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

Waterloo's (NSW) population is estimated at 18,296 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,917 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 16,379. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 18,291 following examination of ABS's ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 35 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 16,191 persons per square kilometer, placing Waterloo (NSW) in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Waterloo's growth rate of 11.7% since the 2021 Census exceeded both the state's and metropolitan area's rates. 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 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. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from these aggregations for years 2032 to 2041. Population projections predict exceptional growth over the period, with Waterloo (NSW) expected to increase by 8,047 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 44.0% 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 in Waterloo shows around 268 residential properties granted approval each year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 1344 homes. So far in FY26, 0 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.1 new residents arrive per new home built annually between FY21 and FY25. The average construction value of new homes is $581,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments.

This year, there have been $3 million in commercial approvals, suggesting limited commercial development focus compared to residential. Waterloo has 179% higher construction activity per person than Greater Sydney, reflecting strong developer confidence and offering buyers greater choice. Recent development consists entirely of townhouses or apartments, appealing to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers due to accessible entry options. With around 80 people per dwelling approval, Waterloo shows characteristics of a growth area. Future projections estimate an addition of 8042 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 8,042 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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 43 projects that may impact this region. Notable initiatives include Waterloo Metro Quarter, Danks Street District, another Waterloo Metro Quarter project, and 207 Young Street Waterloo. The following list details those expected to be 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 labour market performance in Waterloo lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Waterloo has a highly educated workforce with the technology sector being notably represented. The unemployment rate in Waterloo is 8.4%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, there are 10,551 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 4.2% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Waterloo is at 64.2%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The leading employment industries among residents include professional & technical services, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Waterloo shows strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 1.7 times the regional level.

However, health care & social assistance is under-represented, with only 9.6% of Waterloo's workforce compared to 14.1% in Greater Sydney. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force decreased by 1.3% alongside a 1.7% employment decline, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points in Waterloo. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with a 0.2 percentage point rise in unemployment rate during the same period. State-level data from NSW shows employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs) as of 25-Nov-25, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Waterloo's employment mix, local employment is estimated to increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.3% 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

The suburb of Waterloo had a median taxpayer income of $64,199 and an average income of $78,302 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. These figures are high compared to Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. By September 2025, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% suggest the median income would be approximately $69,887 and the average income around $85,240. According to census data, individual earnings in Waterloo stand at the 89th percentile nationally, with weekly earnings of $1,172. Income brackets show that 29.8% of locals (5,452 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999, similar to the region where 30.9% fall into this bracket. Economic strength is evident with 30.7% of households earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting high consumer spending. High housing costs consume 24.9% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 54th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places 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 (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Sydney metro had 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Waterloo was at 6.3%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (18.4%) or rented (75.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Waterloo was $2,500, below Sydney metro's average of $2,705. Median weekly rent in Waterloo was $530, compared to Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, Waterloo's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,500 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and 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 make up 53.4%, with lone person households at 40.5% and group households comprising 12.8%. The median household size is 1.8 people, 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 residents aged 15 and above have higher educational attainment than national averages. 56.1% hold university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. 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%, with advanced diplomas at 10.5% and certificates at 10.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.1% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.1% in tertiary education, 3.3% in primary education, and 2.0% pursuing secondary education.

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

Waterloo has 39 active public transport stops. These include lightrail and bus services. There are 16 different routes operating, serving a total of 11,492 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 100 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 1,641 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 294 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 have a very low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is found to be very high at approximately 58% of the total population (10,584 people), which compares to 68.5% across Greater Sydney. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 8.4 and 6.6% of residents respectively. A total of 76.2% of residents declare themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 77.4% across Greater Sydney. As of 10th March 2021, the area has 10.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1,884 people). Health outcomes among seniors present 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 one of the highest levels of cultural diversity in Australia, with 43.3% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home and 59.3% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Waterloo, accounting for 32.2% of the population. However, Judaism is notably overrepresented, comprising 1.6% of Waterloo's population compared to 1.1% across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (18.2%), Other (16.7%), and Chinese (16.1%). Some other ethnic groups show significant differences in representation: Russian is overrepresented at 1.7% (vs 0.8% regionally), Spanish at 1.3% (vs 1.0%), and French at 0.9% (vs 1.1%).

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

Waterloo's median age is 33, which is lower than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Waterloo has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (33.3%) compared to Greater Sydney 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 now, 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%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Waterloo. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow by 32%, adding 1,947 residents to reach a total of 8,040.