Wahroonga

An assessment of population growth drivers in Wahroonga reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As per AreaSearch's analysis of ABS population updates and new addresses validated by them, the suburb of Wahroonga had an estimated population of around 18,064 as of May 2026. This figure represents a rise of 211 people (1.2%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 17,853. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 18,037 following their examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 48 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,856 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in the suburb during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, they are utilising 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. Based on projected demographic shifts and aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to experience above median population growth compared to other statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch. By 2041, the area's population is projected to increase by 2,244 persons, reflecting a total increase of 12.3% over the 16-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Wahroonga recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Wahroonga shows approximately 66 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 332 homes. As of FY-26185 approvals have been recorded. The population has declined recently, but development activity has remained adequate relative to this decline, benefiting buyers. New homes are being constructed at an average cost of $963,000, indicating a focus on premium properties.

This financial year has seen $137.0 million in commercial approvals, suggesting strong local business investment. Recent construction comprises 52.0% standalone homes and 48.0% medium to high-density housing, expanding affordable options. This shift from the area's existing housing (currently 75.0% houses) reflects decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyles.

The location has approximately 176 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. AreaSearch estimates Wahroonga will grow by 2,217 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond projections.

Wahroonga has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

The performance of an area can be significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 35 such projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable projects include The Residences at Wahroonga Estate, Twin Towers Hornsby, Eastwood Gardens (Waitara), and Braeside Street Road Upgrade. The following list details those projects deemed 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.

The employment landscape in Wahroonga shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Wahroonga has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 4.3% as of December 2025. Over the past year, employment stability was relatively consistent based on AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of December 2025, 8,934 residents were employed with an unemployment rate of 4.5%, which is 0.2% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Wahroonga was lower at 62.2%, compared to Greater Sydney's 68.8%. According to Census responses, 59.8% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. The dominant employment sectors were health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and finance & insurance.

Wahroonga had a particularly high specialization in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level. Conversely, construction was under-represented at 4.9% of the workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 8.6%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the discrepancy between working population and resident population counts. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment increased by 0.1%, while labour force grew by 1.2%, raising the unemployment rate by 1 percentage point. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project total employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wahroonga's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.7% over five years and 15.4% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do 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

The suburb of Wahroonga has an exceptionally high income level nationally, according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year ended June 30, 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Wahroonga is $61,112, with an average income of $103,753. These figures compare to those for Greater Sydney, which are $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since June 30, 2023, current estimates for Wahroonga's median income would be approximately $67,419, and the average would be around $114,460 as of March 2026. Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Wahroonga rank highly nationally, between the 82nd and 96th percentiles. The largest income segment in Wahroonga comprises 38.2% of residents earning $4,000 or more weekly (6,900 residents), contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. Economic strength is evident through 49.9% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 14.8% of income, and strong earnings rank residents within the 96th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Wahroonga, as per the latest Census, consisted of 74.6% houses and 25.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is compared to Sydney metro's 74.1% houses and 25.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wahroonga was at 40%, with mortgaged dwellings at 41.5% and rented ones at 18.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,467, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $600. Nationally, Wahroonga's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 81.6% of all households, including 47.0% couples with children, 25.0% couples without children, and 8.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 18.4%, with lone person households at 17.1% and group households comprising 1.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Wahroonga residents aged 15 and above have a higher educational attainment than national and state averages. 54.5% of residents hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Vocational pathways account for 19.4% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.6% and certificates at 8.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in primary education, 10.3% in secondary education, and 7.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Wahroonga indicates that there are 134 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops offer a mix of train and bus services. There are 70 individual routes servicing these stops, collectively providing 5,595 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 176 meters from the nearest transport stop. As Wahroonga is primarily residential, most residents commute outward. The dominant mode of transport among residents is car at 79%, followed by train at 11% and walking at 6%.

Vehicle ownership averages 1.5 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, a high percentage of residents work from home, with 59.8% doing so, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 799 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 41 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

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

Health outcomes data shows exceptional results for Wahroonga, with AreaSearch's assessment indicating low mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, particularly among younger cohorts. Approximately 68% of Wahroonga's total population (12,249 people) has private health cover, compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and the national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 6.7% of residents) and asthma (6.2%), while 72.5% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney.

Wahroonga has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.5% (4,245 people), compared to 15.5% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors in Wahroonga are above average but rank lower nationally than the broader population.

Wahroonga 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

Wahroonga has a high level of cultural diversity, with 29.8% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 39.3% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Wahroonga, making up 52.8% of the population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented in Wahroonga compared to Greater Sydney, with 0.8% versus 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are English at 23.6%, Australian at 19.1%, and Chinese at 12.9%. Some ethnic groups have notable differences in representation: South Australian is overrepresented at 1.4% compared to the regional average of 0.5%, Korean at 1.6% versus 1.1%, and Hungarian at 0.4% versus 0.3%.

Wahroonga hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Wahroonga has a median age of 44, which is higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and the national norm of 38. The age group of 75-84 years shows strong representation in Wahroonga at 8.9%, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 5.6%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15 to 24 increased from 13.0% to 15.1%, and the 75 to 84 group grew from 7.6% to 8.9%. Conversely, the 0 to 4 age group declined from 4.5% to 3.4%, and the 35 to 44 group decreased from 12.6% to 11.5%. Demographic modeling suggests that Wahroonga's age profile will change significantly by 2041. Leading this shift, the population aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 109%, reaching 1,961 people from 939. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 80% of the projected growth. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.