North Sydney - Lavender Bay
Statistical Area - sa2

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 12,441 as of August 2021. By June 2024, it had increased to 13,541. This change included 531 new addresses validated since the Census date. The population density reached 7,489 persons per square kilometer, placing the area in the top 10% nationally. Between August 2021 and June 2024, the population grew by 15.0%, surpassing both the SA4 region (5.4%) and SA3 area growth rates. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 83.6% of this growth.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for areas not covered by the former data. Growth rates by age group were applied to all areas from 2032 to 2041. By 2041, North Sydney - Lavender Bay's population is projected to increase by 3,238 persons, representing a total growth of 17.3% 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 recorded approximately 8 residential properties granted approval per year. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, totalling 44 approvals across the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25, and 0 so far in FY-26. On average, 23.2 people have moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five years. This indicates that demand significantly outpaces supply, which typically puts upward pressure on prices and increases competition among buyers.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $1,676,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. Commercial approvals registered this financial year amount to $837.7 million, indicating robust local business investment. However, when measured against Greater Sydney, North Sydney-Lavender Bay records markedly lower building activity, at 67.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. The area also shows a focus on higher-density living, with 11.0% standalone homes and 89.0% townhouses or apartments, creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. With around 7614 people per approval, North Sydney-Lavender Bay indicates a mature, established area.

Population forecasts suggest the area will gain approximately 2,475 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

North Sydney - Lavender Bay has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 37 projects that could impact the area. Notable projects include Victoria Cross Station and Tower, East Walker Residences, Sydney Metro City & Southwest, Western Harbour Tunnel, and Warringah Freeway Upgrade. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.8%, North Sydney - Lavender Bay has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

North Sydney - Lavender Bay has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 3.8%, which is 0.4% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

The workforce participation rate is 70.4%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries for employment among residents are professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance, with a notable concentration in professional & technical jobs at 2.1 times the regional average. Retail trade has lower representation at 5.3% versus the regional average of 9.3%. There are 4.5 workers for every resident, indicating that the area functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas.

Over the 12 months to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.3% alongside a 1.2% employment decline, resulting in an unemployment rate rise of 0.9 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6%, labour force growth of 2.9%, with unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. By Sep-25, NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, but lags behind the national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to North Sydney - Lavender Bay's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.7% over five years and 15.1% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

North Sydney - Lavender Bay has an exceptionally high income level nationally, according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers is $80,705, and the average income stands at $144,339. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $89,260 (median) and $159,639 (average) as of March 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in North Sydney - Lavender Bay rank highly nationally, between the 94th and 99th percentiles. Distribution data shows that the $4000+ bracket dominates with 34.8% of residents (4,977 people), contrasting with regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. North Sydney - Lavender Bay demonstrates considerable affluence with 47.3% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 17.3% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 93rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places 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 was at 23.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 16.4% and rented ones at 60.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,850, below the Sydney metro average of $3,085. The median weekly rent figure was $600, compared to Sydney metro's $582. Nationally, North Sydney - Lavender Bay's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while 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 account for 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 make up 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, 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

Educational attainment in North Sydney - Lavender Bay significantly surpasses broader benchmarks. 68.3% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees lead at 40.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (23.5%) and graduate diplomas (4.1%). Vocational pathways account for 16.6%.

Advanced diplomas make up 9.3% while certificates are 7.3%. A substantial 24.3% of the population actively pursues formal education, including 8.7% in tertiary, 4.7% in primary, and 4.5% in secondary education. As of 2021, 11 schools serve 8,324 students. North Sydney - Lavender Bay demonstrates exceptional educational performance with an ICSEA score of 1169, placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. The educational mix includes 5 primary, 4 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. As an education hub, it offers 58.2 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 19.2, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: for schools showing 'n/a' in enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

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. These include ferry, train, light rail, and bus services. There are 97 individual routes serving these stops, providing a total of 16,618 weekly passenger trips.

Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 107 meters to the nearest stop. Service frequency is high, with an average of 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 age groups. The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 84% (12,072 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 86.4%. Nationally, this figure is 55.3%.

Asthma and mental health issues are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 6.0 and 5.9% of residents respectively. 78.0% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 75.2%. The area has 17.2% (2,455 people) of residents aged 65 and over, which is lower than Greater Sydney's 20.1%. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly aligning with the general population's health 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 has high cultural diversity, 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%.

Top ancestry groups are English (22.5%), Australian (13.9%), and Other (13.5%). French (1.1%) Spanish (0.9%), and Russian (0.7%) are notably represented, differing from regional percentages.

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

The median age in North Sydney - Lavender Bay was 38 years as of the last census, similar to Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, North Sydney - Lavender Bay has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (23.0%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.6%). The percentage of residents aged 25-34 is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the censuses held in 2021 and 2026, the population aged 75 to 84 increased from 5.6% to 6.8%, while the percentage of residents aged 25 to 34 decreased from 24.3% to 23.0%. By 2041, North Sydney - Lavender Bay is projected to experience significant changes in its age composition. The number of residents aged 75 to 84 is expected to grow by 78%, reaching 1,735 from 976. This growth will be driven primarily by the aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising 72% of the projected growth. Conversely, population declines are anticipated for residents aged 0-4 and 35-44.