Forestville - Killarney Heights
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Forestville - Killarney Heights reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Forestville-Killarney Heights' population was 13,431 as of Aug 2025. This was an increase of 270 people from the 2021 Census figure of 13,161, reflecting a growth rate of 2.1%. The estimated resident population in June 2024 was 13,425, with an additional 3 validated new addresses since the Census date contributing to this increase. This resulted in a population density of 1,504 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 2.1% since the census was close to that of its SA4 region (3.1%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 used NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group were applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Forestville-Killarney Heights is expected to grow by 537 persons to 2041, representing a total growth rate of 4.0% over the 17-year period. This is anticipated to be within the lower quartile of growth for statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Forestville - Killarney Heights according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Forestville - Killarney Heights has around 28 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis: 144 homes over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with two recorded so far in FY-26. Over these years, an average of 0.6 new residents per year per dwelling constructed has been observed. This suggests that supply is meeting or surpassing demand, offering greater buyer choice and supporting potential population growth above projections.

The average value for new dwellings developed is $866,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY-26, $10.9 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Forestville - Killarney Heights has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 35th percentile nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice. This is below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints.

Recent construction comprises 95% detached houses and 5% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's suburban nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. The location has approximately 489 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established area. Looking ahead, Forestville - Killarney Heights is expected to grow by 531 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Forestville - Killarney Heights has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 21 projects that could impact the area. Notable projects include Forestway Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Forestville RSL Club Redevelopment, Northern Beaches Hospital Infrastructure, and Forest High School Science and Technology Centre. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

Employment performance in Forestville - Killarney Heights exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Forestville - Killarney Heights has a highly educated workforce with a notable technology sector presence. Its unemployment rate is 2.9%, as of June 2025, with 6,936 residents employed.

This rate is 1.3% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Sydney at 62.0%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (1.4 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors. Transport, postal & warehousing has lower representation at 2.8% compared to the regional average of 5.3%.

Over the year ending June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.0%, employment decreased by 0.6%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.6% and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, compared to the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Forestville - Killarney Heights's employment mix, local growth is estimated at approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.4% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

In Forestville - Killarney Heights, median taxpayer income was $60,918 and average income was $102,665 in financial year 2022. Nationally, this places it in the top percentile. In Greater Sydney, these figures were $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. By March 2025, estimates suggest median income will be approximately $67,375 and average income $113,547, based on a 10.6% Wage Price Index growth since FY2022. According to the 2021 Census, household incomes rank at the 95th percentile with $2,794 weekly earnings. The $4,000+ earnings band includes 36.3% of individuals (4,875), while the region's leading bracket is $1,500 - $2,999 at 30.9%. Affluence is evident with 47.7% earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting premium retail and services. High housing costs consume 15.5% of income but strong earnings place disposable income at the 95th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Forestville - Killarney Heights is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Forestville - Killarney Heights, as per the latest Census data, had 85.3% houses and 14.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 57.6% houses and 42.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Forestville - Killarney Heights stood at 43.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.7% and rented ones at 17.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,400, exceeding Sydney metro's average of $3,000. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $720, higher than Sydney metro's $592. Nationally, Forestville - Killarney Heights' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Forestville - Killarney Heights features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 80.8% of all households, including 49.2% couples with children, 21.4% couples without children, and 9.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute 19.2%, with lone person households at 18.3% and group households comprising 0.9%. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Forestville - Killarney Heights 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 Forestville-Killarney Heights is notably high, with 44.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 29.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational pathways account for 24.9% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.5% and certificates at 13.4%. Educational participation is high, with 33.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 11.7% in primary education, 11.4% in secondary education, and 5.8% pursuing tertiary education. There are eight schools operating within Forestville-Killarney Heights, educating approximately 2,619 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1137). The educational mix includes five primary, two secondary, and one K-12 school. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs, with 19.5 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.2, indicating that Forestville-Killarney Heights serves as an educational center for the broader region. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Forestville-Killarney Heights has 54 active public transport stops. These are served by 59 different bus routes, offering a total of 3,094 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically living 252 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 442 trips per day across all routes, which equals about 57 weekly trips per individual stop.

Forestville - Killarney Heights's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis shows Forestville - Killarney Heights had low prevalence of common health conditions across all ages. Private health cover was high at approximately 73% of total population (9,750), compared to national average of 55.3%.

Common medical conditions were arthritis and asthma, impacting 6.5% and 6.3% respectively. 74.5% declared no medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's 74.7%. The area had 18.4% residents aged 65 and over (2,469 people). Seniors' health outcomes were strong, matching general population's profile.

Forestville - Killarney Heights 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

Forestville-Killarney Heights, surveyed on August 30th, 2021, showed higher cultural diversity than most local areas. 25.9% spoke a language other than English at home, and 34.1% were born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, at 53.2%.

Judaism was overrepresented at 0.8%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.3%. Top ancestry groups were English (25.0%), Australian (21.2%), and Other (13.2%). Notable differences existed for French (2.6% vs regional 1.1%), South African (1.0% vs 0.9%), and Croatian (0.9% vs 0.7%) ethnic groups.

Forestville - Killarney Heights hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Forestville - Killarney Heights is 43 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and also exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 5-14 years make up 15.9% of the population, while those aged 25-34 are smaller at 5.2%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of those aged 15-24 has increased from 13.3% to 16.1%, whereas the age group 45-54 has decreased from 16.8% to 16.0%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Forestville - Killarney Heights' age structure. The 65-74 age cohort is projected to increase by 43% from 1,028 to 1,469 people. Notably, the combined age groups of 65+ will account for 89% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the age groups 45-54 and 55-64 are expected to experience population declines.