Waterloo (NSW)

Waterloo lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

As of Nov 2025, Waterloo's population is estimated at around 18,359 people. This reflects a growth of 1,980 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,379 people. The recent resident population estimate by AreaSearch was 18,291, based on examination of the latest ERP data release by ABS (June 2024) and additional validation of 35 new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 16,246 persons per square kilometer, placing Waterloo in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's population growth rate of 12.1% since the 2021 Census exceeded both state (6.7%) and metropolitan area averages, marking it as a regional growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 91.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, exceptional growth is predicted over the period, with the suburb expected to increase by 8,047 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 43.5% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Waterloo among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, indicates Waterloo has recorded around 268 residential properties granted approval each year over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 1,344 homes. As of FY-26, 0 approvals have been recorded so far. On average, 1.1 new residents arrive per new home built in Waterloo annually between FY-21 and FY-25, suggesting a balance between supply and demand.

The average construction value of new homes is $581,000. In FY-26, $3.0 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting the area's residential character. Relative to Greater Sydney, Waterloo shows 179.0% higher construction activity per person, offering buyers greater choice and indicating strong developer confidence. Recent development has been entirely comprised of townhouses or apartments, appealing to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. With around 80 people per dwelling approval, Waterloo exhibits characteristics of a growth area. Future projections estimate Waterloo will add 7,979 residents by 2041, suggesting current development is well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Future projections show Waterloo adding 7,979 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

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

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 45 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones are Waterloo Metro Quarter, Danks Street District, 207 Young Street Waterloo, and Zetland Square. The following details those most relevant.

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

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The labour market performance in Waterloo lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Waterloo has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector prominent. Its unemployment rate was 8.1% as of June 2025.

Over the past year, employment stability was relatively consistent. Compared to Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, Waterloo's unemployment rate is higher at 3.9%. Workforce participation stands at 64.2%, close to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading industries include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance.

Waterloo specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share of 1.7 times the regional level. However, health care & social assistance has a limited presence at 9.6% compared to the regional 14.1%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 0.1%, labour force by 0.5%, resulting in a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Waterloo's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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 for financial year 2022, Waterloo had a median income among taxpayers of $64,199. The average income stood at $78,302. This was one of the highest in Australia, with Greater Sydney's levels being $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, current estimates for Waterloo would be approximately $72,294 (median) and $88,176 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, individual earnings in Waterloo stood out at the 89th percentile nationally ($1,172 weekly). Income brackets indicated that the predominant cohort spanned 29.8% of locals (5,470 people) in the $1,500 - $2,999 category, aligning with regional levels where this cohort also represented 30.9%. Higher earners represented a substantial presence with 30.7% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. High housing costs consumed 24.9% of income, though strong earnings still placed disposable income at the 54th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

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

Waterloo's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 0.5% houses and 99.4% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. In contrast, Sydney metro had 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Waterloo stood at 6.3%, with mortgaged properties at 18.4% and rented ones at 75.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,705. The median weekly rent was $530, compared to Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, Waterloo's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 46.6% of all households, including 9.4% couples with children, 30.5% couples without children, and 5.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 53.4%, with lone person households at 40.5% and group households comprising 12.8%. The median household size is 1.8 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 1.9.

Educational outcomes in Waterloo fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Waterloo's educational attainment is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 56.1% hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 36.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational pathways account for 21.3% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.5% and certificates at 10.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 14.1% in tertiary education, 3.3% in primary education, and 2.0% pursuing secondary education. The area's educational provision includes Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School and Yudi Gunyi School, serving a total of 119 students. These schools operate under varied conditions, with an ICSEA score of 895. The educational mix consists of one primary school and one K-12 school. Local school capacity is limited at 0.7 places per 100 residents, compared to the regional average of 7.7, leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

Waterloo has 33 active public transport stops. These include lightrail and bus services. There are 16 routes operating in total, serving 9,109 weekly passenger trips.

Residents have excellent access to transport, with an average distance of 100 meters to the nearest stop. Daily service frequency is 1,301 trips across all routes, amounting to approximately 276 weekly trips per individual stop.

Waterloo's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Waterloo. Younger cohorts in particular saw very low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover was found to be exceptionally high at approximately 58% of the total population (10,620 people). This compares to 69.7% across Greater Sydney. The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues and asthma, impacting 8.4 and 6.6% of residents respectively. 76.2% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 77.4% across Greater Sydney. As of June 30, 20XX, the area had 10.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1,890 people). Health outcomes among seniors presented some challenges requiring more attention than the broader population.

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

Waterloo has a culturally diverse population, with 43.3% speaking a language other than English at home and 59.3% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Waterloo, comprising 32.2% of its population. Judaism is overrepresented in Waterloo compared to Greater Sydney, making up 1.6% versus 1.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (18.2%), Other (16.7%), and Chinese (16.1%). Notably, Russian (1.7%) and Spanish (1.3%) are also overrepresented compared to regional figures of 0.8% and 1.0%, respectively.

Waterloo's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Waterloo's median age is 33, which is younger than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Waterloo has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (33.3%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (3.7%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national figure of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the proportion of residents aged 15-24 has increased from 11.4% to 13.3%, while those aged 35-44 have risen from 18.4% to 19.7%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 35.6% to 33.3%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 suggest substantial demographic changes in Waterloo. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow by 32%, adding 1,926 residents to reach a total of 8,040.