Loftus - Yarrawarrah
Statistical Area - sa2

Loftus - Yarrawarrah is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Loftus-Yarrawarrah's population is 7,424 as of Aug 2025, reflecting a 1.0% increase from the 2021 Census figure of 7,348 people. This growth was inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 7,424 in June 2024 and an additional 15 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is 1,933 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Loftus-Yarrawarrah's growth rate since census is within 1.5 percentage points of its SA3 area's 2.5%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Natural growth contributed approximately 56.4% of overall population gains recently. 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, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Future population trends indicate an overall decline by 86 persons by 2041, while specific age cohorts like the 85 and over group are projected to grow by 337 people.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Loftus - Yarrawarrah, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Loftus-Yarrawarrah has recorded approximately 13 residential properties granted approval per year. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, with 68 homes approved over the past five financial years from FY2021 to FY2025, and none so far in FY2026. Despite population decline, development activity has been adequate relative to other areas. New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost of $402,000, below regional norms, offering more affordable housing options for purchasers.

In the current financial year, $1.2 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Greater Sydney, Loftus-Yarrawarrah shows approximately 58% of the construction activity per person, placing it among the 22nd percentile of areas assessed nationally. This suggests limited housing choices for buyers, supporting demand for existing dwellings and reflecting market maturity with possible development constraints. New development consists of 44.0% detached houses and 56.0% townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This is a considerable shift from the current housing mix of 91.0% houses, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With around 720 people per dwelling approval, Loftus-Yarrawarrah reflects a highly mature market.

Given population projections showing stability or decline, housing demand pressures in Loftus-Yarrawarrah are expected to remain reduced, benefiting potential buyers.

Loftus - Yarrawarrah has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Seven projects identified by AreaSearch may impact the area, significantly influencing local performance. Key projects include Heathcote Road Koala Protection Fencing, Heathcote Road Bridge Widening Project, Engadine Town Park Land Exchange, and Seymour Shaw Park Off-Street Carpark. Details on those most relevant are provided below.

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

The labour market strength in Loftus - Yarrawarrah positions it well ahead of most Australian regions

Loftus Yarrawarrah has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 2.2% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 2.9%.

As of June 2025, 4,090 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.0%, below Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation was 65.3%, higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Public administration & safety showed strong specialization, at 1.6 times the regional level.

Professional & technical services were under-represented, at 9.5% compared to Greater Sydney's 11.5%. Limited local employment opportunities were indicated by Census data comparison of working population vs resident population. In the 12 months prior, employment increased by 2.9%, labour force by 3.3%, raising unemployment by 0.3 percentage points. Greater Sydney showed similar trends. State-level data to Sep-25 revealed NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, favourable compared to the national rate of 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's May 2025 forecasts project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Loftus Yarrawarrah's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation 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 2022 shows Loftus - Yarrawarrah had a median income among taxpayers of $62,323 and an average of $76,561. These figures are among the highest in Australia, 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, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $68,929 (median) and $84,676 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Loftus - Yarrawarrah rank highly nationally, between the 76th and 91st percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 27.3% of locals (2,026 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, similar to regional levels where 30.9% occupy this range. A substantial proportion of high earners (42.1%) have incomes above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity in the area. After housing costs, residents retain 86.8% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Loftus - Yarrawarrah is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Loftus-Yarrawarrah, as per the latest Census evaluation, 90.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 9.2% consisting of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is in contrast to Sydney metropolitan areas, where 70.4% of dwellings are houses, and 29.6% are other dwelling types. The home ownership rate in Loftus-Yarrawarrah was 44.8%, with mortgaged properties at 46.3% and rented dwellings at 8.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,684, exceeding Sydney's average of $2,600. The median weekly rent was recorded at $550, higher than Sydney's average of $483. Nationally, Loftus-Yarrawarrah's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Loftus - Yarrawarrah features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 84.2% of all households, consisting of couples with children at 46.8%, couples without children at 27.5%, and single parent families at 9.4%. Non-family households account for 15.8%, with lone person households making up 14.7% and group households comprising 1.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.8.

Loftus - Yarrawarrah shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Loftus-Yarrawarrah has 29.6% of residents aged 15+ with university degrees, compared to Greater Sydney's 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Vocational credentials are held by 38.7% of residents aged 15+, including advanced diplomas (12.5%) and certificates (26.2%). Educational participation is high, with 29.9% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (9.8%), secondary (9.3%), and tertiary (4.5%).

The three schools in Loftus-Yarrawarrah have a combined enrollment of 1,626 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1070. There are two primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups, with school capacity exceeding typical residential needs (21.9 places per 100 residents vs regional average of 17.8), indicating the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Loftus-Yarrawarrah has 85 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 15 routes, facilitating 1,271 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents located an average of 129 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 181 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 14 weekly trips per individual stop.

Loftus - Yarrawarrah's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data shows positive outcomes for Loftus - Yarrawarrah residents. Prevalence of common health conditions is low across both younger and older age groups.

Approximately 58% of the total population (4,291 people) have private health cover, compared to 60.0% in Greater Sydney. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 8.5% and 7.8% of residents respectively. 70.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, similar to the 70.6% across Greater Sydney. There are 19.4% of residents aged 65 and over (1,438 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, aligning with the general population's health profile.

Loftus - Yarrawarrah is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Loftus-Yarrawarrah had a cultural diversity index below average, with 87.2% of its population born in Australia, 95.0% being citizens, and 94.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 60.2%, compared to 61.9% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (30.9%), English (30.1%), and Irish (10.5%).

French, Lebanese, and Maltese populations were notably divergent from regional averages: French at 0.6% vs 0.5%, Lebanese at 0.4% vs 1.1%, and Maltese at 0.5% vs 0.8%.

Loftus - Yarrawarrah's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Loftus - Yarrawarrah has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's median age of 38. The 45-54 age cohort is significantly over-represented in Loftus-Yarrawarrah at 14.6%, compared to the Greater Sydney average. Conversely, the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 8.7%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 12.0% to 13.8% of the population. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age cohort has decreased from 14.3% to 13.4%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant changes in Loftus-Yarrawarrah's age profile. The 85+ age group is expected to grow dramatically by 317 people, an increase of 165%, from 193 to 511 individuals. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are projected to account for 89% of total population growth. Conversely, the 0-4 and 5-14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.