Sydney suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
Hurstville has the highest share, at 16.2% of residents. East Killara and Eastwood follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 349 eligible Sydney suburbs.
This page ranks Sydney suburbs by the share of residents who speak Cantonese at home in the 2021 Census — where the Cantonese-speaking community is most concentrated. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are ranked.
Shares are the count of Sydney residents who speak Cantonese at home divided by the suburb's total population, from the ABS 2021 Census language table — the same source as each suburb page's language breakdown. Percentile ranks are computed within Sydney's pool. Language spoken at home understates a community's full size — it misses Cantonese-heritage residents who speak mainly English at home — but it's the cleanest signal of an active community. Descriptive demographic information, not a recommendation.
Sydney suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
Ranked by the share of residents who speak Cantonese at home in the 2021 Census, among suburbs with at least 2,000 residents — where the Cantonese-speaking community is most established.
Hurstville
NSW 2220 · 31,162 residents16.2% of residents · 5,040 speakers
East Killara
NSW 2071 · 2,895 residents15.9% of residents · 460 speakers
Eastwood
NSW 2122 · 18,695 residents14.5% of residents · 2,717 speakers
Narwee
NSW 2209 · 5,411 residents14.4% of residents · 780 speakers
Berala
NSW 2141 · 8,757 residents14.4% of residents · 1,260 speakers
South Hurstville
NSW 2221 · 5,221 residents13.9% of residents · 724 speakers
Carlingford
NSW 2118 · 28,044 residents13.2% of residents · 3,704 speakers
Beverly Hills
NSW 2209 · 10,483 residents13.1% of residents · 1,374 speakers
Riverwood
NSW 2210 · 12,793 residents13.0% of residents · 1,664 speakers
Chatswood
NSW 2067 · 25,553 residents12.3% of residents · 3,143 speakers
Epping
NSW 2121 · 29,551 residents12.1% of residents · 3,583 speakers
Burwood
NSW 2134 · 18,224 residents10.8% of residents · 1,967 speakers
Allawah
NSW 2218 · 5,351 residents10.8% of residents · 577 speakers
Cabramatta
NSW 2166 · 21,142 residents9.8% of residents · 2,077 speakers
Marsfield
NSW 2122 · 12,492 residents9.6% of residents · 1,199 speakers
Ranked from 349 qualifying suburbs.
100% share of residents who speak this language at home in the 2021 Census (speakers divided by the suburb's total population), percentile-ranked within Sydney's candidate pool. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents qualify, and the larger absolute number of speakers breaks ties. Language spoken at home understates a community's full size but is the cleanest signal of an active community. Descriptive ABS Census data, not a recommendation. See how we calculate for the full methodology.
Common questions about this ranking
Which Sydney suburbs have the most Cantonese spoken at home?
Hurstville has the highest share, at 16.2% of residents. East Killara and Eastwood follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 349 eligible Sydney suburbs.
How is this ranking put together?
Each Sydney suburb is ranked by the share of its residents who speak Cantonese at home in the 2021 Census — that count divided by the suburb's total population. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are included, and percentile ranks are computed within Sydney's pool, so the list reflects concentration relative to other metro suburbs.
Where does the data come from?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census 'language used at home' question — the same source as the language breakdown on each suburb page. Nothing is estimated or inferred about any individual.
Does this capture everyone of Cantonese heritage?
No — it counts people who speak Cantonese at home, which understates the full community: Cantonese-heritage residents who speak mainly English at home aren't counted. It's the cleanest available signal of an active language community, not a complete ancestry measure, and it isn't a recommendation to seek out or avoid anywhere.
How current is it?
The figures are from the 2021 Census, the most recent available until results from the August 2026 Census are released in 2027. The top 15 is recomputed whenever we refresh the census data.
Same list in other cities
- Melbourne suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Brisbane suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Perth suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Adelaide suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Hobart suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Darwin suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Canberra suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Newcastle suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Central Coast suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Sunshine Coast suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Gold Coast suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Wollongong suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Geelong suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Townsville suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Toowoomba suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Busselton suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Ballarat suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Cairns suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Albany suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Ballina suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Geraldton suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Warragul suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Bundaberg suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Launceston suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Bendigo suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Rockhampton suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Mackay suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Albury – Wodonga suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Camden Haven suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Burnie suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Wagga Wagga suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Coffs Harbour suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Alice Springs suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Mount Isa suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
Related
Rankings last computed 28 September 2026. Recomputed after each ACARA schools data refresh.
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