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

As of November 2025, Crows Nest - Waverton's population is around 18,960. This reflects an increase of 1,044 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,916. The change was inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 18,908 as of June 2024 and additional 139 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 6,383 persons per square kilometer, placing Crows Nest - Waverton in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth of 5.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's growth of 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. Based on demographic trends and latest annual ERP population numbers, the area is expected to grow by 1,477 persons to 2041, 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, around 406 homes were approved, with an additional 12 approved in FY26 to date. Despite a recent population decline, new supply appears to have kept pace with demand, providing ample choice for buyers.

The average construction cost value of new properties is $895,000, indicating a focus on the premium market by developers. In FY26, commercial approvals totaled $385.7 million, suggesting strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Crows Nest-Waverton has 109% more building activity per capita. The majority of new developments consist of medium and high-density housing (99%), with only 1% being detached houses. This trend caters to affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time buyers, reflecting a highly mature market with around 819 people per dwelling approval.

By 2041, Crows Nest-Waverton's population is projected to increase by 1,425 residents. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favorable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 94 projects potentially impacting the region. Notable initiatives include Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway Upgrade, Hume Place development, Falcon & Alexander (Five Ways) project, and The Collective. Relevant projects are detailed below.

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

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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 is 4.4%.

As of June 2025, there are 12,461 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.4%, which is 0.2% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation stands at 73.7%, surpassing Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries for employment include professional & technical services, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share double the regional average.

Conversely, construction shows lower representation compared to the regional norm. Although local job opportunities exist, many residents commute elsewhere for work. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.1% while employment declined by 1.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 1.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6%. As of Nov-25, NSW's employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, slightly lower than the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Crows Nest - Waverton's current employment mix suggests local job growth could reach 7.8% in five years and 15.3% in ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 on Crows Nest - Waverton SA2. The median income among taxpayers was $81,929 with an average of $125,013. This is notably higher than the national averages and compares to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $92,260 (median) and $140,777 (average). Census 2021 income data ranks household, family, and personal incomes in Crows Nest - Waverton between the 92nd and 98th percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that 32.4% of residents earn more than $4,000 weekly, contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500-$2,999 bracket is highest at 30.9%. The significant proportion of high earners (45.7% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity in the suburb. High housing costs consume 17.3% of income, but strong earnings still 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

In Crows Nest - Waverton, as per the latest Census evaluation, 9.8% of dwellings were houses while 90.2% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Sydney metro's figures of 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 ones at 51.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,950, lower than Sydney metro's average of $3,085, while the median weekly rent was $575 compared to Sydney metro's $582. Nationally, Crows Nest - Waverton's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $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 constitute 58.8% of all households, including 20.6% couples with children, 30.8% couples without children, and 6.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 41.2%, with lone person households at 35.3% and group households making up 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 and state averages. In this area, 66.2% of residents aged 15 years and over possess 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 currently engaged in formal education. This includes 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

Public transport analysis shows 67 active stops operating within Crows Nest-Waverton area. These include train, light rail, and bus services. There are 101 individual routes serving 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

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

A significant majority, 75.1%, report being completely free from medical ailments, similar to the 75.2% in Greater Sydney. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 16.4% (3,113 people), compared to 20.1% in Greater Sydney. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are strong and largely align with the overall 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 such.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (23.7%), Australian (17.4%), and Other (12.3%). Some ethnic groups show notable variations: 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 38 years, close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. 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 well above 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 those aged 35 to 44 decreased from 19.4% to 18.7%. By 2041, Crows Nest - Waverton's age composition is expected to shift notably. The 75 to 84 age group is projected to grow by 50%, reaching 1,707 people from 1,141. Those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 71% of the population growth. Conversely, declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 0 to 4 age groups.