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 Aug 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This figure represents an increase of 1,527 people, a 7.0% rise from the 2021 Census which reported a population of 21,828. The increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 23,255 in June 2024 and an additional 52 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 3,252 persons per square kilometer, placing Freshwater - Brookvale in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth of 7.0% since the 2021 census exceeded 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.

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, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics anticipate lower quartile growth of national statistical areas, with Freshwater - Brookvale expected to grow by 490 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, representing a total increase of 1.7% over the 17 years.

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

Freshwater - Brookvale has received approximately 52 residential approvals per year. ABS data from FY-20 to FY-25 shows 261 homes approved, with 17 more in FY-26 so far. Each dwelling adds an average of 2.2 new residents annually over the past five years. The average construction cost is $1,054,000, indicating a focus on premium market properties.

Commercial approvals totaled $111.1 million in FY-26. Compared to Greater Sydney, Freshwater - Brookvale has similar development levels per capita. Recent construction consists of 62% standalone homes and 38% medium-high density housing, with increasing townhouse and apartment options. Traditionally styled houses comprise 42% at Census but are now being built more frequently due to strong demand.

The area's population density is around 426 people per approval. By 2041, Freshwater - Brookvale is projected to add 390 residents. Current construction levels should meet housing demand adequately, benefiting buyers and potentially exceeding current growth forecasts.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 30 projects likely affecting the region. Notable ones 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 an educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate as of June 2025 was 2.6%.

The area had 14,345 residents employed at that time, with a joblessness rate 1.6% lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation stood at 72%, exceeding Greater Sydney's 60%. Key employment sectors among residents were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and construction. Professional & technical jobs were particularly concentrated, being 1.5 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance had a limited presence with 11.3% employment compared to 14.1% regionally. The area's worker-resident ratio was 0.8 at Census time, indicating above-norm local job opportunities. In the year ending June 2025, Freshwater - Brookvale's labour force decreased by 0%, while employment dropped by 0.6%. This led to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. Meanwhile, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data as at Sep-25 showed NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs. The state's unemployment rate was 4.3%, favourably comparing to the national rate of 4.5%. However, NSW lagged behind national employment growth of 0.26%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (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 could be approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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's median income among taxpayers is $71,210 and the average is $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 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Freshwater - Brookvale would be approximately $78,758 (median) and $140,868 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Freshwater - Brookvale rank highly nationally, with household, family, and personal incomes all between the 94th and 94th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 32.0% of residents (7,473 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 as 46.0% of households achieve 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 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. In contrast, Sydney metropolitan area had 57.6% houses and 42.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Freshwater-Brookvale stood at 27.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.4% and rented ones at 37.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,033, higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,000. Weekly rent figures were 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 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 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 has an exceptionally high level of educational attainment. As of 2021, 46.9% of its residents aged 15 years and above hold university qualifications, surpassing both the national average (30.4%) and the state average for New South Wales (NSW) (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 prominent, with 27.6% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (15.9%).

Educational participation is notably high in the area, with 28.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of 2021. This includes 8.9% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education. As of 2020, Freshwater-Brookvale has a robust network of 6 schools educating approximately 3,623 students. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) score of 1111. The educational mix includes 3 primary schools, 1 secondary school, and 2 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, served by buses via 114 routes offering 9,717 weekly passenger trips. Residential accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 141 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 1,388 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 63 weekly trips per individual stop.

Service frequency averages 1,388 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 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 health conditions across all ages. Private health cover rate is notably high at approximately 81%, compared to Greater Sydney's 71.5% and the national average of 55.3%. Asthma and mental health issues are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 6.3% and 5.8% respectively.

78.0% of residents report no medical ailments, higher than Greater Sydney's 74.7%. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 13.5%, compared to 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 had a higher linguistic diversity than most local areas, with 16.5% of residents speaking a language other than English at home. Born overseas, 33.3% of the population was also notably high compared to other regions. Christianity was the predominant religion in Freshwater-Brookvale, making up 45.3% of its inhabitants.

However, Judaism's representation stood out at 0.2%, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 0.3%. In terms of ancestry, English (29.5%) and Australian (21.5%) were the top two groups, followed by Other at 9.8%. Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: French residents comprised 1.3% compared to the regional average of 1.1%, Spanish residents made up 0.8% versus the region's 0.6%, and Welsh residents accounted for 0.8% compared to the regional average of 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 and closely resembling Australia's median age of 38 years. The age group of 45-54 is strongly represented at 13.9%, compared to Greater Sydney's figure. However, the 5-14 age cohort is less prevalent in Freshwater-Brookvale, standing at 10.1%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 10.4% to 12.2%, while the 5 to 14 cohort has decreased from 11.9% to 10.1%. The 45 to 54 age group has also dropped, from 15.1% to 13.9%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Freshwater-Brookvale's age structure. Notably, the 75 to 84 age group is projected to grow by 65%, reaching 1,663 people from the current 1,008. This growth will be led by those aged 65 and above, who are expected to comprise 93% of the population growth. Conversely, the 45 to 54 and 15 to 24 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.