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, the Mona Vale statistical area (Lv2) has an estimated population of around 10,684. This figure reflects a decrease from the 2021 Census total of 10,877 people, marking a reduction of 193 individuals or approximately 1.8%. The current resident population estimate of 10,643 is based on AreaSearch's validation of new addresses since the Census date and examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024. This results in a density ratio of 2,327 persons per square kilometer, placing Mona Vale (SA2) in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, ending in Jun 2021, Mona Vale (SA2) exhibited resilient growth patterns with an average annual increase of 0.7%, outperforming its corresponding SA3 area. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during this period.

AreaSearch's projections for Mona Vale (SA2), based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year, anticipate a population increase just below the national median by 2041. According to these projections, the area is expected to grow by approximately 689 persons over the next 17 years, reflecting a total gain of around 10.0%.

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 using ABS building approval numbers from statistical area data, Mona Vale has annually received around 21 dwelling approvals over the past five financial years, totalling approximately 107 homes. As of FY-26, four approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 new residents arrived per new home built between FY-21 and FY-25, suggesting balanced supply and demand with stable market conditions. However, this figure has increased to 12.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, indicating growing demand and tightening supply. New homes are being constructed at an average cost of $931,000, reflecting a focus on premium properties by developers.

In FY-26, commercial approvals valued at $2.6 million have been registered, demonstrating Mona Vale's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Mona Vale exhibits approximately 67% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 11th percentile nationally, suggesting limited buyer options but strong demand for established properties. This lower activity may indicate market maturity and possible development constraints. Building activity comprises 30.0% standalone homes and 70.0% medium to high-density housing, marking a shift from existing patterns (currently 54.0% houses), likely due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. Mona Vale has around 1376 people per approval, indicating a mature, established area. Population forecasts estimate an increase of 1,067 residents by 2041.

If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Mona Vale has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

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

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.

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

Mona Vale has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 3.0%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, 5984 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate 1.2% lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Sydney's at 60.0%. Key industries for Mona Vale residents include construction, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Construction stands out as particularly strong, with employment share being 1.5 times the regional level.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing is under-represented, with only 3.1% of Mona Vale's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 5.3%. While local jobs exist, many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the period from September 2024 to September 2025, Mona Vale's labour force decreased by 0.6%, with employment declining by 1.2%, leading to a rise in unemployment of 0.6 percentage points. Meanwhile, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%. State-wide, as of 25-November-25, NSW's employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2260 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, lower than the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 indicate overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. 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, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized 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 Mona Vale has a median taxpayer income of $59,569 and an average income of $95,706 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to 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, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $64,847 (median) and $104,186 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Mona Vale rank highly nationally, between the 80th and 83rd percentiles. Income analysis shows that the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket dominates with 27.8% of residents (2,970 people), mirroring regional levels where 30.9% occupy this bracket. Mona Vale demonstrates considerable affluence with 38.8% earning over $3,000 per week. High housing costs consume 15.8% of income, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 82nd percentile nationally. 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 structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 53.7% houses and 46.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Sydney metro had 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, lower than Sydney metro's average of $3,200. Median weekly rent in Mona Vale was $650, compared to Sydney metro's $695. Nationally, Mona Vale's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and 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 comprise the remaining 25.9%, with lone person households at 23.7% and group households making up 2.0%. The median household size is 2.6 people, 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

Mona Vale's educational qualifications lag behind regional benchmarks, with 33.8% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to the SA4 region's 41.5%. This disparity indicates potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 24.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 35.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (14.1%) and certificates (21.4%).

Educational participation is high, with 28.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.4% in primary, 8.8% in secondary, and 4.6% in tertiary education.

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

Mona Vale has 101 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 88 different routes that together facilitate 6,160 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average just 177 meters from the nearest stop.

Buses run an average of 880 trips per day across all routes, which works out to about 60 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

Mona Vale's health data shows low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover is high at approximately 65%, compared to 73.8% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent conditions are arthritis (8.4%) and asthma (6.4%).

About 71.4% of residents report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's 72.8%. Mona Vale has 25.3% seniors (aged 65+), slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 24.1%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong and better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Mona Vale's cultural diversity was above average, with 10.5% speaking a language other than English at home as of the 2016 Census. Overseas-born residents made up 25.5%. Christianity was the dominant religion, at 54.7%.

Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, at 0.3% versus 0.3%. In terms of ancestry, the top groups were English (32.1%), Australian (24.6%), and Irish (9.2%). Notably, Serbian (1.0%) Croatian (1.4%) and Hungarian (0.4%) residents were overrepresented compared to regional averages.

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

The median age in Mona Vale is 46 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years, which is also above the Australian median of 38 years. The 65-74 age cohort is notably overrepresented in Mona Vale at 12.4%, compared to the Greater Sydney average, while the 25-34 age group is underrepresented at 8.8%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the population of 15 to 24-year-olds has increased from 11.3% to 13.5%, while the 35 to 44 cohort has declined from 10.9% to 9.2% and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 12.1% to 10.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Mona Vale, with the 75 to 84 age cohort projected to expand by 486 people (48%) from 1,004 to 1,491. The aging population trend is clear, with those aged 65 and above comprising 89% of projected growth. Conversely, the 25 to 34 and 45 to 54 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.