Wahroonga (West) - Waitara

Wahroonga (West) - Waitara lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Wahroonga (West) - Waitara's population is 12,590 as of November 2025. This figure reflects a growth of 713 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,877. The increase is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 12,513 in June 2024 and an additional 165 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 5,966 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the top 10% nationally according to AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 6.0% since the 2021 census exceeds the SA4 region's rate of 5.7%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during this period.

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. By 2041, the area is projected to expand by 2,705 persons, reflecting an increase of 20.9% over the 17-year period based on latest annual ERP population numbers.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Wahroonga (West) - Waitara recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Wahroonga West - Waitara has approved approximately 23 residential properties annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25115 homes were approved, with a further 176 approved in FY-26. On average, 7.7 people moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five years.

This high demand outpaces supply, potentially driving up prices and increasing competition among buyers. The average construction cost of new homes is $463,000, slightly above the regional average. In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalled $32.7 million, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Sydney, Wahroonga West - Waitara has about three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks in the 20th percentile nationally for buyer choice, suggesting constrained options and interest in existing dwellings.

New building activity comprises 55% detached houses and 45% medium to high-density housing, offering a mix of traditional family homes and more affordable compact alternatives. However, developers are building more traditional houses than current market share suggests (27%), indicating strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. Wahroonga West - Waitara has a population density of around 849 people per dwelling approval, reflecting a highly mature market. By 2041, the area is projected to gain 2,628 residents. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Wahroonga (West) - Waitara has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 13 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Eastwood Gardens (Waitara), Hornsby Park, The Residences at Wahroonga Estate, and Twin Towers Hornsby. Relevant projects are listed below.

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 assessment indicates Wahroonga (West) - Waitara faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Wahroonga West - Waitara has a highly educated workforce with the technology sector being prominent. Its unemployment rate is 6.8%. As of September 2025, there are 6,235 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 9.4% compared to Greater Sydney's 6.7%, and participation rate at 65.3%, lower than the regional average of 70.0%.

Census data shows that 56.5% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (42.3%), health care & social assistance (18.7%), and finance & insurance (7.3%). The area specializes in professional & technical roles, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level, while construction shows lower representation at 3.9% versus the regional average of 8.6%. Over the year to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.6%, but employment declined by 1.1%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.6 percentage points.

In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wahroonga West - Waitara's industry mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.7% over five years and 15.4% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's latest data for financial year 2023 shows Wahroonga (West) - Waitara SA2 had a median income of $63,247 and an average of $89,018 among taxpayers. Nationally, these figures are very high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,018. With an 8.86% growth in wages since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $68,851 (median) and $96,905 (average). Census 2021 data ranks Wahroonga (West) - Waitara's household, family, and personal incomes between the 75th and 77th percentiles nationally. The largest income segment comprises 32.8% earning $1,500 to $2,999 weekly, with a total of 4,129 residents in this bracket, similar to the metropolitan region at 30.9%. A substantial proportion, 32.5%, earns above $3,000 weekly, indicating strong economic capacity. High housing costs consume 18.4% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 72nd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Wahroonga (West) - Waitara features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Wahroonga (West) - Waitara, as per the latest Census, 27.1% of dwellings were houses while 72.9% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Sydney metropolitan areas which had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wahroonga (West) - Waitara stood at 23.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.4% and rented ones at 43.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,380, lower than Sydney's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in the area was $490 compared to Sydney's $470. Nationally, Wahroonga (West) - Waitara had higher mortgage repayments at $2,380 versus Australia's average of $1,863 and higher rents at $490 compared to Australia's $375.

Wahroonga (West) - Waitara has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 72.2% of all households, including 38.7% couples with children, 22.5% couples without children, and 9.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 27.8%, with lone person households at 25.5% and group households comprising 2.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Wahroonga (West) - Waitara 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 Wahroonga (West) - Waitara significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 58.1% of residents aged 15 years and over holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW as of the latest available data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2016. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 34.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 19.9% and graduate diplomas at 3.6%. Vocational pathways account for 19.4% of qualifications among those aged 15 years and over, with advanced diplomas at 10.5% and certificates at 8.9%. Educational participation is notably high, with 30.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2016.

This includes 11.5% in primary education, 5.7% in secondary education, and 5.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Wahroonga (West) - Waitara has 43 active public transport stops serving a mix of train and bus routes. These stops are serviced by 43 individual routes, providing 5,177 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 155 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 61%, with train at 25% and walking at 8%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.6 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 56.5% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 739 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 120 weekly trips per individual stop.

Wahroonga (West) - Waitara's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data for Wahroonga (West) - Waitara shows positive outcomes compared to national benchmarks. The prevalence of common health conditions is low across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 65% of the total population, which consists of 8,208 people.

This compares to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and arthritis, affecting 5.5 and 5.3% of residents respectively. A total of 77.0% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 19.6%, with 2,471 people falling into this category. This is higher than the 15.3% recorded in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are above average and broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

Wahroonga (West) - Waitara is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Wahroonga (West) - Waitara is among the most culturally diverse areas in Australia, with 57.7% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of the 2016 Census. This figure stands at 59.4% for those born overseas in the same area during the aforementioned period. Christianity is the predominant religion in Wahroonga (West) - Waitara, comprising 37.4% of people in this region according to the 2016 Census data.

However, Hinduism is notably overrepresented, making up 15.4% of the population compared to the Greater Sydney average of 5.2%. In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Wahroonga (West) - Waitara as per the 2016 Census are Chinese at 20.6%, Other at 16.5%, and English at 14.5% of the population. There are also notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Korean is overrepresented at 3.6% compared to the regional average of 1.1%, Indian at 10.9% versus 3.6%, and Russian at 0.7% compared to 0.4%.

Wahroonga (West) - Waitara's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Wahroonga (West) - Waitara is 39 years, higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. The 35-44 cohort is over-represented at 20.3%, compared to Greater Sydney's average, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 11.6%. This is significantly higher than the national average of 14.2% for the 35-44 cohort. Post-2021 Census data shows residents have aged on average by 1 year, with the median rising from 38 to 39 years. The 75-84 age group grew from 5.8% to 7.2%, and the 15-24 cohort increased from 7.8% to 9.1%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort declined from 13.3% to 11.6%, and the 35-44 group dropped from 21.9% to 20.3%. By 2041, Wahroonga (West) - Waitara is expected to see significant shifts in its age composition. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 92%, reaching 1,741 people from 905. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 60% of population growth, indicating demographic aging trends. Conversely, both the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are expected to decrease in numbers.