Wheeler Heights

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

Based on analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the population of Wheeler Heights is estimated at around 3,161 as of November 2025. This reflects a decrease of 71 people (2.2%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,232 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 3,112, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest Estimated Resident Population data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 15 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,808 persons per square kilometer, which places Wheeler Heights in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. Population growth for Wheeler Heights was primarily driven by overseas migration during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) area, as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the 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. According to this methodology, projections indicate a decline in overall population over this period, with Wheeler Heights' population expected to contract by 146 persons by 2041. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 75 to 84 age group, which is projected to increase by 91 people.

The level of residential development activity in Wheeler Heights is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers from statistical area data, Wheeler Heights has received approximately 6 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 31 homes. In FY26 so far, 1 approval has been recorded. The area's population decline suggests that new supply may be keeping pace with demand, offering buyers good choice. New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $717,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment.

There have also been $983,000 in commercial approvals this financial year, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Wheeler Heights shows approximately 66% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 9th percentile nationally, suggesting limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing properties. This activity is below average nationally, possibly due to planning constraints or the area's maturity. New development consists of 33.0% detached houses and 67.0% medium and high-density housing, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This marks a significant shift from existing housing patterns (currently 91.0% houses), potentially due to diminishing developable land availability or evolving lifestyle preferences. The location has approximately 2066 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market with stable or declining population expected in the future, reducing pressure on housing and creating potential opportunities for buyers.

With population expected to remain stable or decline, Wheeler Heights should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one major project likely affecting this region: Cromer Village Green's proposed mixed-use precinct. Other notable projects include Wakehurst Parkway improvements from Frenchs Forest to Narrabeen, Narrabeen Lakeside Estate, and Cromer Heights Estate. The following 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.

Employment performance in Wheeler Heights exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Wheeler Heights has an educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 3.3%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of June 2025, 1,753 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.9% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Wheeler Heights is 70.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries for employment among residents are construction, professional & technical, and health care & social assistance. Construction shows strong specialization with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level.

Finance & insurance is under-represented at 3.9% of Wheeler Heights' workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 7.3%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force increased by 0.2%, while employment declined by 1.3%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 1.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with an unemployment increase of 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 Wheeler Heights' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though this is 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 the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Wheeler Heights had a median income among taxpayers of $60,344 with the average level standing at $93,611. This is among the highest in Australia and compares to levels of $56,994 and $80,856 across Greater Sydney respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $67,953 (median) and $105,415 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Wheeler Heights, between the 81st and 96th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that the $4000+ earnings band captures 32.2% of the community (1,017 individuals), unlike trends regional levels where 30.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Economic strength emerges through 48.1% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 16.4% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 95th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

The latest Census evaluated the dwelling structure in Wheeler Heights as 91.2% houses and 8.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metro's 57.6% houses and 42.4% other dwellings. Home ownership within Wheeler Heights stood at 35.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 49.4% and rented dwellings at 15.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,198, higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,000. The median weekly rent figure for Wheeler Heights was recorded at $750, compared to Sydney metro's $592. Nationally, Wheeler Heights' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 86.6% of all households, including 55.6% couples with children, 22.4% couples without children, and 8.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 13.4%, with lone person households at 11.3% and group households comprising 1.6%. The median household size is 3.2 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Educational achievement in Wheeler Heights places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

The area's university qualification rate is 29.8%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 41.5%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 21.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are held by 37.9% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 14.2% and certificates at 23.7%. Educational participation is high, with 32.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 11.4% in primary education, 9.5% in secondary education, and 4.8% pursuing tertiary education. The area has two schools: Wheeler Heights Public School and St Rose Catholic Primary School, serving a total of 666 students. Both schools focus on primary education, with secondary options available nearby. The area's school capacity is high at 21.1 places per 100 residents, compared to the regional average of 16.2, indicating it serves as an educational hub for the broader region.

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

Wheeler Heights has 15 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by a total of 27 different routes, offering 1,275 weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility to these stops is rated as excellent, with residents being an average of 147 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 182 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 85 weekly trips per individual stop.

Wheeler Heights's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Wheeler Heights demonstrates excellent health outcomes with a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 64% (2,017 people) have private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 71.5%. Nationally, this figure is 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 6.2% and 6.1% of residents respectively. 76.6% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.7%. Wheeler Heights has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 14.6% (461 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 17.8%. Senior health outcomes align with the general population's profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Wheeler Heights was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Wheeler Heights had a higher than average cultural diversity, with 9.8% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 23.4% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Wheeler Heights, accounting for 54.2% of people, compared to 51.6% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups were English (31.5%), Australian (25.8%), and Irish (8.7%).

Notably, New Zealanders were overrepresented at 1.2%, Serbians at 0.5%, and Croatians at 0.8%, compared to regional percentages of 0.9%, 0.6%, and 0.7% respectively.

Wheeler Heights's median age exceeds the national pattern

Wheeler Heights has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 years. This is also marginally higher than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, Wheeler Heights has an over-representation of the 45-54 age cohort (16.2% locally) and an under-representation of the 25-34 year-olds (7.4%). Between 2021 and present, the 55 to 64 age group grew from 11.0% to 12.3%, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 13.4% to 14.6%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 17.3% to 16.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Wheeler Heights' age profile will change significantly. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to expand by 77 people (36%), from 214 to 292. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 92% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 25 to 34 and 15 to 24 cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.