Elanora Heights

An assessment of population growth drivers in Elanora Heights reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As of February 2026, the estimated population of Elanora Heights is around 4,632, reflecting a growth of 51 people since the 2021 Census which recorded 4,581 residents. This increase represents a 1.1% change from the census figure and is inferred from AreaSearch's validation of new addresses following the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024. The population density ratio stands at 1,193 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Elanora Heights' growth rate since census, at 1.1%, is within 0.9 percentage points of the SA3 area's rate of 2.0%. Overseas migration primarily drove this population growth in recent periods. 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 for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

These projections indicate a decline in overall population by 299 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are expected to grow, notably the 85 and over age group projected to increase by 157 people.

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

Elanora Heights has recorded approximately two residential properties granted approval annually. Between financial years 2021 and 2025, about eleven homes were approved, with two more approved in the current financial year of 2026.

The population decline in recent years has maintained adequate housing supply relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with varied buyer choices. New properties are constructed at an average value of $764,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Elanora Heights has significantly less development activity, 84.0% below the regional average per person, which typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. However, recent periods have seen an increase in development activity. Nationally, this area also reflects lower development activity, suggesting market maturity and possible development constraints. Building activity shows a mix of 67.0% detached dwellings and 33.0% medium to high-density housing, including townhouses and apartments, providing options across different price points.

This represents a shift from the area's existing housing, which is currently 94.0% houses, indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles. Elanora Heights has around 1308 people per approval, suggesting a mature, established area. With population projections showing stability or decline, housing demand pressures are expected to remain reduced, benefiting potential buyers.

Elanora Heights has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Area infrastructure changes significantly impact performance. Five key projects identified by AreaSearch potentially affect this region. Notable projects are Warriewood Valley Release Area, Warriewood Square Redevelopment, Mona Vale Road East Upgrade, and Vantage Warriewood. The following details these projects' expected impacts:.

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

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Employment performance in Elanora Heights exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Elanora Heights has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 3.3%, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%. As of September 2025, 2,514 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate 0.8% below Greater Sydney's and participation rate at par with the region's 70.0%.

According to Census data, 49.6% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment in Elanora Heights are professional & technical services, construction, and health care & social assistance. Construction stands out with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Finance & insurance has limited presence at 4.1%, compared to the regional average of 7.3%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Elanora Heights' labour force decreased by 0.2% while employment declined by 1.6%, leading to a 1.3 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May-25) project national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Elanora Heights' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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 shows that Elanora Heights has exceptionally high incomes nationally. The median income is $60,044 and the average income stands at $117,128. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Elanora Heights would be approximately $65,364 (median) and $127,506 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows that incomes in Elanora Heights rank highly nationally, between the 82nd and 97th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. The income analysis reveals that 36.4% of individuals earn over $4,000 annually (1,686 individuals), differing from surrounding regions where the dominant earnings band is $1,500 - $2,999 at 30.9%. Economic strength in Elanora Heights is evident with 51.0% of households earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 15.1% of income, and residents rank highly with disposable incomes in the 96th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Elanora Heights' dwelling structure in its latest Census showed 94.2% houses and 5.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'), compared to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership was higher at 43.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 44.5% and rented ones at 12.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,586, above Sydney metro's $2,427. Median weekly rent was $750, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Elanora Heights' mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 86.8% of all households, including 52.7% couples with children, 23.7% couples without children, and 9.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 13.2%, with lone person households at 11.8% and group households making up 1.7%. The median household size is 3.2 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Educational qualifications in Elanora Heights trail regional benchmarks; 35.5% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees compared to the SA4 region's 41.5%. This gap indicates potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are most common at 24.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.8%) and graduate diplomas (4.1%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 33.6% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (14.0%) and certificates (19.6%).

Educational participation is notably high; 32.1% of residents are currently enrolled in formal education, including 11.9% in primary, 10.0% in secondary, and 4.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Elanora Heights has 32 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 18 different routes that together provide 246 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility in the area is good, with residents typically located 209 meters from their nearest transport stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature, and cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 92%. The average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 2.0, which is higher than the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, 49.6%, work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions.

The service frequency averages 35 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 7 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Elanora Heights shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 73% of the total population (3,383 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions were asthma and arthritis, affecting 6.8% and 6.7% of residents respectively. 73.6% of residents reported being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. The area has 19.7% of residents aged 65 and over (912 people), higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors were strong, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Elanora Heights records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Elanora Heights, as per the data, showed cultural diversity similar to its wider region's average. Here are the specifics: 78.6% of residents were born in Australia, 92.9% were citizens, and 91.2% spoke English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 55.1%.

However, Judaism stood out with 0.3%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.8%. In terms of ancestry, English (30.1%) and Australian (27.5%) were significantly higher than regional averages of 19.0% and 17.8%, respectively. Irish ancestry was at 8.5%. Noteworthy differences existed in South African (1.0%), French (0.8%), and Serbian (0.7%) groups, all overrepresented compared to regional figures.

Elanora Heights's median age exceeds the national pattern

Elanora Heights has a median age of 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and somewhat older than Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, the 5-14 age group is notably over-represented in Elanora Heights at 16.4%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 5.9%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group has increased from 12.4% to 14.6% of the population, and the 75-84 age group has risen from 6.3% to 7.6%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has decreased from 7.1% to 5.9%, and the 35-44 age group has dropped from 13.4% to 12.3%. Demographic modeling suggests that Elanora Heights' age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the 85+ cohort projected to grow by 90%, adding 132 residents to reach 281. This growth is driven entirely by demographic aging, as residents aged 65 and older represent all anticipated population growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 55-64 and 25-34 age groups.