 November 2026, drive time by car in average traffic from 2 Martin Place; residents from ABS Estimated Resident Population at 30 June 2025, placed on address points. Distance ## How does Sydney change with distance from the centre? Measured in a straight line, 1,179,545 people live within 10 kilometres of Martin Place and 2,703,251 within 20. Close to the centre, 78.7% of homes are flats or apartments and 58.4% are rented; between 30 and 50 kilometres, flats fall to 8.5%. Income does not fall steadily with distance. The income index is 128.5 within 5 km and 122.0 between 5 and 10 km, drops to 99.1 between 10 and 20 km, where the west and south-west begin, and rises again to 104.9 on the outer ring. Residents, income, age and housing by straight-line distance from central Sydney Distance from 2 Martin Place Residents Within this distance Income index Median age Flats (2021) Rented (2021) 0–5 km 434,546 434,546 128.5 35.2 78.7% 58.4% 5–10 km 744,999 1,179,545 122.0 36.6 61.8% 43.9% 10–20 km 1,523,706 2,703,251 99.1 36.9 49.7% 40.4% 20–30 km 1,195,032 3,898,283 103.2 38.7 28.8% 34.7% 30–50 km 1,258,468 5,156,751 104.9 35.6 8.5% 34.4% Straight-line rings counted by K-Stra on every address point, inside or outside the city boundary. Residents and age: ABS 2025; income index: ABS Personal Income 2022–23; flats and renting: ABS Census 2021. Key figures ## What are the key figures for Greater Sydney? Key figures for Greater Sydney against New South Wales and Australia Indicator Greater Sydney NSW Australia Residents, 30 June 2025 5,638,736 8,592,524 27,613,654 Average yearly change, 2019–2025 1.30% 1.13% 1.50% Area 12,369 km² 800,798 km² 7,688,095 km² Residents per km² 455.9 10.7 3.6 Median age 37.0 38.6 38.5 Aged under 15 17.3% 17.4% 17.4% Aged 65 and over 15.4% 18.0% 17.5% Income index 106.5 101.0 100.0 Consumption index 106.2 100.9 100.0 Spending per resident, a year A$55,818 A$53,068 A$52,582 Resident spending, a year A$314.7 billion A$456.0 billion A$1,452.0 billion Families (Census 2021) 1,380,172 2,135,968 6,730,182 Homes rented (Census 2021) 39.0% 35.8% 33.6% Flats and apartments (Census 2021) 40.7% 29.6% 19.6% Area: the Greater Capital City Statistical Area (ABS ASGS Edition 3). Residents counted by K-Stra on the address points inside it; yearly change: council estimates 2019–2025 weighted by the residents each council brings. Income index from ABS Personal Income 2022–23 (tax data), measured or estimated; consumption index derived from it; 100 = Australia. Spending per resident from the consumption index and ABS national accounts (5204.0) for 2024–25. The parts of the city ## Which parts of Sydney are largest, richest and youngest? The Inner South West, around Bankstown and Hurstville, is the most populous region with 642,681 residents and an income index of 91.6. North Sydney and Hornsby and the Eastern Suburbs reach 127.1 and 126.6. The City and Inner South is the youngest region, with a median age of 33.8 and 80.3% of homes in flats. The Central Coast, inside Greater Sydney by the ABS definition, is the oldest, at 43.0. The parts of Greater Sydney with residents, median age, income index and share of flats Region (SA4) Residents 2025 Median age Income index Flats (2021) Sydney – Inner South West 642,681 36.8 91.6 44.1% Sydney – Parramatta 535,867 34.9 93.5 50.1% Sydney – South West 517,631 35.5 93.6 18.2% Sydney – Blacktown 454,097 35.1 106.3 12.0% Sydney – North Sydney and Hornsby 445,103 40.4 127.1 57.4% Sydney – City and Inner South 368,421 33.8 114.8 80.3% Central Coast 357,816 43.0 93.0 10.8% Sydney – Outer West and Blue Mountains 349,215 37.8 105.8 9.4% Sydney – Outer South West 335,917 35.8 103.6 6.1% Sydney – Inner West 322,730 36.9 117.3 59.6% Sydney – Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury 296,694 39.8 115.4 11.9% Sydney – Eastern Suburbs 280,835 35.6 126.6 65.1% Sydney – Northern Beaches 272,656 41.5 115.1 40.1% Sydney – Sutherland 240,672 41.1 117.0 31.6% Sydney – Ryde 218,401 37.6 110.1 51.6% Growth ## Which Sydney councils are growing, and which are not? Camden grew 39.9% from 2019 to 2025, on average 6.65% a year, The Hills 3.94% and Blacktown 3.03% a year: the north-west and south-west growth areas, where new suburbs are still being built. Greater Sydney as a whole grew about 7.8% in all, on average about 1.30% a year. The Blue Mountains stood still, at 0.03% a year, and Mosman and Woollahra lost residents. Blacktown, with 449,385 residents, is the largest council in the city and still one of the fastest growing. The largest and fastest-growing councils of Greater Sydney Council Residents 2019 Residents 2025 Change a year Median age Income index Blacktown 380,186 449,385 3.03% 35.2 106.3 Canterbury-Bankstown 375,333 389,687 0.64% 36.3 85.6 Central Coast (NSW) 345,695 357,816 0.58% 43.0 93.0 Parramatta 257,472 279,014 1.39% 35.9 104.2 Northern Beaches 268,935 272,656 0.23% 41.5 115.1 Liverpool 227,187 261,231 2.50% 34.5 97.2 Cumberland 240,090 256,906 1.17% 33.9 85.7 Sydney 229,596 241,797 0.89% 33.3 115.2 Camden 104,706 146,483 6.65% 33.5 114.7 The Hills 180,102 222,675 3.94% 38.8 118.5 Wollondilly 52,826 62,080 2.92% 36.4 107.9 The eight largest councils mostly inside the city, then the fastest growing of those with more than 20,000 residents. Change on 2025 council boundaries; the average yearly change is the total change over the six years divided by six. Income index and median age are worked out from the addresses inside the city, so a council’s figure can differ slightly from the ABS figure for the whole council. Postcodes ## Which postcodes in Sydney have the highest and lowest incomes? By postcode the picture is finer than by council, and the highest income indices are around the inner harbour: 2041 Balmain and 2043 Erskineville at 157.0, 2039 Rozelle at 156.4. The lowest is 2195 Lakemba, at 65.4. Ultimo (2007) and the CBD itself (2000) are also near the bottom, at 66.4 and 70.6: they are full of students, who earn little. Chippendale, next to the universities, is the youngest postcode, with a median age of 27.9; Katoomba, in the mountains, the oldest, at 51.1. Highest income index: postcodes of Greater Sydney with more than 5,000 residents Highest income index Residents Median age Income index 2041 Balmain 16,579 42.5 157.0 2043 Erskineville 11,095 34.2 157.0 2039 Rozelle 9,079 39.2 156.4 2027 Darling Point 8,287 44.9 153.1 2015 Alexandria 12,893 33.7 151.5 Lowest income index: postcodes of Greater Sydney with more than 5,000 residents Lowest income index Residents Median age Income index 2195 Lakemba 28,695 32.2 65.4 2007 Ultimo 8,513 29.9 66.4 2000 Sydney 31,775 32.0 70.6 2144 Auburn (NSW) 43,367 31.7 70.9 2162 Chester Hill 21,543 34.4 74.4 ABS postal areas with more than 5,000 residents inside the city, named after their most populous suburb; the part of each postcode inside the city boundary only. Income index: ABS personal income tax data for 2022–23, measured for councils and SA2 areas and estimated elsewhere; a postcode is the average of its addresses, weighted by residents, so it can differ from the council that contains it. Spending and businesses ## How much do residents of Sydney spend, and how many businesses serve them? Greater Sydney has 13.24 restaurants per 10,000 residents, more than New South Wales and Australia, and only 4.44 accommodation businesses, against 15.11 nationally: most places to stay are along the coast and in the regions, not in the city. Fuel stations are half the national figure, at 1.92. Spending of the residents of Greater Sydney by category, a year Category Per resident Total (A$ million) Food and non-alcoholic beverages A$5,155 29,068 Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics A$1,560 8,796 Clothing and footwear A$1,929 10,877 Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels A$13,427 75,711 Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance A$2,449 13,809 Health A$4,088 23,051 Transport A$5,911 33,331 Information and communication A$1,012 5,706 Recreation, sport and culture A$5,829 32,868 Education services A$2,062 11,627 Restaurants and accommodation services A$4,854 27,370 Insurance and financial services A$4,416 24,901 Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services A$3,126 17,627 All categories A$55,818 314,743 Businesses per 10,000 residents in Greater Sydney, New South Wales and Australia Per 10,000 residents Sydney NSW Australia Supermarkets 2.85 2.93 2.92 Pharmacies 2.52 2.64 2.63 Gyms & fitness centers 5.94 6.94 7.06 Bars & cafés 11.13 12.33 12.00 Restaurants 13.24 12.57 12.17 Hairdressers 9.00 9.53 9.31 Childcare & early learning 5.26 5.46 5.24 Aged care & retirement living 1.92 2.54 2.50 Fuel stations 1.92 3.38 3.74 Real estate agencies 5.48 5.80 5.34 Hotels & accommodation 4.44 13.40 15.11 Spending per resident from the consumption index and ABS national accounts (5204.0) for 2024–25; residents only, visitors not included. K-Stra places catalogue, October 2026, as the app classifies each business; residents at 30 June 2025. Reading the numbers ## What does this mean for choosing a location in Sydney? A business serving the whole city from one central site will find 79.9% of the residents within 45 minutes more than a quarter of an hour away, and in Sydney traffic those minutes vary more than the kilometres. The suburbs the drive reaches are as different as Sutherland and Blacktown. Within ten kilometres of the centre the market is dense, renting and well paid, and much of it is reached on foot. Further out the same spending is spread over houses and cars: a walking catchment in Surry Hills and a drive-time catchment in Camden are different tools for different places. Postcode averages mislead where students cluster. Ultimo and Chippendale look poor on income but are busy places to trade, because the people who spend there do not all live there. FAQ ## What else do people ask about Sydney? ### What is the population of Sydney? Greater Sydney, as defined by the ABS, had 5,638,736 residents at 30 June 2025, 65.6% of New South Wales. The City of Sydney council, which covers only the centre, had 241,797. ### How many people live within 30 minutes of the Sydney CBD? 2,801,492 people live within a 30-minute drive of Martin Place in average traffic, according to a K-Stra analysis of 2 November 2026; 4,435,276 within 45 minutes. ### Which Sydney postcodes have the highest incomes? By income index, 2041 Balmain, 2043 Erskineville, 2039 Rozelle, 2027 Darling Point and 2015 Alexandria, all above 150 where 100 is the Australian average, among postcodes with more than 5,000 residents. 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