North Rocks
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in North Rocks reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

North Rocks' population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, is approximately 8,698 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 247 people, a 2.9% rise from the 2021 Census which reported a population of 8,451. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,692 in June 2024 and an additional 28 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,616 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth, contributing approximately 91.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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 uses 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 years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, lower quartile growth is anticipated across statistical areas nationally. North Rocks is expected to grow by 199 persons by 2041 based on the latest population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 2.2% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in North Rocks according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

North Rocks has seen approximately 25 new homes approved annually. Development approval data, produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, totals 127 approvals across the past five financial years, from FY-20 to FY-25, with three approvals recorded so far in FY-26. On average, 3.2 new residents arrive per dwelling constructed annually over these five years. This supply lagging demand indicates heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures.

Developers focus on the premium market, with an average construction value of $763,000 for new homes. In FY-26, commercial development approvals amount to $28.0 million, suggesting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, North Rocks shows reduced construction activity (71.0% below the regional average per person), which typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. This is also under the national average, indicating the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. New development consists of 73.0% standalone homes and 27.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining North Rocks' traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes.

With around 643 people per dwelling approval, North Rocks reflects a highly mature market. Future projections show North Rocks adding 193 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.

North Rocks has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 13 projects likely affecting the region. Notable ones are the 361-365 North Rocks Road Development, Wade Street Towers Refurbishment, Pennant Hills Road and North Rocks Road Intersection Upgrade, and Stream Northmead. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in North Rocks rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

North Rocks has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 1.6% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 2.7%.

As of June 2025, there are 5,162 employed residents, with an unemployment rate of 2.6%, below Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Sydney's at 60.0%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training, with notable concentration in the latter at 1.3 times the regional average. Transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence, at 3.5% compared to 5.3% regionally.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.7%, labour force grew by 3.1%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In Greater Sydney, employment rose by 2.6% with a 0.3 percentage point increase in unemployment. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National unemployment is 4.5%, with national employment growth at 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's May 2025 forecasts suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to North Rocks' employment mix indicates local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

North Rocks had a median taxpayer income of $56,601 and an average income of $71,551 according to AreaSearch data from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for the financial year 2022. This is notably higher than national averages. Greater Sydney's median income was $56,994 with an average income of $80,856 in the same period. Projecting forward using a 10.6% increase from the Wage Price Index, estimated incomes for March 2025 would be approximately $62,601 (median) and $79,135 (average). Census data from 2021 shows household incomes rank at the 88th percentile with weekly earnings of $2,399. The income bracket of $1,500 to $2,999 is dominant, with 30.3% of residents (2,635 people) falling into this range. High-income households, earning over $3,000 weekly, account for 39.4%. This supports strong consumer spending in the area despite high housing costs consuming 16.1% of income. Disposable income ranks at the 86th percentile, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in North Rocks, as per the latest Census, consisted of 86.0% houses and 14.0% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 36.4% houses and 63.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in North Rocks stood at 39.9%, with mortgaged properties at 42.2% and rented dwellings at 18.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,945, exceeding Sydney metro's average of $2,167. The median weekly rent figure for North Rocks was $550, compared to Sydney metro's $420. Nationally, North Rocks' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 84.6% of all households, including 48.7% couples with children, 25.8% couples without children, and 9.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for 15.4%, with lone person households at 13.9% and group households making up 1.5%. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in North Rocks places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

North Rocks has a notably higher educational attainment than national and state averages. Among residents aged 15+, 43.9% have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 28.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent with 27.3%, including advanced diplomas (11.9%) and certificates (15.4%).

Educational participation is high, with 30.7% currently enrolled in formal education: 11.1% in primary, 8.5% in secondary, and 5.6% in tertiary education. North Rocks' three schools have a combined enrollment of 2,078 students. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages with an ICSEA score of 1107. Education provision is balanced with two primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs, with 23.9 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 18.0, indicating North Rocks serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

North Rocks has 74 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 44 different routes that together facilitate 3,837 weekly passenger trips. The transport accessibility in North Rocks is rated as excellent, with residents on average located just 148 meters from the nearest transport stop.

On a daily basis, there are an average of 548 trips across all routes, which translates to approximately 51 weekly trips per individual stop.

North Rocks's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout North Rocks.

Both young and old age cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 55% of the total population (~4,809 people). The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 7.1 and 6.3% of residents respectively. 74.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 79.0% across Greater Sydney. The area has 19.2% of residents aged 65 and over (1,668 people), which is higher than the 12.5% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

North Rocks is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

North Rocks' cultural diversity is notable, with 40.8% of its population born overseas and 42.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the dominant religion in North Rocks, comprising 53.2% of its people. Buddhism's representation stands out at 3.8%, higher than Greater Sydney's average of 2.9%.

In terms of ancestry, Chinese heritage is prevalent at 18.2%, substantially higher than the regional average of 8.7%. English (17.6%) and Australian (17.5%) heritages are also significantly more common in North Rocks compared to their respective regional averages of 12.2% and 11.8%. Other ethnic groups with notable divergences include Korean at 4.3%, Lebanese at 2.7%, and Sri Lankan at 0.7%.

North Rocks's median age exceeds the national pattern

North Rocks's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and somewhat older than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney's average, North Rocks has a notably higher proportion of the 5-14 cohort at 15.3%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 8.4%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 increased from 11.2% to 12.9%, while the 55-64 cohort decreased from 12.1% to 11.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in North Rocks's age profile. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 137%, adding 211 residents to reach 365. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to represent 65% of the population growth, while declines are projected for the 25-34 and 45-54 cohorts.