Lakemba is still affordable — but less advantaged
Lakemba 2195 · Canterbury, Greater Sydney, NSW
Lakemba is still relatively affordable to rent, with a median of $530 a week (DCJ, 2026-Q1) — about $250 below the Greater Sydney median; a young, family-heavy area (median age 32). The trade-offs: it is less advantaged than most of Australia (SEIFA decile 1 of 10); unemployment runs above the Sydney norm, at 13.9%.
Mostly apartments, with a median age of 32 and households on a median $1,227 a week at the 2021 Census.
Compiled from ABS regional population (SA2), the 2021 Census, SEIFA 2021, NSW DCJ median rents, NSW DCJ median sale prices, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research reported offences, OpenStreetMap and ACARA Schools NSW / NSW Dept of Education · figures current to September 2026.
What it costs to buy
NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report · 2025-Q4Median sale price from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice's recorded property sales. Compare year-on-year — quarter-to-quarter moves are mostly seasonal noise.
By dwelling type — 2025-Q4 quarter
| Type | Median sale price |
|---|---|
| House | $1,618,000low sample |
| Unit / flat | $560,000n=100 |
The median sale price across all dwellings in Lakemba was $600,000, based on sales in postcode 2195, for the 2025-Q4 quarter. That is $600,000 below the Greater Sydney median. By type: a house $1,618,000 and a unit / flat $560,000.
This is the median price of properties recorded as sold this quarter — settlement can lag a purchase decision by weeks, so the most recent quarter can revise slightly as more sales are recorded.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median price | Year on year | Greater Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-Q4 | $600,000 | — | $1,200,000 |
Sale price data © NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Rent and Sales Report, based on sales in postcode 2195, December 2025 release. Figures are the median for properties sold in the quarter. DCJ suppresses a median where too few properties sold.
What it costs to rent
NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report · 2026-Q1Median weekly rent for new tenancies, from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice's bond lodgements. Compare year-on-year — quarter-to-quarter moves are mostly seasonal noise.
By dwelling type — 2026-Q1 quarter
| Type | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4+ bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House | — | — | $550low sample | $780low sample | — |
| Unit / flat | — | $430n=40 | $520n=235 | — | — |
n is the number of new bonds behind each median — treat a figure marked low sample as indicative only.
The median weekly rent across all dwellings in Lakemba was $530, based on new bonds lodged in postcode 2195, for the 2026-Q1 quarter. That is $250 a week below the Greater Sydney median. By type: a 3-bedroom house $780 and a 2-bedroom unit $520.
This is the median rent on new leases signed this quarter, not what existing tenants pay. It usually runs higher than the Census figure.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median rent | Year on year | Greater Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-Q1 | $530 | — | $930 |
Rent data © NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Rent and Sales Report, based on new bonds in postcode 2195, March 2026 release. Figures are the median for new bonds lodged in the quarter, not all tenancies. DCJ suppresses a median where too few bonds were lodged.
Lakemba on the map
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Area 2 outline for Lakemba, NSW.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Boundary: ABS SA2 (ASGS 2021), simplified — an SA2 can differ from the gazetted suburb, and detached parts such as islands may not all be shown.
How the population has changed
Lakemba against the New South Wales average, both set to 100 in the first year shown so the growth rates compare.
Lakemba population grew from 17,883 in 2016 to 17,756 in 2025, a change of -0.7% over the period, against the New South Wales average.
Show the data table
| Year | Lakemba | New South Wales average |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 17,883 | 7,732,858 |
| 2017 | 18,083 | 7,855,316 |
| 2018 | 18,101 | 7,954,476 |
| 2019 | 18,065 | 8,046,748 |
| 2020 | 17,768 | 8,110,610 |
| 2021 | 17,232 | 8,097,062 |
| 2022 | 16,920 | 8,182,098 |
| 2023 | 17,351 | 8,356,387 |
| 2024 | 17,621 | 8,492,050 |
| 2025 | 17,756 | 8,592,524 |
Where the growth is coming from
Lakemba gained 814 residents from internal migration and 955 from overseas in the year to June 2025, while 1,855 people moved away — a net addition of -86 before natural increase.
- Internal migration in+814
- Internal migration out+1,494
- Overseas migration in+955
- Natural increase+221
Components of population change over the sample year. Natural increase is shown apart from migration so the two are not read as one figure.
How it has changed
Census · five-yearlyThe 2016 Census against 2021. Older figures are mapped onto today's boundaries via the ABS Time Series Profile, so comparisons are approximate where borders moved.
| Measure | 2016 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,019 | 17,092 | +0.4% |
| Median age | 31 | 32 | +1 yr |
| Median household income | $1,012/wk | $1,227/wk | +21% |
| Median weekly rent | $350/wk | $350/wk | +0.0% |
| Born overseas | 66.3% | 65.2% | -1.1 pts |
Who lives here
Census · five-yearlyFrom the 2021 Census — the most recent available; 2026 Census data isn't expected until mid-2027. Each figure carries its definition, so you know what is being counted.
People
Income
Housing
Work
Household
Country of birth
Language at home
How homes are held
- Owned outright 20.1%
- Mortgaged 18.6%
- Rented 58.1%
- Other / not stated 3.3%
How well-off the area is
Census · five-yearlyThe ABS SEIFA indexes rank every area by relative advantage and disadvantage. Decile 1 is the lowest tenth of Australia; decile 10 is the highest.
- Relative disadvantage (IRSD)Lower decile means more relative disadvantageDecile 1score 810
- Advantage & disadvantage (IRSAD)Higher decile means more relative advantageDecile 1score 877
- Economic resources (IER)Income and housing capacityDecile 1score 832
- Education & occupation (IEO)Education and occupational skill levelsDecile 4score 948
Safety context
NSW BOCSAR · June 2026How much crime is reported in Lakemba, from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR).
Most-reported offences · Lakemba, last 12 months
- Intimidation, stalking and harassment411 /100k+32% vs Greater Sydney↓ 14%
- Malicious damage to property366 /100k+28% vs Greater Sydney↓ 21%
- Assault344 /100k+551% vs Greater Sydney↓ 30%
- Theft146 /100k+281% vs Greater Sydney↓ 53%
- Drug offences79 /100k+381% vs Greater Sydney↑ 27%
- Robbery17 /100k+495% vs Greater Sydney↓ 25%
Rate per 100,000 people in Lakemba; the arrow compares the last 12 months with the 12 before.
Of these categories, intimidation, stalking and harassment is reported most in Lakemba over the last 12 months, running 32% above the Greater Sydney rate and down on the year before.
Show the data table
| Offence category | Suburb | Greater Sydney | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intimidation, stalking and harassment | 411 per 100k | 312 per 100k | ↓ 14% vs prior year |
| Malicious damage to property | 366 per 100k | 287 per 100k | ↓ 21% vs prior year |
| Assault | 344 per 100k | 53 per 100k | ↓ 30% vs prior year |
| Theft | 146 per 100k | 38 per 100k | ↓ 53% vs prior year |
| Drug offences | 79 per 100k | 16 per 100k | ↑ 27% vs prior year |
| Robbery | 17 per 100k | 3 per 100k | ↓ 25% vs prior year |
Crime statistics © State of New South Wales (NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research), used under CC BY 4.0, updated June 2026. Matched to this suburb from BOCSAR’s own locality-level data — see the safest/highest-crime rankings’ methodology for the locality-to-suburb matching used. Monthly counts are volatile — the 12-month figures above smooth that noise.
Getting around, and what's nearby
OpenStreetMap · quarterlyWhat OpenStreetMap records inside the suburb boundary. Counts reflect what is tagged in OSM and can undercount a real but less-mapped area. The park count here is OpenStreetMap green space of any kind, including privately held land — it is a different measure from the council parks below.
Within the Lakemba SA2, OpenStreetMap records 6 schools, 1 childcare or kindergarten centre, 2 GP or clinic locations, 6 supermarkets and 12 green spaces. For families: 1 library and 7 playgrounds. Eating out and socialising: 3 cafés and 15 restaurants. Staying active: 1 gym and 16 sports fields. The nearest train station, Narwee, is about 3,250 m from the suburb centre. OpenStreetMap also maps 50 bus stops here.
List every mapped place
Schools
- Canterbury Vale School
- St Therese's Catholic Primary School
- Holy Spirit College
- Hampden Park Primary
- Al-Faisal College Lakemba Campus
- Al Hikma College
Childcare & kindergartens
- Arabic Australian Child Care Centre
Libraries
- Lakemba Library
Gyms & fitness
- Optimus Mens Gym
GPs & clinics
- Lakemba Radiology
- Nas Medical Centre
Supermarkets
- Woolworths
- Lakemba Supermarket
- Exim Supermarket
- Desi Bazar
- Bismillah Butchery and BBQ
- Aldi
Green spaces
- Jubilee Reserve
- Gillies Lane Reserve
- Hampden Road reserve
- Fairmount Street Reserve
- McCourt Street Reserve
- Dennis Street Reserve
- Parry Park
- Harold Bull Reserve
Schools
Every open NSW school whose campus sits inside the SA2 boundary, with the average ICSEA across them. Open a school for its own ICSEA, student background and a link to My School.
The Lakemba SA2 contains 6 schools — 3 primary schools, 1 secondary school, 1 combined school and 1 special school, of which 2 are government and 4 non-government. Its schools with a published ICSEA average 1000 (1000 is the national average); each school's own figure and student background are on its page. NAPLAN results for each school are on its My School profile (ACARA). For area context, Lakemba sits in decile 4 of the ABS SEIFA index of education and occupation nationally and 72% of adults here completed Year 12 (Census 2021).
The centre of this SA2 is zoned for Hampden Park Public School (primary), Kingsgrove North High School (secondary).
Parts of this SA2 also fall in the catchment of Belmore North Public School (primary), Greenacre Public School (primary), Belmore South Public School (primary), Lakemba Public School (primary), Bankstown Girls High School (secondary), Punchbowl Boys High School (secondary), Beverly Hills Girls High School (secondary), Sir Joseph Banks High School (secondary).
Catchments can divide a suburb — confirm your address on EdMap.
Want another suburb? Search the catchment finder.
Show school list
- Al Hikma College · Non-Government
- Hampden Park Public School · State
- St Therese's Catholic Primary School · Non-Government
- Holy Spirit Catholic College · Non-Government
- Rissalah College · Non-Government
- Canterbury Vale School · State
School list: NSW Government open data — ACARA Schools NSW, via the NSW data portal, CC BY 4.0. Catchments: NSW Department of Education “School intake zones” dataset, CC BY 4.0. ICSEA: ACARA School Profile. NAPLAN: myschool.edu.au (ACARA).
Nearby, in Canterbury
Others in the same ABS district, by population growth. If this one doesn't fit, one of these might.
- HereLakemba+0.8%
- 01Campsie - North+1.8%
- 02Kingsgrove - North+1.6%
- 03Campsie - South+1.5%
- 04Canterbury - South+1.5%
- 05Belmore - Belfield+1.1%
- 06Wiley Park+1.1%
- 07Roselands+1.1%
- 08Earlwood+0.4%
- 09Punchbowl+0.3%
Dots place each suburb's growth on the same scale, slowest at left.
Lakemba: common questions
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