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 February 2026, AreaSearch estimates the population of East Killara to be around 3,026, reflecting an increase of 131 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 4.5% increase from the previous figure of 2,895 residents. AreaSearch's estimate is based on examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and address validation since the Census date, which resulted in an estimated resident population of 3,011. This level of population equates to 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 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 is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, 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 projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median of statistical areas analysed is expected, with East Killara projected to grow by 341 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 13.4% in total 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 from 2017 to present. This indicates a mature, established suburb where available land for new construction is limited. For buyers, this scarcity of new housing stock typically supports property values and means competition may be primarily among existing homes.

Relative to Greater Sydney, East Killara records markedly lower building activity, with only five approvals in the past year compared to Greater Sydney's 17,408. This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. Nationally, there were 235,693 dwelling approvals in the same period, indicating East Killara's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations.

East Killara has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects likely to impact the area. Key projects are Killara Golf Club Residential Development, Lourdes Retirement Village Expansion, Buckingham Road Residential Development, and Killara High School Upgrade. The following list details those most relevant.

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 3.9%, East Killara has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

East Killara has a highly educated workforce. The technology sector is particularly well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 3.9% as of September 2025.

This rate is 0.2% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in East Killara lags behind Greater Sydney, at 60.4% compared to 70.0%. According to Census responses, 56.8% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The key industries of employment among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance.

East Killara has a high specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.7 times the regional level. However, construction is under-represented, with only 3.8% of East Killara's workforce compared to 8.6% in Greater Sydney. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over a 12-month period ending September 2025, labour force increased by 1.1%, 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%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to East Killara's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.6% over five years and 15.1% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localized population projections.

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 in the suburb 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 of 8.86% 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 in East Killara 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, unlike 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 in East Killara. Despite this, strong earnings place disposable income at the 96th percentile, and 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

As per the latest Census evaluation in East Killara, 99.7% of dwellings were houses, with 0.3% being other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, or 'other' dwellings. This is notably different from Sydney metropolitan areas where 55.9% are houses and 44.1% are other dwellings. Home ownership in East Killara stood at 48.1%, with mortgaged properties making up 40.0% and rented dwellings accounting for 11.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,900, significantly higher than Sydney's average of $2,427. Weekly rent median stood at $1,000 compared to Sydney's $470. Nationally, East Killara's mortgage repayments were substantially higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were considerably 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 at 0.7%. The median household size is 3.2 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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+, 55.4% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (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 secondary education (11.3%), primary education (9.9%), and tertiary education (8.7%).

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 as excellent, with residents located an average of 124 meters from the nearest stop. In this predominantly residential area, most commuting is outward-bound. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation, used by 81% of residents, while 13% use trains. On average, there are 1.8 vehicles per dwelling, which is higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 56.8% of residents work from home, a figure that may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency across all routes averages 130 trips per day, equating to approximately 33 weekly trips per 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's health outcomes show notable results based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Approximately 67% of East Killara's total population (2,032 people) has private health cover, higher than Greater Sydney's 59.9% and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are asthma and arthritis, affecting 5.1% and 5.0% of residents respectively. A total of 78.1% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.6%. East Killara has 19.5% of residents aged 65 and over (590 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors align with national rankings and are broadly in line with 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 has a high level of cultural diversity, with 55.6% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 56.1% born overseas. The dominant religion in East Killara is Christianity, comprising 35.7% of the population. However, Judaism is notably overrepresented, making up 2.7% compared to the regional average of 0.8%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Chinese (38.8%), English (15.4%), and Australian (11.6%). Notably, Korean (2.6%) and Hungarian (0.5%) are overrepresented in East Killara compared to the regional averages of 1.1% and 0.3%, respectively. Similarly, Russian is slightly overrepresented at 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 those aged 15-24 make up 17.4% of the population, a significant proportion compared to other age groups. This age group has grown from 15.2% in 2021 to 17.4%. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age cohort has decreased from 15.4% to 14.4%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate substantial shifts in East Killara's age structure. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to increase by 116 people, rising from 205 to 322, a growth of 56%. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above are expected to account for 62% of total population growth. Conversely, the 25-34 and 0-4 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.