Planning Maps / Areas / Sydney / Newtown

Newtown zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Newtown (Sydney, NSW) - 1.59 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Newtown's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.

Newtown at a glance

Parcels 5,033 Median lot 142 m² Mapped easements 4 Train Newtown Station Bus stops 50

How Newtown is zoned

Low Density Residential 36%
General Residential 28%
Infrastructure 13%
Local Centre 12%
Mixed Use 4%
Public Recreation 3%

Buying in Newtown? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.

Across its 1.59 km², Newtown is relatively unconstrained by the planning overlays we hold. We hold no flood mapping covering this suburb, so no flood figure is shown - that is a gap in our data, not an all-clear. There are 189 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 142 m² across 5,033 parcels. These figures are suburb-wide - the overlays that actually apply to a given lot can differ block to block, which is what a property-level check tells you.

Who lives in Newtown

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Newtown suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
14,690
usual residents, 2021
Median age
34
years
Median household income
$2,330
per week, Sydney suburb typical $2,276
Median rent
$550
per week, Sydney suburb typical $565
Median mortgage
$3,000
per month
Household size
2.1
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1143, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 9
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Newtown's 14,690 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 3.5%
5-14 6.1%
15-19 3.1%
20-24 9.9%
25-34 28.8%
35-44 17.1%
45-54 13.5%
55-64 9.7%
65-74 5.4%
75-84 2.0%
85+ 0.7%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Newtown (NSW), the wider ABS statistical area containing Newtown. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Newtown itself.

12,971 in 2001 to 15,576 in 2025, up 20%.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census of Population and Housing 2021 (General Community Profile) and SEIFA 2021, both published at the Suburbs and Localities level; Regional Population (estimated resident population) at Statistical Area Level 2. Used under CC BY 4.0. Census counts of small populations are randomly adjusted by the ABS to protect confidentiality, so figures for small suburbs are indicative.

Newtown data sources and coverage

Every figure below is an aggregate for the suburb boundary. “Not mapped” means LayeredGeo does not hold a source layer covering this suburb; it is never an all-clear for a particular property.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 5 August 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.

Check a specific Newtown address

See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.

See what's in the $9 report →

Newtown planning - frequently asked

Is Newtown flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Newtown, so this page can't say how much of the suburb is flood-affected - that is a gap in our data, not an indication that the suburb is free of flood risk. Sydney is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.

Is Newtown bushfire-prone?

Bushfire mapping covers Newtown and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone. Always confirm for the exact lot, as mapping can change.

What is the zoning in Newtown?

The dominant planning zone in Newtown is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes General Residential and Infrastructure. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Newtown have heritage-listed places?

Newtown has 189 heritage-listed places on record. Heritage listing affects what you can alter or demolish, so confirm whether a specific property is listed or near a heritage place.

What is the typical lot size in Newtown?

Across 5,033 surveyed parcels in Newtown, the median lot size is about 142 m². There are also 4 registered easements mapped in the suburb - an easement can restrict where you can build, so always check the title and overlays for the specific lot.

Does Newtown have a train station?

Yes - Newtown has 1 train station: Newtown Station. It is also served by 50 bus stops.

What is the population of Newtown?

At the 2021 Census Newtown had 14,690 usual residents, with a median age of 34 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Newtown (NSW) statistical area, which contains Newtown, went from 12,971 people in 2001 to 15,576 in 2025, up 20%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Newtown alone.

Is Newtown an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Newtown scores 1143 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within New South Wales - decile 1 being the most disadvantaged tenth of Australian suburbs and decile 10 the least. The national average score is 1000. SEIFA summarises income, education, occupation and housing across the whole suburb, so it describes the area, not any particular household in it.

What is the median household income in Newtown?

Median household income in Newtown was $2,330 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,276 for the typical suburb in Sydney. Median rent was $550 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,000 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Newtown property?

A Newtown planning report pulls every overlay - zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage and environmental - that touches a single lot, on live council and state data. The interactive map preview is free; a full PDF report is $9.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Enmore
Inner West
0.7 km Not mapped 0%
Erskineville 0.8 km Not mapped 0%
Camperdown 1.3 km Not mapped 0%
Stanmore
Inner West
1.4 km Not mapped 0%
Eveleigh 1.4 km Not mapped 0%
Alexandria 1.6 km Not mapped 0%
Darlington 1.7 km Not mapped 0%
St Peters
Inner West
1.8 km Not mapped 0%
Sydenham
Inner West
2.1 km Not mapped 0%
Forest Lodge 2.1 km Not mapped 0%

See all Sydney suburb profiles →