Woollahra

Woollahra is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Woollahra's population was estimated at 7,514 as of May 2026. This figure represents an increase of 325 people from the 2021 Census count of 7,189 residents. AreaSearch validated this estimate using latest ERP data from ABS (June 2025) and additional new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 6,108 persons per square kilometer, placing Woollahra in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Woollahra's growth rate of 4.5% since the census is within 1.1 percentage points of its SA3 area's growth rate of 5.6%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 90.0% to overall population gains in recent periods.

For projections, AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for covered areas and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for uncovered areas. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Woollahra is expected to grow by 163 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 2.1% over the 16-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Woollahra has seen approximately eight new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 43 homes were approved, with two more approved in FY-26 so far. Despite population decline during this period, new supply appears to have kept pace with demand, offering buyers good choice.

The average expected construction cost value of new homes is $3,179,000, indicating developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This year, $2.4 million in commercial approvals were registered, reflecting Woollahra's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Woollahra has significantly less development activity, 60.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. However, building activity has accelerated in recent years. Nationally, Woollahra's level of development is also lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints.

Recent construction comprises 33.0% detached houses and 67.0% attached dwellings, focusing on higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (18.0% at Census), indicating continued strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. With around 677 people per dwelling approval, Woollahra reflects a highly mature market. Future projections show Woollahra adding 157 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Area infrastructure significantly impacts local performance. AreaSearch identified 36 potential impact projects in total. Key initiatives include Westfield Bondi Junction, Woollahra Station Activation, Woollahra Public School Redevelopment (Stage 2), and Woollahra Station Activation. Relevant projects are listed below.

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.

The labour market in Woollahra shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Woollahra has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector prominent. The unemployment rate was 2.9% in an unspecified past year, and employment grew by an estimated 2.7%. As of December 2025, 4,461 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.3%, below Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Workforce participation was 72.4%, close to Greater Sydney's 68.8%. Census data showed 66.3% worked from home, potentially impacted by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries were professional & technical (2.0 times the regional average), finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Construction employed just 4.0%, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work. In the year ending December 2025, employment increased by 2.7% while labour force grew by 3.2%, raising unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Woollahra's industry mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.8% in five years and 15.3% in ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2023 shows that Woollahra suburb has top percentile national incomes. The median assessed income is $86,294 and the average income stands at $217,455. 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 ending June 2023, current estimates would be approximately $95,200 (median) and $239,896 (average) as of March 2026. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Woollahra rank highly nationally, between the 97th and 98th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 40.2% of locals (3,020 people) fall into the $4000+ category, unlike regional trends where 30.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. A substantial proportion of high earners (50.3% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. High housing costs consume 16.1% of income, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 96th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Woollahra features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Woollahra's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 17.9% houses and 82.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Woollahra stood at 37.3%, with the rest being mortgaged (25.8%) or rented (36.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $4,000, surpassing Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in Woollahra was $670, higher than Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Woollahra's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863, and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Woollahra features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 59.9 percent of all households, including 23.1 percent couples with children, 27.4 percent couples without children, and 8.2 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 40.1 percent, with lone person households at 33.6 percent and group households comprising 6.4 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Woollahra's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 65.0% hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. This indicates a significant educational advantage for the area. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 42.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%).

Vocational pathways account for 15.5% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 8.7% and certificates at 6.8%. Educational participation is high, with 27.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.7% in primary education, 6.7% in secondary education, and 6.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Woollahra has 32 active public transport stops serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are served by 32 different routes, collectively providing 10,611 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 123 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to Woollahra's primarily residential nature. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 57%, while walking accounts for 15% and train for 14%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.7 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 66.3% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,515 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 331 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Woollahra's health outcomes show exceptional results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 112% of the total population, which comprises 8,438 people.

This compares to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and 55.7% nationally. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.4 and 6.3% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 74.9%, report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Woollahra has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 22.8% (1,713 people) than Greater Sydney's 15.5%. Health outcomes among seniors are broadly in line with the general population nationally.

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

Woollahra's population is more linguistically diverse than most other local areas, with 15.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Born overseas, 34.4% of Woollahra residents were born outside Australia. Christianity is the predominant religion in Woollahra, comprising 43.6% of its population.

Notably, Judaism is overrepresented in Woollahra at 8.4%, compared to Greater Sydney's average of 0.8%. In terms of ancestry, English is the most represented group with 26.6%, higher than the regional average of 19.0%. Australian ancestry follows with 18.6%, and Other ancestry stands at 10.8%, lower than the regional average of 16.0%. Some ethnic groups show significant divergence: Hungarian is overrepresented at 0.9% compared to 0.3% regionally, Polish at 1.5% (vs 0.6%), and French at 1.1% (vs 0.5%).

Woollahra's median age exceeds the national pattern

Woollahra's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and slightly above Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Woollahra has a notably higher proportion of residents aged 75-84 (9.3%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (10.2%). According to the 2021 Census, Woollahra's population aged 25-34 grew from 15.9% to 17.4%, while those aged 15-24 increased from 9.0% to 10.2%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 65-74 decreased from 11.0% to 8.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Woollahra's age profile. The cohort aged 85 and above is expected to grow by 68%, adding 250 residents to reach 619. Residents aged 65 and older are projected to represent 86% of the population growth, while declines are anticipated for those aged 0-4 and 5-14.