Bayview - Elanora Heights

An assessment of population growth drivers in Bayview - Elanora Heights reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Bayview - Elanora Heights' population is approximately 11,350 as of November 2025. From the 2021 Census which reported a population of 11,243, this reflects an increase of 107 people (1.0%). This change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,332 in June 2024 and an additional 20 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is 175 persons per square kilometer. Bayview - Elanora Heights' 1.0% growth since census is within 0.7 percentage points of the SA3 area (1.7%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver of recent population gains in the area.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the area's population is projected to decline by 29 persons overall, but the 85 and over age group is expected to expand by 624 people.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Bayview - Elanora Heights, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Bayview - Elanora Heights has seen approximately 25 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 129 homes. In FY-26 so far, nine approvals have been recorded. The area's population decline has resulted in adequate housing supply relative to demand, creating a balanced market with good buyer choice. New properties are constructed at an average value of $604,000, indicating focus on the premium market and high-end developments.

There have been $3.8 million in commercial approvals this financial year, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Bayview - Elanora Heights shows around 75% of construction activity per person, placing it among the 20th percentile nationally, which results in relatively constrained buyer choice and supports interest in existing homes. This is below the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. Recent construction comprises 88.0% detached dwellings and 12.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional low density character focused on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 1055 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. With population expected to remain stable or decline, Bayview - Elanora Heights should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Bayview - Elanora Heights has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 0thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 38 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones are Warriewood Valley Release Area, Dove Lane Residences, Pittwater Plaza Redevelopment, and Arri Estate. The following details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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The employment landscape in Bayview - Elanora Heights presents a mixed picture: unemployment remains low at 3.9%, yet recent job losses have affected its comparative national standing

Bayview - Elanora Heights has a well-educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 3.9%.

As of September 2025, there are 5680 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.3% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation is at 57.7%, slightly below Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical services (31%), construction (24%), and health care & social assistance (18%). The area has a strong specialization in construction, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level, while transport, postal & warehousing employs only 2.5% of local workers, compared to Greater Sydney's 5.3%.

Over the year to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.6%, and employment declined by 2.2%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%. As of 25-November 2025, NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bayview - Elanora Heights' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Bayview - Elanora Heights SA2 had exceptionally high income levels nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Its median income among taxpayers was $57,765 and average income stood at $113,190, compared to Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $65,049 (median) and $127,463 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Bayview - Elanora Heights, between the 79th and 91st percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate 32.4% of the population fall within the $4000+ income range, unlike trends in the broader area where 30.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. The locality demonstrates considerable affluence with 45.0% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 15.2% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 91st percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Bayview - Elanora Heights is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Bayview - Elanora Heights dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 82.0% houses and 18.0% other dwellings. This compares to Sydney metro's 72.1% houses and 27.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bayview - Elanora Heights was 50.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 37.6% and rented ones at 11.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,467, higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,200. Median weekly rent in the area was $745, compared to Sydney metro's $695. Nationally, Bayview - Elanora Heights mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Bayview - Elanora Heights has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 76.8% of all households, including 39.3% couples with children, 30.1% couples without children, and 6.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 23.2%, with lone person households at 21.7% and group households comprising 1.4%. The median household size is 2.7 people, aligning with the Greater Sydney average.

Bayview - Elanora Heights shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates at 37.4% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4% and NSW's rate of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 26.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 32.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas comprise 13.9% and certificates make up 18.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.8% in primary education, 9.0% in secondary education, and 5.0% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Bayview-Elanora Heights has 105 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry and bus services. These stops are served by 62 different routes, facilitating 2,244 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is considered good, with residents on average located 239 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 320 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 21 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Bayview - Elanora Heights is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Bayview-Elanora Heights shows superior health outcomes for both young and elderly residents. The prevalence of common health conditions is low, with arthritis affecting 9.0% and asthma impacting 6.2%. A total of 70.8% of residents report no medical ailments.

Private health cover stands at approximately 78%, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.1% and the national average of 55.3%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors, with 27.7% aged 65 and over (3,139 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 24.1%. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

In terms of cultural diversity, Bayview - Elanora Heights records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Bayview-Elanora Heights has a higher than average cultural diversity, with 9.1% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 26.1% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 53.5%. However, Judaism's representation at 0.3% is similar to Greater Sydney's 0.3%.

The top three ancestral groups are English (32.4%), Australian (24.5%), and Irish (8.8%). Notably, French (0.9%) South African (0.9%), and Serbian (0.6%) ethnicities have higher representation compared to regional averages of 0.8%, 0.8%, and 0.5% respectively.

Bayview - Elanora Heights hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Bayview - Elanora Heights is 49, which is higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and also above the national average of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 75-84 years make up a significant portion (10.9%), while those aged 25-34 are comparatively smaller at 5.3%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the proportion of people aged 15 to 24 has grown from 11.6% to 13.3%, while those aged 75 to 84 have increased from 9.7% to 10.9%. Conversely, the proportion of people aged 35 to 44 has declined from 9.9% to 8.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate that the number of people aged 85 and above will grow by 114%, reaching 1,111 from 519. Notably, all population growth in Bayview - Elanora Heights is expected to come from age groups 65 and above, reflecting its aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 55-64 and 25-34 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.