Freshwater - Brookvale
Statistical Area - sa2

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 was approximately 23,355 as of August 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This figure represents a 7% increase since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 21,828 people. The growth is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 23,255 in June 2024 and an additional 52 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,252 persons per square kilometer, placing Freshwater - Brookvale in the upper quartile compared to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 7% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (3.1%) and the SA3 area, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 65.3% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving the primary population growth for the area.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Anticipating future population dynamics, lower quartile growth of national statistical areas is expected. Based on the latest population numbers, Freshwater - Brookvale is projected to grow by 490 persons to 2041, with an increase of approximately 1.7% in total over the 17 years.

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

Freshwater - Brookvale has recorded approximately 62 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data, produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, shows 311 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with 17 already approved in FY-26. On average, each dwelling built has gained 2.2 new residents per year over these five years, indicating solid demand that supports property values. New homes are being constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $1,054,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This financial year has seen $111.1 million in commercial development approvals, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Freshwater - Brookvale maintains similar development levels per person, reflecting a consistent market balance with the broader area. However, these levels are below the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations. Recent construction comprises 62.0% standalone homes and 38.0% medium to high-density housing, including an increasing mix of townhouses and apartments offering options across different price points.

Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (42.0% at Census), indicating continued strong demand for family homes. With around 426 people per approval, Freshwater - Brookvale indicates a mature market. Future projections estimate an addition of 390 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Freshwater - Brookvale has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 30 projects likely impacting the region. Notable projects are Freshwater Beach Masterplan, Northern Beaches Secondary College Freshwater Campus Expansion, The Alba, and Freshwater Mixed Use Development (48-50 Lawrence Street). Below is a list of most relevant projects.

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

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

Freshwater-Brookvale has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector notably represented, and an unemployment rate of 2.6% as of June 2025. There are 14,345 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 1.6% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation stands at 72.0%, surpassing Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant employment sectors include professional & technical services, health care & social assistance, and construction. The area shows a significant concentration in professional & technical jobs, with levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Health care & social assistance has limited presence, with 11.3% of residents employed compared to 14.1% regionally.

The ratio of 0.8 workers per resident indicates ample local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.0%, while employment decreased by 0.6%, resulting in a 0.6 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. Conversely, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5% and employment grew by 0.26%. Job and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Freshwater-Brookvale's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.3% over ten years.

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

In financial year 2022, Freshwater-Brookvale had a median income among taxpayers of $71,210 and an average of $127,367. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. By March 2025, estimates suggest the median income will be approximately $78,758 and the average will be around $140,868, based on a 10.6% growth in wages since financial year 2022. The 2021 Census data shows that incomes in Freshwater-Brookvale rank highly nationally, with household, family, and personal incomes all between the 94th and 94th percentiles. The earnings profile indicates that 32.0% of residents (7,473 people) fall into the $4,000+ bracket, contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket is most prevalent at 30.9%. Economic strength is evident with 46.0% of households earning high weekly incomes 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 nationally. 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 a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Freshwater - Brookvale, as per the latest Census evaluation, 41.7% of dwellings were houses while 58.4% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments and 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Sydney metropolitan area's composition of 57.6% houses and 42.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Freshwater - Brookvale stood at 27.6%, lower than Sydney metro's level, with mortgaged dwellings accounting for 35.4% and rented ones for 37.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,033, exceeding the Sydney metro average of $3,000. Similarly, the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $600 compared to Sydney metro's $592. Nationally, Freshwater - Brookvale's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and 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% of all households, including 33.2% couples with children, 27.9% couples without children, and 8.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 29.7%, with lone person households at 24.5% and group households making up 5.2%. 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 residents aged 15+ have a higher university qualification rate of 46.9% compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 32.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 27.6% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (15.9%). Educational participation is high, with 28.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: primary (8.9%), secondary (7.8%), and tertiary (5.3%).

There are six schools operating within Freshwater-Brookvale educating approximately 3623 students, with an ICSEA score of 1111 indicating significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement. The educational mix includes three primary, one secondary, and two K-12 schools. Note: for schools showing 'n/a' in enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

The analysis shows that Freshwater-Brookvale has 153 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 114 unique routes, together offering 9,717 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents being an average of 141 meters away from their nearest stop.

Across all routes, there are approximately 1,388 daily trips and 63 weekly trips per individual stop.

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 with very low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover rate is exceptionally high at approximately 81%, compared to Greater Sydney's 71.5% and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent conditions are asthma (6.3%) and mental health issues (5.8%).

78.0% report being completely clear of medical ailments, higher than Greater Sydney's 74.7%. Residents aged 65 and over make up 13.5%, lower than Greater Sydney's 17.8%. Senior health outcomes align with the general population's profile.

Freshwater - Brookvale 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

Freshwater-Brookvale has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 16.5% of residents speaking a language 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. Judaism, however, is slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 0.2% versus 0.3%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (29.5%), Australian (21.5%), and Other (9.8%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: French residents make up 1.3%, Spanish 0.8%, and Welsh 0.8%, compared to the regional averages of 1.1%, 0.6%, and 0.7% respectively.

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

Freshwater-Brookvale's median age in 2021 was 37 years, matching Greater Sydney's figure and closely resembling Australia's median age of 38 years. The 45-54 age group constituted 13.9% of Freshwater-Brookvale's population, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage. Conversely, the 5-14 age group made up 10.1%, which was lower compared to Greater Sydney. Between 2021 and the present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 10.4% to 12.2%. Meanwhile, the 5-14 cohort decreased from 11.9% to 10.1%, and the 45-54 group reduced from 15.1% to 13.9%. Looking forward to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Freshwater-Brookvale's age structure. Notably, the 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 65%, adding 654 people and reaching a total of 1,663 from its previous figure of 1,008. This growth reflects an aging population trend, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 93% of the projected population increase. In contrast, the 45-54 and 15-24 age groups are expected to experience population declines.