Castlecrag

Castlecrag has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validations, Castlecrag's estimated population as of February 2026 is around 3,101 people. This reflects a growth of 136 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported 2,965 residents. The increase is inferred from an estimated resident population of 3,093 by AreaSearch in June 2024 and three additional validated addresses since the Census date. Castlecrag's population density stands at approximately 2,053 persons per square kilometer, higher than average national levels assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 4.6% since the census is within 1.2 percentage points of its SA4 region (5.8%), indicating strong growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver for population growth in 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, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are applied. Growth rates by age group are used for all areas from 2032 to 2041. According to these projections, Castlecrag's population is expected to decrease by 65 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts like the 85 and over group are projected to expand, with an increase of 86 people anticipated.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Castlecrag, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Castlecrag shows around 11 residential properties granted approval each year over the past five financial years ending FY26. This totals an estimated 58 homes. As of FY26, 41 approvals have been recorded. Despite population decline during this period, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, indicating a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average expected construction cost value for new properties is $1,352,000, reflecting a focus on the premium segment. In FY26, $109,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Castlecrag has approximately two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 60th percentile nationally. New building activity comprises 53.0% detached houses and 47.0% townhouses or apartments, demonstrating an increasing blend of attached housing types offering choices across price ranges.

This shift reflects decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles requiring more diverse, affordable housing options. Castlecrag has around 250 people per approval, indicating a low-density area. With population projections showing stability or decline, reduced housing demand pressures are expected, benefiting potential buyers.

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

Area infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified 0 relevant projects. Notable ones are Heart Of Willoughby, Sydney Metro City & Southwest, Beaches Link Tunnel, and North Sydney To Northern Beaches Capacity Improvements. The following details those most pertinent.

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

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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.7%, Castlecrag has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Castlecrag has a highly educated workforce with a notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 3.7%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 1,551 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.5% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Castlecrag lags behind Greater Sydney at 62.2%, compared to the latter's 70.0%. Census responses indicate that 65.0% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Dominant employment sectors include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Notably, professional & technical employment is at 2.1 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction employs only 4.8% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as shown by the ratio of Census working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Castlecrag's labour force decreased by 0.1%, with employment declining by 0.6%, resulting in an unemployment rate rise of 0.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney, where employment rose by 2.1% and the labour force grew by 2.4%, leading to a 0.2 percentage point increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Castlecrag's employment mix indicates potential local employment growth of 8.0% over five years and 15.6% over ten years, although these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

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

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2023, Castlecrag's median income among taxpayers was $81,592 with an average of $192,257. Nationally, this places Castlecrag in the top percentile. Comparing to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% from July 2023 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $88,821 (median) and $209,291 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Castlecrag rank highly nationally, between the 97th and 99th percentiles. Income brackets show that 56.8% of residents (1,761 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, differing from regional patterns where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates at 30.9%. A substantial proportion of high earners (66.7% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the district. After housing costs, residents retain 89.1% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Castlecrag is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

As recorded in the latest Census, dwelling structures in Castlecrag consisted of 96.7% houses and 3.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's figures of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership within Castlecrag stood at 49.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 39.0% and rented ones at 11.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $4,333, surpassing Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent figure for Castlecrag was recorded at $1,010, higher than Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Castlecrag's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Castlecrag features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 88.5% of all households, including 51.3% couples with children, 28.1% couples without children, and 8.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 11.5%, with lone person households at 11.1% and group households making up 0.6%. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Castlecrag's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 59.8% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. This high level of educational attainment positions Castlecrag advantageously for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 37.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.9%) and graduate diplomas (4.0%).

Technical qualifications represent 13.6% of residents' educational achievements, with advanced diplomas accounting for 7.9% and certificates for 5.7%. Educational participation is high in Castlecrag, with 33.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.8% in secondary education, 9.3% in primary education, and 7.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Castlecrag has 19 active public transport stops serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are covered by 29 individual routes, offering 1,231 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 187 meters from the nearest stop. Most Castlecrag residents commute outward daily. Car remains the dominant transport mode at 85%, while bus usage stands at 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.7 per dwelling, exceeding the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 65% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes averages 175 trips per day, equating to approximately 64 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Castlecrag. AreaSearch's assessment found very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 102% of the total population (3,176 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 5.7% and 5.7% of residents respectively. 77.3% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. In Castlecrag, 20.8% of residents are aged 65 and over (645 people), higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Castlecrag has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 19.3% speaking languages other than English at home and 32.6% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Castlecrag, making up 49.2%. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented at 2.6%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (25.8%), Australian (19.4%), and Irish (9.7%). Some ethnicities show significant divergence: Hungarian (1.1% vs regional 0.3%), French (1.0% vs 0.5%), and Polish (1.1% vs 0.6%) are overrepresented in Castlecrag.

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

Castlecrag's median age is 47 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The 15-24 age group constitutes 18.7% of Castlecrag's population, compared to Greater Sydney's percentage, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 3.9%. This 18.7% is higher than the national average of 12.5%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 15.9% to 18.7%, and the 75-84 cohort has risen from 5.0% to 6.7%. Conversely, the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 14.9% to 12.8%, and the 45-54 group has dropped from 18.9% to 17.2%. Demographic modeling indicates significant changes in Castlecrag's age profile by 2041. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 104%, adding 77 residents to reach 152. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 64% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 35-44 age groups.