Crows Nest - Waverton
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Crows Nest - Waverton reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Crows Nest - Waverton's population is around 18,970 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,054 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,916 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 18,908 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 144 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 6,387 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Crows Nest - Waverton's growth rate of 5.9% since the 2021 census exceeded that of its SA4 region (5.4%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 68.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections 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. According to demographic trends, the area is expected to grow by 1,477 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of approximately 7.5% in total over the 17-year period.

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

Crows Nest - Waverton has seen approximately 69 new homes approved annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Between FY20 and FY25, around 346 homes were approved. No homes have been approved in FY26 so far.

Despite population decline, development activity has remained adequate relative to demand, creating a balanced market with diverse buyer choices. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $895,000, targeting the premium market segment. This financial year has seen approximately $385.7 million in commercial approvals, indicating robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Crows Nest - Waverton has around 108% more building activity per person. New building activity primarily consists of medium and high-density housing (99%), with detached houses making up only 1%.

This focus on compact living provides affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With approximately 819 people per dwelling approval, Crows Nest - Waverton reflects a mature market. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 1,415 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering favourable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond projections.

Crows Nest - Waverton has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Local infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 82 projects potentially impacting the region. Notable initiatives include Western Harbour Tunnel, Warringah Freeway Upgrade, Hume Place (Crows Nest Over-Station Development), Falcon & Alexander (Five Ways), and The Newlands St Leonards. The following list details projects most likely to be relevant.

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

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

Crows Nest-Waverton has an educated workforce with a notable presence in the technology sector. The unemployment rate was 4.4% as of June 2025.

In this period, 12,461 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 0.2% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation stood at 73.7%, surpassing Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key employment industries include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. The area is particularly specialized in professional & technical services, with an employment share twice the regional average.

Conversely, construction has lower representation at 4.2% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. While local jobs exist, many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.1%, employment declined by 1.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with unemployment rising by 0.3%. As of Sep-25, NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%, slightly below the national rate of 4.5% but lagging national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's May 2025 projections forecast national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across sectors. Applying these projections to Crows Nest-Waverton's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.8% over five years and 15.3% over ten years.

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 for financial year 2022 shows Crows Nest - Waverton's median income among taxpayers is $81,929. The average income in the area is $125,013. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Crows Nest - Waverton would be approximately $90,613 (median) and $138,264 (average) as of March 2025. Census 2021 income data ranks household, family and personal incomes in Crows Nest - Waverton between the 93rd and 99th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 32.4% of residents earn $4000+ weekly, contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. A substantial proportion, 45.7%, earn above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity in the suburb. High housing costs consume 17.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 91st percentile. 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

Dwelling structure in Crows Nest - Waverton, as per the latest Census, consisted of 9.8% houses and 90.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 17.9% houses and 82.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Crows Nest - Waverton stood at 25.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.0% and rented dwellings at 51.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,950, below Sydney metro's $3,085. The median weekly rent was $575, compared to Sydney metro's $582. Nationally, Crows Nest - Waverton's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents 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 percent of all households, including 20.6 percent couples with children, 30.8 percent couples without children, and 6.3 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 41.2 percent, with lone person households at 35.3 percent and group households comprising 5.8 percent of the total. 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 broader averages: 66.2% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are 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+, with advanced diplomas at 9.7% and certificates at 7.9%. Currently, 23.1% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 7.2% in tertiary, 6.2% in primary, and 3.9% in secondary education.

The area's schools include North Sydney Girls High School and Anzac Park Public School, serving a total of 1,704 students. Crows Nest - Waverton demonstrates high educational performance with an ICSEA score of 1172, indicating local schools are among the most advantaged nationally. Educational provision consists of one primary and one secondary institution. However, limited local school capacity (9.0 places per 100 residents versus the regional average of 19.2) leads many families to seek schooling in nearby areas.

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

The public transport analysis found that there are currently 67 operational transport stops in the Crows Nest-Waverton area. These stops offer a variety of services including trains, light rail, and buses. The total number of routes servicing these stops is 101.

On a weekly basis, these routes facilitate approximately 13,879 passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility with an average distance of just 123 meters to the nearest stop. Across all routes, service frequency averages around 1,982 trips per day, equating to about 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. Approximately 80% of the total population (15,213 people) has private health cover, compared to 86.4% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.4 and 7.2% of residents respectively, while 75.1% report being completely free from medical ailments, similar to the 75.2% across Greater Sydney.

There are 16.4% seniors aged 65 and over (3,114 people), lower than the 20.1% in Greater Sydney. Senior health outcomes align with those of the general population.

Crows Nest - Waverton is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Crows Nest-Waverton has a notable cultural diversity, with 25.7% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of the 2016 Census. In this area, 41.1% were born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Crows Nest-Waverton, comprising 40.1% of people, according to the 2016 data.

However, Judaism shows a slight overrepresentation compared to Greater Sydney, with 1.1% of the population in Crows Nest-Waverton identifying as such. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (23.7%), Australian (17.4%), and Other (12.3%). Some ethnic groups have notable differences compared to regional averages: French (1.1% vs 1.1%), Russian (0.8% vs 0.7%), and South African (0.9% vs 0.8%) are overrepresented in Crows Nest-Waverton.

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

The median age in Crows Nest - Waverton is 38 years, comparable to Greater Sydney's average of 37 and the Australian median of 38. Relative 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%). The concentration of residents aged 25-34 in Crows Nest - Waverton is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the proportion of residents aged 75 to 84 increased from 4.7% to 6.0%, while the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 decreased from 19.4% to 18.7%. By 2041, Crows Nest - Waverton is projected to experience significant shifts in its age composition. The number of residents aged 75 to 84 is expected to grow by 49%, reaching 1,707 from 1,141. This growth will contribute significantly to the overall population increase, with those aged 65 and above comprising 71% of projected growth. Conversely, declines are projected for residents aged 5-14 and 0-4 years old.