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 7,948 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 494 people, a growth rate of 6.6%, since the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 7,454. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,777 in June 2024 and an additional 81 validated new addresses after the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 6,209 persons per square kilometer, placing Woollahra in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate exceeded that of its SA3 region (5.5%) between 2021 and 2025. Overseas migration contributed approximately 90.4% of overall population gains 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, AreaSearch employs NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 using a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on current demographic trends and latest population numbers, Woollahra is expected to expand by 238 persons to reach approximately 8,186 by 2041. This translates to an increase of about 0.8% in total over the 17-year period from 2025 to 2041.

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. In FY26 so far, 0 approvals have been recorded. The population has declined in recent years, but housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in 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.

There have been $2.4 million in commercial approvals this financial year, suggesting limited commercial development focus compared to Greater Sydney, where construction is 61.0% above Woollahra's per person average. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties, although building activity has accelerated recently. The level of development 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, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers due to affordable entry pathways. There are approximately 1185 people per dwelling approval in Woollahra, demonstrating an established market. Future projections show Woollahra adding 67 residents by 2041, with current development patterns suggesting new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Future projections show Woollahra adding 67 residents by 2041. 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 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 36 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Woollahra Public School Redevelopment (Stage 2), Waverley Residences, Waverley Park Play Safe Upgrade, and Westfield Bondi Junction. The following list details those most 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. Its unemployment rate is 2.7%, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.1%. As of June 2025, 4,686 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.5% below Greater Sydney's rate. Workforce participation is 63.3%, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance.

Professional & technical employment is particularly strong at 2.0 times the regional level, while construction employs only 4.0% of local workers compared to Greater Sydney's 8.6%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.1%, labour force grew by 2.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.6% with a 0.3 percentage point increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest Woollahra's employment could grow by approximately 7.8% over five years and 15.3% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections against the local employment mix.

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 latest 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, compared to Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $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 (3,203 individuals) 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

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 is similar to Sydney metro's composition of 18.3% houses and 81.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Woollahra was at 38.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.8% and rented ones at 36.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $4,000, higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,600. The median weekly rent figure in Woollahra was $675, compared to Sydney metro's $670. Nationally, Woollahra's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are 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 2.3.

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 high, with 65.2% of residents aged 15+ possessing university qualifications, surpassing both national (30.4%) and NSW state averages (32.2%). Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 42.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 19.2%. Vocational pathways account for 15.6% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 8.7% and certificates at 6.9%. Educational participation is high, with 27.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: primary (8.9%), secondary (6.6%), and tertiary (6.4%).

Woollahra's three schools have a combined enrollment of 904 students, performing exceptionally well with an ICSEA score of 1187, placing them among the most advantaged nationally. The educational mix includes two primary schools and one K-12 school. School places per 100 residents (11.6) are below the regional average (15.9), indicating some students may attend schools in neighboring areas.

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 serviced by 32 different routes that collectively provide 6913 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 122 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility.

Across all routes, there are an average of 987 trips per day, 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 show excellent 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 (7,463 people), compared to 89.7% across Greater Sydney and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.5% and 6.3% of residents respectively.

A total of 74.8% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 77.6% across Greater Sydney. Woollahra has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.7% (1,882 people), compared to 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, as of the 2016 Census, showed higher cultural diversity with 15.8% speaking languages other than English at home and 34.2% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 43.7%. Judaism, while overrepresented at 8.4%, was lower than Greater Sydney's average of 16.0%.

In ancestry, the top groups were English (26.6%), Australian (18.7%), and Other (10.7%). Notable divergences included Hungarian (1.0% vs regional 1.2%), Polish (1.5% vs 1.9%), and French (1.1% vs 1.5%) groups in Woollahra.

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 average of 38 years. The 75-84 age group makes up 9.8% of the population in Woollahra, compared to a lower prevalence 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 age 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 74%, reaching 672 people from a starting point of 386. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 88% of total population growth, reflecting Woollahra's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 55-64 and 0-4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.