Waverley (NSW)

Waverley 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 of Waverley (NSW) is around 4,437, reflecting a growth of 221 people since the 2021 Census. This increase represents a 5.2% change from the previous population count of 4,216. AreaSearch's analysis of ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and validated new addresses indicates an estimated resident population of 4,380 for Waverley. The suburb's population density is 7,395 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Waverley has shown resilient growth with a compound annual growth rate of 0.6%, outperforming its SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 89.0% to overall population gains during recent periods.

For future projections until 2041, AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia's SA2-level projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for areas not covered by the former data. Based on these aggregations, Waverley is projected to have an above median population growth, increasing by 868 persons to reach 5,305 by 2041, indicating a total increase of 20.5% over the 17-year period.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Waverley averaged around 16 new dwelling approvals each year over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 83 homes. So far in FY-26, 0 approvals have been recorded. Over these five years, an average of 1.2 new residents arrived per new home built. However, this figure has accelerated to 5.9 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting increasing demand and tightening supply.

New homes are being constructed at an average value of $777,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. This year, there have been $2.2 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Waverley shows moderately higher development activity, being 32.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. Recent building activity consists entirely of attached dwellings, marking a significant departure from existing housing patterns (currently 18.0% houses). This trend toward denser development provides accessible entry options and appeals to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers.

At around 226 people per approval, Waverley reflects a low density area. Population forecasts indicate Waverley will gain 911 residents through to 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects expected to impact the area. Notable projects include Origami Bondi Junction, Sydney Light Rail Eastern Suburbs Extension, Bondi Junction Vision and Master Plan, and Bronte Collection. 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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Waverley performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Waverley has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 2.2% as of AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data for the past year, showing an estimated employment growth of 2.5%.

As of June 2025, 2,875 residents were employed with an unemployment rate of 2.0%, below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was 63.7%, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries for Waverley residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. The area has a strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 1.7 times the regional level.

Retail trade is under-represented at 5.5% compared to Greater Sydney's 9.3%. The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.8, indicating above-average local employment opportunities. Over a 12-month period ending Sep-22, employment increased by 2.5% alongside labour force growth of 2.5%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. In contrast, Greater Sydney had employment and labour force growth rates of 2.6% and 2.9%, respectively, with an unemployment rate increase of 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project a 6.6% expansion in employment over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Waverley's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 15.0% over ten years, although these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

Waverley had a median taxpayer income of $72,901 and an average income of $135,780 in the financial year 2022, according to AreaSearch's postcode level ATO data. This is notably higher than Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856 during the same period. By September 2025, estimates suggest Waverley's median income could reach approximately $82,094 and average income around $152,902, based on a 12.61% growth in wages since financial year 2022. The 2021 Census shows Waverley's incomes rank highly nationally, with household, family, and personal incomes between the 95th and 96th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 36.4% of residents (1,615 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, contrasting with regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. Waverley exhibits significant affluence, with 48.4% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 19.1% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 94th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Waverley features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Waverley's dwelling structure, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 17.5% houses and 82.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 18.3% houses and 81.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Waverley stood at 24.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.8% and rented ones at 45.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,731, higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,600. The median weekly rent in Waverley was $630, compared to Sydney metro's $670. Nationally, Waverley's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,731 versus the Australian average of $1,863. Weekly rents in Waverley were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Waverley features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 62.3% of all households, including 29.9% couples with children, 23.2% couples without children, and 8.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 37.7%, with lone person households at 31.5% and group households comprising 6.1% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which matches the Greater Sydney average.

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

Waverley's educational attainment is notably higher than broader benchmarks. 59.2% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 38.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.6%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational pathways account for 20.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.2% and certificates at 10.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 33.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in primary education, 8.9% in secondary education, and 6.8% pursuing tertiary education. There are seven schools operating within Waverley, educating approximately 4,033 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1144). The educational mix includes three primary, three secondary, and one K-12 school. Waverley functions as an education hub with 90.9 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 15.8. This attracts students from surrounding communities.

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

Waverley has 25 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 37 different routes that collectively facilitate 4,240 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transport services is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing within 95 meters of the nearest stop.

On average, there are 605 trips per day across all routes, which amounts to approximately 169 weekly trips per individual stop.

Waverley's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Waverley residents have shown relatively positive health outcomes, with a low prevalence of common health conditions among the general population. However, this prevalence is higher than the national average among older and at-risk cohorts. Private health cover is exceptionally high in Waverley, at approximately 80% of the total population (3,564 people), compared to 89.7% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 7.0 and 6.4% of residents respectively. A total of 74.6% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.6% across Greater Sydney. Waverley has 17.6% of residents aged 65 and over (780 people), which is higher than the 16.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, requiring more attention than the broader population.

Waverley 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

Waverley's population showed higher linguistic diversity, with 18.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Born overseas, 38.5% of Waverley residents were not Australian-born. Christianity was the dominant religion, practiced by 45.8%.

Judaism, however, was underrepresented at 6.9%, lower than Greater Sydney's average of 16.0%. In terms of ancestry, English (26.4%), Australian (17.3%), and Irish (11.8%) were the top three groups. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: French residents made up 1.8% in Waverley compared to 1.5% regionally; Russian residents were at 1.3% versus 1.6%; Hungarian residents stood at 0.8% against a regional average of 1.2%.

Waverley's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Waverley is 38 years, which is close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Waverley has a higher proportion of residents aged 85 and above (5.1%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (11.0%). Between the 2016 Census on 9 August 2016 and the 2021 Census on 10 August 2021, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 increased from 8.4% to 11.0%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 decreased from 17.4% to 16.5%. By 2041, Waverley's age composition is expected to change significantly. The number of residents aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 95%, reaching 441 from 226. The growth for the 0-4 age group is more modest at 4%, with an increase of only 8 residents.