Pennant Hills - Cheltenham

An assessment of population growth drivers in Pennant Hills - Cheltenham reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Pennant Hills-Cheltenham's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 22,414. This figure represents an increase of 677 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 21,737. The growth can be attributed to an estimated resident population of 22,159 in June 2024 and the addition of 28 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,686 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 3.1% since the census is within 2.6 percentage points of the SA3 area (5.7%), indicating strong growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 84.5% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth in the area.

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 employs 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 the years 2032 to 2041. According to these projections, the area's population is expected to decline by 189 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are anticipated to grow, notably the 75 to 84 age group, which projects an increase of 799 people over this period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Pennant Hills - Cheltenham according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Pennant Hills - Cheltenham has averaged approximately 58 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 290 homes. As of FY-26, 20 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.5 new residents per year arrive for each new home approved between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction value of these properties is $554,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market with high-end developments.

This financial year has seen $23.9 million in commercial approvals, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Sydney, Pennant Hills - Cheltenham records significantly lower building activity, 63.0% below the regional average per person, which typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. This activity is also lower than the national average, reflecting market maturity and potential development constraints. New developments consist of 78.0% standalone homes and 22.0% medium to high-density housing, maintaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. With approximately 376 people per dwelling approval, Pennant Hills - Cheltenham demonstrates a developed market.

Given that population is expected to remain stable or decline, there should be reduced pressure on housing in Pennant Hills - Cheltenham, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Pennant Hills - Cheltenham has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 32 projects that could affect the region. Notable initiatives include Keynote Residences Beecroft, Federal Road Safety Program - Beecroft Road Safety Improvements, Beecroft Place (formerly Beecroft Module Shopping Centre), and Thornleigh Quarter. 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.

The exceptional employment performance in Pennant Hills - Cheltenham places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Pennant Hills - Cheltenham has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 2.0% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 10.4% over the past year.

In this period, 13,025 residents were employed, and the unemployment rate was 2.2% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation stood at 62.3%, close to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training sectors. The area specializes particularly in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 2.4% compared to the regional average of 5.3%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited based on Census working population versus resident population counts. From September 2024 to September 2025, employment levels increased by 10.4%, and labour force grew by 9.2%, leading to a 1.1 percentage point decrease in unemployment rate. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1% with a slight increase in unemployment (0.2 percentage points). State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, while the state's unemployment rate was at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate stood at 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that overall employment could expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Pennant Hills - Cheltenham's current employment mix indicates potential local growth of 7.4% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, although these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest data for financial year 2022 shows that Pennant Hills - Cheltenham SA2 has one of the highest incomes nationally, with a median assessed at $62,752 and an average income of $96,377. This compares to Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Pennant Hills - Cheltenham would be approximately $70,665 (median) and $108,530 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Pennant Hills - Cheltenham rank highly nationally, between the 82nd and 95th percentiles. The data shows that 33.4% of residents (7,486 people) fall into the $4000+ income bracket, unlike metropolitan trends where 30.9% earn between $1,500 - 2,999. Economic strength is evident with 47.0% of households earning high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 13.4% of income, and residents rank in the 95th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Pennant Hills - Cheltenham is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Pennant Hills - Cheltenham, as per the latest Census, 79.9% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 20.2% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Sydney metro's 60.5% houses and 39.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Pennant Hills - Cheltenham stood at 41.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.9% and rented ones at 19.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,817. The median weekly rent was $530, compared to Sydney metro's $500. Nationally, Pennant Hills - Cheltenham's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Pennant Hills - Cheltenham features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 81.8% of all households, including 46.8% couples with children, 25.8% couples without children, and 8.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 18.2%, with lone person households making up 16.7% and group households comprising 1.5%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.8.

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

In Pennant Hills - Cheltenham, the proportion of residents aged 15 years or above with university qualifications is significantly higher than national and state averages. As of 2021, 54.2% of residents in the area possess such qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% across New South Wales (NSW). This educational advantage is evident in various qualification types: Bachelor degrees are held by 32.7%, postgraduate qualifications by 17.7%, and graduate diplomas by 3.8%. Vocational pathways account for 21.0% of qualifications among those aged 15 years or above, with advanced diplomas at 10.6% and certificates at 10.4%.

Educational participation is notably high in the area, with 32.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the latest data available. This includes 10.9% in primary education, 9.2% in secondary education, and 7.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Pennant Hills - Cheltenham has 113 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 122 individual routes, facilitating 6,426 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents located an average of 207 meters from the nearest stop.

Services operate at an average frequency of 918 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 56 weekly trips per individual stop.

Pennant Hills - Cheltenham's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis shows Pennant Hills - Cheltenham had low prevalence of common health conditions across all ages. Private health cover was high at approximately 70% (15,644 people), compared to 62.5% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.3%. Arthritis and asthma were the most common conditions, affecting 6.7 and 6.3% respectively.

73.9% reported no medical ailments, compared to 78.1% in Greater Sydney. Residents aged 65 and over comprised 20.6% (4,621 people), higher than the 17.2% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors were strong, outperforming general population metrics.

Pennant Hills - Cheltenham is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Pennant Hills-Cheltenham has a high level of cultural diversity, with 38.1% of its population born overseas and 35.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Pennant Hills-Cheltenham, making up 50.6% of people. Hinduism stands out as overrepresented, comprising 5.5% compared to Greater Sydney's 7.9%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.6%), Australian (19.0%), and Chinese (15.2%), the latter being lower than the regional average of 24.9%. Notably, Korean is overrepresented at 2.3% compared to the regional average of 5.4%, Sri Lankan at 0.9% versus 0.7%, and Russian at 0.6% against 0.4%.

Pennant Hills - Cheltenham's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Pennant Hills - Cheltenham is 43 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that individuals aged 5-14 years make up 14.6% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years comprise 7.1%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of individuals aged 15-24 years has increased from 12.4% to 14.0%, while the proportion of those aged 25-34 years has decreased from 7.9% to 7.1%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate that the 75-84 age cohort will increase by 709 people (44%), from 1,627 to 2,337. The combined population of those aged 65 and above will account for all of Pennant Hills - Cheltenham's total population growth, reflecting its aging demographic profile. Conversely, the populations of individuals aged 45-54 years and 15-24 years are expected to decline.