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

As of November 2025, Woollahra's population is estimated at around 7,670, reflecting an increase of 481 people since the 2021 Census. The resident population estimate of 7,501 by AreaSearch, based on the latest ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and validated new addresses, indicates a growth rate of 6.7% since the census date. This results in a density ratio of 6,235 persons per square kilometer, placing Woollahra in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's population growth exceeded that of its SA3 area (5.5%), making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 90.0% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year.

Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from these aggregations for years 2032 to 2041. Projected demographic shifts anticipate lower quartile growth nationally, with Woollahra expected to grow by 194 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 0.2% in total over the 17 years.

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 for Woollahra shows approximately eight new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 43 homes have been approved, with no approvals recorded so far in FY26. Population decline during this period suggests that new supply has kept pace with demand, offering buyers good choice.

The average construction cost value for new homes is $3,179,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment. In FY26, $2.4 million worth of commercial approvals have been 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, though building activity has accelerated in recent years. The level of development activity is also lower than the national average, suggesting 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 676 people per dwelling approval, Woollahra reflects a highly mature market. Future projections show Woollahra adding 18 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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 36 projects likely affecting the area. Notable ones are Woollahra Public School Redevelopment (Stage 2), Westfield Bondi Junction, Woollahra Station Completion and Rezoning, and Waverley Residences. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Woollahra has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 2.7%, with an estimated employment growth of 2.1% over the past year (AreaSearch data aggregation).

As of June 2025, there are 4,558 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.5% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation is at 63.3%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The key industries of employment among residents are professional & technical (2.0 times the regional average), finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Construction employs only 4.0% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over a 12-month period ending Sep-22, employment increased by 2.1%, labour force grew by 2.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points (AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data). National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project growth rates for Woollahra's industry-specific employment mix over five and ten-year periods, suggesting local employment should increase by 7.8% over five years and 15.3% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows Woollahra's median income at $86,294 and average income at $217,455. Nationally, these figures rank in the top percentile. In comparison, Greater Sydney has a median income of $56,994 and an average income of $80,856. Considering a 12.61% growth since financial year 2022 based on Wage Price Index, current estimates for Woollahra would be approximately $97,176 (median) and $244,876 (average) as of September 2025. The 2021 Census places household, family, and personal incomes in Woollahra between the 97th and 98th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that 40.2% of locals earn over $4,000 per week, unlike regional trends where 30.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. High earners make up 50.3% of Woollahra's population, indicating strong economic capacity. Housing costs consume 16.1% of income, but disposable income remains 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 structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 17.9% houses and 82.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 18.3% houses and 81.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Woollahra was at 37.3%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (25.8%) or rented (36.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Woollahra was $4,000, higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,600. The median weekly rent figure for Woollahra was recorded at $670, matching the Sydney metro figure. Nationally, Woollahra's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were 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% of all households, including 23.1% couples with children, 27.4% couples without children, and 8.2% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 40.1%, with lone person households at 33.6% and group households making up 6.4%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.3.

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

Woollahra's residents aged 15+ have a higher proportion with university qualifications (65.0%) compared to Australia (30.4%) and NSW (32.2%). Bachelor degrees are the most common (42.4%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Vocational pathways account for 15.5%, 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, 6.7% in secondary, and 6.6% pursuing tertiary education. Woollahra's 3 schools have a combined enrollment of 904 students. The area has an ICSEA score of 1187, indicating high educational advantage nationally. It includes 2 primary and 1 K-12 school. School places per 100 residents are lower (11.8) than the regional average (15.8), with some students likely attending schools in nearby areas.

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

Woollahra has 27 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 32 different routes that together facilitate 6,913 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as excellent, with residents living an average of 123 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 987 trips per day across all routes, which equates to around 256 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 data shows excellent results with a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 112%, covering 8613 people, compared to Greater Sydney's 89.7%. Nationally, the average stands at 55.3%.

Arthritis and asthma are the most common medical conditions in Woollahra, affecting 6.4% and 6.3% of residents respectively. 74.9% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 77.6%. The area has 22.8% of residents aged 65 and over (1748 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 16.4%. Health outcomes among seniors in Woollahra are particularly strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Woollahra was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Woollahra, as of the 2016 Census, had a higher level of cultural diversity than most local areas, with 15.8% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home and 34.4% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Woollahra, accounting for 43.6% of people. While Judaism made up 8.4%, this was lower than the Greater Sydney average of 16.0%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (26.6%), Australian (18.6%), and Other (10.8%). Notably, Hungarian (0.9% vs regional 1.2%), Polish (1.5% vs 1.9%), and French (1.1% vs 1.5%) were overrepresented in Woollahra compared to the region.

Woollahra hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Woollahra is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years, and considerably older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 75-84 age group constitutes 9.3% of the population in Woollahra, compared to a lower prevalence of the 15-24 cohort at 10.0%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 8.2% to 9.3%, while the 5 to 14 cohort has risen from 10.4% to 11.5%. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 11.0% to 8.8%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Woollahra. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 73%, reaching 623 people from 360. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 87% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 55 to 64 and 0 to 4 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.