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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Forestville - Killarney Heights's population is around 13,497 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 336 people (2.6%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,161 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,425 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 24 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 1,511 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Forestville - Killarney Heights's 2.6% growth since the census positions it within 0.7 percentage points of the SA3 area (3.3%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was essentially the sole driver of population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering the projected demographic shifts, lower quartile growth of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is anticipated, with the area expected to grow by 537 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 3.5% in total over the 17 years.

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 recorded around 28 residential properties granted approval annually, with 144 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 15 so far in FY-26. Given an average of only 0.6 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new construction is matching or outpacing demand, offering buyers more options and enabling population growth that could exceed current expectations, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $449,000—somewhat higher than regional norms—reflecting quality-focused development. There have also been $10.9 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating steady commercial investment activity.

When measured against Greater Sydney, Forestville - Killarney Heights shows approximately 75% of the construction activity per person while it places among the 34th percentile of areas assessed nationally, meaning more limited choices for buyers, supporting demand for existing homes. This activity is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints. Recent construction comprises 95.0% standalone homes and 5.0% townhouses or apartments, sustaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. The location has approximately 489 people per dwelling approval, reflecting an established area.

Looking ahead, Forestville - Killarney Heights is expected to grow by 465 residents through to 2041 (from 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

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 24 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Forestway Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Forestville RSL Club Redevelopment, Angel Place Seniors Living, and Forest High School Science and Technology Centre, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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 3.5%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Forestville - Killarney Heights features a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector a particular standout in terms of representation, and an unemployment rate of only 3.5%. As of December 2025, 6,856 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.7% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation is somewhat below standard (65.8% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%). Based on Census responses, a high 56.5% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in professional & technical, with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 2.8% versus the regional average of 5.3%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population vs resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.3% while employment declined by 1.1%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.8 percentage points. This compares to Greater Sydney, where employment grew by 2.2%, labour force expanded by 2.3%, and unemployment rose marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Forestville - Killarney Heights. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Forestville - Killarney Heights's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.4% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Forestville - Killarney Heights SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $64,046 with the average level standing at $103,203. This is among the top percentile nationally and compares to levels of $60,817 and $83,003 across Greater Sydney respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $69,720 (median) and $112,347 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household incomes rank exceptionally at the 95th percentile ($2,794 weekly). Income analysis reveals the $4000+ earnings band captures 36.3% of the community (4,899 individuals), contrasting with the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. The district demonstrates considerable affluence with 47.7% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 15.5% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 94th percentile and 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

Dwelling structure within Forestville - Killarney Heights, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 85.3% houses and 14.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Forestville - Killarney Heights was well beyond that of Sydney metro, at 43.5%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (38.7%) or rented (17.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Sydney metro average at $3,400, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $720, compared to Sydney metro's $2,427 and $470. Nationally, Forestville - Killarney Heights's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are 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 dominate at 80.8% of all households, comprising 49.2% couples with children, 21.4% couples without children, and 9.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 19.2%, with lone person households at 18.3% and group households comprising 0.9% of the total. The median household size of 3.0 people 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

Educational attainment in Forestville - Killarney Heights significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 44.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead 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+ – advanced diplomas (11.5%) and certificates (13.4%).

Educational participation is notably 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.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 60 active transport stops operating within Forestville - Killarney Heights, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 59 individual routes, collectively providing 4,074 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 252 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 84%, with 7% by bus and 4% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 1.6 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A high 56.5% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 582 trips per day across all routes, equating 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

Health outcomes data demonstrates outstanding results across Forestville - Killarney Heights, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 72% of the total population (9,758 people). This compares to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 6.5% and 6.3% of residents, respectively, while 74.5% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The area has 18.6% of residents aged 65 and over (2,506 people), which is higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, though 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 is more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 25.9% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 34.1% born overseas. The main religion in Forestville - Killarney Heights is Christianity, which makes up 53.2% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.8% of the population, compared to 0.8% across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Forestville - Killarney Heights are English, comprising 25.0% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 19.0%, Australian, comprising 21.2% of the population, and Other, comprising 13.2% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: French is notably overrepresented at 2.6% of Forestville - Killarney Heights (vs 0.5% regionally), South Australian at 1.0% (vs 0.5%) and Croatian at 0.9% (vs 0.7%).

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

The 43-year median age in Forestville - Killarney Heights is considerably higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 as well as substantially exceeding the 38-year national average. The age profile shows 15 - 24 year-olds are particularly prominent (16.6%), while the 25 - 34 group is comparatively smaller (5.0%) than in Greater Sydney. In the period since 2021, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 13.3% to 16.6% of the population, while the 55 to 64 cohort increased from 11.9% to 12.9%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 16.8% to 15.6%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Forestville - Killarney Heights's age structure. The 65 to 74 age cohort is projected to increase solidly, expanding by 420 people (40%) from 1,048 to 1,469. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 91% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. On the other hand, the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.