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 Nov 2025, the estimated population for the North Willoughby statistical area (Lv2) is around 4,408. This figure represents an increase of 247 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 4,161. AreaSearch's analysis, based on ERP data released by the ABS in June 2024 and validated new addresses, suggests this growth is inferred from a resident population estimate of 4,376. The population density ratio stands at 4,739 persons per square kilometer, placing North Willoughby in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. This high density reflects the area's significant population growth since the 2021 Census, with a rate of 5.9%, surpassing the SA4 region's growth of 5.7%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 95.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in North Willoughby (SA2).

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. These projections indicate that the North Willoughby (SA2) population is expected to increase by 322 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of approximately 5.0% over the 17-year period.

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

North Willoughby has seen approximately 26 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 131 homes. From FY-21 to FY-25, an average of 0.5 people moved into the area per year for each dwelling built. So far in FY-26, four approvals have been recorded. The average construction value is $1,024,000, indicating a focus on premium properties.

There has also been $312,000 in commercial approvals this financial year. North Willoughby's construction rates per person are similar to Greater Sydney's, supporting market stability. Recent construction comprises 16.0% standalone homes and 84.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 52.0% houses. The location has approximately 406 people per dwelling approval. Population forecasts indicate North Willoughby will gain 218 residents by 2041.

Current construction levels should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and 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 that are predicted to impact this area. Notable projects include Heart Of Willoughby, Sydney Metro City & Southwest, North Sydney To Northern Beaches Capacity Improvements, and Sydney Metro City & Southwest Extension. The following list details those expected to be most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in North Willoughby has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

North Willoughby has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 6.0%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, 2,165 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.8% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. The workforce participation rate is fairly standard at 63.3%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant employment sectors among residents include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. North Willoughby shows strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level.

However, construction has limited presence with 5.2% employment compared to 8.6% regionally. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force increased by 1.1%, while employment declined by 1.5%, causing unemployment to rise by 2.5 percentage points in North Willoughby. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points during the same period. State-level data as of 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 3.9%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia predict national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to North Willoughby's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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 ATO data released on June 30, 2023, North Willoughby had a median income among taxpayers of $67,382 and an average income of $138,363. This places North Willoughby in the top percentile nationally, compared to Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since June 2023, current estimates for North Willoughby are approximately $73,352 (median) and $150,622 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in North Willoughby rank between the 84th and 90th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile indicates that 32.3% of residents earn $4,000 or more per week (1,423 people), differing from Sydney's predominant earning bracket of $1,500 - $2,999. A substantial proportion of high earners (42.9%) in North Willoughby suggests strong economic capacity. High housing costs consume 16.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income 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

North Willoughby's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 52.3% houses and 47.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 41.1% houses and 58.9% other dwellings. 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, above the Sydney metro average of $3,033. The median weekly rent figure was $590, compared to Sydney metro's $560. Nationally, North Willoughby's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

North Willoughby has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average 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% of the total. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

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

North Willoughby's educational attainment is notably higher than national and state averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 50.8% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. This high level of educational attainment is largely driven by bachelor degrees (34.0%), postgraduate qualifications (13.1%), and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational pathways also contribute significantly, with advanced diplomas accounting for 11.0% and certificates for 10.4%.

Educational participation in the area is high, with 31.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (11.9%), secondary education (8.2%), and tertiary education (6.6%).

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 operating within its boundaries. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totaling 46 individual routes. Collectively, these routes facilitate 3,366 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport in North Willoughby is rated as excellent, with residents located an average of 123 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are 480 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 134 weekly trips per individual 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 demonstrates excellent health outcomes with a low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 81% of its total population of 3,585 people have private health cover, significantly higher than the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.0% and 5.9% of residents respectively. A majority, 75.3%, report being completely free from medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 78.0%. As of January 2021, North Willoughby has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 17.7% (780 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 15.7%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in North Willoughby are strong and largely align with the general population's health profile.

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. While Judaism represents only 1.0%, this is similar to the regional average of Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.5%), Australian (19.7%), and Chinese (12.8%). Notably, Croatian (1.6%) and Korean (1.4%) are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.7% and 1.8%, respectively. French also shows a slight overrepresentation at 0.8%.

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

North Willoughby has a median age of 40, which is somewhat higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 years and marginally higher than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, North Willoughby has an over-representation of the 5-14 cohort (15.2% locally) while the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented (8.8%). Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has grown from 10.6% to 13.4%, whereas the 35-44 cohort has declined from 15.8% to 14.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests North Willoughby's age profile will significantly evolve. The 65-74 age cohort is projected to expand by 119 people (31%), growing from 383 to 503. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 50% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 45-54 cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.