Woollahra
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Woollahra's population is approximately 7,773 as of August 2025. This represents an increase of 319 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,454. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,777 in June 2024 and one additional validated new address since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 6,072 persons per square kilometer, placing Woollahra in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 4.3% since the census is within 0.6 percentage points of its SA3 region (4.9%), indicating strong growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 90.4% of Woollahra's 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 by this data, 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. Demographic trends suggest lower quartile growth for national statistical areas moving forward, with Woollahra expected to expand by 238 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, representing a total increase of 3.1% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Woollahra is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Woollahra has recorded approximately 8 residential properties granted approval each year over the past five financial years, totalling 43 homes. No approvals have been recorded so far in FY26. The population has declined recently, but housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a well-balanced market with good buyer choice. New properties are constructed at an average value of $3,179,000, indicating that developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This financial year, there have been $2.4 million in commercial approvals, suggesting limited commercial development focus compared to Greater Sydney where construction is 61.0% above Woollahra's per person average. The limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties, although building activity has accelerated recently. Nationally, the level of construction is also lower than the national average, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New development consists of 29.0% detached houses and 71.0% attached dwellings, with a skew towards compact living that offers affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. Woollahra has approximately 1185 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market. Future projections show Woollahra adding 242 residents by 2041.

Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Woollahra has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 36 projects that could impact the area. Notable ones include Woollahra Public School Redevelopment (Stage 2), Waverley Residences, Waverley Park Play Safe Upgrade, and Westfield Bondi Junction. 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.

Employment conditions in Woollahra demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Woollahra has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 2.7%.

Over the past year, estimated employment growth was 2.1%. In June 2025, 4,686 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.5% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation at 63.3%. Key industries include professional & technical (with strong specialization), finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Construction employs only 4.0% of local workers, compared to Greater Sydney's 8.6%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.1%, labour force by 2.5%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.6% and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Woollahra's industry mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.8% over five years and 15.3% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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

Woollahra's income level is among the top percentile nationally according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Woollahra's median income among taxpayers is $86,136 and average income stands at $217,057. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $96,998 (median) and $244,428 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Woollahra, between the 97th and 99th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile shows 40.3% of the population fall within the $4000+ income range, contrasting with the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. A substantial proportion of high earners (50.3% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout Woollahra. High housing costs consume 15.9% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 96th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

In Woollahra, as per the latest Census evaluation, 18.3% of dwellings were houses while 81.7% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is similar to Sydney metropolitan area's dwelling structure which was also 18.3% houses and 81.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Woollahra stood at 38.2%, with mortgaged properties at 25.8% and rented ones at 36.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $4,000, significantly higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,600. The median weekly rent figure for Woollahra was recorded at $675, compared to Sydney metro's $670. Nationally, Woollahra's mortgage repayments were notably higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 60.2% of all households, including 23.4% couples with children, 27.6% couples without children, and 8.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 39.8%, with lone person households at 33.4% and group households comprising 6.3%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.3.

Educational achievement in Woollahra places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Woollahra's educational attainment is notably higher than broader benchmarks. 65.2% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. The area's highest qualification type is bachelor degrees (42.5%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Vocational pathways account for 15.6%, including advanced diplomas (8.7%) and certificates (6.9%).

Educational participation is high, with 27.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.9% in primary, 6.6% in secondary, and 6.4% pursuing tertiary education. Woollahra's 3 schools have a combined enrollment of 904 students. The area demonstrates exceptional educational performance with an ICSEA score of 1187, placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. Educational mix includes 2 primary and 1 K-12 school. School places per 100 residents (11.6) fall below the regional average (15.9), indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

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

Woollahra has 28 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 32 different routes that together facilitate 6,913 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as excellent, with residents on average being located just 122 meters from the nearest stop.

On a daily basis, there are an average of 987 trips across all routes, which equates to approximately 246 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Woollahra's health outcomes data shows exceptional results with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 94% of the total population (7,298 people), compared to 89.7% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.5 and 6.3% of residents respectively, while 74.8% report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.6% in Greater Sydney.

Woollahra has 23.7% of residents aged 65 and over (1,840 people), higher than the 16.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Woollahra 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

Woollahra's population showed high cultural diversity, with 15.8% speaking a language other than English at home and 34.2% born overseas. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 43.7%. Judaism, however, was underrepresented compared to Greater Sydney's average of 16.0%, making up only 8.4%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (26.6%), Australian (18.7%), and Other (10.7%). Hungarian, Polish, and French ethnicities showed notable divergences in representation: Hungarians comprised 1.0% versus the regional average of 1.2%, Poles made up 1.5% compared to 1.9%, and French residents constituted 1.1% against a regional average of 1.5%.

Woollahra hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Woollahra is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's median age of 38 years. The 75-84 age group comprises 9.8% of the population in Woollahra, compared to a lower representation of the 15-24 cohort at 9.9%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 75-84 age group has increased from 8.4% to 9.8%, while the 15-24 cohort has risen from 8.9% to 9.9%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort has decreased from 11.1% to 9.0%, and the 45-54 group has dropped from 12.3% to 11.2%. Population forecasts for Woollahra in 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes, with the 85+ age group expected to grow by 78% (294 people), reaching a total of 672 individuals. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 82% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 0-4 and 5-14 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.