Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights

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

Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights' population, as of May 2026, is approximately 11,297. This figure represents an increase of 56 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 11,241. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,297 in June 2025 and an additional 97 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 3,728 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in 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, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021, are utilized. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Anticipating demographic trends, lower quartile growth is expected nationally, with Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights projected to grow by 355 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers. This reflects a total gain of 3.1% over the 16-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights has seen approximately 22 new homes approved each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25113 homes were approved and a further 5 have been approved in FY-26. The population has declined recently, suggesting that new supply has likely kept pace with demand, providing good options for buyers.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $394,000. This year, $2.0 million worth of commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person. Nationally, it ranks in the 12th percentile of areas assessed, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing dwellings. This activity is lower than the national average, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints.

New building activity shows 46.0% detached houses and 54.0% medium and high-density housing. This skew towards compact living offers affordable entry pathways, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With around 1307 people per dwelling approval, Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights reflects a highly mature market. Population forecasts indicate that Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights will gain 355 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 39thth percentile nationally

Area infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified 15 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include The Narrabeen Village, Narrabeen Lakeside Estate, Narrabeen Surf Life Saving Club Redevelopment, and Montecito Collaroy. Below is a list detailing 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.

Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation and an unemployment rate of 4.7% as of December 2025. There are 5,840 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.6% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation is lower at 63.2%, compared to Greater Sydney's 68.8%.

Census responses show that 43.8% of residents work from home. Leading employment industries are construction, professional & technical services, and health care & social assistance. Construction shows particularly strong specialization with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level, while finance & insurance has lower representation at 4.6%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population.

Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.3% and employment declined by 2.2%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 1.8 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.2%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia for May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $63,654 and an average of $95,284. Nationally, these figures are extremely high, with Greater Sydney having a median of $60,817 and an average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, current estimates for March 2026 would be approximately $70,223 (median) and $105,117 (average). Census 2021 income data reveals that incomes in Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights cluster around the 72nd percentile nationally. Income analysis indicates that the largest segment comprises 28.1% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (3,174 residents), similar to the metropolitan region where 30.9% fall into this bracket. Notably, 31.7% earn above $3,000/week, suggesting strong economic capacity in the suburb. High housing costs consume 20.4% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 59th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights, as per the latest Census, consisted of 32.7% houses and 67.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. The home ownership level in Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights was higher than Sydney metro at 33.5%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (30.7%) or rented (35.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,817, which is above the Sydney metro average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $580, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 64.4% of all households, including 27.1% couples with children, 27.4% couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 35.6%, with lone person households at 32.8% and group households making up 2.7%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights has educational qualifications that trail regional benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 33.1% hold university degrees compared to the SA4 region's 41.5%. The gap suggests potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are most common at 23.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%).

Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 36.8% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (14.0%) and certificates (22.8%). A substantial 24.2% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 7.6% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 4.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights has 70 active public transport stops serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are covered by 79 individual routes, facilitating 6,622 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 124 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential zone, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 86%, while buses account for 7%. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 43.8% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 946 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 94 weekly trips per individual stop.

Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Health data for Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights indicates positive outcomes overall. Mortality rates and health conditions are generally aligned with national benchmarks, with low prevalence of common health issues among the general population. However, prevalence is higher in older, at-risk cohorts compared to national averages.

Private health cover is exceptionally high in the area, with approximately 69% of the total population (7,761 people) having it, compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 8.6 and 7.8% of residents respectively. 67.5% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 26.3% of residents aged 65 and over (2,972 people), higher than the 15.5% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but rank lower nationally than the broader population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights had a cultural diversity above average, with 10.8% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 25.2% born overseas. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 55.3%. Judaism showed an overrepresentation, being 0.4% compared to Greater Sydney's 0.8%.

In terms of ancestry, English (31.4%) and Australian (24.3%) were significantly higher than regional averages of 19.0% and 17.8%, respectively. Irish ancestry was also notable at 9.3%. French (0.9%), Dutch (1.7%), and Welsh (0.7%) showed notable divergences compared to regional averages of 0.5%, 0.7%, and 0.4%, respectively.

Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights is 46 years, which exceeds Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and is also higher than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 75-84 age cohort is over-represented locally at 9.9%, compared to the Greater Sydney average, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 11.7%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population of those aged 55 to 64 has increased from 11.4% to 12.7%, whereas the proportion of those aged 85 and above has decreased from 7.3% to 6.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate that Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights' 85+ age cohort will grow significantly by 520 people (75%), reaching a total of 1,218 individuals. This growth is part of an overall aging population trend, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 92% of the projected growth. Conversely, the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.