Planning Maps / Areas / Inner West / Petersham

Petersham zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Petersham (Inner West, NSW) - 1.29 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 Petersham'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.

Petersham at a glance

Parcels 2,452 Median lot 249 m² Mapped easements 3 Train Petersham Station Bus stops 58

How Petersham is zoned

Low Density Residential 62%
Infrastructure 15%
Local Centre 8%
High Density Residential 5%
Public Recreation 5%
General Residential 5%

Buying in Petersham? 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 1.29 km², Petersham 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 85 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 249 m² across 2,452 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 Petersham

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

Population
8,200
usual residents, 2021
Median age
36
years
Median household income
$2,217
per week, Inner West suburb typical $2,452
Median rent
$450
per week, Inner West suburb typical $530
Median mortgage
$2,900
per month
Household size
2.2
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 1119, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 8
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Petersham's 8,200 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 4.1%
5-14 8.4%
15-19 4.5%
20-24 7.4%
25-34 22.2%
35-44 16.7%
45-54 14.8%
55-64 10.1%
65-74 6.8%
75-84 3.5%
85+ 1.3%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

18,443 in 2001 to 21,224 in 2025, up 15%.

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.

Petersham 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 Petersham 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 →

Petersham planning - frequently asked

Is Petersham flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Petersham, 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. Inner West 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 Petersham bushfire-prone?

Bushfire mapping covers Petersham 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 Petersham?

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

Does Petersham have heritage-listed places?

Petersham has 85 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 Petersham?

Across 2,452 surveyed parcels in Petersham, the median lot size is about 249 m². There are also 3 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 Petersham have a train station?

Yes - Petersham has 1 train station: Petersham Station. It is also served by 58 bus stops.

What is the population of Petersham?

At the 2021 Census Petersham had 8,200 usual residents, with a median age of 36 and an average household size of 2.2 people. The wider Petersham - Stanmore statistical area, which contains Petersham, went from 18,443 people in 2001 to 21,224 in 2025, up 15%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Petersham alone.

Is Petersham an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Petersham scores 1119 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 Petersham?

Median household income in Petersham was $2,217 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,452 for the typical suburb in Inner West. Median rent was $450 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,900 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Petersham property?

A Petersham 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
Lewisham 0.8 km Not mapped 0%
Stanmore 0.9 km Not mapped 0%
Leichhardt 1.4 km Not mapped 0%
Enmore 1.5 km Not mapped 0%
Summer Hill 1.6 km Not mapped 0%
Dulwich Hill 1.9 km Not mapped 0%
Marrickville 2.0 km Not mapped 0%
Newtown
Sydney
2.2 km Not mapped 0%
Haberfield 2.2 km Not mapped 0%
Annandale 2.2 km Not mapped 0%

See all Inner West suburb profiles →