Crows Nest (NSW)

Crows Nest has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validations, the population of the suburb of Crows Nest (NSW) was estimated at around 5,309 as of Feb 2026. This reflected an increase of 335 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,974 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 5,286 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 117 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population resulted in a density ratio of 6,985 persons per square kilometer, placing Crows Nest in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 6.7% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both its SA3 area (5.6%) and SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 69.0% 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 utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering projected demographic shifts, aggregated SA2-level projections anticipate lower quartile growth, with Crows Nest expected to increase by 256 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 2.6% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Crows Nest recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data indicates Crows Nest has experienced around 37 dwellings receiving development approval each year. Over the past 5 financial years, between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 188 homes have been approved, with a further 8 approved so far in FY-26. Despite population decline, development activity has remained adequate relative to other areas.

Developers focus on the premium market, with new dwellings valued at an average of $895,000. In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalled $376.1 million, indicating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Crows Nest records 249.0% more building activity per person, offering buyers greater choice. Recent construction comprises 5.0% detached houses and 95.0% attached dwellings, favouring compact living and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. The area has approximately 110 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market.

Population forecasts suggest Crows Nest will gain 137 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Crows Nest 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 51 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Falcon & Alexander (Five Ways), Hume Place, Western Harbour Tunnel, Warringah Freeway Upgrade, and The Collective. Relevant projects are detailed below.

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

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Employment performance in Crows Nest has been broadly consistent with national averages

Crows Nest has an educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 4.1%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, there are 3,571 residents employed, with an unemployment rate at 0.1% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Crows Nest is high at 79.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 65.5% of residents work from home, potentially impacted by Covid-19 lockdowns. Major employment industries include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Crows Nest specializes in professional & technical services with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level, while construction has limited presence at 4.4%, compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.7, indicating ample local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Crows Nest's labour force increased by 0.8% while employment declined by 0.5%, raising the unemployment rate by 1.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.1%, labour force grow by 2.4%, and unemployment increase by 0.2%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project total employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Crows Nest's employment mix suggests local employment should grow by 7.7% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Crows Nest's median income among taxpayers is $85,220, with an average of $130,035. Nationally, this places Crows Nest in the top percentile. In comparison, Greater Sydney's median income is $60,817 and average is $83,030. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Crows Nest would be approximately $92,770 (median) and $141,556 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Crows Nest rank highly nationally, between the 92nd and 99th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. Income analysis reveals that 33.3% of residents (1,767 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, differing from regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 category is predominant at 30.9%. The substantial proportion of high earners (45.9% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the locality. High housing costs consume 18.2% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 90th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

In Crows Nest, as per the latest Census evaluation, houses constituted 11.2% while other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other') made up 88.7%. In contrast, Sydney metropolitan area had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Crows Nest was at 20.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.6% and rented ones at 55.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,033, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure in Crows Nest was recorded at $550, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Crows Nest's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 56.8 percent of all households, including 20.6 percent couples with children, 29.3 percent couples without children, and 6.0 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 43.2 percent, with lone person households at 38.5 percent and group households comprising 4.7 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Crows Nest demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Crows Nest's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 64.3% possess university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. This high level of educational attainment positions the area favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most common at 40.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.4%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%).

Vocational pathways account for 18.4% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.0% and certificates at 8.4%. A significant 23.3% of the population is actively engaged in formal education. This includes 6.6% in tertiary education, 6.3% in primary education, and 4.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Transport analysis shows 38 active transport stops in Crows Nest, including lightrail and bus services. These stops are served by 60 individual routes, offering a total of 10,552 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is excellent, with residents typically located 129 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode at 48%, followed by walking at 22% and bus at 14%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.4 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 65.5% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,507 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 277 weekly trips per stop.

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

Health outcomes data for Crows Nest shows excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 78% of the total population (4,145 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, affecting 7.6% and 7.4% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 76.8%, report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 12.7% of residents aged 65 and over (674 people), lower than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Crows Nest 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

Crows Nest has a high level of cultural diversity, with 25.8% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 41.0% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Crows Nest, making up 38.4% of people there. However, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 1.2% of Crows Nest's population versus 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are English at 23.7%, Australian at 17.7%, and Other at 12.0%. French (1.4%), Polish (1.1%), and Hungarian (0.4%) ethnicities are notably overrepresented in Crows Nest compared to regional figures of 0.5%, 0.6%, and 0.3% respectively.

Crows Nest's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Crows Nest's median age is 37, matching Greater Sydney's figure and closely resembling Australia's median age of 38. The 25-34 age group makes up 22.7% of Crows Nest's population, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage but lower than the national average of 14.4%. Meanwhile, the 5-14 cohort constitutes 7.3%, which is less prevalent compared to Greater Sydney. Between 2021 and present, the 75-84 age group has increased from 2.8% to 4.5% of Crows Nest's population. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has decreased from 23.9% to 22.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Crows Nest's age structure. The 85+ group is projected to grow by 141%, reaching 166 people from the current 69. This growth reflects an overall aging population trend, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 70% of the projected population increase. Conversely, the 25-34 and 5-14 age groups are expected to experience population declines.