Petersham, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Petersham NSW is 8,200 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Petersham is $1,223 per week ($63,596 per year). Median rent in Petersham is $450 per week ($1,950 per month). Petersham has a median age of 36 years, younger than the national median of 38. Petersham has a population density of 6,370 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Petersham is England. The most common religion is No religion (54.4% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Portuguese. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Petersham is $2,900.

There were 110 recorded offences in Petersham in 2025-26, a rate of 13 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (33 offences).

Population
8,200
Census 2021
Median income
$1,223/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$450/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.

Petersham vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Petersham is $1,223 a week, 60% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 132nd of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $450 a week, $65 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 20.3% 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.
MeasurePetershamTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,223/wk$765/wk +60%$766/wk
Household income$2,217/wk$1,704/wk +30%$1,637/wk
Rent$450/wk$385/wk +17%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,900/mo$1,965/mo +48%$1,733/mo
Median age3643 −7 yrs42
Rent share of household income20.3%22.6% −2.3 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 Petersham, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Petersham Population

8,200 residents at the 2021 Census.

Petersham Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,223/wk
$63,596 per year
Ranked 380 of 14,663
Median Rent
$450/wk
$1,950 per month
Ranked 1,049 of 14,663
Median Age
36years
2 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$2,900/mo
Avg household size: 2.2 · 1 per bedroom

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

Petersham Rent Prices & Affordability

20% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $2,217/wk
Median rent $450/wk
Rent to income 20.3%

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

Median rent in Petersham against your income

About $9,607 a month
Median rent $450/wk
Left after rent $1,767/wk
Rent share 20.3%

Petersham Schools

68
schools nearby
39
government
1107
avg ICSEA score
25,640
total students
Newington College Independent
Secondary · K-12 · 2,072 students
1182
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
Summer Hill Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 662 students
1167
ICSEA
St Columba's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 180 students
1167
ICSEA
St Brendan's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 155 students
1166
ICSEA
Forest Lodge Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 307 students
1161
ICSEA
St Michael's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 116 students
1160
ICSEA
St Fiacre's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 91 students
1151
ICSEA
Dobroyd Point Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 116 students
1149
ICSEA
Annandale North Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 359 students
1148
ICSEA
Annandale Public School Government
Primary · P-6 · 363 students
1145
ICSEA
Yeo Park Infants School Government
Primary · K-2 · 48 students
1144
ICSEA
Australia Street Infants School Government
Primary · P-2 · 104 students
1143
ICSEA
Newtown Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 272 students
1140
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 68 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 Petersham, with a map

Petersham Map

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

Petersham, New South Wales: 33.8945°S, 151.1556°E

Petersham Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (68)

People in Petersham

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.2% (4,038) Female 50.8% (4,162)

Population Density

6,370
people per km²
8,200 people · 1.3 km²

Households

2.2
Avg household size
1
Persons per bedroom
$3,202
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

England
4.5%
New Zealand
2.0%
China
1.3%
Italy
1.2%
Vietnam
1.0%
United States of America
1.0%
Greece
0.9%

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

Most common languages at home other than English

Portuguese
2.6%
Greek
2.0%
Italian
1.8%
Spanish
1.7%
Mandarin
1.6%
Vietnamese
1.1%
Arabic
1.0%

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

Ancestry

English
33.0%
Australian
26.5%
Irish
15.5%
Scottish
10.8%
Italian
6.0%
Chinese
5.3%
Greek
3.7%
German
3.4%
Australian Aboriginal
1.9%
Lebanese
1.8%
Vietnamese
1.6%

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
54.4%
Catholic
19.0%
Not stated
7.2%
Anglican
5.3%
Eastern Orthodox
3.6%
Buddhism
2.1%
Christian (other)
1.2%
SB OSB NRA SB
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

1.9%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
29.8% 2,138
Separated
2.4% 170
Divorced
8.2% 585
Widowed
2.7% 196
Never married
56.9% 4,076

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
40.5%
Couple: no children
33.8%
Couple: no children under 15
14.5%
One parent: no children under 15
6.6%
One parent: children under 15
4.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
35.1%
2 persons
33.7%
3 persons
14.6%
4 persons
12.5%
5 persons
3.3%
6+ persons
0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Petersham

Housing Tenure

Of the 3,426 occupied private dwellings in Petersham at the 2021 Census, 50.7% were rented, 19.4% owned outright and 28.3% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
0.8% 28 dwellings
Owned outright
19.4% 664 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
28.3% 969 dwellings
Rented
50.7% 1,738 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.6% 20 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
45.9%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
27.3%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
26.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
22.5%
2 bedrooms
35.9%
3 bedrooms
26.2%
4 bedrooms
12.5%
5 bedrooms
2.4%
6+ bedrooms
0.4%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
8.2%
$300-$449/mo
1.9%
$450-$599/mo
0.9%
$600-$799/mo
1.7%
$800-$999/mo
2.0%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.1%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
9.6%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
21.5%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
17.9%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
27.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
21.5%
1 vehicle
51.9%
2 vehicles
21.5%
3 vehicles
3.8%
4+ vehicles
1.4%

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

Work, income and education in Petersham

Employment

Employed full-time
48.5% 3,043 people
Employed part-time
20.1% 1,259 people
Unemployed
3.4% 215 people
Not in labour force
28.0% 1,754 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
49.6%
Managers
18.3%
Clerical & Administrative
10.6%
Technicians & Trade Workers
7.2%
Community & Personal Service
6.4%
Sales Workers
4.1%
Labourers
2.6%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.2%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.7%
$1-$149/wk
0.3%
$150-$299/wk
1.1%
$300-$399/wk
2.6%
$400-$499/wk
3.4%
$500-$649/wk
3.0%
$650-$799/wk
4.2%
$800-$999/wk
4.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.2%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.7%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.0%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.1%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
12.0%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
6.1%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.4%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.1%
$4,000+/wk
24.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
8.0%
$1-$149/wk
2.4%
$150-$299/wk
3.5%
$300-$399/wk
3.5%
$400-$499/wk
2.0%
$500-$649/wk
2.7%
$650-$799/wk
6.6%
$800-$999/wk
7.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
9.4%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.4%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.9%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
7.2%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
15.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
4.2%
$3,500+/wk
9.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
43.7%
Did not go to work
25.4%
Train
9.8%
Walked only
7.0%
Bus
4.2%
Car (passenger)
3.5%
Bicycle
3.0%
Motorbike/Scooter
1.2%
Other
0.9%
Truck
0.6%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.5%
Tram/Light Rail
0.2%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
85.5%
Year 10 or equivalent
8.9%
Year 11 or equivalent
3.4%
Year 9 or equivalent
2.2%

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
46.7%
Postgraduate Degree
21.4%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
13.0%
Certificate III/IV
12.0%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
5.8%
Certificate I/II
1.1%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
21.8%
Society & Culture
21.4%
Creative Arts
17.9%
Health
8.9%
Engineering
6.5%
Education
6.4%
Architecture & Building
4.7%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.4%
Information Technology
4.2%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
2.5%
Agriculture & Environment
1.1%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
30.3%
Vocational Education
18.2%
Secondary: Government
17.6%
Pre-school
11.1%
Secondary: Catholic
8.4%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
7.9%
Primary: Catholic
3.3%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
3.1%

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
90.1%
Has need for assistance
4.2%
Need for assistance not stated
5.8%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,091
Asthma
357
Arthritis
171
Diabetes
158
Heart disease
136
Lung condition
95
Cancer
84
Kidney disease
55
Stroke
53
Dementia
13

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
10.5% 704
Did not provide
89.5% 5,982

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
15.6% 1,046
Not a volunteer
84.4% 5,640

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 4
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 9
Previously served
1.1% 72
Never served
98.7% 6,629

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
59.0%
1 child
13.6%
2 children
19.4%
3 children
6.0%
4 children
1.6%
5+ children
0.3%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
10
1951: 1960
55
1961: 1970
232
1971: 1980
261
1981: 1990
360
1991: 2000
301
2001: 2010
370
2011: 2015
247
2016
71
2017
72
2018
87
2019
74
2020
31

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

Population Mobility

22.8%
moved in the last year
49.9%
moved in the last 5 years
4.3%
unemployment rate (Census)
69.4%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
5,904
Moved from NSW
1,286
Moved: same area (SA2)
285
Moved from overseas
77
Moved from VIC
33
Moved from QLD
14
Moved from ACT
14
Moved from WA
8
Moved from TAS
6
Moved from SA
5

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
25.5%
5: 14 hours
36.9%
15: 29 hours
12.7%
30+ hours
5.6%
Did not do domestic work
19.4%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
91.9%
Step family: no other children
5.9%
Blended family: no other children
1.4%
Other couple: children only
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Petersham Crime Statistics

110 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
33
Other Against Property
21
Assault
15
Property Damage
13
Drug Offences
12
Sexual Offences
8
Other Against Person
4
Traffic
4

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

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

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Bolwarra Heights
Income: $979/wk Rent: $420/wk $30/wk less rent
Crestwood
Income: $982/wk Rent: $320/wk $130/wk less rent
Voyager Point
Income: $1,152/wk Rent: $325/wk $125/wk less rent
Queanbeyan West
Income: $1,100/wk Rent: $350/wk $100/wk less rent
Bourkelands
Income: $1,003/wk Rent: $360/wk $90/wk less rent
Cooks Hill
Income: $1,025/wk Rent: $430/wk $20/wk less rent
Islington
Income: $995/wk Rent: $430/wk $20/wk less rent
Queanbeyan East
Income: $1,079/wk Rent: $310/wk $140/wk less rent

Suburbs near Petersham

The closest suburb to Petersham is Lewisham (NSW), 0.8 km away.

Lewisham (NSW)
0.8 km away · income $1,344/wk · rent $520/wk
Stanmore (NSW)
0.9 km away · income $1,283/wk · rent $490/wk
Leichhardt (NSW)
1.5 km away · income $1,377/wk · rent $600/wk
Enmore (Inner West - NSW)
1.5 km away · income $1,245/wk · rent $500/wk
Summer Hill (Inner West - NSW)
1.7 km away · income $1,317/wk · rent $460/wk
Dulwich Hill
1.9 km away · income $1,157/wk · rent $470/wk

Compare Petersham

Frequently Asked Questions About Petersham

What is the population of Petersham NSW?

The population of Petersham NSW is 8,200 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 6,370 people per km². Petersham is ranked #859 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Petersham?

The median personal income in Petersham NSW is $1,223 per week, or $63,596 per year. The median household income is $2,217 per week. Family income is $3,202 per week. Petersham is ranked #380 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Petersham?

Median rent in Petersham NSW is $450 per week ($1,950 per month). Rent represents 20.3% of household income, which is considered affordable. Petersham ranks #1,049 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Petersham?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Petersham NSW is $2,900. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Petersham?

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

Is Petersham a good suburb to live in?

Petersham is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 8,200. The median income is $1,223/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (20.3% 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: 13202. All dollar figures in AUD.