North Rocks

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the North Rocks statistical area (Lv2)'s population is estimated at around 9,424 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 288 people (3.2%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,136 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 9,379 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 31 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,722 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 87.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking at population projections moving forward, lower quartile growth of national areas is anticipated, with the North Rocks (SA2) expected to grow by 264 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 2.8% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in North Rocks according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Based on AreaSearch analysis using ABS building approval numbers, North Rocks averaged approximately 19 new dwelling approvals per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 96 homes were approved, with an additional 11 approved in FY-26. On average, about 3 people moved to the area annually for each new home constructed over these five financial years.

This robust demand supports property values, with new homes being built at an average expected construction cost of $744,000, indicating developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, $28.5 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting strong local business investment. However, compared to Greater Sydney, North Rocks has significantly less development activity, at 72.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Nationally, North Rocks also shows lower development activity, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints.

New building activity in North Rocks comprises approximately 70.0% detached dwellings and 30.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating an expanding range of medium-density options across various price brackets. The area has around 648 people per approval, demonstrating a mature, established population. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, North Rocks is projected to grow by 265 residents through to 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering favorable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 22 projects likely influencing the region. Notable initiatives include North Rocks Estate at 19-23 North Rocks Road, the development at 361-365 North Rocks Road, Stream Northmead, and North Rocks Shopping Centre Redevelopment. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees North Rocks performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

North Rocks has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 1.8% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 2.8%.

As of September 2025, 5625 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.4%, below Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation was similar to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading industries included health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training, with notable concentration in the latter at 1.3 times the regional average. Transport, postal & warehousing had limited presence at 3.6%, compared to 5.3% regionally.

Many residents commuted elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the year to September 2025, employment increased by 2.8% while labour force grew by 3.0%, raising unemployment by 0.3 percentage points. Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1% and a 0.2 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 showed NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. National forecasts from May-25 project total employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but industry-specific projections suggest North Rocks' employment could increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2023 shows North Rocks' median income among taxpayers is $57,605, with an average of $72,670. This is higher than the national average and compares to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year ending June 2023, current estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $62,709 (median) and $79,109 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in North Rocks rank highly nationally, between the 72nd and 85th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 31.8% of locals (2,996 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 income category, similar to the surrounding region where this cohort represents 30.9%. Economic strength is evident with 38.1% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 16.1% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 84th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

In North Rocks, as per the latest Census evaluation, 78.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 21.9% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Sydney metropolitan areas, where 36.4% of dwellings are houses and 63.6% are other dwellings. Home ownership in North Rocks stood at 36.3%, with mortgaged properties at 39.5% and rented dwellings at 24.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,817, surpassing the Sydney metro average of $2,167. The median weekly rent in North Rocks was $505, compared to $420 in Sydney metro areas. Nationally, North Rocks' median monthly mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and median weekly rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 83.3% of all households, including 46.5% couples with children, 26.1% couples without children, and 9.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 16.7%, with lone person households at 14.3% and group households comprising 2.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.6.

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

In North Rocks, the proportion of residents aged 15 and above with university qualifications is notably higher than national and state averages. Specifically, 44.2% of North Rocks residents hold such qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in New South Wales (NSW). This educational advantage is attributable to a range of credentials, with Bachelor degrees being the most common at 28.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 13.0% and graduate diplomas at 2.9%. Vocational skills are also prevalent, with 27.1% of residents aged 15 and above holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.8%) and certificates (15.3%).

The area's educational participation is notably high, with 30.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes those pursuing primary education (10.9%), secondary education (8.3%), and tertiary education (5.9%).

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

North Rocks has 84 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 56 different routes that together facilitate 8,234 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as excellent, with residents on average being located just 149 meters from the nearest stop.

On a daily basis, there are an average of 1,176 trips across all routes, which translates to approximately 98 weekly trips per individual stop.

North Rocks'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 North Rocks.

Both young and old age cohorts have low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 56%, covering about 5244 people. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.7% and 6.2% of residents respectively. 74.9% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 79.0% across Greater Sydney. North Rocks has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 17.8%, with about 1677 people in this age group, compared to the 12.5% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

North Rocks is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

North Rocks has a high level of cultural diversity, with 42.5% of its population born overseas and 44.0% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in North Rocks, accounting for 52.1% of the population. Hinduism, however, is underrepresented compared to the Greater Sydney average, comprising only 4.5%.

The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (17.7%), Australian (17.1%), and English (17.1%), all higher than their respective regional averages. Notably, Korean (4.4%) and Lebanese (2.6%) ethnicities are overrepresented in North Rocks compared to the regional averages of 1.5% and 3.5%, respectively. Sri Lankan ethnicity is underrepresented at 0.7%.

North Rocks's population is slightly older than the national pattern

North Rocks has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's median age of 38. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, North Rocks has a notably higher proportion of individuals aged 5-14 (14.8%) but fewer individuals aged 25-34 (10.4%). Between 2021 and present, the population aged 15 to 24 has increased from 11.4% to 13.1%, while the 55 to 64 age group has decreased from 11.5% to 10.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in North Rocks' age profile. The 85+ age cohort is projected to increase dramatically by 216 people (143%), from 150 to 367. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 62% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. Meanwhile, the 45 to 54 and 0 to 4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.