Willoughby East

Willoughby East 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 Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Willoughby East is around 1,800, reflecting a decrease of 64 people since the 2021 Census. This decrease corresponds to a 3.4% change from the previous population count of 1,864 people. The current resident population estimate of 1,778 is based on AreaSearch's analysis of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,214 persons per square kilometer, placing Willoughby East in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 94.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

For projections, AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia's SA2-level projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For 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. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Willoughby East is anticipated to grow by 94 persons to the year 2041, reflecting a total increase of 12.1% over the 17-year period.

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

Willoughby East has had no residential development approvals in the past five years. This indicates that the area is largely built out with minimal vacant land for new developments. Established areas like Willoughby East often experience steady demand for existing properties due to a lack of new-build alternatives.

Compared to Greater Sydney, Willoughby East has significantly less development activity, which typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. This level of development activity is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and suggesting possible planning constraints.

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

No changes can influence a region's performance more than modifications to local infrastructure, major undertakings, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that are anticipated to impact this area significantly. Key projects include Aurora Willoughby, Heart Of Willoughby, Sydney Metro City & Southwest, and North Sydney To Northern Beaches Capacity Improvements. The following list details those most likely to be 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 reveals Willoughby East recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Willoughby East has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 6.0%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025946 residents are employed while the unemployment rate stands at 1.8% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Willoughby East is relatively standard at 74.3%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. Census responses indicate that a high proportion, 65.0%, of residents work from home, although Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment among residents is predominantly concentrated in professional & technical services, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance sectors. The area has a particular employment specialization in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share that is 1.8 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction employs only 4.3% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as suggested by the Census working population count compared to the resident population. Between September 2024 and August 2025, labour force increased by 1.1%, while employment decreased by 1.6% in Willoughby East, leading to a rise in unemployment of 2.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1% over the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insights into potential future demand within Willoughby East. These projections estimate that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Willoughby East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.7% over five years and 15.1% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Willoughby East has one of the highest incomes nationally. The median income is $73,120 and the average income is $151,144. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's figures of a median income of $60,817 and an average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Willoughby East would be approximately $79,598 (median) and $164,535 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows that incomes in Willoughby East rank highly nationally, between the 88th and 99th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. The majority of residents, 53.5% (963 people), fall into the $4000+ bracket, unlike surrounding regions where most residents earn less. Higher earners are prevalent with 61.1% earning over $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retain 88.3% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Willoughby East, as per the latest Census, consisted of 95.6% houses and 4.4% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and others. This contrasts with Sydney metropolitan area's figures of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Willoughby East stood at 44.0%, with the rest being mortgaged (43.5%) or rented (12.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $4,219, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in Willoughby East was recorded at $873, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Willoughby East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 89.6% of all households, consisting of 57.8% couples with children, 23.6% couples without children, and 7.5% single parent families. Non-family households compose the remaining 10.4%, with lone person households at 9.4% and group households making up 1.0%. The median household size is 3.2 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7 people.

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

Educational attainment in Willoughby East is notably high, with 52.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to the national average of 30.4% and the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 34.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.2%). Vocational pathways account for 19.1% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas making up 10.3% and certificates 8.8%. Educational participation is significant, with 35.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 13.5% in primary education, 11.1% in secondary education, and 5.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 14 active transport stops operating within Willoughby East. These stops are serviced by 24 individual routes, collectively providing 1015 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 153 meters from the nearest transport stop. As of the 2021 Census, most residents commute outward. The dominant mode of transport remains car at 82%, with 6% walking and 6% by bus. Vehicle ownership averages 1.5 per dwelling, above the regional average.

A high 65.0% of residents work from home. Service frequency averages 145 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 72 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health outcomes data shows excellent results for Willoughby East based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. Private health cover was found to be exceptionally high at approximately 86% of the total population (1,554 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions were asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.3% and 5.2% of residents respectively. A total of 77.6% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 15.6% of residents aged 65 and over (280 people). Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

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

Willoughby East, surveyed in June 2016, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas with 26.4% of its population born overseas and 18.3% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 55.0%. Judaism was overrepresented at 1.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.8%.

In terms of ancestry, English (24.4%) and Australian (23.3%) groups were substantially higher than regional averages of 19.0% and 17.8% respectively. Irish ancestry was also notable at 9.5%. Other ethnic groups with significant representation included New Zealanders (1.1%), Croatians (0.9%), and Chinese (8.8%).

Willoughby East's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Willoughby East is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 5-14 age group makes up 18.2% of the population in Willoughby East, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort comprises only 4.0%. This concentration of children aged 5-14 is well above the national average of 12.1%. Post-Census data from 2021 shows that the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 12.6% to 15.2%, while the 35 to 44 cohort has decreased from 13.6% to 12.4%. Meanwhile, the 5-14 group has dropped from 19.3% to 18.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Willoughby East. Notably, the 65 to 74 age group is expected to grow by 41%, reaching a population of 239 from 169. Conversely, the 0-4 and 5-14 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.