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 is 8,704 as of November 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 253 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,451. The change was inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 8,692 in June 2024 and an additional 30 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,617 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration drove recent population growth, contributing approximately 91.1% of overall gains.

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 utilises 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 nationally, with North Rocks expected to grow by 199 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 2.1% over the 17-year period.

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 18 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 93 homes. As of FY26, 8 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.2 new residents arrive per year for each dwelling constructed between FY21 and FY25. Commercial development approvals amounting to $28.0 million have been recorded in the current financial year.

North Rocks records significantly lower building activity compared to Greater Sydney (70.0% below regional average per person) and nationally, indicating maturity and possible planning constraints. New developments consist of 73.0% standalone homes and 27.0% townhouses or apartments. With around 643 people per dwelling approval, North Rocks reflects a highly mature market. Future projections estimate an addition of 187 residents by 2041, suggesting that current housing supply should meet demand adequately, favourable for buyers with potential growth exceeding forecasts.

Future projections show North Rocks adding 187 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 15 projects likely to affect the area. Notable projects include North Rocks Estate at 19-23 North Rocks Road, developments at 361-365 North Rocks Road, Wade Street Towers Refurbishment, and North Rocks Shopping Centre Redevelopment. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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

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

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

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.7%, labour force grew by 3.1%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.3 percentage point increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to North Rocks' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, based on 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

North Rocks had a median taxpayer income of $56,601 and an average of $71,551 according to AreaSearch's postcode level ATO data for the financial year 2022. These figures are high nationally compared to Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. Based on a 12.61% growth in wages since FY 2022, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $63,738 (median) and $80,574 (average). According to the Census 2021 income data, household incomes rank at the 88th percentile with weekly earnings of $2,399. The dominant earnings bracket is $1,500 - 2,999, with 30.3% of residents earning within this range. High weekly earnings exceed $3,000 for 39.4% of households, indicating strong consumer spending 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

North Rocks' dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 86.0% houses and 14.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). In comparison, Sydney metro had 36.4% houses and 63.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in North Rocks stood at 39.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 42.2% and rented at 18.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,945, above Sydney metro's average of $2,167. The median weekly rent was $550, compared to Sydney metro's $420. Nationally, North Rocks' mortgage repayments were higher at $2,945 vs Australia's 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 account for 84.6% of all households, including 48.7% that are couples with children, 25.8% that are couples without children, and 9.5% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 15.4%, with lone person households at 13.9% and group households comprising 1.5% of the total. The median household size is 3.0 people, which is 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

Educational attainment in North Rocks is notably high, with 43.9% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% statewide (NSW). The area's Bachelor degree holders comprise 28.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 12.7% and graduate diplomas at 3.1%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 27.3% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.9%) and certificates (15.4%). Educational participation is high, with 30.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 11.1% in primary, 8.5% in secondary, and 5.6% pursuing tertiary education.

North Rocks has three schools with a combined enrollment of 2,078 students as of the latest data. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, 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 that 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 accessibility of these services is rated excellent, with residents typically located just 148 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 548 trips per day across all routes, which equates 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 indicates robust performance across North Rocks, with both younger and older age groups exhibiting low prevalence rates for common health conditions.

Approximately 4813 people, or roughly 55% of the total population, have private health cover. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, affecting 7.1 and 6.3% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 74.1%, report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 79.0% across Greater Sydney. As of 2021, 19.2% of North Rocks' residents are aged 65 and over (constituting 1669 people), which is higher than the 12.5% figure for Greater Sydney. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in North Rocks align closely with those of the general population.

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 has a high level of cultural diversity, with 40.8% of its population born overseas and 42.4% speaking a language other than English at home. The predominant religion in North Rocks is Christianity, comprising 53.2% of the population. However, Buddhism is notably overrepresented, making up 3.8% compared to Greater Sydney's average of 2.9%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Chinese (18.2%, regional average: 8.7%), English (17.6%, regional average: 12.2%), and Australian (17.5%, regional average: 11.8%). Other ethnic groups with notable differences include Korean (4.3% vs regional 1.5%), Lebanese (2.7% vs 3.5%), and Sri Lankan (0.7% vs 0.9%).

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 slightly above Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, North Rocks has an over-representation of the 5-14 age cohort at 15.3% and an under-representation of the 25-34 age group at 8.4%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 years increased from 11.2% to 12.9%, while the 55-64 age group decreased from 12.1% to 11.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in North Rocks's age profile. The 85+ cohort is expected to grow by 137%, adding 210 residents to reach 365. Residents aged 65 and older are projected to represent 65% of the population growth. Conversely, population declines are anticipated for the 25-34 and 0-4 age groups.