West Pennant Hills

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 was 12,683 as of the 2021 Census. By Nov 2025, it decreased to around 12,550, a drop of 133 people (1.0%). This decrease is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 12,513 in June 2024 and an additional 44 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density was 1,602 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 82.1% of recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a 2022 base year. For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with a 2021 base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, West Pennant Hills' population is projected to increase by 1,241 persons, reflecting a total gain of 9.6% over the 17-year period based on latest annual ERP population numbers.

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

West Pennant Hills has seen approximately 85 dwellings receive development approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 427 homes were approved, with a further 23 approved in FY26 so far. Despite population decline in recent years, this level of development activity is considered adequate relative to other areas.

The average expected construction cost value for new dwellings is $719,000, indicating that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY26, approximately $50,000 worth of commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting West Pennant Hills' predominantly residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, West Pennant Hills has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person, placing it among the 92nd percentile nationally. However, development activity has increased in recent periods. The current new development composition is 37.0% detached houses and 63.0% attached dwellings, marking a shift from existing housing patterns which are currently 92.0% houses.

This change suggests diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. West Pennant Hills has around 81 people per dwelling approval, indicative of a low-density area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, West Pennant Hills is projected to add approximately 1,204 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering favorable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

West Pennant Hills has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 33rdth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 15 projects that could affect the region. Notable ones include Pennant Hills Road and North Rocks Road Intersection Upgrade, development at 154-158 Castle Hill Road Cherrybrook (Cherrybrook Development), Highforest by Mirvac, and Regis Carlingford Aged Care Facility. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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

West Pennant Hills has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 2.0% as of June 2025, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Employment grew by an estimated 2.4% over the past year. There are 7,100 residents employed currently, with a workforce participation rate of 62.5%, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant employment sectors include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, accommodation & food services show lower representation at 3.3% compared to the regional average of 5.8%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited as indicated by Census data on working population versus resident population. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 2.4% while labour force grew by 3.1%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney where employment rose by 2.6%, labour force grew by 2.9%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data from Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project 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 employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, based on simple weighting 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

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, West Pennant Hills SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $60,238 and an average of $99,644. Nationally, these figures place West Pennant Hills in the top percentile. In comparison, Greater Sydney's median income was $56,994 with an average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for West Pennant Hills would be approximately $67,834 (median) and $112,209 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household incomes in West Pennant Hills rank exceptionally at the 98th percentile ($3,217 weekly). The earnings profile shows that 40.4% of residents (5,070 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, unlike regional trends where 30.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 53.0% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. After housing costs, residents retain 88.5% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in 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 per the latest Census, consisted of 91.6% houses and 8.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 78.2% houses and 21.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Pennant Hills stood at 47.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 41.4% and rented ones at 11.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,033, higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,000. Median weekly rent in the area was $700, compared to Sydney metro's $580. Nationally, West Pennant Hills' mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,033 versus Australia's 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 constitute 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 account for 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, which is 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

West Pennant Hills has a higher educational attainment than the national average. 50.1% of its residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in New South Wales (NSW). The area's most common qualification is bachelor degrees at 31.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 14.9% and graduate diplomas at 3.4%. Vocational pathways account for 21.7% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.1% and certificates at 11.6%.

Educational participation is 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.

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

Transport analysis indicates 122 active public transport stops in West Pennant Hills, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 88 unique routes, together facilitating 5,989 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents on average located 156 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 855 trips per day across all routes, equating 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

West Pennant Hills shows excellent health outcomes with very low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Approximately 71% of its total population (8,910 people) have private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 63.7%. Nationally, this figure stands at 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.2% and 6.1% respectively. A majority, 74.5%, report being free of medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 75.9%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 24.2% (3,037 people), versus Greater Sydney's 18.9%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, outperforming 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 high cultural diversity, with 43.2% speaking a language other than English at home and 44.2% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 52.8%. Buddhism is overrepresented at 4.8%, compared to Greater Sydney's 3.9%.

Top ancestry groups are Chinese (20.5%), English (17.6%), and Australian (15.1%). Korean (2.1%) and Lebanese (1.9%) are also notably present, differing from regional averages.

West Pennant Hills hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

West Pennant Hills has a median age of 44, which exceeds Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and significantly surpasses Australia's national norm of 38. The age group of 65-74 years is strongly represented at 14.4%, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 7.0%. According to 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 cohort has decreased from 15.8% to 13.8%, and the 25 to 34 group has dropped from 8.2% to 7.0%. Demographic modeling indicates that West Pennant Hills' age profile will change significantly by 2041. The 85+ group is projected to grow by 244%, reaching 890 people from 258. This growth will be led by the aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising 77% of projected growth. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 55 to 64 age groups are expected to experience population declines.