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 May 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Willoughby East is around 1,922. This figure reflects a growth of 58 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,864. The current resident population estimate of 1,871, used to infer this change, was derived from AreaSearch's examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and subsequent address validation since the Census date. This population density translates to approximately 3,432 persons per square kilometer, placing Willoughby East in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 3.1% since the census is within 2.8 percentage points of the SA4 region's growth rate of 5.9%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 94.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving this growth.

AreaSearch projects future demographic trends using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to grow by 71 persons by 2041, reflecting an increase of approximately 1.0% in total over the 16-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 available 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. The scarcity of new homes typically enhances demand and prices for existing properties in the area. This level of development activity is below average nationally, reflecting the maturity of the area and suggesting possible planning constraints may be in place.

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

No changes can significantly affect a region's performance like alterations to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that are expected to impact this area. Notable projects include Aurora Willoughby, Heart Of Willoughby, North Sydney To Northern Beaches Capacity Improvements, and Low And Mid-Rise Housing Policy. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis reveals Willoughby East recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Willoughby East has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 5.6%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025882 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.4% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Willoughby East is somewhat lower at 64.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 68.8%. A high proportion of residents, 65.0%, work from home, as indicated by Census responses. Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance sectors. The area has a particular employment specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 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 count of Census working population versus resident population. Between December 2024 and November 2025, labour force decreased by 0.3%, while employment decreased by 2.0% in Willoughby East, leading to a rise in unemployment of 1.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%, with a marginal increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 provide insight into potential future demand within Willoughby East. These projections estimate national employment growth at 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, though these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

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 stands at $151,144. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Willoughby East would be approximately $80,666 (median) and $166,742 (average) as of March 2026. 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 $4000+ bracket dominates with 53.5% of residents (1,028 people). Higher earners are prevalent, with 61.1% exceeding $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retain 88.3% of their income. 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

In Willoughby East, as per the latest Census, 95.6% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 4.4% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Sydney metro's figures of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Willoughby East stood at 44.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.5% and rented ones at 12.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $4,219, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Willoughby East was $873 compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Willoughby East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $4,219 versus 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, including 57.8% couples with children, 23.6% couples without children, and 7.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 10.4%, composed of 9.4% lone person households and 1.0% group households. The median household size is 3.2 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

In Willoughby East, the proportion of residents aged 15 and above with university qualifications is notably higher than national and state averages. Specifically, 52.5% of residents in the area have such qualifications, compared to 30.4% across Australia and 32.2% in New South Wales (NSW). This educational advantage indicates strong potential for knowledge-based opportunities in the region. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent type of qualification, held by 34.7% of residents aged 15 and above.

Postgraduate qualifications follow at 13.6%, with graduate diplomas accounting for 4.2%. Vocational pathways make up 19.1% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 10.3% and certificates at 8.8%. The area also exhibits high educational participation, 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

The analysis of public transport in Willoughby East shows that there are 14 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 24 individual routes providing service. Collectively, these routes facilitate 1,015 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 153 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward for work or other purposes. The dominant mode of transport among residents is car, used by 82% of them.

Walking and bus use are less common, at 6% each. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling in the area, which is above the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, 65%, work from home, which may be reflective of COVID-19 conditions. The 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

Willoughby East's health outcomes data shows exceptional results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 86% of Willoughby East residents have private health cover, compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (7.3%) and mental health issues (5.2%). About 77.6% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, higher than the Greater Sydney average of 74.6%. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Around 15.6% of Willoughby East's population is aged 65 and over (299 people). Health outcomes among seniors are strong, aligning 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. Its population born overseas was 26.4%, while those speaking languages other than English at home comprised 18.3%. Christianity was the predominant religion, making up 55.0% of Willoughby East's residents.

Notably, Judaism was overrepresented at 1.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's average of 0.8%. In terms of ancestry, the top groups were English (24.4%), Australian (23.3%), and Irish (9.5%). Significant differences were observed in New Zealand (1.1% vs regional 0.5%), Croatian (0.9% vs 0.7%), and Chinese (8.8% vs 8.4%) representations.

Willoughby East's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Willoughby East is 42 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 5-14 age group comprises 18.1% of the population, compared to Greater Sydney's percentage, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 4.3%. This concentration of the 5-14 age group is well above the national average of 12.0%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 12.6% to 15.5%, while the 35 to 44 cohort has decreased from 13.6% to 12.1%. The 5 to 14 group has also dropped slightly, from 19.3% to 18.1%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Willoughby East. Notably, the 65 to 74 age group is expected to grow by 28%, reaching 226 people from its current figure of 176. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.