Castle Cove - Northbridge
Statistical Area - sa2

Castle Cove - Northbridge is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Castle Cove - Northbridge's population, as of August 2025, is approximately 13,565. This figure represents an increase from the 2021 Census count of 13,440 people, marking a rise of 125 individuals (0.9%). This change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,563 in June 2024 and the addition of 20 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density stands at 1,766 persons per square kilometer, surpassing the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver behind this population growth.

AreaSearch relies on 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 from 2022, using 2021 as the base year, are utilized. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, projections indicate a decrease in overall population of 48 persons. However, specific age cohorts are expected to grow, notably the 85 and over age group, which is projected to expand by 575 people.

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

Castle Cove - Northbridge has seen approximately 34 new homes approved annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides development approval data on a financial year basis. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 171 homes were approved, with 5 approvals recorded in FY-26 so far. Despite recent population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $1,352,000, indicating that developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, $653,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting minimal commercial development activity compared to Greater Sydney, where Castle Cove - Northbridge records 60.0% lower building activity per person. This scarcity of new homes typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. The area's building activity is also below the national average, reflecting its maturity and possible planning constraints. New building activity comprises 55.0% detached houses and 45.0% medium to high-density housing, indicating a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 84.0% houses. This change may be due to decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles requiring more diverse and affordable housing options.

With around 363 people per dwelling approval, Castle Cove - Northbridge shows a developed market with stable or declining population projections, suggesting reduced housing demand pressures that could benefit potential buyers.

Castle Cove - Northbridge has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

The performance of a region is significantly impacted by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 25 such projects that are expected to influence the area. Notable among these are Flo Northbridge by WINIM, the upgrade of Northbridge Public School, Heart Of Willoughby, and Willoughby Grounds. The following list details those projects likely to have the most relevance.

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

AreaSearch assessment positions Castle Cove - Northbridge ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Castle Cove - Northbridge has an educated workforce with a notable technology sector representation and an unemployment rate of 2.9% as of June 2025. In this period, 6,960 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.3% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation is comparable to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The leading employment industries among residents include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. The area has a particularly strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level. Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 4.9% compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.3%, while employment decreased by 0.9%, leading to a rise in unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%. As of Sep-25, NSW's employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5%, with national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest that employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Castle Cove - Northbridge's employment mix indicates potential local growth of approximately 7.7% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, although this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localized population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending 30 June 2022. Castle Cove - Northbridge's median income was $76,458 with an average of $180,158. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Applying a 10.6% Wage Price Index growth since financial year ending June 2022, estimated incomes for March 2025 would be approximately $84,563 (median) and $199,255 (average). Based on 2021 Census figures, Castle Cove - Northbridge's household, family, and personal incomes ranked between the 96th to 100th percentiles nationally. Income analysis showed that 49.9% of residents earned over $4,000 annually (6,768 people), differing from regional patterns where the majority earn between $1,500 - $2,999. Economic strength was evident with 59.8% of households earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting high consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retained 88.0% of income, indicating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 10th decile.

Castle Cove - Northbridge is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

As per the latest Census evaluation, dwelling structures in Castle Cove - Northbridge consisted of 84.5% houses and 15.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 41.1% houses and 58.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Castle Cove - Northbridge stood at 49.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.8% and rented ones at 15.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $4,333, exceeding the Sydney metro average of $3,033. Weekly rent in Castle Cove - Northbridge was recorded at $850, compared to Sydney metro's $560. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Castle Cove - Northbridge features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 83.1% of all households, including 48.3% couples with children, 26.3% couples without children, and 7.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 16.9%, with lone person households at 15.8% and group households comprising 1.1% of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, higher than Greater Sydney's average of 2.5.

Castle Cove - Northbridge demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Castle Cove-Northbridge is notably higher than broader benchmarks. As of 2016 data, 57.1% of residents aged 15 years and above held university qualifications, compared to the Australian average of 30.4% and New South Wales' 32.2%. The area's educational advantage is evident with bachelor degrees being the most prevalent (36.1%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.9%). Vocational pathways account for 16.7%, comprising advanced diplomas (9.6%) and certificates (7.1%).

Educational participation is high, with 33.6% of residents enrolled in formal education as of 2016 data. This includes secondary education (11.7%), primary education (11.0%), and tertiary education (6.8%). As of 2019, Castle Cove-Northbridge has a robust network of 7 schools educating approximately 1,252 students. The area demonstrates exceptional educational performance with an ICSEA score of 1163, placing its schools among the most advantaged nationally. The educational mix includes 5 primary and 2 K-12 schools. School places per 100 residents stood at 9.2 in 2019, below the regional average of 11.9, suggesting some students may attend schools in adjacent areas. Note that for schools showing 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Transport analysis shows 107 active transport stops in Castle Cove - Northbridge, served by a mix of bus routes. These are covered by 58 individual routes, offering 2,926 weekly passenger trips collectively. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average located 151 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 418 trips per day across all routes, equating to about 27 weekly trips per stop.

Castle Cove - Northbridge's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Castle Cove - Northbridge. Prevalence of common health conditions is very low across all age groups. Approximately 91% of the total population (12,371 people) has private health cover, compared to 78.2% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.4 and 6.2% of residents respectively. 76.0% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 78.0% in Greater Sydney. 22.1% of residents are aged 65 and over (3,000 people), higher than the 15.7% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors align with the general population's health profile.

Castle Cove - Northbridge was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Castle Cove-Northbridge, in a survey conducted on August 31st, 2021, showed higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 22.6% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 33.2% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, accounting for 52.4% of the population. However, Judaism stands out as overrepresented, comprising 2.0% compared to Greater Sydney's 1.0%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (24.4%, higher than the regional average of 19.3%), Australian (20.1%), and Chinese (10.8%, lower than the regional average of 17.1%). Notable differences also exist for Hungarian (0.7% vs regional 0.4%), French (0.9% vs regional 0.7%), and Russian (0.6% vs regional 0.6%) groups.

Castle Cove - Northbridge hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Castle Cove - Northbridge is 45 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Castle Cove - Northbridge has a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64 (14.2%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (4.6%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 increased from 13.2% to 16.0%, while the 75-84 age group grew from 6.4% to 7.9%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group decreased from 16.0% to 14.2%, and the 35-44 age group dropped from 10.9% to 9.9%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Castle Cove - Northbridge's age structure. The 85+ age group is expected to grow by 115%, reaching 1,033 people from 481. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 76% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 0-4 and 35-44 age groups are projected to have reduced numbers.