Lane Cove

Population growth drivers in Lane Cove are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population for the Lane Cove statistical area (Lv2) is around 13,017. This reflects an increase of 654 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,363. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 12,988 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 26 validated new addresses since the Census date. This equates to a density ratio of 5,045 persons per square kilometer, placing Lane Cove (SA2) in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Lane Cove demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 2.2%, outpacing its SA3 area. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth, contributing approximately 67.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Lane Cove is expected to increase by just below the median of Australian statistical areas, reaching a population of 14,051 by 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 7.3% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Lane Cove among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Lane Cove has averaged around 43 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling approximately 215 homes. As of FY-26, 44 approvals have been recorded. Historically, an average of 3.3 new residents per year arrived per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This indicates supply has lagged demand, potentially leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures.

New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost value of $1,062,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $15.0 million, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Lane Cove records roughly half the building activity per person. Nationally, it places among the 64th percentile of areas assessed, though construction activity has intensified recently. This lower-than-average national level reflects the area's maturity and possible planning constraints.

New building activity comprises approximately 32.0% detached houses and 68.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating a trend toward denser development to provide accessible entry options for downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. Lane Cove has an estimated population density of around 223 people per dwelling approval, suggesting a low-density market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain approximately 957 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling population growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 23 projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable projects include St Andrews Anglican Church Redevelopment, Mindarie Street Social Housing Development, Residential Developments at 1 Gatacre Avenue and 5 Allison Avenue, and Lane Cove North Affordable Housing Project. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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The employment landscape in Lane Cove shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Lane Cove has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector being particularly prominent. Its unemployment rate is 5.3%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, 7,441 residents are employed, while the unemployment rate is 1.1% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Lane Cove stands at 70.3%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The leading employment industries among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. Notably, professional & technical services have a significantly higher representation, with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 5.4% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. While local employment opportunities exist in Lane Cove, many residents commute elsewhere for work, as indicated by the count of Census working population relative to local population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Lane Cove's labour force increased by 0.5%, while employment declined by 1.3%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with unemployment rising by only 0.2 percentage points during the same period. As of 25-November-2025, NSW's employment has contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state's unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-2025 project that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Lane Cove's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, although these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

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 Lane Cove's median income among taxpayers is $77,794, with an average of $128,231. This is notably higher than national figures and Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $84,687 (median) and $139,592 (average), based on an 8.86% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. According to the 2021 Census, Lane Cove's household, family, and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 91st and 96th percentiles. The earnings profile indicates that 31.6% of residents (4,113 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, differing from the regional dominance of the $1,500 - 2,999 category at 30.9%. A substantial 44.5% of residents earn more than $3,000 weekly, suggesting strong purchasing power within the community. High housing costs consume 17.0% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 89th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Lane Cove features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

The dwelling structure in Lane Cove, as per the latest Census, consisted of 30.3% houses and 69.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 41.1% houses and 58.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lane Cove was at 27.6%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (33.9%) or rented (38.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Lane Cove was $2,905, below Sydney metro's average of $3,033. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $533, compared to Sydney metro's $560. Nationally, Lane Cove's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Lane Cove has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 68.4% of all households, including 32.5% couples with children, 26.5% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 31.6%, with lone person households at 28.8% and group households comprising 2.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

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

Lane Cove'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 indicates a significant educational advantage for the area. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 37.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.1%).

Vocational pathways account for 20.1% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.2% and certificates at 9.9%. Educational participation is high in Lane Cove, with 29.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.7% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 6.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis indicates 73 active transport stops in Lane Cove, consisting of bus services. These stops are served by 51 unique routes, facilitating 6,305 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically situated 109 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 900 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 86 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Lane Cove shows excellent health outcomes with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all ages. Approximately 77% of Lane Cove's total population of 10,073 have private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 79.5%. Nationally, this figure stands at 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.7% and 6.2% of residents respectively. 77.0% of Lane Cove residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 78.0%. As of 2021, 15.8% of Lane Cove's population is aged 65 and over, comprising 2,056 people. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, aligning with the general population's health profile.

Lane Cove 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

Lane Cove's cultural diversity is notable, with 30.0% of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 40.2% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Lane Cove, accounting for 47.0% of its population. Judaism is slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, with 1.1% of Lane Cove's population identifying as such.

The top three ancestry groups are English (21.5%), Australian (18.0%), and Other (12.5%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences in representation: Hungarian (0.5% vs regional 0.4%), French (0.9% vs 0.7%), and Russian (0.7% vs 0.6%) are overrepresented in Lane Cove.

Lane Cove's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Lane Cove is 38 years, close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and equivalent to Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Lane Cove has a higher proportion of residents aged 35-44 (18.8%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (10.4%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15-24 has increased from 8.6% to 10.4%, while the proportion of those aged 0-4 has decreased from 6.9% to 6.0%. By 2041, Lane Cove's age composition is projected to change significantly. The 55-64 age group is expected to grow by 35%, reaching 1,605 people from the current 1,184. Meanwhile, both the 45-54 and 0-4 age groups are anticipated to decrease in number.