North Sydney

North Sydney lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of November 2025, North Sydney's population is estimated at around 9,900. This reflects a growth of 936 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,964. The increase was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 9,495 residents following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024, along with additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 6,689 persons per square kilometer, placing North Sydney among the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's population growth of 10.4% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (5.4%) and SA3 area, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 84.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch's projections for North Sydney are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government SA2-level projections released in 2022 using a base year of 2021 for areas not covered by the former. Future population growth is anticipated to be above median national levels, with North Sydney projected to increase by 1,456 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 11.9% over the 17-year period.

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

North Sydney averaged approximately 9 new dwelling approvals per year. Between financial years FY21 and FY25, around 48 homes were approved, with a further 41 approved in FY26. Each dwelling built attracted an average of 9.7 people over the past five financial years.

This indicates substantial demand outpacing supply, potentially leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. Developers focus on the premium market, as new properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $1,676,000. In FY26, commercial approvals totaled $502.6 million, suggesting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, North Sydney has significantly less development activity, with 51.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. The market reflects maturity and possible development constraints, with national comparisons lower than regional averages.

New building activity shows 8.0% detached houses and 92.0% attached dwellings, indicating a trend towards denser development appealing to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. North Sydney has around 1594 people per dwelling approval, reflecting a highly mature market. Population forecasts indicate North Sydney will gain 1,176 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

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

Area infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified 48 potential impact projects. Notable ones are Western Harbour Tunnel, Warringah Freeway Upgrade, Hume Place, Affinity Place, and East Walker Residences. 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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Employment performance in North Sydney has been broadly consistent with national averages

North Sydney has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 3.8%, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

As of June 2025, 6,591 residents are employed and the participation rate is high at 70.6%. Key employment industries include professional & technical services, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. The area has a notable concentration in professional & technical jobs, with levels at 2.1 times the regional average, while health care & social assistance has limited presence at 9.4% compared to the region's 14.1%. With 4.3 workers per resident, North Sydney functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.2% while employment declined by 1.1%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.9 percentage points in North Sydney. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.6%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project total employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to North Sydney's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.6% over five years and 15.0% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for local population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

North Sydney's median income among taxpayers was $76,296 in financial year 2022, according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. The average income stood at $135,215 during the same period. This compares with Greater Sydney's median and average incomes of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. By September 2025, current estimates suggest North Sydney's median income will be approximately $85,917 and the average will be around $152,266, based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022. The 2021 Census revealed that household, family, and personal incomes in North Sydney ranked between the 88th and 98th percentiles nationally. Income analysis showed that 30.6% of North Sydney's population (3,029 individuals) fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across the region where 30.9% were in the same category. A significant 42.2% earned above $3,000 weekly, reflecting areas of prosperity driving local economic activity. High housing costs consumed 19.8% of income, yet strong earnings placed disposable income at the 81st percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 10th decile.

North Sydney features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The latest Census showed that North Sydney had 6.1% houses and 93.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Sydney metro's 17.9% houses and 82.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in North Sydney was at 19.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 18.0% and rented ones at 62.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,817, below the Sydney metro average of $3,085. The median weekly rent was $575, compared to Sydney metro's $582. Nationally, North Sydney's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,817 than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

North Sydney features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 52.5% of all households, including 15.5% couples with children, 30.3% couples without children, and 5.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 47.5%, with lone person households at 42.4% and group households comprising 5.2%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.1.

North Sydney demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

North Sydney's residents aged 15+ have a higher educational attainment than broader benchmarks. 66.5% hold university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 40.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (22.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational pathways account for 17.3% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.8% and certificates at 7.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.2% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.9% in tertiary, 5.4% in primary, and 4.7% in secondary education. There are 10 schools operating within North Sydney, educating approximately 8,324 students. The area's ICSEA score is 1169, indicating high educational performance. The school mix includes 4 primary, 4 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. North Sydney functions as an education hub with 84.1 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 19.2.

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

North Sydney has 51 active public transport stops. These include ferry, train, light rail, and bus services. They are served by 100 individual routes, providing a total of 14,234 weekly passenger trips.

Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 115 meters to the nearest stop. Service frequency is high, with 2,033 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 279 weekly trips per individual stop.

North Sydney's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

North Sydney's health outcomes show excellent results, with younger age groups having a very low prevalence of common health conditions. The private health cover rate is exceptionally high at approximately 80% of the total population (7,931 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 86.4%. Nationally, this figure stands at 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions in North Sydney, affecting 6.4% and 6.3% of residents respectively. A total of 77.7% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 75.2%. The area has 15.2% of residents aged 65 and over (1,504 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 20.1%. While health outcomes among seniors are above average, they require more attention than the broader population.

North Sydney 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 Sydney has a high level of cultural diversity, with 34.0% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 49.9% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in North Sydney, comprising 39.7% of its population. Judaism is overrepresented in North Sydney compared to Greater Sydney, making up 0.6% versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups based on country of birth of parents are English (21.7%), Other (14.6%), and Australian (14.2%). Some ethnic groups have notable differences in representation: Spanish is overrepresented at 1.0% compared to the regional average of 0.7%, Russian is also slightly overrepresented at 0.8% versus 0.7%, and French is underrepresented at 0.9% compared to 1.1%.

North Sydney's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

North Sydney's median age is 36 years, nearly matching Greater Sydney's average of 37 years. This is modestly below the Australian median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, North Sydney has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (25.7%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.2%). The 25-34 concentration is well above the national average of 14.5%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 8.9% to 9.8%, while the 45-54 cohort has declined from 11.3% to 10.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests North Sydney's age profile will change significantly. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 187%, adding 426 residents to reach 654. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 70% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Conversely, the 0-4 and 35-44 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.