North Willoughby

North Willoughby is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of May 2026, North Willoughby's population is estimated at around 4,395 people. This reflects an increase of 234 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,161 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population being 4,219 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025, along with an additional 13 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 4,725 persons per square kilometer, placing North Willoughby in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 5.6% growth since the census is within 0.3 percentage points of the SA4 region's 5.9%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 95.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in North Willoughby.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, population projections indicate an increase just below the median of national areas by 2041. North Willoughby is expected to increase by 286 persons over this period, reflecting a total increase of 2.5%.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in North Willoughby, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

North Willoughby has seen around 25 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 125 homes. In FY-26 so far, 6 approvals have been recorded. The average population growth per dwelling built in North Willoughby between FY-21 and FY-25 was 0.4 people per year. New construction has matched or outpaced demand, offering buyers more options while new properties are constructed at an average value of $1,024,000.

There have been $312,000 in commercial approvals this financial year. North Willoughby maintains similar construction rates per person compared to Greater Sydney, supporting market stability. Recent construction comprises 13.0% standalone homes and 87.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles. The area has approximately 507 people per dwelling approval. Population forecasts indicate North Willoughby will gain 110 residents by 2041.

With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

No changes can significantly affect a region's performance like alterations to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects likely to impact this area. Notable projects include Heart Of Willoughby, North Sydney To Northern Beaches Capacity Improvements, Northern Beaches Housing Reforms Implementation, and Low And Mid-Rise Housing Policy. 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 North Willoughby has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

North Willoughby has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 5.6%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, there are 2,037 residents employed, and the unemployment rate is 1.4% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in North Willoughby lags behind Greater Sydney at 62.7%, compared to 68.8%. Census responses show that 59.7% of residents work from home, with Covid-19 lockdown impacts considered. The dominant employment sectors among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. North Willoughby specializes particularly in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level, while construction has limited presence at 5.2% compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force increased by 0.1%, while employment declined by 1.5%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.6 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%, with a marginal increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 provide insight into potential future demand within North Willoughby. These projections estimate that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to North Willoughby's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does 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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, North Willoughby had a median income among taxpayers of $67,382 and an average income of $138,363. These figures place North Willoughby in the top percentile nationally. In comparison, Greater Sydney's median income was $60,817 and average income was $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, current estimates suggest a median income of approximately $74,336 and an average income of $152,642 as of March 2026. Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in North Willoughby rank highly nationally, between the 84th and 90th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 32.3% of residents (1,419 people) earn $4,000 or more per week, differing from the metropolitan region where the predominant earning bracket is $1,500 - $2,999. Notably, 42.9% of residents earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity in the suburb. High housing costs consume 16.3% of income, but due to strong earnings, disposable income ranks at the 89th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

North Willoughby displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In North Willoughby, as per the latest Census data, 52.3% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 47.6% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is compared to Sydney's metropolitan area, where 55.9% of dwellings are houses and 44.1% are other types. Home ownership in North Willoughby stood at 39.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.4% and rented ones at 33.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,275, higher than the Sydney metro average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in North Willoughby was $590, compared to $470 in Sydney metro. Nationally, North Willoughby's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,275 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

North Willoughby has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 75.9% of all households, including 39.9% couples with children, 22.0% couples without children, and 12.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 24.1%, with lone person households at 21.5% and group households making up 2.7%. The median household size is 2.7 people, aligning with the Greater Sydney average.

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

In North Willoughby, educational attainment is notably high among residents aged 15 and above, with 50.8% holding university qualifications. This figure exceeds the national average of 30.4% and the state average of 32.2% in New South Wales (NSW). The area's strong educational advantage positions it well for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most common at 34.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 13.1% and graduate diplomas at 3.7%.

Vocational pathways account for 21.4% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 11.0% and certificates 10.4%. Educational participation is high, with 31.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.9% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 6.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

North Willoughby has 25 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 46 different routes that together facilitate 3,366 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents living an average of 123 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards daily. Car remains the primary mode of transportation, used by 71% of residents, followed by bus at 12% and walking at 8%. The area has an average vehicle ownership rate of 1.0 per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 59.7% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. On average, there are 480 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 134 weekly trips per stop.

North Willoughby's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

North Willoughby's health outcomes show exceptional results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, with very low prevalence across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 81% of the total population (3,575 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.0 and 5.9% respectively.

75.3% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, slightly higher than the 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Working-age residents have notably low chronic condition prevalence. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 17.6%, compared to Greater Sydney's 15.5%. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

North Willoughby 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

North Willoughby has a high level of cultural diversity, with 37.1% of its population born overseas and 33.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in North Willoughby, accounting for 53.1% of the population. Judaism is slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, with 1.0% of North Willoughby's population identifying as such, compared to 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.5%), Australian (19.7%), and Chinese (12.8%). Some ethnic groups have notable representation in North Willoughby: Croatian at 1.6% (compared to 0.7% regionally), Korean at 1.4% (compared to 1.1%), and French at 0.8% (compared to 0.5%).

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

North Willoughby has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38. The 45-54 age cohort is notably over-represented in North Willoughby at 15.0%, compared to the Greater Sydney average, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 9.3%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has grown from 10.6% to 14.2% of the population. Conversely, the 35-44 cohort has declined from 15.8% to 13.9%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 16.0% to 14.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that North Willoughby's age profile will change significantly. The 65-74 age cohort is projected to increase by 112 people (30%), from 377 to 490. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 53% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 5-14 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.