Crows Nest - Waverton

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

AreaSearch's analysis shows Crows Nest - Waverton's population was around 18,960 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,044 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,916. The change is inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 18,908 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 6,383 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the top 10% nationally. Crows Nest - Waverton's growth of 5.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's 5.4%, making it a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 68.6% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a 2021 base year are used. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, based on latest annual ERP population numbers, the area is expected to grow by 1,477 persons, reflecting a gain of 7.5% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Crows Nest - Waverton when compared nationally

Crows Nest-Waverton has seen approximately 81 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years from FY21 to FY25. In total, 406 homes were approved during this period, with an additional 15 approved so far in FY26. Despite a declining population in recent years, the new supply appears to have kept pace with demand, providing buyers with good choices.

The average construction cost value of new properties is $773,000, indicating that developers are focusing on the premium market with high-end developments. This financial year has seen $385.7 million in commercial approvals registered, suggesting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Crows Nest-Waverton has 109% more building activity per person, offering buyers greater choice. The new building activity is predominantly medium and high-density housing (99%), with only 1% being detached houses. This skew towards compact living offers affordable entry pathways, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

With around 819 people per dwelling approval, Crows Nest-Waverton reflects a highly mature market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the population is forecasted to increase by 1,425 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, potentially facilitating further population growth beyond current projections and offering good conditions for buyers.

Crows Nest - Waverton has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 94 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Western Harbour Tunnel, Warringah Freeway Upgrade, Hume Place, Falcon & Alexander (Five Ways), and The Collective. Relevant projects are listed below for further detail.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in Crows Nest - Waverton remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Crows Nest - Waverton has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector prominent. As of September 2025, the unemployment rate is 4.5%.

There are 12,318 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.3% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Crows Nest - Waverton is 73.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The leading employment industries are professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Professional & technical jobs have a particularly high representation, at twice the regional level.

Conversely, construction has lower representation, at 4.2% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force increased by 0.7%, while employment declined by 0.8%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 1.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with an unemployment increase of 0.2 percentage points. As of 25-Nov-25, NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Crows Nest - Waverton's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.8% over five years and 15.3% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data, released for financial year 2022, shows Crows Nest - Waverton SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $81,929 and an average of $125,013. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high. Greater Sydney's median was $56,994 with an average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $92,260 (median) and $140,777 (average). Census 2021 income data ranks Crows Nest - Waverton's household, family, and personal incomes highly, between the 92nd and 98th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 32.4% of residents earn $4000+ weekly (6,143 residents), contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. The substantial proportion of high earners (45.7% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. High housing costs consume 17.3% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 91st percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Crows Nest - Waverton features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Crows Nest-Waverton, as per the latest Census evaluation, 9.8% of dwellings were houses while 90.2% consisted of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Sydney metropolitan areas where 17.9% were houses and 82.1% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Crows Nest-Waverton stood at 25.7%, with mortgaged properties at 23.0% and rented dwellings at 51.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,950, lower than Sydney's average of $3,085. Median weekly rent in the area was $575, slightly higher than Sydney's $582. Nationally, Crows Nest-Waverton's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Crows Nest - Waverton features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 58.8% of all households, consisting of 20.6% couples with children, 30.8% couples without children, and 6.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 41.2%, with lone person households at 35.3% and group households comprising 5.8%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.1.

Crows Nest - Waverton 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 Crows Nest-Waverton is notably higher than national averages. As of the latest data, 66.2% of residents aged 15 years and over hold university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 41.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (20.0%) and graduate diplomas (4.9%). Vocational pathways account for 17.6% of qualifications among those aged 15 years and over, with advanced diplomas at 9.7% and certificates at 7.9%.

Notably, 23.1% of the population is actively pursuing formal education as of the latest figures, including 7.2% in tertiary education, 6.2% in primary education, and 3.9% pursuing secondary education.

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

Transport analysis shows 67 active transport stops within Crows Nest - Waverton area. These include train, light rail, and bus services. There are 101 individual routes servicing these stops, providing a total of 13,879 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 123 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 1,982 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 207 weekly trips per individual stop.

Crows Nest - Waverton'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 Crows Nest - Waverton, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 80% of the total population (15,205 people), compared to 86.4% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.4 and 7.2% of residents respectively.

A total of 75.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 75.2% across Greater Sydney. The area has 16.4% of residents aged 65 and over (3,113 people), lower than the 20.1% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.

Crows Nest - Waverton 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

Crows Nest-Waverton has a significant cultural diversity, with 25.7% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home and 41.1% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Crows Nest-Waverton, accounting for 40.1% of the population. Notably, Judaism is slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, with 1.1% of the population identifying as Jewish.

The top three ancestry groups based on country of birth of parents are English (23.7%), Australian (17.4%), and Other (12.3%). Some ethnic groups show notable variations in representation: French is equally represented at 1.1%, Russian is slightly overrepresented at 0.8%, and South African is also overrepresented at 0.9%.

Crows Nest - Waverton's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Crows Nest - Waverton is close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and equivalent to Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Crows Nest - Waverton has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (22.2%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.1%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the proportion of residents aged 75 to 84 has grown from 4.7% to 6.0%, while the proportion of those aged 35 to 44 has declined slightly from 19.4% to 18.7%. By 2041, Crows Nest - Waverton's age composition is expected to shift significantly. The number of residents aged 75 to 84 is projected to grow by 50%, reaching 1,707 from 1,141. This growth will be led by the aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising 71% of the projected growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for residents aged 5-14 and 0-4 years old.