Penrith, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Penrith sits in Outer Western Sydney on the eastern bank of the Nepean River, about 55 km west of the city centre. Before British settlement the district was the Country of the Mulgoa people of the Darug nation, who fished the river and gathered yams and other bush foods. An exploring party led by Captain Watkin Tench reached the broad river in June 1789, becoming the first Europeans to see the area; Governor Arthur Phillip named the waterway after Evan Nepean, a senior Home Office official. The origin of the town's own name remains uncertain, though it is thought to have been borrowed from Penrith in Cumbria, England. The railway reached the town in 1863, and it became a city in 1959. Today Penrith is a major commercial centre of Greater Western Sydney, home to the Panthers rugby league club and, at nearby Penrith Lakes, the rowing course built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics alongside a whitewater slalom stadium.
Less advantaged than the national average
Penrith is more socio-economically advantaged than about 24% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 939, 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.
Penrith at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 17,966
- Median age
- 36
- Median weekly household income
- $1,397
- SEIFA score
- 939
- Coordinates
- -33.7453, 150.6896
Penrith demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Penrith 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 33%, 60% of homes are rented, and 27% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 2,682 | 15% |
| Youth (15–24) | 2,447 | 14% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 6,001 | 33% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 3,775 | 21% |
| Seniors (65+) | 3,067 | 17% |
Share of the 17,972 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,206 | 15% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,613 | 21% |
| Rented | 4,718 | 60% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 2,824 | 36% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,599 | 20% |
| Flats & apartments | 3,403 | 43% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 7,841 occupied private dwellings in Penrith.
- Median weekly rent
- $380
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,783
- Average household size
- 2.1 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,850
- Median weekly personal income
- $812
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 4,398 (27%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 3,266 (20%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 1,116 (6%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 7,446 (50%)
- Labour-force participation
- 57.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 6.2%
- Employed full-time
- 5,000
- Employed part-time
- 2,157
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 Penrith
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Penrith is January (average daytime high around 29.5°C) and the coolest is July (around 17.1°C). The area receives roughly 813 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.5°C | 18.5°C | 86 mm |
| Feb | 28.1°C | 17.8°C | 92 mm |
| Mar | 26°C | 16.5°C | 136 mm |
| Apr | 23.3°C | 12.8°C | 69 mm |
| May | 20°C | 8.8°C | 33 mm |
| Jun | 17.1°C | 6.9°C | 47 mm |
| Jul | 17.1°C | 5.4°C | 50 mm |
| Aug | 18.3°C | 6°C | 47 mm |
| Sep | 21.6°C | 8.6°C | 38 mm |
| Oct | 24.7°C | 11.9°C | 70 mm |
| Nov | 26.4°C | 14.1°C | 67 mm |
| Dec | 28.6°C | 16.7°C | 78 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Penrith
Where is Penrith?
Penrith is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Penrith?
At the 2021 Census, Penrith had a population of about 17,966.
Is Penrith an advantaged area?
Penrith has an ABS SEIFA score of 939, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 24 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 24% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Penrith?
Penrith has average daytime highs of about 23.4°C and overnight lows of about 12°C, with roughly 813 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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