Ashfield, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Ashfield NSW is 23,012 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Ashfield is $890 per week ($46,280 per year). Median rent in Ashfield is $440 per week ($1,907 per month). Ashfield has a median age of 36 years, younger than the national median of 38. Ashfield has a population density of 6,740 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Ashfield is China. The most common religion is No religion (39.6% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Ashfield is $2,210.

There were 334 recorded offences in Ashfield in 2025-26, a rate of 15 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (108 offences).

Population
23,012
Census 2021
Median income
$890/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$440/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
36years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Ashfield vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Ashfield is $890 a week, 16% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 632nd of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $440 a week, $55 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 23.3% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 36, 7 years younger than in the typical NSW suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureAshfieldTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$890/wk$765/wk +16%$766/wk
Household income$1,888/wk$1,704/wk +11%$1,637/wk
Rent$440/wk$385/wk +14%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,210/mo$1,965/mo +12%$1,733/mo
Median age3643 −7 yrs42
Rent share of household income23.3%22.6% +0.7 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Ashfield, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Ashfield Population

23,012 residents at the 2021 Census.

Ashfield Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$890/wk
$46,280 per year
Ranked 2,241 of 14,663
Median Rent
$440/wk
$1,907 per month
Ranked 1,252 of 14,663
Median Age
36years
2 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$2,210/mo
Avg household size: 2.3 · 1 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Ashfield Rent Prices & Affordability

23% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $1,888/wk
Median rent $440/wk
Rent to income 23.3%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Ashfield against your income

About $8,181 a month
Median rent $440/wk
Left after rent $1,448/wk
Rent share 23.3%

Ashfield Schools

63
schools nearby
33
government
1092
avg ICSEA score
28,730
total students
MLC School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 1,393 students
1177
ICSEA
Fort Street High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 917 students
1176
ICSEA
Trinity Grammar School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 2,296 students
1168
ICSEA
St Columba's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 180 students
1167
ICSEA
Summer Hill Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 662 students
1167
ICSEA
Presbyterian Ladies' College Sydney Independent
Combined · K-12 · 1,495 students
1160
ICSEA
Dobroyd Point Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 116 students
1149
ICSEA
Yeo Park Infants School Government
Primary · K-2 · 48 students
1144
ICSEA
Russell Lea Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 428 students
1140
ICSEA
Petersham Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 232 students
1137
ICSEA
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 163 students
1136
ICSEA
Wilkins Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 508 students
1135
ICSEA
Taverners Hill Infants School Government
Primary · K-2 · 20 students
1129
ICSEA
Haberfield Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 542 students
1125
ICSEA
All Hallows Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 462 students
1125
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 63 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Ashfield, with a map

Ashfield Map

Ashfield, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Ashfield, New South Wales: 33.8895°S, 151.1275°E

Ashfield Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (63)

People in Ashfield

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.0% (11,275) Female 51.0% (11,741)

Population Density

6,740
people per km²
23,012 people · 3.4 km²

Households

2.3
Avg household size
1
Persons per bedroom
$2,256
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

China
12.2%
Nepal
6.7%
India
3.2%
Philippines
2.9%
England
2.1%
Italy
1.6%
Thailand
1.6%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
12.5%
Nepali
6.8%
Cantonese
5.3%
Italian
2.2%
Spanish
1.7%
Greek
1.6%
Thai
1.5%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

Chinese
22.1%
English
18.6%
Australian
14.9%
Irish
8.4%
Scottish
5.6%
Italian
5.6%
Filipino
3.8%
Indian
3.8%
Greek
2.7%
German
2.1%
Vietnamese
2.0%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
39.6%
Catholic
20.6%
Hinduism
9.5%
Buddhism
6.5%
Not stated
5.9%
Anglican
4.6%
Eastern Orthodox
2.7%
Islam
2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.8%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
39.4% 8,017
Separated
2.8% 566
Divorced
8.4% 1,697
Widowed
4.9% 987
Never married
44.6% 9,056

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
36.6%
Couple: no children
34.9%
Couple: no children under 15
15.2%
One parent: no children under 15
8.0%
One parent: children under 15
5.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
32.1%
2 persons
33.5%
3 persons
16.8%
4 persons
11.5%
5 persons
3.9%
6+ persons
2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Ashfield

Housing Tenure

Of the 9,266 occupied private dwellings in Ashfield at the 2021 Census, 50.5% were rented, 22.3% owned outright and 22.8% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
3.0% 282 dwellings
Owned outright
22.3% 2,069 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
22.8% 2,114 dwellings
Rented
50.5% 4,683 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.3% 117 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
74.8%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
14.1%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
11.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
14.4%
2 bedrooms
53.2%
3 bedrooms
20.8%
4 bedrooms
8.4%
5 bedrooms
2.3%
6+ bedrooms
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
6.8%
$300-$449/mo
1.5%
$450-$599/mo
1.8%
$600-$799/mo
2.5%
$800-$999/mo
3.3%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.2%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
11.4%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
28.3%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
17.5%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
17.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
23.0%
1 vehicle
53.3%
2 vehicles
18.2%
3 vehicles
3.8%
4+ vehicles
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Ashfield

Employment

Employed full-time
38.1% 6,844 people
Employed part-time
20.7% 3,727 people
Unemployed
4.5% 802 people
Not in labour force
36.7% 6,599 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
42.3%
Managers
12.6%
Clerical & Administrative
12.3%
Community & Personal Service
9.8%
Technicians & Trade Workers
9.0%
Labourers
5.7%
Sales Workers
5.6%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
2.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.3%
$1-$149/wk
0.8%
$150-$299/wk
1.3%
$300-$399/wk
2.2%
$400-$499/wk
4.4%
$500-$649/wk
4.0%
$650-$799/wk
5.1%
$800-$999/wk
5.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.7%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.9%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.2%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.5%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
14.2%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.0%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
6.9%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.1%
$4,000+/wk
13.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
10.9%
$1-$149/wk
2.8%
$150-$299/wk
4.7%
$300-$399/wk
3.5%
$400-$499/wk
3.1%
$500-$649/wk
4.4%
$650-$799/wk
8.8%
$800-$999/wk
10.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
11.8%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.0%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.3%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.9%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
11.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
2.5%
$3,500+/wk
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
43.3%
Did not go to work
24.6%
Train
16.4%
Walked only
5.2%
Car (passenger)
3.6%
Bus
2.4%
Bicycle
1.4%
Motorbike/Scooter
1.3%
Other
0.8%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.6%
Truck
0.4%
Ferry
0.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
85.9%
Year 10 or equivalent
9.0%
Year 11 or equivalent
3.0%
Year 9 or equivalent
2.1%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
45.0%
Postgraduate Degree
21.4%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
16.2%
Certificate III/IV
11.8%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
4.5%
Certificate I/II
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
26.3%
Society & Culture
16.6%
Health
10.7%
Creative Arts
9.3%
Engineering
8.9%
Information Technology
8.9%
Education
6.1%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.7%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
3.9%
Architecture & Building
3.7%
Agriculture & Environment
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
26.8%
Vocational Education
26.0%
Secondary: Government
16.3%
Pre-school
10.3%
Primary: Catholic
7.3%
Secondary: Catholic
7.2%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
4.2%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
88.9%
Has need for assistance
6.9%
Need for assistance not stated
4.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
2,152
Asthma
660
Diabetes
524
Arthritis
480
Heart disease
401
Lung condition
261
Cancer
252
Kidney disease
200
Stroke
198
Dementia
144

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
9.2% 1,785
Did not provide
90.8% 17,551

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
11.7% 2,268
Not a volunteer
88.3% 17,108

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.0% 9
Current ADF: Reserves
0.0% 3
Previously served
0.9% 178
Never served
99.0% 19,257

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
53.5%
1 child
18.2%
2 children
19.1%
3 children
6.6%
4 children
2.1%
5+ children
0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
66
1951: 1960
258
1961: 1970
614
1971: 1980
759
1981: 1990
1,354
1991: 2000
1,463
2001: 2010
2,185
2011: 2015
1,670
2016
527
2017
673
2018
777
2019
726
2020
204
2021
51

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

23.1%
moved in the last year
53.8%
moved in the last 5 years
6.3%
unemployment rate (Census)
62.7%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
16,822
Moved from NSW
3,585
Moved: same area (SA2)
973
Moved from overseas
277
Moved from VIC
73
Moved from QLD
35
Moved from ACT
15
Moved from TAS
13
Moved from WA
11
Moved from NT
9
Moved from SA
5

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
20.4%
5: 14 hours
28.9%
15: 29 hours
10.6%
30+ hours
6.6%
Did not do domestic work
33.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
92.9%
Step family: no other children
5.4%
Blended family: no other children
1.0%
Intact family: other children present
0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Ashfield Crime Statistics

334 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
108
Other Against Property
101
Assault
31
Drug Offences
28
Other Against Person
24
Property Damage
19
Sexual Offences
9
Weapons
8
Traffic
6

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Cobar
Income: $937/wk Rent: $200/wk $240/wk less rent
Hillston
Income: $852/wk Rent: $220/wk $220/wk less rent
Armidale
Income: $730/wk Rent: $290/wk $150/wk less rent
Griffith (NSW)
Income: $831/wk Rent: $300/wk $140/wk less rent
West Bathurst
Income: $729/wk Rent: $310/wk $130/wk less rent
Orange
Income: $836/wk Rent: $330/wk $110/wk less rent
Glendale (NSW)
Income: $736/wk Rent: $360/wk $80/wk less rent
Kelso (NSW)
Income: $803/wk Rent: $360/wk $80/wk less rent

Suburbs near Ashfield

The closest suburb to Ashfield is Summer Hill (Inner West - NSW), 1.0 km away.

Summer Hill (Inner West - NSW)
1.0 km away · income $1,317/wk · rent $460/wk
Croydon (NSW)
1.4 km away · income $835/wk · rent $480/wk
Haberfield
1.5 km away · income $996/wk · rent $530/wk
Ashbury
1.6 km away · income $892/wk · rent $600/wk
Lewisham (NSW)
1.9 km away · income $1,344/wk · rent $520/wk
Dulwich Hill
2.0 km away · income $1,157/wk · rent $470/wk

Compare Ashfield (NSW)

Frequently Asked Questions About Ashfield

What is the population of Ashfield NSW?

The population of Ashfield NSW is 23,012 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 6,740 people per km². Ashfield is ranked #111 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Ashfield?

The median personal income in Ashfield NSW is $890 per week, or $46,280 per year. The median household income is $1,888 per week. Family income is $2,256 per week. Ashfield is ranked #2,241 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Ashfield?

Median rent in Ashfield NSW is $440 per week ($1,907 per month). Rent represents 23.3% of household income, which is considered affordable. Ashfield ranks #1,252 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Ashfield?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Ashfield NSW is $2,210. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Ashfield?

The median age in Ashfield NSW is 36 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Ashfield a good suburb to live in?

Ashfield is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 23,012. The median income is $890/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (23.3% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Sydney Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 10099. All dollar figures in AUD.