Suburbs Russell Lea

New South Wales · Suburb Profile

Russell Lea NSW — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Russell Lea, New South Wales. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Russell Lea NSW is 4,920 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Russell Lea is $1,133 per week ($58,916 per year). Median rent in Russell Lea is $520 per week ($2,253 per month). Russell Lea has a median age of 43 years, older than the national median of 38. Russell Lea has a population density of 4898.4 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Russell Lea is England. The most common religion is Catholic (45% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Italian. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Russell Lea is $3,290.

There were 11 recorded offences in Russell Lea in 2025-26, a rate of 2 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (5 offences).

Russell Lea Map

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📍 Russell Lea, New South Wales — 33.8584°S, 151.1420°E

Crime: Low Med High 🏫 Schools (41)

Russell Lea Population

0
residents (Census 2021)

Russell Lea Median Income & Rent

💰
Median Income
$1,133/wk
$58,916 per year
#599 of 14,663
🏠
Median Rent
$520/wk
$2,253 per month
#502 of 14,663
👤
Median Age
43years
5 years older than national median
🏡
Mortgage
$3,290/mo
Avg household size: 2.6 · 0.9 per bedroom

Russell Lea Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.3% (2,374) Female 51.7% (2,542)

Population Density

4898.4
people per km²
4,920 people · 1.0 km²

Households

2.6
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$3,256
Family income/wk

Russell Lea 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 & Locality (SAL)

Russell Lea Housing Tenure

🏠
Owned outright
51.7% 667 dwellings
🏦
Owned with mortgage
48.3% 624 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Russell Lea Country of Birth

Australia
89.1%
England
3.9%
Greece
2.1%
China
1.5%
Germany
0.7%
Hong Kong
0.7%
Iran
0.6%
Egypt
0.5%
India
0.5%
Chile
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Russell Lea Religion

Catholic
45.0%
No Religion
29.9%
Anglican
8.0%
Eastern Orthodox
7.4%
Not stated
4.7%
Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd
2.0%
Buddhism
1.8%
Christian (other)
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Russell Lea Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
78.6%
Year 10 or equivalent
14.9%
Year 9 or equivalent
3.5%
Year 11 or equivalent
3.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Russell Lea Languages Spoken at Home

Italian
44.7%
Greek
16.9%
Mandarin
8.0%
Cantonese
7.2%
Other
6.6%
Vietnamese
5.2%
Arabic
4.4%
Spanish
4.0%
Croatian
2.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Russell Lea Employment

💼
Employed full-time
42.9% 1,543 people
⏰
Employed part-time
19.4% 696 people
🔍
Unemployed
2.1% 76 people
🏠
Not in labour force
35.6% 1,279 people

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

Russell Lea Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
43.6%
Certificate III/IV
18.2%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
16.0%
Postgraduate Degree
15.6%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
5.3%
Certificate I/II
1.3%

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

Russell Lea Occupation

Professionals
40.4%
Managers
24.9%
Clerical & Administrative
12.1%
Technicians & Trade Workers
9.0%
Sales Workers
5.5%
Community & Personal Service
5.1%
Labourers
2.1%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.0%

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

Russell Lea Field of Study

Management & Commerce
32.8%
Society & Culture
15.3%
Engineering
11.2%
Health
9.0%
Education
7.6%
Architecture & Building
7.1%
Creative Arts
6.6%
Natural & Physical Sciences
3.6%
Information Technology
3.3%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
3.1%
Agriculture & Environment
0.4%

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

Russell Lea Dwelling Types

Separate house
90.1%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
5.2%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
4.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Russell Lea Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.4%
$1-$149/wk
0.7%
$150-$299/wk
1.2%
$300-$399/wk
2.3%
$400-$499/wk
4.2%
$500-$649/wk
2.6%
$650-$799/wk
4.1%
$800-$999/wk
4.3%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
4.2%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
4.2%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
4.5%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
3.8%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
8.8%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.5%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.3%
$4,000+/wk
32.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Russell Lea Marital Status

💍
Married
52.1% 2,088
↔️
Separated
1.8% 74
📋
Divorced
7.1% 283
🕊️
Widowed
6.0% 242
👤
Never married
33.0% 1,322

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Russell Lea Ancestry

English
19.8%
Italian
19.3%
Australian
19.3%
Other
9.7%
Irish
9.3%
Chinese
5.5%
Scottish
5.3%
Greek
5.3%
Lebanese
2.0%
German
1.7%
Croatian
1.5%
Vietnamese
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Russell Lea School & University Attendance

Primary — Government
23.5%
Secondary — Catholic
18.2%
Primary — Catholic
16.5%
Secondary — Other Non-Govt
14.0%
Pre-school
10.9%
Secondary — Government
6.8%
Vocational Education
6.7%
Primary — Other Non-Govt
3.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Russell Lea Need for Assistance

♿
Needs assistance
6.0% 569
✅
No need for assistance
94.0% 8,883

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

Russell Lea Volunteering

🤝
Volunteer
13.9% 536
—
Not a volunteer
86.1% 3,308

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Russell Lea Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
9.4%
$300-$449/mo
4.3%
$450-$599/mo
3.1%
$600-$799/mo
2.0%
$800-$999/mo
6.3%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
6.3%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
7.1%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
18.2%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
12.0%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
31.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Russell Lea How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
61.8%
Did not go to work
23.8%
Car (passenger)
3.4%
Bus
3.0%
Walked only
2.4%
Motorbike/Scooter
1.5%
Truck
1.3%
Bicycle
1.0%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.8%
Other
0.5%
Ferry
0.3%
Train
0.2%

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

Russell Lea Car Ownership

0 vehicles
9.0%
1 vehicle
34.6%
2 vehicles
38.9%
3 vehicles
11.3%
4+ vehicles
6.2%

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

Russell Lea Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
4.4%
2 bedrooms
25.3%
3 bedrooms
38.2%
4 bedrooms
23.1%
5 bedrooms
7.7%
6+ bedrooms
1.3%

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

Russell Lea Population Mobility

12.0%
moved in the last year
31.9%
moved in the last 5 years
2.8%
unemployment rate (Census)
64.3%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Russell Lea Indigenous Population

0.4%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
40
Indigenous residents
9,493
Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Russell Lea Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
320
Asthma
154
Arthritis
121
Diabetes
108
Heart disease
104
Cancer
70
Lung condition
52
Kidney disease
32
Dementia
30
Stroke
27

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

Russell Lea Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
9.9%
$1-$149/wk
3.6%
$150-$299/wk
4.2%
$300-$399/wk
3.0%
$400-$499/wk
2.9%
$500-$649/wk
1.9%
$650-$799/wk
6.3%
$800-$999/wk
6.6%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
9.7%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.9%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.7%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.7%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
13.0%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
5.0%
$3,500+/wk
12.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Russell Lea Family Structure

Couple — children under 15
45.5%
Couple — no children
23.6%
Couple — no children under 15
21.2%
One parent — no children under 15
6.2%
One parent — children under 15
3.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Russell Lea Military Service

🎖️
Current ADF — Regular
0.1% 5
🛡️
Current ADF — Reserves
0.1% 3
🏅
Previously served
1.1% 43
👤
Never served
98.7% 3,804

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Russell Lea Unpaid Carers

🤲
Provided unpaid assistance
14.8% 566
—
Did not provide
85.2% 3,271

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Russell Lea Children Ever Born

No children
37.3%
1 child
13.7%
2 children
32.1%
3 children
13.3%
4 children
3.1%
5+ children
0.5%

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

Russell Lea When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
24
1951–1960
173
1961–1970
284
1971–1980
167
1981–1990
173
1991–2000
153
2001–2010
156
2011–2015
96
2016
19
2017
15
2018
24
2019
10
2020
8
2021
3

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

Russell Lea Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
23.1%
5–14 hours
32.5%
15–29 hours
14.4%
30+ hours
8.7%
Did not do domestic work
21.3%

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

Russell Lea Household Size

1 person
22.7%
2 persons
31.0%
3 persons
16.5%
4 persons
21.1%
5 persons
7.0%
6+ persons
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Russell Lea Where Residents Moved From

Same address
4,144
Moved from NSW
433
Moved — same area (SA2)
78
Moved from overseas
35
Moved from QLD
4
Moved from VIC
3

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

Russell Lea Family Blending

Intact family — no other children
92.4%
Step family — no other children
5.5%
Blended family — no other children
1.7%
Intact family — other children present
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Russell Lea Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 11 total

Theft
5
Other Against Property
3
Assault
2
Other Against Person
1

Offence trend by year:

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR — bocsar.nsw.gov.au

Russell Lea Schools

41
schools nearby
21
government
1122
avg ICSEA score
18,982
total students
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
Villa Maria Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 360 students
1166
ICSEA
Rozelle Public School Government
Primary · P-6 · 507 students
1162
ICSEA
Presbyterian Ladies' College Sydney Independent
Combined · K-12 · 1,495 students
1160
ICSEA
St Mark's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 310 students
1156
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
Hunters Hill Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 228 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
Russell Lea Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 428 students
1140
ICSEA
Drummoyne Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 427 students
1137
ICSEA
Orange Grove Public School Government
Primary · P-6 · 519 students
1132
ICSEA
St Joseph's College Independent
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,100 students
1130
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 41 schools

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Russell Lea with map →

Russell Lea Rent Prices & Affordability

20%
of income
Affordable
Household Income $2,658/wk
Median Rent $520/wk
Rent-to-Income 19.6%

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

If you earn X in Russell Lea

≈ $11,518/month
Median rent $520/wk
Left after rent $2,138/wk
Rent share 19.6%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Millthorpe
Income: $942/wk Rent: $325/wk Save: $195/wk
Holgate
Income: $976/wk Rent: $335/wk Save: $185/wk
Lake Albert (NSW)
Income: $907/wk Rent: $340/wk Save: $180/wk
Kurrajong Heights
Income: $1,055/wk Rent: $450/wk Save: $70/wk
Lakelands (NSW)
Income: $939/wk Rent: $450/wk Save: $70/wk
Gundaroo
Income: $1,352/wk Rent: $475/wk Save: $45/wk
Pennant Hills
Income: $952/wk Rent: $500/wk Save: $20/wk
South Coogee
Income: $958/wk Rent: $207/wk Save: $313/wk

Russell Lea vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in NSW

Walcha
Pop: 2,475 Income: $701/wk Rent: $203/wk
Edgecliff
Pop: 2,499 Income: $1,510/wk Rent: $600/wk
Bensville
Pop: 2,500 Income: $812/wk Rent: $463/wk
Charmhaven
Pop: 2,501 Income: $631/wk Rent: $375/wk
North Rothbury
Pop: 2,502 Income: $1,025/wk Rent: $450/wk
Dudley
Pop: 2,505 Income: $1,075/wk Rent: $420/wk

Compare Russell Lea

Russell Lea vs Walcha →Russell Lea vs Edgecliff →Russell Lea vs Bensville →Russell Lea vs Charmhaven →

Frequently Asked Questions About Russell Lea

What is the population of Russell Lea NSW?

The population of Russell Lea NSW is 4,920 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 4898.4 people per km².Russell Lea is ranked #1,596 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Russell Lea?

The median personal income in Russell Lea NSW is $1,133 per week, or $58,916 per year.The median household income is $2,658 per week.Family income is $3,256 per week.Russell Lea is ranked #599 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Russell Lea?

Median rent in Russell Lea NSW is $520 per week ($2,253 per month).Rent represents 19.6% of household income, which is considered affordable.Russell Lea ranks #502 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Russell Lea?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Russell Lea NSW is $3,290. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Russell Lea?

The median age in Russell Lea NSW is 43 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Russell Lea a good suburb to live in?

Russell Lea is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 4,920.The median income is $1,133/wk, which is above the NSW average of $781/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (19.6% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 13462. All dollar figures in AUD.