Penrith
NSWPenrith is a growing suburb in NSW with 17,966 residents.
- SAL code
- 13195
- SA2
- 124031464
- Population
- 17,966
- LGA
- Penrith
Penrith, NSW had 17,966 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 17.7% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 36. Households are most often couples without children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,783 a month. Around 36.0% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 60.2%. Most dwellings are flats or apartments, making up 43.5% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 61 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Penrith, NSW at a glance
Penrith is the CBD-suburb of western Sydney's Penrith LGA, ~55 km west of the Sydney CBD on the Nepean River with the Blue Mountains on its skyline. The town centre is a regional hub built around Westfield Penrith, the rail line and the river foreshore, with a unit-heavy market sitting alongside detached stock. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Penrith is the commercial and civic heart of the Penrith LGA, so the suburb has a town-centre feel rather than a quiet residential one. Westfield Penrith anchors retail with 300+ stores including Myer, Hoyts and a rooftop dining precinct, and Penrith Station puts you on the T1 line to the Sydney CBD in roughly 50 minutes. The Nepean River runs along the western edge, with the 7 km Great River Walk, the rebuilt Regatta Park (new 112 m pavilion, water play, kiosk operational from 2025) and Penrith Beach all within walking or short driving distance. Schooling is centred around Penrith High (a selective school with strong NAPLAN history) and Penrith Public; Western Sydney University's Werrington and Kingswood campuses are a short drive away. Stock mix skews heavily to units and townhouses around the centre, with detached houses on the fringes. In short: a regional CBD lifestyle with river and mountain access, denser and more transit-oriented than the rest of the LGA.
For investors
Penrith is split between a thinner, capital-growth-led house market and a much deeper unit market. Median house sale $1.09M against $610/week rent gives a ~3.20% gross yield; units sit at $600K / $570/week for a ~4.87% yield (Your Investment Property May 2026, CoreLogic). 12-month house growth is +14.98% (quarterly +5.06%); units +4.35%. Just 142 house sales versus 499 unit sales in the past 12 months. Days-on-market 20 (houses), 27 (units). Postcode-2750 vacancy was ~0.96% (SQM Research April 2026).
Strengths
- Strong house capital growth (+14.98% YoY, +5.06% quarter) driven by Western Sydney Airport + Metro proximity (Your Investment Property May 2026).
- Tight rental market with postcode 2750 vacancy ~0.96% (SQM Research April 2026) — well below the Sydney 1.8% benchmark.
- Deep unit market (~499 sales in 12 months) gives easy entry/exit and a ~4.87% gross yield — among the better cashflow plays inside Greater Sydney.
- Hard infrastructure spine: T1 rail, M4, and the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport line (St Marys interchange, opening 2027) anchor long-term demand.
Trade-offs
- House yield ~3.20% — negative-gearing territory at current rates; this is a growth play, not a cashflow one (Your Investment Property May 2026).
- Unit growth lagging houses (+4.35% vs +14.98% YoY) — more supply pressure as Penrith's unit pipeline keeps building.
- Town-centre setting carries CBD-suburb trade-offs: more transient renters, more late-night activity around the station and Westfield than in the surrounding suburbs.
- 55 km from Sydney CBD with ~50-min train commute — distance discount is real until the Metro/airport jobs base scales up.
What's coming
Penrith Council's 2025-26 Operational Plan funds the Dunheved Road Upgrade (2025 start), Andromeda Drive Reserve sport upgrades and the Heart of Kingswood streetscape works. The Regatta Park transformation has delivered the 112 m river pavilion. The Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport line is targeting late-2026 completion with services from 2027, with St Marys as Penrith's interchange to the new airport corridor.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a town-centre lifestyle with river, retail and rail on the doorstep, and the Blue Mountains as your western skyline. For investors: a growth-led house market and a deeper, higher-yielding unit market — pick the playbook that matches your strategy.
Population
?17,966
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+17.7%
3yr: +7.5% · 10yr: +52.4%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,397/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
36
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?2/10
SA2 · more disadvantaged
Unemployment
?5.4%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
4
3 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
?1
Within suburb
Childcare services
?32
25 long day, 7 OSHC
Parks & green space
?61
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?91
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?270
Penrith · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Penrith (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Penrith suburb alone is ~17,966 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 11,813 to 20,292 over 24 years, averaging 2.3% per year.
Schools
3 in suburbSector
3 public
Type
2 primary · 1 secondary
Total enrolment
1,617
Avg per school
539
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Penrith PS45.5%
- Wadangali PS 27.0%
- Castlereagh PS 19.7%
- Penrith SPS 8.4%
- Emu Plains PS 7.4%
- Braddock PS 3.4%
- Emu Hts PS 0.0%
- Jamisontown PS 0.0%
- Kingswood SPS 0.0%
- Cambridge Gardens PS 0.0%
- Cambridge Park PS 0.0%
Secondary
Jamison HS45.6%
- Nepean CPAHS 7.4%
- Cambridge Park HS 0.0%
- Kingswood HS 0.0%
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 7.7%Mostly apartments (43.5%), rental-heavy (60.2% renting), built for families (44% are 2 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
NSW 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: NSW RFS BFPL via SEED
As of May 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
This suburb falls outside every flood polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
21 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| E4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 20.9% | 2.57 km² |
| DM | ZoneDeferred | 14.1% | 1.74 km² |
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 13.1% | 1.61 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 10.4% | 1.29 km² |
| U | ZoneDeferred | 9.4% | 1.16 km² |
| R4 | ZoneResidential | 8.6% | 1.06 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 6.6% | 0.82 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 6.6% | 0.82 km² |
| SP3 | ZoneSpecial use | 5.3% | 0.66 km² |
| MU1 | ZoneBusiness | 3.8% | 0.47 km² |
| EP | ZoneOther | 3.7% | 0.46 km² |
| RE2 | ZoneRecreation | 2.6% | 0.33 km² |
| E2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 2.3% | 0.29 km² |
| R1 | ZoneResidential | 1.9% | 0.23 km² |
| W2 | ZoneWaterway | 1.3% | 0.16 km² |
| E | ZoneOther | 0.9% | 0.11 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.8% | 0.09 km² |
| W1 | ZoneWaterway | 0.6% | 0.07 km² |
| R5 | ZoneResidential | 0.5% | 0.06 km² |
| SP1 | ZoneSpecial use | 0.3% | 0.04 km² |
| C3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.1% | 0.01 km² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.