West Pennant Hills
Statistical Area - sa2

West Pennant Hills is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

West Pennant Hills' population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, is approximately 12,551 as of August 2025. This figure shows a decrease of 132 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 12,683. This change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,514 in June 2024 and an additional 44 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is approximately 1,602 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed around 82.1% of overall population gains during 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, AreaSearch utilises 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 years 2032 to 2041. Population projections indicate an increase just below the median of national statistical areas, with the area expected to expand by 1,241 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of approximately 9.6% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within West Pennant Hills when compared nationally

West Pennant Hills has seen approximately 85 dwellings receiving development approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25427 homes have been approved, with an additional 21 approved so far in FY26. The population decline in recent years indicates that the development activity has been relatively adequate, benefiting buyers.

New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost value of $719,000, targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This financial year, $50,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, West Pennant Hills has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 93rd percentile nationally for development activity, though recent periods show an increase. New development comprises 37.0% detached houses and 63.0% attached dwellings, promoting higher-density living to cater to downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This marks a shift from existing housing patterns (currently 92.0% houses), suggesting diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs.

With around 81 people per dwelling approval, West Pennant Hills exhibits characteristics of a low-density area. Future projections indicate that West Pennant Hills will add 1,203 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

West Pennant Hills has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects likely affecting this region. Notable ones include the Pennant Hills Road and North Rocks Road Intersection Upgrade, the development at 154-158 Castle Hill Road Cherrybrook, Highforest by Mirvac, and the Cherrybrook Precinct Rezoning Proposal. Below is a list of those most relevant.

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

Employment performance in West Pennant Hills ranks among the strongest 15% of areas evaluated nationally

West Pennant Hills has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 2.0% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 2.4%.

As of June 2025, 7100 residents were employed, and the unemployment rate was 2.2%, below Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation was 62.5%, similar to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant sectors include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, accommodation & food showed lower representation at 3.3% versus the regional average of 5.8%. Limited local employment opportunities were indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. In the past year, employment increased by 2.4%, labour force by 3.1%, raising unemployment by 0.6 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's employment rise of 2.6% and unemployment increase of 0.3%. State-level data to Sep-25 showed NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to West Pennant Hills' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.3% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

The latest postcode level ATO data for West Pennant Hills released for financial year 2022 indicates a median income among taxpayers of $60,238 and an average of $99,644. This places the suburb in the top percentile nationally when compared to Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates suggest approximately $66,623 as the median income and $110,206 as the average income as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census data, West Pennant Hills' household incomes rank exceptionally high at the 98th percentile with a weekly income of $3,217. The earnings profile shows that the majority of residents, 40.4%, fall into the $4000+ bracket (5,070 people), which is significantly higher than regional trends where 30.9% earn within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Notably, 53.0% of residents exceed $3,000 weekly, demonstrating strong purchasing power in the community. After accounting for housing costs, West Pennant Hills residents retain 88.5% of their income. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it within the 10th decile.

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

West Pennant Hills' dwellings, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 91.6% houses and 8.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). In comparison, Sydney metro had 78.2% houses and 21.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Pennant Hills stood at 47.2%, with the rest being mortgaged (41.4%) or rented (11.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,033, higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,000. The median weekly rent was $700, compared to Sydney metro's $580. Nationally, West Pennant Hills' mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,033 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 89.8% of all households, including 54.0% couples with children, 28.1% couples without children, and 7.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 10.2%, with lone person households at 9.5% and group households comprising 0.5%. The median household size is 3.1 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 3.0.

West Pennant Hills shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

In West Pennant Hills, educational attainment is notably high, with 50.1% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This exceeds the national average of 30.4% and the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 31.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Vocational pathways account for 21.7% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 10.1% and certificates 11.6%.

Educational participation is also high, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.4% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 7.7% pursuing tertiary education. Hills Montessori School operates within West Pennant Hills, enrolling 16 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1127). There is one school focusing exclusively on primary education in the area, with secondary options available in surrounding regions. Local school capacity is limited at 0.1 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 17.4, resulting in many families traveling to nearby areas for schooling.

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

The analysis of public transport in West Pennant Hills shows that there are currently 122 active transport stops operating within the area. All these stops are served by buses, with a total of 88 individual routes providing service. These routes collectively facilitate 5,989 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility to public transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 156 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are 855 trips made per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 49 weekly trips per individual stop.

West Pennant Hills's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data shows exceptional results in West Pennant Hills with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is approximately 71% of the total population (8911 people), compared to 63.7% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis affecting 6.2% of residents and asthma impacting 6.1%, while 74.5% report being completely clear of medical ailments, slightly lower than the 75.9% in Greater Sydney.

West Pennant Hills has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 24.2% (3037 people), compared to 18.9% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, outperforming those of the general population in health metrics.

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

West Pennant Hills has a high level of cultural diversity, with 43.2% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 44.2% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in West Pennant Hills, comprising 52.8% of people. Hinduism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 6.0% of West Pennant Hills' population.

The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (20.5%), English (17.6%), and Australian (15.1%). Korean (2.1%) and Lebanese (1.9%) are notably overrepresented compared to regional averages, while Sri Lankan representation is at the same level regionally.

West Pennant Hills hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

West Pennant Hills has a median age of 44, surpassing Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and significantly exceeding the national average of 38. The age group of 65-74 is strongly represented at 14.4%, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 7.0%. Post the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 5.1% to 7.8% of the population. Conversely, the 55 to 64 group has decreased from 15.8% to 13.8%, and the 25 to 34 cohort has dropped from 8.2% to 7.0%. Future demographic trends suggest West Pennant Hills' age profile will change significantly by 2041. Leading this shift, the 85+ group is projected to grow by 244%, reaching 890 people from 258. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 77% of the projected growth. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 55 to 64 age groups are expected to experience population declines.