Forestville - Killarney Heights

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, as per AreaSearch's analysis, was around 13,434 by November 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 273 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 13,161. The growth is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 13,425 in June 2024 and three validated new addresses post-census. This results in a density ratio of 1,504 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 2.1% growth since the census is within 1.1 percentage points of its SA3 area's growth rate of 3.2%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are utilized. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, the area is expected to grow by 537 persons by 2041, reflecting a total gain of 3.9% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Forestville - Killarney Heights, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Forestville - Killarney Heights has granted around 28 residential property approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25144 homes were approved, with an additional 14 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, 0.6 new residents per year have been added per dwelling constructed over these five years.

This pace of construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and potentially driving population growth beyond current projections. The average expected construction cost value of new properties is $449,000, which is somewhat higher than regional norms, indicating quality-focused development. Commercial approvals this financial year total $10.9 million, reflecting steady commercial investment activity. Comparatively, Forestville - Killarney Heights shows approximately 75% of the construction activity per person when measured against Greater Sydney.

Nationally, it ranks in the 34th percentile of areas assessed, offering more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes. This lower-than-average national activity reflects the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent construction has comprised 95.0% standalone homes and 5.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. The location currently has approximately 489 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established area. Looking ahead, Forestville - Killarney Heights is projected to grow by 528 residents through to 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 24 projects that could impact this region. Notable projects include Forestway Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Forestville RSL Club Redevelopment, Angel Place Seniors Living, 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.

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.

While Forestville - Killarney Heights retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.4%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Forestville - Killarney Heights has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 3.4%. As of September 2025, there are 6,838 residents employed, which is 0.8% below Greater Sydney's unemployment rate of 4.2%.

The workforce participation rate is somewhat lower at 65.9%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 56.5% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (1.4 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 2.8%, compared to the regional average of 5.3%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities. Over the year to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.6% and employment declined by 1.6%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Forestville - Killarney Heights' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023. Forestville - Killarney Heights SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $64,046 and an average level of $103,203. Nationally, it ranked in the top percentile compared to Greater Sydney's levels of $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023 estimates current incomes at approximately $69,720 (median) and $112,347 (average) as of September 2025. The 2021 Census ranked household incomes exceptionally high at the 95th percentile ($2,794 weekly). Income analysis showed that 36.3% of individuals earned over $4,000 per week, contrasting with the region's leading bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 at 30.9%. High housing costs consumed 15.5% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 94th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking was 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' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 85.3% houses and 14.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). Compared to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Forestville-Killarney Heights was 43.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.7% and rented at 17.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,400, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent was $720, compared to Sydney metro's $470. 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 constitute 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 account for the remaining 19.2%, with lone person households at 18.3% and group households comprising 0.9%. The median household size is 3.0 people, which is 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

Forestville-Killarney Heights has a higher proportion of residents aged 15 and above with university qualifications than Australia and New South Wales (NSW). Specifically, 44.3% of its residents hold such qualifications compared to the national average of 30.4% and the NSW average of 32.2%. This educational advantage is largely due to Bachelor degrees, which are held by 29.0% of residents in this age group. Postgraduate qualifications and graduate diplomas account for 12.0% and 3.3%, respectively.

Vocational pathways are also well-represented, with advanced diplomas and certificates making up 11.5% and 13.4% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above. Educational participation is notably high in the area, 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.

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

Forestville-Killarney Heights has 60 active public transport stops serving a mix of bus routes. These stops facilitate 4,074 weekly passenger trips via 59 individual routes. Residents enjoy good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 252 meters to the nearest stop. Commuter patterns show that most residents travel outward from this primarily residential area. Car remains the dominant mode of commuting at 84%, followed by bus at 7% and walking at 4%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.6 per dwelling, higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 56.5% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes averages 582 trips per day, translating to approximately 67 weekly trips per individual stop.

Forestville - Killarney Heights's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Forestville - Killarney Heights shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, with very low prevalence across all age groups. The area has a high private health cover rate of approximately 72% (9,712 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 59.9%. Nationally, the average is 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.5% and 6.3% of residents respectively. A total of 74.5% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.6%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 18.4% (2,470 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 15.3%. While health outcomes among seniors are strong, they rank lower nationally than the broader population.

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 in June 2016, had a higher linguistic diversity than most local areas, with 25.9% of residents speaking a language other than English at home. Born overseas, 34.1% of its population resided there. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 53.2%.

Notably, Judaism's representation was equal to Greater Sydney's average (0.8%). In terms of ancestry, Forestville-Killarney Heights had higher percentages of English (25.0%, regional avg: 19.0%), Australian (21.2%) and Other (13.2%) groups. Some ethnicities were notably overrepresented: French (2.6% vs regional 0.5%), South African (1.0% vs 0.5%), and Croatian (0.9% vs 0.7%).

Forestville - Killarney Heights's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Forestville-Killarney Heights is 43 years, higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and exceeding the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 5-14 years are prominent at 15.9%, while those aged 25-34 years are smaller at 5.2%. Between 2021 and now, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 13.3% to 16.1%, while the population aged 45-54 has declined from 16.8% to 16.0%. By 2041, demographic projections show that the age group 65-74 will increase by 439 people (43%), reaching 1,469 people. The combined population aged 65 and above is projected to account for 89% of total population growth. Meanwhile, the populations aged 45-54 and 55-64 are expected to decline.