Parramatta, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Parramatta lies about 24 km west of the Sydney CBD at the head of the navigable Parramatta River, and is widely described as Greater Sydney's 'second CBD'. The land is the country of the Burramattagal, a clan of the Dharug people, and the city's name comes from their word for the place — usually given as something close to 'the place where the eels lie down'. Founded by the colony in 1788, it is one of the oldest inland European settlements in Australia, and Old Government House in Parramatta Park is the country's oldest surviving public building. Today the city blends that history with high-rise offices, the busy Church Street dining strip and the new Western Sydney Stadium.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Parramatta is more socio-economically advantaged than about 88% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1065, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Parramatta at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 30,211
- Median age
- 32
- Median weekly household income
- $2,092
- SEIFA score
- 1065
- Coordinates
- -33.8150, 151.0082
Parramatta demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Parramatta using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 53%, 70% of homes are rented, and 74% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 4,914 | 16% |
| Youth (15–24) | 3,360 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 15,922 | 53% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 4,023 | 13% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,996 | 7% |
Share of the 30,215 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,125 | 10% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,110 | 18% |
| Rented | 8,251 | 70% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 903 | 8% |
| Townhouses & semis | 665 | 6% |
| Flats & apartments | 10,062 | 86% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 11,754 occupied private dwellings in Parramatta.
- Median weekly rent
- $440
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,080
- Average household size
- 2.4 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,314
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,015
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 20,912 (74%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 20,811 (74%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 156 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 20,246 (81%)
- Labour-force participation
- 68.1%
- Unemployment rate
- 7.1%
- Employed full-time
- 10,490
- Employed part-time
- 3,883
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Parramatta
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Parramatta is January (average daytime high around 28.4°C) and the coolest is July (around 16.8°C). The area receives roughly 854 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.4°C | 18.6°C | 85 mm |
| Feb | 27.1°C | 18.1°C | 92 mm |
| Mar | 25.4°C | 16.9°C | 139 mm |
| Apr | 22.9°C | 13.6°C | 72 mm |
| May | 19.7°C | 10°C | 37 mm |
| Jun | 16.7°C | 8°C | 57 mm |
| Jul | 16.8°C | 7.1°C | 56 mm |
| Aug | 17.9°C | 7.6°C | 52 mm |
| Sep | 20.9°C | 9.8°C | 44 mm |
| Oct | 23.7°C | 12.6°C | 77 mm |
| Nov | 25.2°C | 14.7°C | 73 mm |
| Dec | 27.5°C | 16.9°C | 70 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Parramatta
Where is Parramatta?
Parramatta is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Parramatta?
At the 2021 Census, Parramatta had a population of about 30,211.
Is Parramatta an advantaged area?
Parramatta has an ABS SEIFA score of 1065, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 88 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 88% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Parramatta?
Parramatta has average daytime highs of about 22.7°C and overnight lows of about 12.8°C, with roughly 854 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Parramatta?
Parramatta is one of the most populous suburbs in New South Wales — the 14th-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 30,211 usual residents).
Where Parramatta ranks
Parramatta appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in New South Wales#14 of 25
Nearby suburbs in New South Wales
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