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.
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.
How many people live within 15, 30 and 45 minutes of central Sydney?
People & Economy · SydneyWithin 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.
| 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.
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.
| 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.
What are the key figures for Greater Sydney?
| 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.
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.
| 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% |
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.
| 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.
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 | 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 | 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.
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.
| 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 |
| 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.
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.
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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