Mount Colah

Population growth drivers in Mount Colah are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Mount Colah's population is estimated at 8,726 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase from 7,816 people recorded in the 2021 Census, marking a growth of 910 people (11.6%). The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 8,314 based on latest ERP data release by ABS in June 2024 and additional 34 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 789 persons per square kilometer. Mount Colah's growth exceeded both SA4 region (5.7%) and SA3 area, making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 56% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with 2022 as base year. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as base year are utilised. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. The Mount Colah statistical area (Lv2) is projected to grow by 1,173 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 8.2% over the 17 years.

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

Mount Colah recorded around 27 residential properties granted approval per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 139 homes were approved, with a further 4 approved in FY-26. Each home built over these years brought an average of 5.6 new residents.

This demand outpaces supply, potentially influencing prices and competition among buyers. The average construction value was $428,000, higher than regional levels, suggesting quality construction emphasis. In FY-26, commercial approvals totaled $15.2 million, indicating steady investment activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Mount Colah's development is 29.0% above the regional average per person over five years, maintaining buyer choice and supporting property values despite recent slowdowns. However, it remains below the national average, suggesting an established area with potential planning limitations. Recent construction comprises 48.0% standalone homes and 52.0% medium-high density housing, shifting from the existing 84.0% houses.

This shift reflects decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyles seeking affordable options. The area's development environment is quiet, with approximately 390 people per dwelling approval. Future projections estimate Mount Colah adding 718 residents by 2041. Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Mount Colah has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified five projects that could impact this region. Notable projects include Hornsby Park's transformation from quarry to parklands, Mount Colah Station's upgrade, Arlington Heights Estate development, and Berowra Valley National Park's northern extension. 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.

Mount Colah shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Mount Colah has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. As of September 2025, its unemployment rate is 7.6%, based on AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

There are 4,536 residents employed, with an unemployment rate 3.4% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Mount Colah stands at 69.9%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Notably, education & training employs 1.4 times the regional average.

In contrast, transport, postal & warehousing employs only 3.4% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 5.3%. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, Mount Colah saw its labour force increase by 0.8% while employment declined by 2.2%, resulting in an unemployment rate rise of 2.9 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney, where employment rose by 2.1%, the labour force grew by 2.4%, and unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points. For broader context, as of 25-Nov-25, NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate stood at 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Mount Colah's employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections against the local employment mix. This 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

In Mount Colah, the median income among taxpayers was $60,214 during financial year 2023, with an average level of $76,842. Nationally, these figures are high compared to $60,817 and $83,003 across Greater Sydney respectively. By September 2025, estimated median income would be approximately $65,549, and the average is projected at $83,650 based on an 8.86% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. According to Census 2021 data, incomes in Mount Colah rank highly nationally, between the 81st and 90th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. The income distribution shows that 31.6% of residents (2,757 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, similar to the regional figure of 30.9%. Mount Colah exhibits significant affluence with 41.0% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Housing accounts for 15.1% of income, while strong earnings place residents within the 90th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 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 data, consisted of 83.8% houses and 16.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metropolitan area's figures of 61.4% houses and 38.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Colah was higher at 33.6%, with mortgaged properties at 48.7% and rented ones at 17.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,544, above Sydney metro's average of $2,500. Weekly rent median figure stood at $525, higher than Sydney metro's $480. Nationally, Mount Colah's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were 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, including 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 making up 1.5%. The median household size is 2.9 people, 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 at 10.2% and graduate diplomas at 3.7%. Vocational credentials are held by 30.6% of residents aged 15 and above, including advanced diplomas at 12.1% and certificates at 18.5%. Educational participation is high, with 30.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.8% in primary, 8.9% in secondary, and 5.5% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.8% in primary education, 8.9% in secondary education, and 5.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis shows 82 active stops in Mount Colah offering a mix of train and bus services. These are covered by 24 routes, serving 2170 weekly passenger trips. Transport access is rated excellent, with residents typically 149 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 310 trips daily across all routes, equating to around 26 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

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Mount Colah. Both young and old age cohorts have low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population (~4,998 people), compared to 61.4% across Greater Sydney. The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, impacting 8.2 and 7.1% of residents respectively. Seventy-two point two percent of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.0% across Greater Sydney. The area has 15.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,352 people), which is lower than the 17.1% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health 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, as per data from 2016 Census, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas with 33.3% of its population born overseas. 26.2% spoke languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion at 48.3%.

Judaism, at 0.4%, was slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney's 0.4%. The top three ancestry groups were English (24.6%), Australian (23.2%), and Other (12.1%). Hungarian (0.5% vs regional 0.3%) and Russian (0.5% vs 0.6%) were notably overrepresented, while Korean showed a divergence with 0.8% compared to the region's 2.0%.

Mount Colah's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Mount Colah has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's median age of 38. The 45-54 age 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 increased from 12.1% to 13.4% of the population, and the 75-84 cohort has grown 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 significant changes in Mount Colah's age profile. The 55-64 age cohort is projected to expand by 265 people (24%) from 1,125 to 1,391. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 62% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. Meanwhile, the 25-34 and 0-4 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.