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

The population of the suburb of Willoughby East is estimated to be around 1,800 as of February 2026. This reflects a decrease from the 2021 Census figure of 1,864 people, a change inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 1,778 following examination 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. AreaSearch is using 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 where applicable, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

Based on these aggregations, the suburb is expected to grow by 98 persons to reach approximately 1,898 by 2041, reflecting an increase of 4.2% 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 available for new developments. Established areas like Willoughby East often experience steady demand for existing properties due to the lack of new-build alternatives.

Compared to Greater Sydney, there is significantly less development activity in Willoughby East. The scarcity of new homes typically increases 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 may be in place.

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

No infrastructure changes significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified zero relevant projects for this region. Notable initiatives include Aurora Willoughby, Heart Of Willoughby, Sydney Metro City & Southwest, and North Sydney To Northern Beaches Capacity Improvements.

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The employment landscape in Willoughby East shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Willoughby East has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 5.6% as of December 2025, showing relative employment stability over the past year based on AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation. As of that date, 949 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.4% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Willoughby East was fairly standard at 73.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%. According to Census responses, a high 65.0% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical (employing 17.4%), finance & insurance (8.3%), and health care & social assistance (7.2%) sectors. The area has a particular employment specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.8 times the regional level.

In contrast, construction employs just 4.3% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data aggregated from broader statistical areas over a 12-month period ending in December 2025, labour force increased by 1.4% while employment decreased by 0.2%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.5 percentage points. By comparison, 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 suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years (ending May-30) and 13.7% over ten years (ending May-35). Applying these industry-specific projections to Willoughby East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 7.7% over the next five years and 15.1% over the following five years, assuming no significant changes in 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 top percentile national incomes. The median assessed 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 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $79,598 (median) and $164,535 (average). Census 2021 income data shows Willoughby East's household, family, and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 88th and 99th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 53.5% of residents (963 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, unlike surrounding regions where 30.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 61.1% exceeding $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retain 88.3% of 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

Willoughby East's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 95.6% houses and 4.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Willoughby East stood at 44.0%, with mortgaged properties 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 recorded at $873, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while 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%, consisting of 9.4% lone person households and 1.0% group households. The median household size is 3.2 people, 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

Willoughby East has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above, with 52.5% holding university qualifications. This figure exceeds the national average of 30.4% and the New South Wales (NSW) average of 32.2%, indicating a significant educational advantage for the area. Bachelor degrees are the most common qualification held by residents at 34.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 13.6% and graduate diplomas at 4.2%. Vocational pathways account for 19.1% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 10.3% and certificates 8.8%.

Educational participation is high in Willoughby East, 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 there are currently 14 operational transport stops serving the area. These stops facilitate a variety of bus routes totaling 24, which combined offer over 1000 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these transport services is considered excellent, with residents on average situated just 153 meters from their nearest stop. In this predominantly residential zone, most inhabitants commute outward, primarily by car at a rate of 82%. Walking and bus usage are much lower at 6% each. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling in Willoughby East, exceeding the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, a significant majority of residents, 65%, work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency across all routes averages around 145 trips daily, translating 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 for Willoughby East shows exceptional results 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% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.3% and 5.2% of residents respectively. 77.6% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across 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, with national rankings broadly in line with 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 had a higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas, with 26.4% of its residents born overseas and 18.3% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Willoughby East, accounting for 55.0% of the population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented at 1.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's average of 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (24.4%), Australian (23.3%), and Irish (9.5%). Some other ethnic groups showed notable differences: New Zealanders made up 1.1% versus the regional average of 0.5%, Croatians were at 0.9% compared to 0.7%, and Chinese residents constituted 8.8% versus the regional average of 8.4%.

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 comprises 18.4% of the population, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 4.1%. This concentration of the 5-14 age group is higher than the national average of 12.1%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 12.6% to 15.4%, while the 35-44 cohort has decreased from 13.6% to 12.3%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Willoughby East. The 65-74 age group is projected to grow by 31%, reaching 220 people from the current 167. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 51% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the 0-4 and 5-14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.