Potts Point - Woolloomooloo

An assessment of population growth drivers in Potts Point - Woolloomooloo reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Potts Point - Woolloomooloo's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 19,592. This figure shows an increase of 1,405 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 18,187. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates: the resident population was 19,653 in June 2024, with an additional 40 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 13,419 persons per square kilometer, placing it within the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 7.7% since the 2021 census exceeds the state average of 6.7%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth 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, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021, are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Potts Point - Woolloomooloo's population is forecasted to increase by 7,404 persons, reflecting a total increase of 38.1% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Potts Point - Woolloomooloo is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Potts Point - Woolloomooloo has seen approximately 22 dwellings approved for development each year over the past five financial years, totalling 113 homes. In the current financial year FY-26, 16 approvals have been recorded to date. The area has experienced population decline, yet housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice. Developers focus on the premium segment, with new homes valued at an average of $964,000.

This financial year has seen $16.5 million in commercial approvals, indicating steady investment activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Potts Point - Woolloomooloo has significantly less development activity, being 79.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. The area's development activity is also below national average, reflecting its maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent building activity consists solely of townhouses or apartments, denser developments that appeal to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. With around 2346 people per dwelling approval, Potts Point - Woolloomooloo exhibits a highly mature market.

Future projections estimate an addition of 7,465 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Potts Point - Woolloomooloo has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 68 projects potentially affecting the region. Notable projects include Minerva Theatre Restoration, The Potts Point Hotel Redevelopment (Queensgate), Holiday Inn Potts Point Redevelopment, and 45-53 Macleay Street Mixed-Use Development (The Chimes). The following list details those most likely to be 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.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Potts Point - Woolloomooloo recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Potts Point - Woolloomooloo has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. As of September 2025, its unemployment rate is 5.5%.

In this month, 13,013 residents are employed while the area's unemployment rate is 1.3% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation stands at 68.1%, exceeding Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading employment industries include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Professional & technical shows a particularly high concentration with employment levels at 1.9 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction has lower representation at 3.5% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. The area's ratio of workers to residents is 0.8, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, labour force decreased by 1.2%, while employment declined by 1.9%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney where employment rose by 2.1% over the same period. As of 25-November-25, NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%, comparing favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that over five years, national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% and over ten years by 13.7%. Applying these projections to Potts Point - Woolloomooloo's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.6% over ten years.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022, Potts Point - Woolloomooloo SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $74,025 and an average income of $137,247. These figures are exceptionally high nationally, with Greater Sydney's median at $56,994 and average at $80,856. By September 2025, estimates suggest the median would be approximately $83,360 and the average around $154,554, based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022. The 2021 Census showed individual earnings at the 97th percentile nationally ($1,534 weekly) but household income at the 67th percentile. Income distribution shows that 30.4% of locals (5,955 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to the broader area's pattern. Economic strength is evident with 33.2% of households earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting high consumer spending. High housing costs consume 20.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 61st percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Potts Point - Woolloomooloo features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Potts Point - Woolloomooloo's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 0.3% houses and 99.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Potts Point - Woolloomooloo was at 18.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 16.1% and rented ones at 65.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, below Sydney metro's average of $2,705. Median weekly rent in the area was $490, compared to Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, Potts Point - Woolloomooloo's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Potts Point - Woolloomooloo features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 33.5% of all households, including 4.8% couples with children, 25.1% couples without children, and 3.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 66.5%, with lone person households making up 60.6% and group households comprising 5.9%. The median household size is 1.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 1.9.

The educational profile of Potts Point - Woolloomooloo exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Potts Point - Woolloomooloo is notably higher than national and state averages. As of 2016, 61.9% of residents aged 15 years and over held university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in New South Wales (NSW). The area's educational advantage is reflected in its higher education statistics: Bachelor degrees are the most common at 39.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 18.5%, and graduate diplomas at 4.0%. Vocational pathways account for 21.0% of qualifications among those aged 15 years and over, with advanced diplomas making up 11.0% and certificates 10.0%.

A significant 22.0% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 9.7% in tertiary education, 2.6% in primary education, and 1.9% pursuing secondary education.

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

Potts Point - Woolloomooloo has 36 active public transport stops. These include a mix of train and bus services. There are 23 individual routes operating in the area.

Together, these routes provide 8,264 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 101 meters. On average, there are 1,180 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 229 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Potts Point - Woolloomooloo is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Potts Point - Woolloomooloo shows superior health outcomes for both young and elderly residents, with low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 83% of its total population (16,300 people) has private health cover, higher than Greater Sydney's 69.7%, and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues affect 10.1% of residents, while asthma impacts 6.9%.

A total of 71.4% report being free from medical ailments, compared to 77.4% in Greater Sydney. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 17.1% (3,352 people), than Greater Sydney's 9.7%. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

Potts Point - Woolloomooloo was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Potts Point-Woolloomooloo, as recorded in the 2016 Census, had a cultural diversity higher than most local areas. It reported that 20.1% of its residents spoke languages other than English at home and 40.9% were born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 34.4%.

However, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 2.1% versus 1.1%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (25.2%), Australian (14.6%), and Other (13.1%). Notably, French (1.8%) and Spanish (1.1%) were overrepresented compared to regional averages of 1.1% and 1.0%, respectively.

Potts Point - Woolloomooloo's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Potts Point-Woolloomooloo is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and close to the national average of 38. The 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented at 28.1%, compared to Greater Sydney's 26% and Australia's 14.5%. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age group is under-represented at 2.2%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 15-24 age group grew from 6.8% to 8.6%, while the 75-84 cohort increased from 4.8% to 6.0%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort declined from 13.4% to 12.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes in Potts Point-Woolloomooloo. Notably, the 25-34 age group is projected to grow by 26%, reaching 6,931 from 5,495.