East Killara

East Killara is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of November 2025, the estimated population of the East Killara statistical area (Lv2) is around 3,026. This reflects an increase of 131 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,895. The latest resident population estimate by AreaSearch, following examination of the ABS's June 2024 ERP data release and address validation since the Census date, is 3,011. This results in a density ratio of 948 persons per square kilometer, relatively in line with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. East Killara's growth rate of 4.5% since the 2021 census exceeded that of its SA3 area (4.3%), making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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 from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, a population increase just below the median is expected for East Killara (SA2) by 2041, with an estimated growth of 339 persons and a total increase of 13.5% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in East Killara is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

East Killara has recorded no new dwelling approvals between 2017 and 2022. This lack of recent development indicates a mature, established suburb with limited available land for new construction. For buyers, this scarcity of new housing stock typically supports property values and intensifies competition among existing homes.

Compared to Greater Sydney, East Killara has recorded markedly lower building activity over the past five years, reflecting its established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations that constrain new construction. This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes in the area, which also records activity under the national average, further indicating the suburb's established status.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include the Killara Golf Club Residential Development, Lourdes Retirement Village Expansion, Buckingham Road Residential Development, and Killara High School Upgrade, with the following list detailing those of most relevance.

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.

East Killara has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

East Killara has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. The unemployment rate was 4.0% as of September 2025, slightly below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation was somewhat lower at 55.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries for employment among residents were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. East Killara had a particular specialization in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.7 times the regional level. However, construction was under-represented, with only 3.8% of the workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 8.6%.

Many residents commuted elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the 12-month period ending September 2025, East Killara's labour force increased by 1.2%, while employment decreased by 0.1%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with a 0.2 percentage point rise in unemployment. As of 25-Nov-25, NSW employment had contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compared favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 projected an expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to East Killara's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 7.6% over five years and 15.1% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows East Killara's median income among taxpayers is $50,526. The average income is $102,141. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, current estimates for East Killara would be approximately $55,003 (median) and $111,191 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, household incomes rank at the 96th percentile ($3,005 weekly), while personal income ranks at the 68th percentile. Income distribution shows that 39.7% of locals (1,201 people) fall into the $4000+ category, differing from the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. Economic strength is evident with 50.1% of households earning high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 15.9% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 96th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

East Killara's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, was 99.7% houses and 0.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 68.8% houses and 31.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Killara stood at 48.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 40.0% and rented ones at 11.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,900, higher than Sydney metro's $3,500. Median weekly rent was $1,000 compared to Sydney metro's $630. Nationally, East Killara's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,900 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households compose 88.5% of all households, including 55.1% couples with children, 22.1% couples without children, and 10.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 11.5%, with lone person households at 10.4% and group households comprising 0.7%. The median household size is 3.2 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.9.

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

East Killara's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 55.4% possess university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 35.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational pathways account for 15.5%, with advanced diplomas at 8.9% and certificates at 6.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 34.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.3% in secondary, 9.9% in primary, and 8.7% in tertiary education.

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

East Killara has 27 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 41 different routes that together facilitate 916 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average being located 124 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 130 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 33 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

East Killara shows excellent health outcomes across all ages. Common health conditions have a very low prevalence here. Private health cover stands at approximately 67% of the total population (2,032 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 78.8% and the national average of 55.7%.

Asthma and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 5.1% and 5.0% of residents respectively. A total of 78.1% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 76.0% in Greater Sydney. East Killara has 18.9% (571 people) of residents aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Sydney's 20.2%. Senior health outcomes align with those of the general population.

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

East Killara, as of the latest data available on 18th June 2021, has one of the most culturally diverse populations in Australia with 55.6% speaking a language other than English at home and 56.1% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in East Killara, comprising 35.7% of its population, though Judaism shows notable overrepresentation at 2.7%, higher than Greater Sydney's average of 2.5%. The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (38.8%), English (15.4%), and Australian (11.6%).

Chinese representation is significantly higher than the regional average of 17.8%, while English and Australian representations are notably lower than their respective averages of 22.4% and 17.4%. Other ethnic groups with notable divergences include Korean at 2.6% (vs regional 2.3%), Hungarian at 0.5% (vs 0.4%), and Russian at 0.5% (vs 0.5%).

East Killara hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in East Killara is 43 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that individuals aged 15-24 years make up 17.2% of the population, a significant proportion compared to Greater Sydney. Meanwhile, those aged 25-34 years constitute only 7.2%, which is relatively smaller than in Greater Sydney. Between 2021 and present, the percentage of individuals aged 15-24 has increased from 15.2% to 17.2%. Conversely, the percentage of those aged 35-44 has decreased from 10.4% to 9.4%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate substantial shifts in East Killara's age structure. The number of individuals aged 75-84 is projected to rise significantly, increasing by 61% from 199 to 322 people. Notably, the combined population of those aged 65 and above will account for 63% of total population growth, reflecting East Killara's aging demographic trend. Conversely, the populations of individuals aged 0-4 and 25-34 are expected to decline.