Mona Vale

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

As of Nov 2025, Mona Vale's population is estimated at around 10,942, reflecting an increase of 65 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 10,877. This change was inferred from AreaSearch's validation of resident population data from the latest ERP release by ABS (June 2024), showing 10,928 residents, and an additional 53 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,383 persons per square kilometer, placing Mona Vale in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Mona Vale demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.7%, outpacing the broader SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration. AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year.

Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from these aggregations for years 2032 to 2041. According to population projections, Mona Vale is expected to increase by around 690 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of approximately 7.4% in total over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Mona Vale, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data, Mona Vale averaged approximately 27 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 139 homes were approved, with an additional 5 approved in FY-26 to date. This suggests an average of about 28 dwellings approved per year over the past six financial years.

Assuming an average of 1.5 new residents per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25, and considering recent data showing this figure has increased to 16.3 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, Mona Vale's population growth appears stable yet shows signs of increasing demand for housing. The average construction cost value of new homes in Mona Vale is around $931,000, indicating a focus on premium market developments. Compared to Greater Sydney, Mona Vale exhibits 13.0% lower construction activity per person, placing it among the 9th percentile nationally, suggesting limited buyer options and strengthening demand for established dwellings. New development in Mona Vale consists of approximately 24.0% detached dwellings and 76.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift from the current housing mix of 54.0% houses. This change may be attributed to reduced availability of development sites and evolving lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With around 1835 people per dwelling approval, Mona Vale reflects a highly mature market.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Mona Vale is projected to gain approximately 810 residents by 2041. Current development trends appear well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 24 projects expected to impact the area. Notable ones include Warriewood Valley Release Area, Pittwater Plaza Redevelopment, Mona Vale Place Plan, and Dove Lane Residences. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Mona Vale exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Mona Vale's workforce is highly educated with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.6% as of June 2025, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Mona Vale is similar to Greater Sydney at 60.0%. Key industries for employment are construction, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Construction stands out with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing has lower representation at 3.1% compared to the regional average of 5.3%.

Many residents commute outside Mona Vale for work. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, Mona Vale's labour force remained unchanged while employment decreased by 0.5%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.5 percentage points. Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industries. Applying these projections to Mona Vale's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.8% over ten years.

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

Mona Vale's income level is among the top percentile nationally according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Mona Vale's median income among taxpayers is $59,569 and the average income stands at $95,709, compared to Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $67,081 for median income and $107,778 for average income as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Mona Vale, between the 80th and 83rd percentiles nationally. The data shows 27.8% of the population (3,041 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, mirroring the region where 30.9% occupy this bracket. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 38.8% exceeding $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 15.8% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 82nd percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Mona Vale displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Mona Vale's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 53.7% houses and 46.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metro's 72.1% houses and 27.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mona Vale stood at 46.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.0% and rented ones at 22.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,033, below the Sydney metro average of $3,200. The median weekly rent in Mona Vale was $650, compared to Sydney metro's $695. Nationally, Mona Vale's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Mona Vale has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 74.1% of all households, including 34.0% couples with children, 30.5% couples without children, and 9.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 25.9%, with lone person households at 23.7% and group households comprising 2.0%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Educational qualifications in Mona Vale trail regional benchmarks; 33.8% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees compared to 41.5% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 24.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 35.5% of residents aged 15+ holding them; advanced diplomas account for 14.1% and certificates for 21.4%. Educational participation is high at 28.5%; this includes primary education (9.4%), secondary education (8.8%), and tertiary education (4.6%).

Mona Vale's four schools have a combined enrollment of 2,084 students; the area has above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1089. Education provision is balanced with three primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. The area functions as an education hub with 19.1 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 12.7, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

The Mona Vale public transport analysis shows that there are currently 74 active transport stops operating in the area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 87 individual routes providing service. Collectively, these routes facilitate 5,906 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility to transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 178 meters from their nearest transport stop. The average service frequency across all routes is 843 trips per day, which equates to approximately 79 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mona Vale's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data shows Mona Vale residents have a relatively low prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 65% of Mona Vale's total population (7,075 people) has private health cover, compared to 74.1% in Greater Sydney and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (8.4%) and asthma (6.4%).

A total of 71.4% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 72.8%. Mona Vale has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 25.3% (2,768 people) compared to Greater Sydney's 24.1%. Health outcomes among seniors in Mona Vale are particularly strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Mona Vale was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mona Vale's population shows above-average cultural diversity, with 10.5% speaking a language other than English at home and 25.5% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Mona Vale, accounting for 54.7%. Notably, Judaism is proportionally similar to Greater Sydney, both at 0.3%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (32.1%), Australian (24.6%), and Irish (9.2%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: Serbian (1.0% vs regional 0.5%), Croatian (1.4% vs 0.8%), and Hungarian (0.4% vs 0.3%) are overrepresented in Mona Vale.

Mona Vale hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Mona Vale is 46 years, which is notably higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and also above Australia's median age of 38 years. The 65-74 age cohort is significantly over-represented in Mona Vale at 12.4%, compared to the Greater Sydney average, while those aged 25-34 are under-represented at 8.8%. Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the proportion of the population aged 15-24 has increased from 11.3% to 13.5%, while the percentage of those aged 35-44 has decreased from 10.9% to 9.2%. The proportion of individuals aged 5-14 has also dropped, from 12.1% to 10.8%. By 2041, significant demographic changes are projected for Mona Vale. The 75-84 age cohort is expected to expand by 454 people (a 44% increase) from 1,028 to 1,483. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 91% of the projected growth. Conversely, the populations in the 25-34 and 45-54 age groups are expected to decline.