Killara (NSW)

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

As of Feb 2026, the population of the suburb of Killara (NSW) is estimated at around 11,254 people. This reflects an increase of 634 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,620 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 11,161 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release (June 2024) and an additional 69 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,462 persons per square kilometer, placing Killara in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Killara's growth rate of 6.0% since the 2021 census exceeded both its SA3 area (4.3%) and SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader. Overseas migration was primarily responsible for this population growth in 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. According to population projections moving forward, a population increase just below the median of national statistical areas is expected in Killara. By 2041, the suburb is projected to grow by 1,274 persons, reflecting a gain of 10.5% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Killara according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Killara recorded around 23 residential properties granted approval each year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 118 homes were approved, with another 19 approved so far in FY-26. This results in an average of about 3 new residents per dwelling built over the past five financial years.

The average construction value of new homes is $1,319,000, indicating a focus on premium properties. In FY-26, $114.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered. Compared to Greater Sydney and nationally, Killara shows relatively constrained buyer choice due to its lower level of construction activity per person. New building activity is dominated by detached houses at 76.0%, preserving the area's suburban nature.

However, developers are constructing more detached housing than the existing pattern implies, reflecting strong demand for family homes. At around 629 people per approval, Killara shows a mature, established area with a forecasted population growth of 1,181 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Killara 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 34 projects expected to affect this region. Notable initiatives include Transport Oriented Development & Rail Infrastructure at Lindfield Precinct, Lindfield Village Hub, The Marian - involving 20, 22A, and 22 Marian Street TOD Site, and Killara Golf Club Residential Development.

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.

The labour market in Killara demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Killara has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. The unemployment rate is 3.7%, and there was an estimated employment growth of 0.8% over the past year, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, 5620 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.5% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Killara lags behind Greater Sydney at 62.3% compared to 70.2%. Census responses indicate that 62.1% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The dominant employment sectors include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. Killara has a particular specialization in professional & technical jobs with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level, while construction shows lower representation at 4.2% compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over a 12-month period ending December 2025, employment increased by 0.8%, labour force grew by 1.2%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points in Killara. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.2% and the labour force grow by 2.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Killara's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 7.6% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes that does not take into account localised population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The suburb of Killara has an exceptionally high income level nationally, according to the latest Australian Taxation Office data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year ended 30 June 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Killara is $62,363, with an average income of $126,098. These figures compare to those for Greater Sydney, which are $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since the financial year ended 30 June 2023, current estimates suggest the median income would be approximately $67,888 and the average income around $137,270 by September 2025. The 2021 Census shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Killara rank highly nationally, between the 86th and 95th percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 35.9% of the population (4,040 individuals) fall within the $4000+ income range, unlike trends in the metropolitan region where 30.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. This substantial proportion of high earners (47.8% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the locality. Housing accounts for 14.8% of income, and residents rank highly in terms of disposable income, within the 94th percentile nationally. The area's Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Killara features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Killara's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, comprised 54.6% houses and 45.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Killara stood at 40.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.3% and rented ones at 26.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,300, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Killara was $620, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Killara's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 79.1% of all households, including 43.4% couples with children, 23.7% couples without children, and 10.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 20.9%, with lone person households at 19.4% and group households comprising 1.8%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Killara's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 59.7% have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. This high level of educational attainment positions the area favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 36.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (20.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%).

Vocational pathways account for 16.0% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 9.7% and certificates 6.3%. Educational participation is high in Killara, with 33.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.7% in secondary education, 10.0% in primary education, and 8.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Killara has 65 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 37 different routes, together facilitating 5,833 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is considered excellent with residents generally situated 162 meters from the nearest stop. As predominantly residential, most commuters travel outward; cars remain the primary mode at 77%, while trains account for 16%. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, a high 62.1% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 833 trips daily across all routes, translating to roughly 89 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Killara's health outcomes data shows excellent results, as assessed by AreaSearch. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 77% of Killara's total population (8,614 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 5.7% and 5.0% of residents respectively. 77.3% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Killara has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 20.8%, or 2,340 people, than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, broadly matching national rankings with the general population.

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

Killara has a high level of cultural diversity, with 42.1% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 47.9% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Killara, making up 42.9% of people there. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 1.9% of Killara's population versus 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are Chinese at 24.4%, English at 19.4%, and Australian at 15.3%. Some other ethnic groups also show notable differences: Korean is overrepresented at 3.3% in Killara compared to the regional average of 1.1%, Hungarian at 0.5% versus 0.3%, and Russian at 0.7% versus 0.4%.

Killara's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Killara is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. The 15-24 age group makes up 16.2% of the population in Killara, compared to Greater Sydney. The 25-34 age cohort represents 8.1%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 14.1% to 16.2%, while the 75-84 age group has grown from 6.1% to 7.3%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group has decreased from 14.1% to 13.0%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Killara. The 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 47%, reaching 1,205 people from 821. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 70% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 0-4 and 25-34 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.