Dee Why - North
Statistical Area - sa2

Dee Why - North lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Dee Why - North's population is approximately 18,999 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 1,183 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 17,816. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 18,997 in June 2024 and an additional 12 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 9,134 persons per square kilometer, placing Dee Why - North in the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth of 6.6% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (3.1%) and the SA3 area, indicating it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 68.0% to recent population gains in Dee Why - North.

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 by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends project an above median growth for the area, expecting it to expand by 3,491 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 18.4% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Dee Why - North recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Dee Why - North averaged approximately 218 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) produces development approval data on a financial year basis, indicating 1092 homes approved over the past five financial years (FY-20 to FY-25), with one approval so far in FY-26. Over these five years, an average of 3.4 people moved to the area per dwelling built, suggesting demand significantly outpaces supply, potentially influencing property prices and competition among buyers. The average construction value for new properties was $701,000, moderately above regional levels, implying a focus on quality construction.

This financial year (FY-26) has seen $6.0 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's predominantly residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Dee Why - North records elevated construction activity, with 17.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period, balancing buyer choice and supporting property values. However, recent periods show a moderation in development activity, which is also below the national average, suggesting maturity and possible planning constraints. New developments consist of 13.0% detached houses and 87.0% attached dwellings, favoring higher-density living and offering more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. The area has approximately 3486 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market.

Future projections estimate Dee Why - North will add 3489 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favorable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Dee Why - North has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified twelve projects that may impact the region. Notable ones include Casa Delmar, Dommar Dee Why, Lighthouse Precinct Dee Why, and 154-158 Pacific Parade Mixed Use Development. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

The employment landscape in Dee Why - North shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Dee Why - North has an educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate as of June 2025 was 4.9%.

There were 11,994 residents employed at this time, which is 0.7% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Dee Why - North was 72.4%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Residents' employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and professional & technical services.

However, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 3.5% versus the regional average of 5.3%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data comparing working population to resident population. In the year leading up to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.1%, and employment decreased by 1.4% in Dee Why - North, resulting in an unemployment rate rise of 1.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.6%. State-level data for NSW to Sep-25 shows employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%, which compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 indicate a projected growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dee Why - North's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 30, 2022, Dee Why - North had a median income among taxpayers of $58,285 with the average level standing at $87,558. This is among the highest in Australia and compares to levels of $56,994 and $80,856 across Greater Sydney respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth rate of 10.6% since financial year ended June 30, 2022, current estimates would be approximately $64,463 (median) and $96,839 (average) as of March 2025. Census data reveals household income ranks at the 71st percentile nationally in Dee Why - North, family income at the 73rd percentile, and personal income at the 83rd percentile. Income brackets indicate that 38.5% of residents earn between $1,500 to $2,999 weekly (7,314 residents), reflecting patterns seen in the region where 30.9% similarly occupy this range. High housing costs consume 21.3% of income, placing disposable income at the 62nd percentile nationally and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Dee Why - North features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dee Why - North's dwellings, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 10.5% houses and 89.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Sydney metropolitan areas which had 57.6% houses and 42.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dee Why - North stood at 20.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.2% and rented ones at 49.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,400, below Sydney metro's average of $3,000. Weekly rent in the area averaged $550, compared to Sydney's $592. Nationally, Dee Why - North's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Dee Why - North features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 64.0% of all households, including 24.0% couples with children, 28.9% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 36.0%, with lone person households at 30.2% and group households comprising 5.8%. The median household size is 2.2 people, smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Dee Why - North shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates at 39.8% for residents aged 15+, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4% and NSW's rate of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 27.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 31.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas (13.6%) and certificates (18.3%).

Educational participation is high at 26.1%, including 6.6% in primary education, 5.6% in tertiary education, and 4.6% pursuing secondary education. Dee Why - North's three schools have a combined enrollment of 764 students. This area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1052). The educational mix includes two primary schools and one K-12 school. Local school capacity is limited at 4.0 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.2, leading 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

Transport analysis shows 46 active stops in Dee Why - North area, all bus services. These stops are served by 75 routes offering 8,427 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is excellent, with residents averaging 108 meters from nearest stop.

Service frequency is 1,203 daily trips across all routes, or approximately 183 weekly trips per stop.

Dee Why - North'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 Dee Why - North, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 64% of the total population (12,121 people), compared to 71.5% across Greater Sydney and the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.0 and 5.7% of residents respectively, while 78.8% report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.7% across Greater Sydney.

The area has 13.4% of residents aged 65 and over (2,540 people), which is lower than the 17.8% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Dee Why - North is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Dee Why-North ranks high in cultural diversity, with 39.4% speaking a language other than English at home and 49.5% born overseas. The predominant religion is Christianity at 42.9%. Buddhism is notably higher at 6.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 1.8%.

For ancestry, the top groups are English (21.5%), Other (19.9%), and Australian (16.2%). Serbian (1.6%) Spanish (1.2%), and Russian (0.7%) are overrepresented compared to regional averages.

Dee Why - North's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Dee Why - North's median age is 36 years, nearly matching Greater Sydney's average of 37, which is slightly below the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Dee Why - North has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (21.2%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.6%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the population aged 75 to 84 has increased from 3.8% to 4.6%, while the percentage of residents aged 5 to 14 has decreased from 8.3% to 7.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Dee Why - North's age profile. The 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 19%, adding 765 residents to reach a total of 4,791. In contrast, the 0-4 and 35-44 age groups are projected to decrease in numbers.