South Penrith, NSW: suburb profile

The population of South Penrith NSW is 12,005 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in South Penrith is $828 per week ($43,056 per year). Median rent in South Penrith is $420 per week ($1,820 per month). South Penrith has a median age of 37 years, younger than the national median of 38. South Penrith has a population density of 2,373 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in South Penrith is England. The most common religion is No religion (35.0% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in South Penrith is $2,167.

There were 135 recorded offences in South Penrith in 2025-26, a rate of 11 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (61 offences).

Population
12,005
Census 2021
Median income
$828/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$420/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
37years
Census 2021

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

South Penrith vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in South Penrith is $828 a week, 8% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 836th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $420 a week, $35 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 22.5% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 37, 6 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.
MeasureSouth PenrithTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$828/wk$765/wk +8%$766/wk
Household income$1,870/wk$1,704/wk +10%$1,637/wk
Rent$420/wk$385/wk +9%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,167/mo$1,965/mo +10%$1,733/mo
Median age3743 −6 yrs42
Rent share of household income22.5%22.6% −0.1 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 South Penrith, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

South Penrith Population

12,005 residents at the 2021 Census.

South Penrith Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$828/wk
$43,056 per year
Ranked 3,126 of 14,663
Median Rent
$420/wk
$1,820 per month
Ranked 1,513 of 14,663
Median Age
37years
1 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$2,167/mo
Avg household size: 2.7 · 0.8 per bedroom

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

South Penrith Rent Prices & Affordability

22% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $1,870/wk
Median rent $420/wk
Rent to income 22.5%

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

Median rent in South Penrith against your income

About $8,103 a month
Median rent $420/wk
Left after rent $1,450/wk
Rent share 22.5%

South Penrith Schools

26
schools nearby
17
government
1016
avg ICSEA score
15,389
total students
Penrith High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 930 students
1186
ICSEA
Montgrove College Independent
Combined · K-12 · 675 students
1106
ICSEA
Penrith Anglican College Independent
Combined · K-12 · 1,214 students
1101
ICSEA
St Nicholas of Myra Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 169 students
1068
ICSEA
Bethany Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 540 students
1058
ICSEA
Caroline Chisholm College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,011 students
1054
ICSEA
Nangamay Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 413 students
1050
ICSEA
Kingswood Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 499 students
1048
ICSEA
Penrith Christian School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 744 students
1047
ICSEA
St Mary MacKillop Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 398 students
1040
ICSEA
St Joseph's Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 310 students
1019
ICSEA
St Dominic's College Independent
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,010 students
1008
ICSEA
Surveyors Creek Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 424 students
1007
ICSEA
Orchard Hills Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 242 students
995
ICSEA
Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 807 students
994
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 26 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 South Penrith, with a map

South Penrith Map

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

People in South Penrith

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.5% (5,941) Female 50.5% (6,062)

Population Density

2,373
people per km²
12,005 people · 5.1 km²

Households

2.7
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$2,116
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
3.7%
India
1.9%
New Zealand
1.5%
Philippines
0.8%
China
0.8%
Scotland
0.6%
Ireland
0.4%

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

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
1.0%
Arabic
1.0%
Punjabi
0.7%
Greek
0.5%
Hindi
0.5%
Spanish
0.5%
Malayalam
0.4%

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

Ancestry

Australian
40.5%
English
36.8%
Irish
10.6%
Scottish
7.9%
Australian Aboriginal
5.2%
German
3.2%
Italian
3.2%
Indian
2.4%
Chinese
2.3%
Maltese
2.1%
Dutch
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
35.0%
Catholic
27.2%
Anglican
15.9%
Not stated
5.5%
Presbyterian and Reformed
2.2%
Christian (other)
1.9%
Islam
1.6%
Uniting Church
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

5.5%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
45.4% 4,325
Separated
3.6% 341
Divorced
8.8% 841
Widowed
5.3% 502
Never married
37.0% 3,526

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
42.1%
Couple: no children
23.1%
Couple: no children under 15
15.9%
One parent: children under 15
10.5%
One parent: no children under 15
8.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
20.7%
2 persons
32.7%
3 persons
17.9%
4 persons
17.3%
5 persons
7.5%
6+ persons
4.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in South Penrith

Housing Tenure

Of the 4,244 occupied private dwellings in South Penrith at the 2021 Census, 30.2% were rented, 31.1% owned outright and 36.8% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
0.7% 29 dwellings
Owned outright
31.1% 1,322 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
36.8% 1,561 dwellings
Rented
30.2% 1,283 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.0% 42 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
92.7%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
4.6%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
2.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
1.7%
2 bedrooms
5.0%
3 bedrooms
53.8%
4 bedrooms
30.1%
5 bedrooms
7.7%
6+ bedrooms
1.6%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
4.4%
$300-$449/mo
1.9%
$450-$599/mo
0.9%
$600-$799/mo
2.9%
$800-$999/mo
3.3%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.2%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
14.8%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
28.3%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
21.3%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
12.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
5.4%
1 vehicle
34.1%
2 vehicles
40.1%
3 vehicles
13.5%
4+ vehicles
6.9%

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

Work, income and education in South Penrith

Employment

Employed full-time
38.4% 3,199 people
Employed part-time
19.2% 1,598 people
Unemployed
3.0% 251 people
Not in labour force
39.4% 3,282 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
23.7%
Technicians & Trade Workers
17.9%
Clerical & Administrative
16.0%
Community & Personal Service
13.3%
Managers
11.4%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
6.5%
Labourers
6.1%
Sales Workers
5.1%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.9%
$1-$149/wk
0.7%
$150-$299/wk
0.9%
$300-$399/wk
1.8%
$400-$499/wk
5.1%
$500-$649/wk
3.7%
$650-$799/wk
5.6%
$800-$999/wk
6.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.9%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.9%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.2%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.8%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
14.8%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
9.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
8.4%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.9%
$4,000+/wk
9.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
11.3%
$1-$149/wk
4.1%
$150-$299/wk
5.7%
$300-$399/wk
3.8%
$400-$499/wk
3.6%
$500-$649/wk
2.9%
$650-$799/wk
8.5%
$800-$999/wk
10.8%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
12.8%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.8%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.7%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.0%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
9.1%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.5%
$3,500+/wk
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
66.8%
Did not go to work
21.8%
Car (passenger)
5.3%
Truck
1.5%
Train
1.5%
Walked only
1.1%
Bus
0.6%
Other
0.5%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.5%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.2%
Bicycle
0.1%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
51.6%
Year 10 or equivalent
33.5%
Year 9 or equivalent
8.0%
Year 11 or equivalent
6.9%

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

Certificate III/IV
46.8%
Bachelor Degree
21.4%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
19.1%
Postgraduate Degree
6.9%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
2.9%
Certificate I/II
2.9%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
23.6%
Engineering
17.6%
Society & Culture
14.5%
Health
10.5%
Education
9.5%
Architecture & Building
8.3%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
6.2%
Creative Arts
3.6%
Agriculture & Environment
2.3%
Information Technology
2.2%
Natural & Physical Sciences
1.8%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
31.9%
Secondary: Government
22.5%
Vocational Education
12.6%
Pre-school
10.1%
Primary: Catholic
8.4%
Secondary: Catholic
6.6%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
4.2%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
3.6%

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
89.8%
Has need for assistance
6.0%
Need for assistance not stated
4.3%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,095
Asthma
475
Arthritis
408
Diabetes
333
Heart disease
277
Lung condition
226
Cancer
163
Kidney disease
91
Stroke
91
Dementia
32

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
11.7% 1,061
Did not provide
88.3% 7,982

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
9.9% 898
Not a volunteer
90.1% 8,171

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 8
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 10
Previously served
2.6% 236
Never served
97.2% 8,875

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
29.3%
1 child
12.8%
2 children
31.7%
3 children
17.4%
4 children
6.8%
5+ children
2.1%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
46
1951: 1960
136
1961: 1970
337
1971: 1980
257
1981: 1990
322
1991: 2000
259
2001: 2010
357
2011: 2015
217
2016
32
2017
48
2018
36
2019
58
2020
25
2021
4

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

Population Mobility

12.3%
moved in the last year
33.6%
moved in the last 5 years
4.4%
unemployment rate (Census)
61.2%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
9,987
Moved from NSW
1,031
Moved: same area (SA2)
270
Moved from overseas
48
Moved from VIC
10
Moved from QLD
7
Moved from WA
6
Moved from ACT
4

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
20.3%
5: 14 hours
27.9%
15: 29 hours
13.6%
30+ hours
10.3%
Did not do domestic work
27.8%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
81.8%
Step family: no other children
10.9%
Blended family: no other children
5.6%
Intact family: other children present
1.4%
Other couple: children only
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

South Penrith Crime Statistics

135 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
61
Other Against Person
20
Assault
16
Other Against Property
13
Property Damage
10
Drug Offences
9
Sexual Offences
4
Weapons
2

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

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

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near South Penrith

The closest suburb to South Penrith is Jamisontown, 2.2 km away.

Jamisontown
2.2 km away · income $873/wk · rent $370/wk
Glenmore Park
2.8 km away · income $1,045/wk · rent $480/wk
Kingswood (Penrith - NSW)
3.0 km away · income $747/wk · rent $355/wk
Caddens
3.1 km away · income $1,053/wk · rent $560/wk
Penrith
3.3 km away · income $812/wk · rent $380/wk
Cambridge Park
3.7 km away · income $750/wk · rent $385/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About South Penrith

What is the population of South Penrith NSW?

The population of South Penrith NSW is 12,005 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 2,373 people per km². South Penrith is ranked #460 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in South Penrith?

The median personal income in South Penrith NSW is $828 per week, or $43,056 per year. The median household income is $1,870 per week. Family income is $2,116 per week. South Penrith is ranked #3,126 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in South Penrith?

Median rent in South Penrith NSW is $420 per week ($1,820 per month). Rent represents 22.5% of household income, which is considered affordable. South Penrith ranks #1,513 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in South Penrith?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in South Penrith NSW is $2,167. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in South Penrith?

The median age in South Penrith NSW is 37 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is South Penrith a good suburb to live in?

South Penrith is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 12,005. The median income is $828/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (22.5% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 13612. All dollar figures in AUD.