Mount Colah

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

The population of Mount Colah, as estimated by AreaSearch based on ABS updates and new addresses validated since Nov 2025, is around 8,400. This figure reflects a growth of 584 people from the 2021 Census population of 7,816, marking a 7.5% increase. The estimated resident population (ERP) of 8,345, as calculated by AreaSearch using ABS data released in June 2024 and additional validated addresses, indicates this growth. Mount Colah's population density is approximately 759 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages found across other locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 7.5% growth since the 2021 Census exceeds both its SA3 area (4.3%) and SA4 region, positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 56% of overall population gains during recent periods for Mount Colah.

AreaSearch uses 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. Applying growth rates from these aggregations to all areas, Mount Colah is projected to increase by 1,170 persons to 2041, reflecting a 12.4% total population growth over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Mount Colah when compared nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis, Mount Colah had approximately 27 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years ending FY-25. This totals an estimated 135 homes. In FY-26 so far, there have been 3 recorded approvals. The average population increase per year for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25 was 5.8 people, indicating demand outstripping supply, which may lead to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures.

New homes are being constructed at an average cost of $428,000, below regional norms, suggesting more affordable housing options. In this financial year, commercial approvals worth $8.1 million have been registered, reflecting the area's residential character. Compared to Greater Sydney, Mount Colah shows moderately higher construction activity (25.0% above average per person over the five-year period), offering reasonable buyer options while sustaining property demand. However, recent construction activity has eased and is lower than the national average, suggesting market maturity and possible development constraints. New building activity comprises 46.0% detached houses and 54.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a shift from existing housing patterns (currently 84.0% houses), indicating diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and affordability needs. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 420 people, reflecting its quiet development environment.

Mount Colah is projected to grow by 1,041 residents through to 2041, with construction maintaining a reasonable pace despite increasing competition as the population grows.

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

Five projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to influence the local area's performance. These key projects include Hornsby Park transformation from quarry to parklands, Mount Colah Station upgrade, Arlington Heights Estate development, and Berowra Valley National Park northern extension. The following list details those likely to be 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.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Mount Colah recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Mount Colah has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector notably represented. Its unemployment rate as of June 2025 was 7.4%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

There were 4,558 residents in work at this time, with an unemployment rate 3.2% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Mount Colah was 69.9%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The dominant employment sectors among residents included health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Notably, the area had a high specialization in education & training, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing was under-represented, with only 3.4% of Mount Colah's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 5.3%. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the year to June 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.1%, while employment declined by 3.2%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 2.9 percentage points. This contrasted with Greater Sydney, where employment grew by 2.6%, labour force expanded by 2.9%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 offered insight into potential future demand within Mount Colah. These projections estimated national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Mount Colah's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, though these figures were simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and did 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

Mount Colah had a median taxpayer income of $60,214 and an average income of $76,842 in financial year 2022. These figures are higher than the national averages of $53,927 (median) and $77,140 (average). By September 2025, estimated median income is approximately $67,807 and average income is around $86,532, based on a 12.61% increase since financial year 2022. Mount Colah's incomes rank between the 81st and 90th percentiles nationally according to Census 2021 data. In Mount Colah, 31.6% of individuals earn between $1,500 - $2,999 weekly, similar to the broader area where 30.9% fall within this bracket. A significant portion, 41.0%, exceed $3,000 weekly. Housing expenses account for 15.1% of income, and residents rank highly in disposable income (90th percentile) and SEIFA income ranking (9th decile).

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

Mount Colah's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 83.8% houses and 16.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 61.4% houses and 38.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Colah stood at 33.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 48.7% and rented ones at 17.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,544, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,500. The median weekly rent was $525, compared to Sydney metro's $480. Nationally, Mount Colah's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 83.2% of all households, composed of 47.4% couples with children, 25.0% couples without children, and 9.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 16.8%, with lone person households at 15.4% and group households comprising 1.5% of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 39.9%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 57.1%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 26.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 30.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.1%) and certificates (18.5%). Educational participation is high at 30.2%, with 9.8% in primary education, 8.9% in secondary education, and 5.5% pursuing tertiary education.

Mount Colah Public School and Gibberagong Environmental Education Centre serve 459 students collectively. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1093). There is one primary and one K-12 school in the educational mix. Local school capacity is limited at 5.5 places per 100 residents, compared to the regional average of 16.1, leading many families to travel for schooling. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

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

Mount Colah has 80 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 24 individual routes that collectively facilitate 1,976 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transport services is rated as excellent, with residents typically located approximately 149 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, service frequency across all routes amounts to 282 trips per day, equating to roughly 24 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mount Colah's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Mount Colah shows robust health metrics across all ages. Young and elderly residents both report low prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover stands at approximately 57% (4,811 people), slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 60.8%. Asthma and mental health issues are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 8.2 and 7.1% respectively. 72.2% of residents claim to be free from medical ailments, compared to 74.0% in Greater Sydney. Mount Colah has 15.4% (1,293 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Sydney's 17.1%. Senior health outcomes align with the general population's profile.

Mount Colah 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

Mount Colah exhibited higher cultural diversity than most nearby areas, with 33.3% of its residents born overseas and 26.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Mount Colah, accounting for 48.3% of the population. Notably, Judaism was present at 0.4%, slightly higher than the 0.4% regional average.

The top three parental birth countries were England (24.6%), Australia (23.2%), and Other (12.1%). Some ethnic groups showed variations: Hungarian residents made up 0.5% in Mount Colah, compared to 0.3% regionally; Russian residents comprised 0.5%, versus 0.6%; Korean residents were at 0.8%, lower than the regional 2.0%.

Mount Colah's median age exceeds the national pattern

Mount Colah has a median age of 40, which is higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38 years. The 45-54 cohort is notably over-represented in Mount Colah at 16.4%, compared to the Greater Sydney average, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 8.8%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has grown from 12.1% to 13.4%, and the 75-84 cohort has increased from 4.3% to 5.5%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has declined from 10.7% to 8.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Mount Colah's age profile will evolve significantly. The 55-64 cohort is projected to expand by 307 people (28%) from 1,083 to 1,391. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 57% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 5-14 and 0-4 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.