Norwest
Norwest reads less like a Sydney residential suburb and more like a business park that people now live in: apartments make up 54.1% of dwellings, 41.4% of residents rent, and the vacancy rate sits at 10.0%, well above what a stable rental market would show. Household income reaches the 83.8th percentile nationally at $2,207 a week, and the population is young for a high-income area, with a median age of 37 that runs 3.0 years below the national figure. Nearly half of residents were born overseas at 49.8%, which is 28.2 points above national, and 49.5% hold university qualifications, 19.4 points higher than the country as a whole. The median house price has climbed to $900,000.
Population
4,688
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,207/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
90
Median House
$900K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
At a $900,000 median, Norwest sits below Sydney's premium markets, and the price moved sharply from $802,062 in 2024 to $911,250 in 2025, a 13.6% one-year gain. The catch for house buyers is supply: only 38.1% of dwellings are separate houses against 54.1% apartments and 7.8% semi-detached, so detached stock is scarce and competed for. Two-bedroom homes lead at 35.0%, with 4-plus bedroom houses at 28.3% and three-bedroom at 24.0%, a barbell shape that splits buyers between investor-grade units and larger family houses. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,823, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.5%, which sits just below the 30% stress threshold because household incomes are high at the 83.8th percentile. Outright owners (29.4%) and mortgage holders (29.2%) are evenly matched, while renters at 41.4% form the largest group.
For Buyers
At a $900,000 median, Norwest sits below Sydney's premium markets, and the price moved sharply from $802,062 in 2024 to $911,250 in 2025, a 13.6% one-year gain. The catch for house buyers is supply: only 38.1% of dwellings are separate houses against 54.1% apartments and 7.8% semi-detached, so detached stock is scarce and competed for. Two-bedroom homes lead at 35.0%, with 4-plus bedroom houses at 28.3% and three-bedroom at 24.0%, a barbell shape that splits buyers between investor-grade units and larger family houses. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,823, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.5%, which sits just below the 30% stress threshold because household incomes are high at the 83.8th percentile. Outright owners (29.4%) and mortgage holders (29.2%) are evenly matched, while renters at 41.4% form the largest group.
For Investors
A 41.4% renter share and weekly rent of $579 give landlords a large tenant pool, but the 10.0% vacancy rate is the warning sign, signalling more apartment supply than the market currently absorbs. Against the $900,000 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 3.3%, healthier than inner-Sydney premium suburbs though pressured by the high vacancy. The stock is 54.1% apartments, so investors compete with each other for the same tenant base. Demand support comes from migration, with 49.8% of residents born overseas, 28.2 points above national, and Norwest's business park draws a steady professional workforce. Development activity is moderate at 81 applications in 12 months, weighted toward commercial and mixed-use additions rather than pure residential supply. With rent-to-income at 26.2%, tenants have headroom, so rent escalation is plausible if vacancy tightens.
Development Activity
Total DAs
366
Last 12 Months
90
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-1.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 37 is 3.0 years below national, unusual for a suburb in the 83.8th income percentile, and it reflects a young professional and migrant intake rather than established retirees. Overseas-born residents reach 49.8%, which is 28.2 points above national, and ancestry leans English (1,043), Chinese (740) and Indian (471). The leading non-English languages are Mandarin (205 speakers), Hindi (76) and Cantonese (75), consistent with the strong Chinese and Indian communities. University qualifications at 49.5% run 19.4 points above national, reinforcing the knowledge-worker profile. Average household size is 2.5, in line with national, and family structure splits between couples with children (1,417) and couples without children (1,260, or 35.1% of families), pointing to a mix of young families and dual-income households without kids.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
38.1%
Houses
7.8%
Townhouse
54.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward renting: 41.4% rent, 29.4% own outright and 29.2% carry a mortgage, so the suburb runs more on tenants than on owner-occupiers. The stock is 54.1% apartments and 7.8% semi-detached, leaving separate houses at only 38.1%, which keeps detached-house values firm through scarcity even as units dominate supply. Two-bedroom dwellings account for 35.0% and 4-plus bedroom homes 28.3%, a split that mirrors the apartment-versus-family-house divide. The median house price rose from $802,062 in 2024 to $911,250 in 2025, a 13.6% move in a single year. Mortgage-to-income sits at 29.5% and rent-to-income at 26.2%, both below the 30% stress threshold, which is comfortable given household income in the 83.8th percentile, so neither buyers nor tenants are overextended on average.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,823
Rent / wk
$579
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$1,053
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.0%
Unoccupied
197
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.1%
Couples, no children
3,587
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is concentrated in knowledge and care sectors: Professional/Tech leads at 16.5% (299 workers), Healthcare follows at 13.3% (241) and Finance at 10.2% (185), with Education at 8.8% and Retail at 8.5%. By occupation, Professionals (842) and Managers (428) make up the largest groups, which fits the 49.5% university qualification rate, 19.4 points above national. The full-time employment rate is 68.8% and unemployment sits at 5.5%. Participation reads 55.0%, lower than the income would suggest, because 1,231 residents are not in the labour force, partly students and partly carers in younger families. The presence of the Norwest business park anchors local jobs in professional services and health, so many residents work close to home rather than commuting to the Sydney CBD.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.8%
Part-time
25.7%
Participation
55.0%
Employed
2,070
Occupations
Top Industries
University
49.5%
Postgraduate
16.6%
Born Overseas
49.8%
Dwellings
1,759
Transport to Work
Transport reflects the suburb's design around the Sydney Metro Northwest line: 11.4% of residents use public transport and 6.1% walk or cycle, while 78.0% drive, slightly above the national reliance on cars given the dispersed business-park layout. Volunteering runs at 18.3% and only 3.6% of residents, 156 people, need daily assistance, consistent with the young median age of 37. Rent-to-income at 26.2% and mortgage-to-income at 29.5% both stay below the 30% stress threshold, so housing costs are manageable relative to the 83.8th-percentile household incomes. No schools are recorded inside the 2.81 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Bella Vista and Baulkham Hills, a practical trade-off for a suburb built primarily as a commercial and high-density residential precinct.
Drive
78.0%
Public Transport
11.4%
Walk / Cycle
6.1%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Norwest compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Norwest a good suburb to live in?
Norwest combines household income in the 83.8th percentile nationally with a young median age of 37, three years below national, and strong Metro access. University qualifications reach 49.5%, 19.4 points above national. The main trade-offs are an apartment-heavy stock at 54.1% and a 10.0% vacancy rate.
What is the median house price in Norwest?
The median house price is $900,000. Prices rose 13.6% from $802,062 in 2024 to $911,250 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $579 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,823, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.5%, just below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Norwest?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.81 km2 Norwest boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs such as Bella Vista and Baulkham Hills. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 49.5%, which is 19.4 points above the national figure.
Is Norwest safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Norwest in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, only 3.6% of residents, about 156 people, need daily assistance, and volunteering runs at 18.3%, both patterns consistent with a settled, lower-risk residential and business precinct.
Is Norwest good for property investment?
Rent of $579 a week against a $900,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.3%, stronger than premium inner-Sydney suburbs. The renter share is high at 41.4%, but the 10.0% vacancy rate signals apartment oversupply, so returns depend on vacancy tightening rather than easy occupancy.
How is Norwest's population changing?
Norwest is growing through migration and density, with 49.8% of residents born overseas, 28.2 points above national. The median age of 37 sits 3.0 years below national, pointing to ongoing household formation, while the median house price rose 13.6% in a single year to $911,250.
What languages are spoken in Norwest?
About 49.8% of residents were born overseas, 28.2 points above the national figure. English is dominant, with Mandarin (205 speakers), Hindi (76) and Cantonese (75) the most common non-English languages, reflecting strong Chinese and Indian communities in the suburb.
How much development is happening in Norwest?
There were 81 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. The mix leans toward commercial and mixed-use additions around the business park rather than greenfield housing, consistent with a precinct densifying around the Sydney Metro Northwest line and its 54.1% apartment stock.
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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