Manly Vale - Allambie Heights
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Manly Vale - Allambie Heights reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights' population is approximately 17,986 as of Aug 2025. Between Aug 2021 and Jun 2024, the population increased by 436 people (2.5%), from 17,550 to an estimated 17,936. This increase is attributed to 37 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density as of Aug 2025 is around 1,923 persons per square kilometer. Manly Vale - Allambie Heights' growth rate of 2.5% since the census is close to the SA4 region's growth rate of 3.1%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 94.8% of recent population gains in the area.

For future projections, AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in Jun 2024 with a base year of 2022 for covered SA2 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 expected to grow by 4 persons based on current trends, reflecting a reduction of approximately 0.3% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Manly Vale - Allambie Heights according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights has averaged approximately 46 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 233 homes. As of FY-26 so far, 13 approvals have been recorded. The average number of new residents arriving per new home over these years is around 0.2. This indicates that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and potentially accelerating population growth.

The average expected construction cost value of new properties is $794,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, there have been $16.9 million in commercial approvals, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Sydney, Manly Vale - Allambie Heights has 11.0% less new development per person and ranks among the 35th percentile nationally, resulting in relatively limited buyer choice and supporting interest in existing dwellings. This lower level of development reflects market maturity and potential constraints.

The area's new development consists of 78.0% detached houses and 22.0% medium to high-density housing, preserving its traditional suburban character focused on family homes. With approximately 517 people per dwelling approval, it indicates an established area with stable or declining population forecasts, potentially reducing housing pressure and creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 25 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Northern Beaches Hospital Infrastructure, Frenchs Forest Park Upgrades, Balgowlah RSL Club Renovations (Stage 1 of Master Plan), and Stockland Balgowlah Shopping Centre Expansion & Residential. The following list details 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 assessment positions Manly Vale - Allambie Heights ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights has an educated workforce with a notable presence in the technology sector. The unemployment rate is 3.2%.

As of June 2025, 9,982 residents are employed, with a 1.0% lower unemployment rate compared to Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation stands at 67.7%, surpassing Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (130% of regional average), health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance sectors. Transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence with 2.9% employment compared to the regional 5.3%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, labour force decreased by 0.0%, employment declined by 1.1%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 1.0 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.6% and labour force by 2.9%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Manly Vale - Allambie Heights' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.1%% over five years and 14.2% 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 Manly Vale - Allambie Heights had a median taxpayer income of $66,780 and an average of $123,215. Nationally, these figures place the area in the top percentile. In Greater Sydney, the median was $56,994 and the average was $80,856. As of September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $75,201 (median) and $138,752 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022. Census data reveals Manly Vale - Allambie Heights ranks highly nationally for household, family, and personal incomes, between the 86th and 94th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 34.1% of residents (6,133 people) earn over $4,000 per week, differing from the surrounding region where the $1,500 - $2,999 category is most prevalent at 30.9%. The area's affluence is evident with 46.2% earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 16.9% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 93rd percentile nationally. The SEIFA income ranking places Manly Vale - Allambie Heights in the 9th decile.

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 65.2% houses and 34.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). In comparison, Sydney metro had 57.6% houses and 42.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Manly Vale - Allambie Heights was 30.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 41.6% and rented ones at 27.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,250, higher than Sydney metro's $3,000. Median weekly rent was $550, compared to Sydney metro's $592. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 76.1% of all households, including 43.6% couples with children, 22.8% couples without children, and 9.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 23.9%, with lone person households at 21.4% and group households making up 2.5%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Manly Vale - Allambie Heights is significantly higher than national and state averages. As of 2021, 42.9% of residents aged 15 years and above have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 29.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 28.9% of residents aged 15 years and above holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (12.7%) and certificates (16.2%).

Educational participation is high, with 32.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the latest census. This includes 11.9% in primary education, 9.2% in secondary education, and 5.2% pursuing tertiary education. As of 2021, there are 8 schools operating within Manly Vale - Allambie Heights, educating approximately 2,791 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1120. The educational mix includes 5 primary schools, 2 secondary schools, and 1 K-12 school.

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

The analysis indicates 109 active public transport stops within Manly Vale - Allambie Heights. These stops offer a variety of bus services, totaling 82 individual routes that facilitate 5,166 weekly passenger trips. The report rates transport accessibility as excellent, with residents on average located 131 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 738 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 47 weekly trips per stop.

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights shows excellent health outcomes with younger age groups having a low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 79% of its total population (14,280 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 6.4% and 6.1% of residents respectively. A total of 75.7% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.7%. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 15.6% (2,811 people) than Greater Sydney's 17.8%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors require more attention.

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights 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

Manly Vale-Allambie Heights, surveyed between 2016 and 2021, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas. 15.9% of its residents spoke languages other than English at home, and 32.1% were born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 49.3%.

Judaism, however, was more prevalent here compared to Greater Sydney, with 0.4% versus 0.3%. The top three ancestry groups were English (29.3%), Australian (23.4%), and Irish (9.1%). Notably, French (1.0%) Welsh (0.9%), and South African (1.1%) ethnicities had higher representations than regional averages of 1.1%, 0.7%, and 0.9% respectively.

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Manly Vale - Allambie Heights 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 notably over-represented in the area at 16.8%, compared to the Greater Sydney average, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 9.7%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 10.8% to 13.0% of the population. Conversely, the 5-14 cohort has declined from 16.2% to 15.0%, and the 35-44 age group has dropped from 14.7% to 13.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Manly Vale - Allambie Heights' age profile. The 65-74 age cohort is projected to expand by 376 people (28%), growing from 1,332 to 1,709. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 90% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. Meanwhile, the 25-34 and 45-54 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.