Neutral Bay - Kirribilli

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

Neutral Bay - Kirribilli's population is around 18,351 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,168 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,183 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 18,158 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 200 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 8,303 persons per square kilometer, making land in the area highly sought after. Neutral Bay - Kirribilli's growth rate of 6.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (5.6%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 87.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Examining future trends, lower quartile growth is anticipated nationally, with Neutral Bay - Kirribilli expected to expand by 389 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 1.1% in total over the 17 years.

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

Neutral Bay-Kirribilli has averaged approximately 27 new dwelling approvals annually over recent years. Between Financial Year 21 (FY-21) and FY-25135 homes were approved, with an additional 29 approved so far in FY-26. The average expected construction cost value for these dwellings is around $1,166,000, indicating a focus on the premium market.

In terms of commercial development, $70.9 million in approvals have been recorded this financial year. Compared to Greater Sydney and nationally, Neutral Bay-Kirribilli shows relatively lower construction activity per person, placing it around the 27th percentile among assessed areas. This results in somewhat constrained buyer choice, with interest in existing homes being supported. Recent construction comprises 8.0% detached houses and 92.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a focus on higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. The area has approximately 1308 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market.

According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Neutral Bay-Kirribilli is expected to grow by 196 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Neutral Bay - Kirribilli has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 49 projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable among these are Neutral Bay Town Centre Plaza, Woolworths Neutral Bay Mixed-Use Development, XO Projects Mixed Use Development, and Wirra Neutral Bay. The following list provides details on those projects considered 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.

Employment conditions in Neutral Bay - Kirribilli remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Neutral Bay-Kirribilli has an educated workforce with a significant technology sector presence and an unemployment rate of 5.3% as of September 2025. The area's employment rate is 1.1% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, with a workforce participation rate of 73.7%. According to Census data, 66.1% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns.

Dominant employment sectors include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.9 times the regional average, but has lower construction representation at 4.9% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over a 12-month period ending September 2025, Neutral Bay-Kirribilli's labour force increased by 0.5%, while employment decreased by 0.5%, raising unemployment by 1.0 percentage points.

In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Neutral Bay-Kirribilli's employment mix suggests local employment should grow by 7.6% over five years and 15.0% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation 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 ending June 2023 shows Neutral Bay - Kirribilli SA2 has exceptionally high incomes nationally. The median income is $83,039 and the average is $133,576. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% from July 2023 to September 2025, current estimates are approximately $90,396 (median) and $145,411 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Neutral Bay - Kirribilli rank highly nationally, between the 86th and 98th percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 30.1% of locals (5,523 people) earn over $4,000 weekly, unlike trends in the region where 30.9% fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 range. A significant 41.3% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 18.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 82nd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Neutral Bay - Kirribilli features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Neutral Bay-Kirribilli's dwelling structure in 2016 comprised 8.7% houses and 91.3% other dwellings, compared to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Neutral Bay-Kirribilli was 25.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 18.5% and rented ones at 56.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,990, above Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Neutral Bay-Kirribilli was $541, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Neutral Bay-Kirribilli's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,990 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Neutral Bay - Kirribilli features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 50.8% of all households, including 15.3% couples with children, 28.5% couples without children, and 5.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 49.2%, with lone person households at 43.7% and group households comprising 5.6%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Neutral Bay - Kirribilli demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Neutral Bay-Kirribilli's residents aged 15+ have a higher university qualification rate of 62.5%, surpassing Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 39.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.2%). Vocational pathways account for 19.5%, with advanced diplomas at 11.2% and certificates at 8.3%. A significant 23.9% of the population is actively pursuing education, including 8.1% in tertiary, 5.8% in primary, and 4.2% in secondary education.

A substantial 23.9% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 8.1% in tertiary education, 5.8% in primary education, and 4.2% pursuing secondary education.

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

Neutral Bay-Kirribilli has 84 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry and bus services. These stops are served by 84 individual routes, collectively facilitating 14,315 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 124 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily. Car remains the dominant mode at 56%, while walking and train account for 12% each. Vehicle ownership averages 0.5 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 66.1% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 2,045 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 170 weekly trips per stop.

Neutral Bay - Kirribilli's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Neutral Bay - Kirribilli shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 82% of the total population (14,956 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 7.0 and 6.5% of residents respectively. 73.8% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 22.1% of residents aged 65 and over (4,048 people), higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

Neutral Bay - Kirribilli 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

Neutral Bay-Kirribilli, surveyed in 2016, had a higher linguistic diversity than most local areas, with 21.0% speaking languages other than English at home and 39.6% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 44.7%. Judaism, at 1.1%, was slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney's 0.8%.

In terms of ancestry, English (26.1%) and Australian (17.1%) were the top groups, both higher than regional averages of 19.0% and 14.0% respectively. Other ancestry made up 11.8%. Notable overrepresentations included French at 1.2%, Russian at 0.7%, and Spanish at 0.8%.

Neutral Bay - Kirribilli's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Neutral Bay - Kirribilli has a median age of 40, which is higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38 years. The 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented at 21.1%, compared to the Greater Sydney average, while the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 5.9%. This concentration of the 25-34 age group is well above the national figure of 14.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 8.1% to 10.0%, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 6.8% to 8.0%. Conversely, the 35 to 44 cohort has declined from 16.6% to 15.3%, and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 11.9% to 10.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Neutral Bay - Kirribilli's age profile will evolve significantly. The 85+ age cohort is projected to grow significantly, expanding by 588 people (87%) from 678 to 1,267. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 86% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 15 to 24 and 5 to 14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.