Brookvale

Population growth drivers in Brookvale are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Brookvale's population is estimated at approximately 3,890 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 501 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,389. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 3,862 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and additional validation of 44 new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,768 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Brookvale's growth rate of 14.8% since the 2021 Census exceeds that of its SA3 area (3.2%) and SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 65.0% of overall population gains during recent periods for this area.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for areas not covered by the first data set. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, demographic trends suggest lower quartile growth across statistical areas nationally, with Brookvale expected to grow by 79 persons to reach a population of approximately 3,969 by 2041, reflecting an overall decline of 4.7% in total over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Brookvale when compared nationally

Between FY-21 and FY-25, Brookvale experienced around 124 dwelling approvals. In FY-26, 18 dwellings have been approved so far. On average, this equates to approximately 24 dwellings receiving development approval per year.

Each new dwelling constructed over the past five financial years has resulted in an estimated one new resident annually. This suggests that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost value of these new dwellings is $1,054,000, indicating a focus on the premium market by developers. In terms of commercial activity, $47.6 million in approvals have been registered this financial year.

Compared to Greater Sydney, Brookvale records 143.0% more development activity per person. The new development consists of 64.0% detached dwellings and 36.0% townhouses or apartments, offering a mix of opportunities across price brackets. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (18.0% at Census), indicating strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. Brookvale has approximately 112 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market. Given stable or declining population forecasts, the location may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified seven projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Warringah Mall Mixed Use Redevelopment, Brookvale Structure Plan Implementation, Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Centre of Excellence, and Northern Beaches Bus Network Improvements. 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.

The labour market in Brookvale demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Brookvale has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. The unemployment rate is 3.7%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, there are 2,390 employed residents with a 0.4% lower unemployment rate than Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation stands at 72.2%, above Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and professional & technical services. Other services show notable concentration, with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average.

Conversely, public administration & safety has lower representation at 4.1% versus the regional average of 5.7%. There are 2.5 workers per resident, indicating Brookvale functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between September 2024 to September 2025, labour force decreased by 0.1%, while employment declined by 1.2%, increasing the unemployment rate by 1.1 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney where employment rose by 2.1% and unemployment increased by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 3.9%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Brookvale's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, based on a 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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 indicates that Brookvale's median income is $61,202 and the average income is $109,466. This compares to Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% from financial year 2023 to September 2025, estimated median income is approximately $66,624 and average income is $119,165. Census data shows Brookvale's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 74th and 86th percentiles nationally. The dominant income bracket in Brookvale is $1,500 - 2,999 with 38.9% of residents (1,513 people), similar to the broader area at 30.9%. High housing costs consume 22.5% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 63rd percentile nationally. Brookvale's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Brookvale features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Brookvale's housing structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 18.4% houses and 81.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Sydney metro had 57.6% houses and 42.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brookvale was at 16.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.3% and rented ones at 45.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,600, lower than Sydney metro's $3,000. Median weekly rent in Brookvale was $550, compared to Sydney metro's $592. Nationally, Brookvale's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national average of $375.

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

Family households account for 62.7% of all households, including 25.7% couples with children, 25.2% couples without children, and 10.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 37.3%, with lone person households at 32.4% and group households comprising 5.1%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 37.4% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4% and NSW's rate of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 26.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 33.0% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas comprise 11.7% while certificates account for 21.3%.

Educational participation is high, with 25.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 6.5% in primary education, 5.4% in tertiary education, and 4.5% pursuing secondary education.

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

Brookvale has 36 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 89 different routes, offering a total of 8,585 weekly passenger trips. The transport system in Brookvale is rated as good, with residents on average located 257 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 1,226 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 238 weekly trips per individual stop.

Brookvale's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis shows strong health performance in Brookvale, with low prevalence of common conditions among younger cohorts. Private health cover is high at approximately 70%, compared to the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common conditions, affecting 8.5% and 6.8% respectively. 74.4% report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's 74.7%. Brookvale has 12.8% residents aged 65+, lower than Greater Sydney's 17.8%. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention despite being above average.

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

Brookvale has a high level of cultural diversity, with 31.6% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 42.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Brookvale, accounting for 46.1% of the population. Notably, Buddhism is overrepresented in Brookvale, comprising 3.8% compared to the regional average of 1.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (23.8%), Australian (16.7%), and Other (16.3%). While English and Other groups are substantially higher than the regional averages of 22.1% and 10.6% respectively, Australian ancestry is lower than the regional average. Additionally, French (1.3%) and Spanish (1.1%) ethnicities are notably overrepresented compared to their respective regional averages of 1.1% and 0.6%, while South African ethnicity is slightly higher at 1.2%.

Brookvale's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Brookvale's median age is precisely 37 years, matching Greater Sydney's figure and closely aligning with Australia's median age of 38 years. The 25-34 age group constitutes 21.1%, outpacing Greater Sydney's representation. Conversely, the 5-14 cohort makes up 5.9%, lower than Greater Sydney's figure. Nationally, the 25-34 age group comprises 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has risen from 10.3% to 12.3%, while the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 7.9% to 5.9%. The 45-54 age group has also declined, dropping from 12.5% to 11.1%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Brookvale's age structure. Notably, the 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 125%, reaching 210 people from a starting point of 93. This growth will be driven entirely by an aging population, with those aged 65 and above accounting for all projected growth. Meanwhile, the 55-64 and 5-14 age groups are expected to decrease in population size.