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 is around 23,382 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,554 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 21,828 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 23,255 from the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 63 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,256 persons per square kilometer. Freshwater - Brookvale's growth rate of 7.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's growth rate of 3.2%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 65.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on latest population numbers, Freshwater - Brookvale is anticipated to grow by 490 persons to 2041, marking a total increase of 1.6% over the 17-year period.

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

Freshwater - Brookvale has granted around 62 residential properties approval per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 311 homes were approved, with an additional 28 approved so far in FY-26. On average, each dwelling accommodates approximately 2.2 new residents annually over these five years, indicating strong demand which supports property values.

The average construction cost value for new homes is $727,000, suggesting developers focus on the premium market with high-end developments. This financial year has seen $111.1 million in commercial approvals registered, reflecting robust commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Sydney, Freshwater - Brookvale maintains similar development levels per person, keeping market balance consistent with the broader area. However, these levels are below the national average, indicating the area's established nature and potential planning limitations.

Recent construction comprises 62.0% standalone homes and 38.0% medium to high-density housing, offering options across different price points from family homes to more affordable compact living. Notably, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (42.0% at Census), indicating continued strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. With around 426 people per approval, Freshwater - Brookvale indicates a mature market. Future projections estimate an addition of 363 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Area infrastructure changes significantly influence performance. AreaSearch identified 32 potential impact projects. Key ones are Freshwater Beach Masterplan, Northern Beaches Secondary College Freshwater Campus Expansion, The Alba, and Freshwater Mixed Use Development (48-50 Lawrence Street). Below list details those likely 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 presence in the technology sector and an unemployment rate of 2.6% as of June 2025. There are 14,345 residents employed, which is 1.6% below Greater Sydney's unemployment rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation stands at 72.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and construction. Professional & technical jobs are particularly concentrated, with levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Health care & social assistance has a limited presence, with 11.3% employment compared to 14.1% regionally.

The ratio of 0.8 workers per resident indicates ample local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, labour force decreased by 0.0%, while employment decreased by 0.6%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, released in 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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows 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. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Freshwater - Brookvale would be approximately $80,190 (median) and $143,428 (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 (7,482 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 still place disposable income at the 93rd percentile and 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

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 57.6% houses and 42.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Freshwater-Brookvale stood at 27.6%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (35.4%) or rented (37.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,033, higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,000. The median weekly rent figure was $600, compared to Sydney metro's $592. Nationally, Freshwater-Brookvale's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,033 compared to 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 account for 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 constitute the remaining 29.7%, with lone person households at 24.5% and group households comprising 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 educational attainment is notably high, with 46.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications 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 aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 11.7% and certificates at 15.9%. Educational participation is high, with 28.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 8.9% in primary, 7.8% in secondary, and 5.3% in tertiary education.

Six schools operate within Freshwater-Brookvale, educating approximately 3,623 students. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1111). The educational mix includes three primary, one secondary, and two K-12 schools.

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

Transport analysis indicates 153 active transport stops in Freshwater-Brookvale, serviced by buses via 114 routes. These routes facilitate 9,717 weekly passenger trips. Residents' accessibility to transport is excellent, with an average distance of 141 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency across all routes averages 1,388 trips daily, equating to about 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. Approximately 81% of its total population (18,986 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 71.5%. Nationally, this figure stands at 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.3% and 5.8% of residents respectively. 78.0% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.7%. As of 20XX (original date), 13.5% of residents are aged 65 and over (3,165 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 17.8%. Health outcomes among seniors 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 had 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 was the predominant religion, making up 45.3%. Judaism was slightly overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to 0.3% in Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestry groups were English (29.5%), Australian (21.5%), and Other (9.8%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: French residents made up 1.3% vs 1.1% regionally, Spanish at 0.8% vs 0.6%, and Welsh at 0.8% vs 0.7%.

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

Freshwater - Brookvale has a median age of 37, matching Greater Sydney's figure of 37 years and closely resembling Australia's median age of 38 years. The age group of 45-54 is notably represented at 13.9%, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage. Conversely, the 5-14 age cohort is less prevalent in Freshwater - Brookvale at 10.1%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 10.4% to 12.2% of the population. During this period, the 5-14 cohort decreased from 11.9% to 10.1%, and the 45-54 group dropped from 15.1% to 13.9%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant changes in Freshwater - Brookvale's age structure. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 65%, adding 652 people and reaching a total of 1,663 from the previous count of 1,010. This growth will primarily be driven by an aging population, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 93% of the projected growth. Meanwhile, the 45-54 and 15-24 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.