Cherrybrook
Cherrybrook's standout is wealth at scale: 19,082 residents sit in the 96.8th household-income percentile, while 52.9% were born overseas and 62.1% have a university qualification, 32.0 points above the national level. Compared with nearby Castle Hill and Pennant Hills, the suburb reads as a low-rise family enclave because 81.5% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.2% are apartments. The median age is 43, 3.0 years above national, so the area is affluent, settled and slowly aging rather than rapidly renewing.
Population
19,082
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,924/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
87
Median House
$2.3M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
For homebuyers, Cherrybrook is priced for high-income family households rather than entry-level buyers. The house median is $2,310,000, and the latest 2025 median of $2,350,500 is 2.2% above 2024 and at the recorded peak, so discounts from a past high are not evident. Separate houses make up 81.5% of stock, with 72.3% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms, which suits larger families. Mortgage costs are $3,000 a month and sit at 23.7% of household income, below common stress thresholds because weekly household income is $2,924.
For Buyers
For homebuyers, Cherrybrook is priced for high-income family households rather than entry-level buyers. The house median is $2,310,000, and the latest 2025 median of $2,350,500 is 2.2% above 2024 and at the recorded peak, so discounts from a past high are not evident. Separate houses make up 81.5% of stock, with 72.3% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms, which suits larger families. Mortgage costs are $3,000 a month and sit at 23.7% of household income, below common stress thresholds because weekly household income is $2,924.
For Investors
For investors, Cherrybrook is a yield-constrained but stable premium market. Only 15.3% of homes are rented, well below the owner-occupier base of 40.6% owned outright and 44.1% mortgaged, while the typical rent is $695 a week and vacancy is 3.2%. Demand is supported by 52.9% overseas-born residents and top-decile advantage, but the tenant pool is smaller because ownership is entrenched. Development is active, with 79 applications in 12 months, which may add selective childcare, subdivision or renovation-led supply rather than broad apartment stock.
Development Activity
Total DAs
440
Last 12 Months
87
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+6.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Cherrybrook iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
John Purchase Public School
K-6 · 550 students
Cherrybrook Public School
K-6 · 886 students
Cherrybrook Technology High School
7-12 · 2098 students
Tangara School for Girls
K-12 · 771 students
Demographics
Cherrybrook's demographics are older, highly educated and migrant-majority. The median age is 43, 3.0 years above the national benchmark, and 52.9% of residents were born overseas, 31.3 points above national. Chinese ancestry leads at 4,837 people, followed by English at 3,736 and Indian at 2,377; Mandarin is spoken by 1,166 residents and Cantonese by 655. Average household size is 3.1, 0.6 above national, because large detached homes and family households dominate.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.5%
Houses
17.2%
Townhouse
1.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is overwhelmingly detached and owner-occupied. Separate houses account for 81.5% of dwellings, semi-detached homes 17.2% and apartments just 1.2%, a lower-rise mix for buyers comparing Cherrybrook with nearby Castle Hill. Ownership is entrenched, with 40.6% owned outright and 44.1% mortgaged, while renting is 15.3%. The house median moved from $2,300,000 in 2024 to $2,350,500 in 2025, a 2.2% lift, and the latest price matches the peak. Large homes set the market because 72.3% have 4 or more bedrooms.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,000
Rent / wk
$695
HH Size
3.1
Personal Income / wk
$940
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.2%
Unoccupied
198
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
18.9%
Couples, no children
17,511
Total families
Economy & Employment
Cherrybrook's economy is white-collar and strongly advantaged. Professional/Tech is the largest industry at 17.5%, followed by Healthcare at 14.6%, Finance at 12.2%, Education at 10.8% and Retail at 6.1%. Occupations reinforce that pattern: 3,546 professionals and 1,706 managers outnumber sales roles at 665. Unemployment is 5.0% and full-time work is 68.8%, while all 4 SEIFA measures sit in decile 10, well above average, because incomes, education and occupational status align rather than pulling in different directions.
Unemployment
2.1%
Labour Force
10,385
Unemployed
221
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.8%
Part-time
26.2%
Participation
57.3%
Employed
8,481
Occupations
Top Industries
University
62.1%
Postgraduate
21.5%
Born Overseas
52.9%
Dwellings
5,942
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for families who prioritise schools, space and car access over walkability. Four schools sit in the suburb, spanning Government and Independent sectors, with ICSEA scores from 1141 to 1168. John Purchase Public School at 1168, Cherrybrook Public School at 1164 and Cherrybrook Technology High School at 1146 anchor the local pipeline. Car driving is high at 83.8%, compared with public transport at 7.9% and walking or cycling at 2.5%. IRSAD decile 10 signals above-average socio-economic advantage.
Drive
83.8%
Public Transport
7.9%
Walk / Cycle
2.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.18%/yr
(-34 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is subdued because Cherrybrook is an established suburb with limited broad-scale dwelling change. The trend is -0.18% a year, or about -34 residents annually, taking the medium population path from 19,028 in 2026 to 18,857 in 2031. Migration is the key churn: overseas migration adds an average 309 people a year, but internal migration subtracts 318, so net movement is slightly lower. The shift profile is aging, with seniors up 6.3 points, and gentrification is scored 10, labelled Not gentrifying.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+309
Net Internal / yr
-318
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -318/yr, Strong overseas inflow +309/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Cherrybrook compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cherrybrook a good suburb to live in?
Yes for households seeking schools, large homes and affluence. It has 4 local schools, 81.5% separate houses and household income in the 96.8th percentile, although car use at 83.8% is higher than public transport use.
What is the median house price in Cherrybrook?
The median house price is $2,310,000. The recent price series has the latest 2025 median at $2,350,500, which is 2.2% above 2024 and equal to the recorded peak.
What schools are in Cherrybrook?
Cherrybrook has 4 local schools: John Purchase Public School, Cherrybrook Public School, Cherrybrook Technology High School and Tangara School for Girls. ICSEA scores range from 1141 to 1168, above average.
Is Cherrybrook safe?
Safety should be checked against current NSW incident maps for the exact address. A single suburb crime rate is not available, but Cherrybrook has family-oriented markers including 4 schools and IRSAD decile 10.
Is Cherrybrook good for property investment?
It suits investors prioritising stability over high churn. Rent is $695 a week, vacancy is 3.2% and only 15.3% of homes are rented, below the owner-occupied base of 40.6% owned outright and 44.1% mortgaged.
How is Cherrybrook's population changing?
Population is broadly flat to slightly lower. The trend is -0.18% a year, or -34 people annually, with the medium path moving from 19,028 in 2026 to 18,857 in 2031.
What languages are spoken in Cherrybrook?
English sits alongside a substantial Asian language profile. Mandarin is spoken by 1,166 residents, Cantonese by 655, Hindi by 414, Korean by 264 and Sinhalese by 171, reflecting 52.9% born overseas.
Is there much development in Cherrybrook?
Yes, development activity is notable for an established suburb. There were 79 applications in the past 12 months, including subdivision, alterations and a centre-based child care proposal rather than large apartment volume.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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