Castle Cove - Northbridge

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

As of November 2025, Castle Cove - Northbridge's population is approximately 13,558, showing an increase of 118 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 13,440. This growth is inferred from ABS data: estimated resident population was 13,563 in June 2024 and there were an additional 17 validated new addresses post-Census. The population density stands at 1,765 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration primarily drove this growth. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

Future trends indicate an overall population decline by 48 persons by 2041, but specific age cohorts like the 85 and over group are 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. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 171 homes were approved, with another 19 approved so far in FY26. Despite population decline during this period, new supply appears to have kept pace with demand, offering buyers good choice.

Developers focus on premium market developments, with average dwelling construction costs at $1,242,000. Commercial development activity is minimal, with $653,000 in approvals registered this financial year. Compared to Greater Sydney and nationally, Castle Cove - Northbridge records significantly lower building activity, reflecting its mature status and possible planning constraints. New building activity comprises 55% detached houses and 45% medium-high density housing, indicating a shift towards attached housing types, offering varied price ranges from spacious family homes to compact options. This represents a notable change from the area's existing housing composition of 84% houses. With around 363 people per dwelling approval, Castle Cove - Northbridge shows a developed market with stable or declining population projections, suggesting reduced future housing demand pressures.

With population projections showing stability or decline, Castle Cove - Northbridge should see reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

Castle Cove - Northbridge has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 39 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Northbridge Public School Upgrade, Flo Northbridge by WINIM, Aurora Willoughby, and Cammeray Golf Club Redevelopment. The following list details those projects most relevant.

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

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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 presence. The unemployment rate was 3.0% as of September 2025.

Employment stability was maintained over the past year. In September 2025, 6,856 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.2% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation matched Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key employment industries include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance.

The area had a strong specialization in professional & technical services at 1.9 times the regional level but lower representation in construction at 4.9% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. Limited local employment opportunities were indicated by Census data on working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force increased by 0.4%, while employment decreased by 0.1%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.5 percentage points in Castle Cove - Northbridge. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with a 0.2 percentage point rise in unemployment. As of 25-November-25, NSW employment had contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compared favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 estimated a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Castle Cove - Northbridge's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 7.7% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022, Castle Cove - Northbridge SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $76,458 and an average level of $180,158. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to the Greater Sydney levels of $56,994 (median) and $80,856 (average). Based on Wage Price Index growth from financial year 2022 to September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $86,099 (median) and $202,876 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Castle Cove - Northbridge rank highly nationally, between the 96th and 99th percentiles. Income analysis shows that 49.9% of residents (6,765 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, differing from regional patterns where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 30.9%. Economic strength is evident with 59.8% of households earning high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retain 88.0% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places 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 of the latest Census, 84.5% of dwellings in Castle Cove - Northbridge were houses, with the remaining 15.5% being semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. This is compared to Sydney's metropolitan area, where 41.1% of dwellings are houses and 58.9% are other types. Home ownership in Castle Cove - Northbridge stood at 49.8%, with mortgaged properties at 34.8% and rented ones at 15.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $4,333, higher than Sydney's average of $3,033. Weekly rent was recorded at $850, compared to Sydney's $560. Nationally, Castle Cove - Northbridge's 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 percent of all households, consisting of couples with children (48.3%), couples without children (26.3%), and single parent families (7.9%). Non-family households make up the remaining 16.9%, with lone person households at 15.8% and group households comprising 1.1%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Sydney 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 significantly higher than broader benchmarks. As of the latest data, 57.1% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 36.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.9%). Vocational pathways account for 16.7% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 9.6% and certificates at 7.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 33.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.7% in secondary education, 11.0% in primary education, and 6.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Castle Cove - Northbridge shows that there are currently 107 active transport stops operating. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 58 individual routes providing service to the area. The combined weekly passenger trips across all these routes amount to 2,926.

Residents in Castle Cove - Northbridge enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 151 meters to the nearest transport stop. On average, there are 418 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 27 weekly trips per individual 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, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 91% of the total population (12,364 people), compared to 78.2% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.4% and 6.2% of residents respectively.

A total of 76.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 78.0% across Greater Sydney. The area has 22.1% of residents aged 65 and over (2,999 people), higher than the 15.7% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Castle Cove - Northbridge was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Castle Cove-Northbridge, surveyed between June 2016 and June 2021, had a higher proportion of residents speaking a language other than English at home, with 22.6%, compared to most local areas. Overseas-born individuals constituted 33.2% of the population. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 52.4%.

Judaism was overrepresented, comprising 2.0% versus 1.0% in Greater Sydney. In terms of ancestry, English (24.4%), Australian (20.1%), and Chinese (10.8%) were the top groups. Notably, Hungarian (0.7%), French (0.9%), and Russian (0.6%) groups had higher representations than regional averages.

Castle Cove - Northbridge hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

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 rose 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 fell 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 projected 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.