Freshwater - Brookvale

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

Freshwater-Brookvale's population is approximately 23,415 as of February 2026. This represents a 7.3% increase from the 2021 Census figure of 21,828 people. The population growth can be inferred from ABS estimates: 23,255 in June 2024 and an additional 75 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 3,261 persons per square kilometer, placing Freshwater-Brookvale in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessment. The area's growth rate exceeded that of its SA3 area (3.3%) and SA4 region, indicating it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 65.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

For projections until 2041, AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for covered areas and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for uncovered areas. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the area is projected to grow by 490 persons, reflecting an increase of 1.4% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Freshwater - Brookvale when compared nationally

Freshwater - Brookvale has granted approximately 62 residential property approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25311 homes were approved, with a further 39 approved in FY-26. This results in an average of 2.2 new residents per year for each dwelling over these years, indicating strong demand that supports property values.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $727,000, suggesting developers focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY-26, commercial approvals totaled $111.1 million, demonstrating robust commercial development momentum in the area. Comparatively, Freshwater - Brookvale's development levels per capita are similar to Greater Sydney's, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader region. However, these levels are below the national average, suggesting an established nature and potential planning limitations for the area.

Recent construction comprises 62% standalone homes and 38% medium and high-density housing, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments offering options across various price points. Notably, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests at Census (42%), indicating sustained strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. Freshwater - Brookvale indicates a mature market with around 426 people per approval. Future projections estimate an addition of 330 residents by 2041, based on AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Freshwater - Brookvale has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 32 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Freshwater Beach Masterplan, The Alba, Warringah Mall Mixed Use Redevelopment, and Northern Beaches Secondary College Freshwater Campus Expansion. Below is a list of those most 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.

AreaSearch analysis places Freshwater - Brookvale well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Freshwater - Brookvale has an educated workforce with a notable technology sector presence. Its unemployment rate was 3.0% as of September 2025. The area had 14,445 residents employed at the time, with an unemployment rate 1.1% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Freshwater - Brookvale was 76.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 53.0% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Dominant employment sectors include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and construction. Professional & technical jobs were particularly concentrated, with levels at 1.5 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance had limited presence at 11.3%, compared to the regional average of 14.1%. The resident-to-worker ratio was 0.8, indicating ample local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, labour force decreased by 0.3% while employment dropped by 1.2%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.1% and labour force by 2.4%, with a slight unemployment rate increase of 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May-25) project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary by industry sector. Applying these projections to Freshwater - Brookvale's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Freshwater - Brookvale SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $74,724 and an average of $126,872. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,030. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Freshwater - Brookvale would be approximately $81,345 (median) and $138,113 (average) as of September 2025. The 2021 Census data ranks household, family, and personal incomes in Freshwater - Brookvale between the 94th and 94th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile shows that 32.0% of residents (7,492 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. Economic strength is evident through 46.0% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 17.2% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 93rd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Freshwater - Brookvale features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

The dwelling structure in Freshwater-Brookvale, as per the latest Census, consisted of 41.7% houses and 58.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Freshwater-Brookvale was 27.6%, with the rest either mortgaged (35.4%) or rented (37.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,033, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $600, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Freshwater-Brookvale's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Freshwater - Brookvale features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 70.3 percent of all households, including 33.2 percent couples with children, 27.9 percent couples without children, and 8.3 percent single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 29.7 percent, with lone person households at 24.5 percent and group households making up 5.2 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Educational achievement in Freshwater - Brookvale places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Freshwater - Brookvale's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. As of 2016, 46.9% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and New South Wales' 32.2%. This educational advantage is evident in various qualification types: Bachelor degrees at 32.6%, postgraduate qualifications at 11.0%, and graduate diplomas at 3.3%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 27.6% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (15.9%).

Educational participation is high in the area, with 28.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of 2016. This includes 8.9% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis indicates 209 active public transport stops in Freshwater-Brookvale, comprising various bus routes. These stops are serviced by 114 individual routes, offering a total of 9,988 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 131 meters to the nearest stop. Predominantly residential, most residents commute outward using cars (78%), followed by buses (8%) and walking (7%). Vehicle ownership averages 1.2 per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, a high 53% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency across all routes averages 1,426 trips per day, equating to approximately 47 weekly trips per stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

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

Freshwater - Brookvale shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, with very low prevalence across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 80% of the total population (18,708 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.3 and 5.8% of residents respectively.

78.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. The area has 14.2% of residents aged 65 and over (3,324 people), lower than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Freshwater - Brookvale was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Freshwater-Brookvale was found to have higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 16.5% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 33.3% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Freshwater-Brookvale, making up 45.3% of its population. However, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 0.2% versus 0.8%.

In terms of ancestry, English (29.5%) and Australian (21.5%) are the top groups in Freshwater-Brookvale, both higher than regional averages of 19.0% and 16.0%, respectively. Other ancestry is notably lower at 9.8%. Some ethnic groups show notable variations: French (1.3% vs 0.5%), Spanish (0.8% vs 0.6%), and Welsh (0.8% vs 0.4%) are overrepresented in Freshwater-Brookvale compared to regional averages.

Freshwater - Brookvale's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Freshwater-Brookvale has a median age of 37, matching Greater Sydney's figure and closely resembling Australia's median age of 38 years. The age group of 45-54 is prominently represented at 13.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's proportion. However, the 5-14 age group is less prevalent in Freshwater-Brookvale at 10.0%. From 2021 to present, the population aged 15-24 has increased from 10.4% to 12.4%, while the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 11.9% to 10.0%. The 45-54 age group has also seen a decline, dropping from 15.1% to 13.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Freshwater-Brookvale's age structure. Notably, the 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 56%, reaching 1,663 people from 1,063. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 94% of the projected growth. Conversely, the 45-54 and 25-34 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.