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 per AreaSearch's analysis, stands at approximately 11,481 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 240 individuals, marking a 2.1% rise since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,241. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,215 in June 2024 and an additional 106 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,789 persons per square kilometer, placing Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights in the upper quartile relative to other locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 2.1% growth since the census is within 1.1 percentage points of the SA3 area (3.2%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth 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 employs 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 the years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, lower quartile growth is anticipated nationally, with Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights expected to grow by 444 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total gain of 1.6% over the 17 years.

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 annually. Between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, around 113 homes were approved, with an additional 3 approved so far in FY-26. The population has declined recently, suggesting that the new supply has likely kept pace with demand, providing good choices for buyers.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $394,000. This financial year, $2.0 million in 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 among the 12th percentile of areas assessed, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing dwellings. This activity is also 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 approximately 178 residents by the year 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. 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 moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 42ndth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 15 projects that may impact the area. Key projects include The Narrabeen Village, Narrabeen Lakeside Estate, Narrabeen Surf Life Saving Club Redevelopment, and Montecito Collaroy. 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.

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

Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate is 4.8%. As of September 2025, there are 5,818 residents employed, and the unemployment rate stands at 4.8%, which is 0.6% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights is lower at 63.6% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 43.8% of residents work from home. Leading employment industries include construction, professional & technical services, and health care & social assistance. Construction shows strong specialization with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level.

Conversely, finance & insurance has lower representation at 4.6%, compared to the regional average of 7.3%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the resident population versus working population count. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.6% while employment declined by 3.0%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 2.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with a smaller increase in unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in 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' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 13.9% over ten years.

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 high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $69,294 (median) and $103,726 (average). According to Census 2021 income data, Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights cluster around the 72nd percentile nationally for household, family, and personal incomes. Income analysis reveals that 28.1% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (3,226 residents), similar to the metropolitan region where 30.9% fall into this bracket. Notably, 31.7% earn above $3,000 per week, indicating 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

In Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights, as per the latest Census, 32.7% of dwellings were houses while 67.2% were other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments, compared to Sydney's metropolitan area where 55.9% were houses and 44.1% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights stood at 33.5%, with the rest either mortgaged (30.7%) or rented (35.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,817, higher than Sydney's average of $2,427. Weekly rent in the area averaged $580, compared to Sydney's $470. Nationally, Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights' mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,817 compared to Australia's average of $1,863, and 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 constitute the remaining 35.6%, with lone person households at 32.8% and group households comprising 2.7% of the total. 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

In Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights as of 2016, 33.1% of residents aged 15 years and above held university degrees, compared to the SA4 region's 41.5%. This indicates potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees were most common at 23.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational credentials were prominent, with 36.8% of residents aged 15 years and above holding them - advanced diplomas accounted for 14.0% and certificates for 22.8%.

A significant 24.2% of the population was actively pursuing formal education in 2016, including 7.6% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 4.2% in 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, all bus stops. These are served by 79 routes, offering 6,622 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is excellent, with residents located an average of 124 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily. Cars remain the dominant mode at 86%, while buses account for 7% of trips. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 43.8% of residents work from home, which may be due to COVID-19 conditions. Bus services operate an average of 946 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 94 weekly trips per 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

Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights residents have health outcomes largely aligned with national averages, according to AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and health conditions. The prevalence of common health issues is relatively low among the general population but higher in older, at-risk cohorts compared to national figures. Private health cover is exceptionally high in the area, at approximately 69% (7,887 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 59.9% and Australia's average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (8.6%) and mental health issues (7.8%), with 67.5% of residents reporting no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.6%. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. As of the latest available data (2021), 26.7% of residents are aged 65 and over (3,066 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.3%. While seniors face some health challenges, their outcomes rank lower nationally compared to 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 has a cultural diversity above average, with 10.8% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 25.2% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Narrabeen-Wheeler Heights, comprising 55.3%. However, Judaism is overrepresented at 0.4%, compared to 0.8% in Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestry groups are English (31.4%), Australian (24.3%), and Irish (9.3%). Notably, French (0.9%) Dutch (1.7%) and Welsh (0.7%) ethnicities are overrepresented 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 is notably higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and also exceeds the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, the cohort aged 75-84 is over-represented at 10.1% locally, while those aged 25-34 are under-represented at 11.1%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population of individuals aged 55 to 64 has grown from 11.4% to 12.5%, while the percentage of those aged 45 to 54 has declined from 13.1% to 12.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Narrabeen - Wheeler Heights, with the 85+ age cohort projected to grow by 564 people (77%), from 734 to 1,299. The aging population trend is clear, with those aged 65 and above comprising 96% of projected growth. Conversely, the cohorts aged 25-34 and 15-24 are expected to experience population declines.