Woollahra

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 around 7,961 as of February 2026. This reflects an increase of 507 people (6.8%) since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 7,454 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,777 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 84 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 6,219 persons per square kilometer, placing Woollahra in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. Woollahra's growth of 6.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth of 6.0%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 90.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilizes NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest annual ERP population numbers, Woollahra is expected to expand by 238 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 0.7% in total 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 eight residential properties granted approval each year over the past five financial years, totalling 43 homes. In FY26 so far, one approval has been recorded. The population decline in recent years has resulted in adequate housing supply relative to demand, creating a balanced market with good buyer choice. New properties are constructed at an average value of $1,515,000, indicating developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This year, there have been $2.4 million in commercial approvals, suggesting limited commercial development focus compared to Greater Sydney's 61.0% higher construction rate per person. Woollahra's lower new supply supports stronger demand and values for established properties, reflecting its market maturity and possible development constraints. New development comprises 29.0% detached houses and 71.0% attached dwellings, offering affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers in this established market with approximately 1185 people per dwelling approval. Future projections estimate Woollahra will add 54 residents by 2041, with current development patterns meeting demand and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Future projections show Woollahra adding 54 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Woollahra has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 37 projects likely to affect this region. Notable projects include Westfield Bondi Junction, Woollahra Station Completion and Rezoning, Woollahra Public School Redevelopment (Stage 2), and Woollahra Station Activation (Eastern Suburbs Railway). Below is a list of those most relevant.

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

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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. Its unemployment rate is 3.0%, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%. As of September 2025, 4557 residents are employed, and the participation rate is similar to Greater Sydney's at 70.0%.

However, many residents commute elsewhere for work as indicated by Census data. The key industries in Woollahra are professional & technical (employing 66.4% of residents), finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Construction employs only 4.0%, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%. Employment levels increased by 2.2% during the year to September 2025, with a corresponding rise in unemployment rate of 0.6 percentage points.

National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project growth of 7.8% over five years and 15.3% over ten years for Woollahra's workforce, based on industry-specific projections.

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

The Woollahra SA2's income level is among the top percentile nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Woollahra SA2 is $87,132 and the average income stands at $243,595. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Woollahra SA2 would be approximately $94,852 (median) and $265,178 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes in Woollahra rank highly nationally, between the 97th and 98th percentiles. In Woollahra SA2, 40.3% of the population (3,208 individuals) fall within the $4000+ income range, contrasting with the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. The substantial proportion of high earners (50.3% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout Woollahra SA2. High housing costs consume 15.9% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 96th percentile nationally. 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

Woollahra's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 18.3% houses and 81.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Sydney metro's figures of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Woollahra stood at 38.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.8% and rented ones at 36.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $4,000, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Woollahra was $675, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Woollahra's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and 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 constitute 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 account for 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 2.7.

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

Woollahra's residents aged 15+ have a higher proportion with university qualifications (65.2%) compared to Australia (30.4%) and NSW (32.2%). This is due to a high percentage of Bachelor degrees (42.5%), postgraduate qualifications (19.2%), and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Vocational pathways account for 15.6% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 8.7% and certificates at 6.9%. Educational participation is notably high, with 27.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 8.9% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 6.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Woollahra has 33 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 32 different routes, together providing 10,611 weekly passenger trips. The average distance to the nearest stop for residents is 122 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. Most residents commute outwards from Woollahra, with cars being the primary mode of transport at 58%. Trains and walking account for 14% each of commuting modes. Vehicle ownership stands at 0.7 per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 66.4% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 1,515 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 321 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 show excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, with very low prevalence across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 95% of the total population (7,554 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. 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, similar to the 74.6% in Greater Sydney.

Woollahra has 24.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1,937 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Woollahra was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Woollahra's population showed higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas, with 15.8% speaking a language other than English at home and 34.2% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Woollahra, comprising 43.7% of its population. Notably, Judaism had a significant overrepresentation at 8.4%, much higher than Greater Sydney's average of 0.8%.

In terms of ancestry, English (26.6%) and Australian (18.7%) were the top groups, both higher than regional averages. Other ancestry was lower at 10.7% compared to the region's 16.0%. Hungarian (1.0%), Polish (1.5%), and French (1.1%) ethnicities were notably overrepresented in Woollahra compared to regional averages of 0.3%, 0.6%, and 0.5% respectively.

Woollahra's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Woollahra is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years, and also older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 75-84 age group makes up 10.1% of Woollahra's population, compared to the 15-24 cohort which comprises 10.2%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 75-84 age group has increased from 8.4% to 10.1%, while the 15-24 cohort has risen from 8.9% to 10.2%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort has decreased from 11.1% to 9.2%, and the 45-54 group has dropped from 12.3% to 11.2%. Population forecasts for Woollahra indicate substantial demographic changes by 2041. The 85+ age group is expected to grow by 66%, reaching 672 people from 404. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 91% of total population growth, reflecting Woollahra's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 55-64 and 0-4 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.