North Sydney - Lavender Bay

North Sydney - Lavender Bay lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

North Sydney - Lavender Bay's population was approximately 14,312 as of November 2025. This figure represents a growth of 1,871 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,441. The increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,541 in June 2024 and an additional 535 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 7,493 persons per square kilometer, placing North Sydney - Lavender Bay among the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 15.0% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (5.4%) and the SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 83.6% of overall population gains 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 are used, 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. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, North Sydney - Lavender Bay is projected to grow by 3,238 persons by 2041, reflecting an increase of 17.2% over the 17-year period.

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

North Sydney - Lavender Bay has granted approximately 8 residential property approvals per year on average over the past five financial years, totalling 44 homes. As of FY-26, 71 approvals have been recorded. On average, around 23.2 people moved to the area each year for every dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating high demand outpacing supply. New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $1,197,000, targeting the premium market segment.

This financial year has seen $837.7 million in commercial approvals, reflecting significant local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, North Sydney - Lavender Bay records considerably lower building activity, 67.0% below the regional average per person, which typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. This is also below national averages, suggesting maturity and potential planning constraints. New building activity primarily focuses on higher-density living, with 11.0% standalone homes and 89.0% townhouses or apartments. North Sydney - Lavender Bay has an established population of around 7614 people per approval. By 2041, the area is forecasted to gain approximately 2,467 residents.

At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

North Sydney - Lavender Bay has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 40 projects likely impacting the region. Key projects include Affinity Place, East Walker Residences, MLC Building North Sydney - Adaptive Reuse (105-153 Miller Street), and Victoria Cross Station and Tower. 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.

Employment performance in North Sydney - Lavender Bay has been broadly consistent with national averages

North Sydney - Lavender Bay has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. As of September 2025, its unemployment rate is 3.9%.

In that month, 9,063 residents were employed at an unemployment rate of 0.3% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation was 70.4% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The key industries of employment among residents are professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Professional & technical services have notably high representation, with employment levels at 2.1 times the regional average. Conversely, retail trade shows lower representation at 5.3% versus the regional average of 9.3%.

The area functions as an employment hub, hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas, with a ratio of 4.5 workers for every resident as at the Census. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.5% while employment declined by 0.5%, resulting in an unemployment rate rise of 1.0 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1%, labour force growth of 2.4%, with unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points. Providing broader context, state-level data to 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insight into potential future demand within North Sydney - Lavender Bay. These projections suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates differing significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to North Sydney - Lavender Bay's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.7% over five years and 15.1% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

The North Sydney - Lavender Bay SA2 had exceptionally high national income levels according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Its median income among taxpayers was $80,705 and average income stood at $144,339, compared to Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $90,882 (median) and $162,540 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in North Sydney - Lavender Bay ranked highly nationally, between the 93rd and 99th percentiles. Distribution data showed that the $4000+ bracket dominated with 34.8% of residents (4,980 people), contrasting with regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket led at 30.9%. North Sydney - Lavender Bay demonstrated considerable affluence with 47.3% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consumed 17.3% of income, though strong earnings still placed disposable income at the 92nd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 10th decile.

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

North Sydney - Lavender Bay's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 5.6% houses and 94.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 17.9% houses and 82.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in North Sydney - Lavender Bay stood at 23.3%, with the remainder being mortgaged (16.4%) or rented (60.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,850, lower than Sydney metro's $3,085. Median weekly rent was $600 compared to Sydney metro's $582. Nationally, North Sydney - Lavender Bay's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 55.3% of all households, including 14.7% couples with children, 33.7% couples without children, and 5.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 44.7%, with lone person households at 40.3% and group households comprising 4.3%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.1.

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

North Sydney - Lavender Bay has a notable educational advantage with 68.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, exceeding the Australian average of 30.4% and the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 40.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (23.5%) and graduate diplomas (4.1%). Vocational pathways account for 16.6% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.3% and certificates at 7.3%. A significant 24.3% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 8.7% in tertiary education, 4.7% in primary education, and 4.5% in secondary education.

A substantial 24.3% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 8.7% in tertiary education, 4.7% in primary education, and 4.5% pursuing secondary education.

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

North Sydney - Lavender Bay has 74 active public transport stops, offering a mix of ferry, train, light rail, and bus services. These stops are served by 97 individual routes, providing a total of 16,618 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 107 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 2,374 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 224 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

North Sydney - Lavender Bay shows excellent health outcomes, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all ages. Approximately 84% of its total population (12,079 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 86.4%. Nationally, this figure stands at 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.0 and 5.9% of residents respectively. 78.0% of residents declare no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 75.2%. The area has 17.2% of residents aged 65 and over (2,457 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 20.1%. Seniors' health outcomes align with the general population's profile.

North Sydney - Lavender Bay 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 Sydney-Lavender Bay's cultural diversity is high, with 32.6% speaking a language other than English at home and 49.0% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 40.9%. Judaism is overrepresented at 0.6%, compared to Greater Sydney's 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (22.5%), Australian (13.9%), and Other (13.5%). Notably, French (1.1%) and Spanish (0.9%) are also overrepresented.

North Sydney - Lavender Bay's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in North Sydney - Lavender Bay was close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 years at 38 years as of a certain date. This figure is also equivalent to Australia's median age. Compared to Greater Sydney, North Sydney - Lavender Bay had a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (23.0%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.6%). The percentage of residents aged 25-34 was well above the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and a certain later date, the population aged 75 to 84 grew from 5.6% to 6.8%, while the 25 to 34 cohort declined from 24.3% to 23.0%. By 2041, North Sydney - Lavender Bay is expected to experience significant shifts in its age composition. The 75 to 84 group is projected to grow by 77%, reaching 1,735 people from 977. Those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 72% of the population growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for residents aged 0-4 and 35-44 years old.