Willoughby
Few lower North Shore pockets pack this much advantage into 1.63 km2: Willoughby sits in IEO, IRSD and IRSAD decile 10, the highest national tier on three of the four SEIFA indices, while household income ranks in the 97.1st percentile nationally. The $1,751,500 median house price reflects that affluence, yet the structure is unusual for a premium NSW suburb. Separate houses still make up 56.5% of stock against 31.7% apartments, and 33.8% of homes are owned outright. University qualifications at 61.9% run 31.8 points above the national rate, and the 35.9% overseas-born share, 14.3 points above national, points to a professional migrant draw rather than a purely Anglo enclave.
Population
7,124
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,995/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
85
Median House
$1.8M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $1,751,500 median house price prices out most first-time buyers, but the local profile explains who absorbs it. Separate houses dominate at 56.5% of dwellings against 31.7% apartments and 10.7% semi-detached, so demand is anchored to family-sized stock: 32.3% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 31.1% have 4 or more. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,500, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.0%, just under the 30% stress threshold because personal income at $1,264 per week and household income in the 97.1st percentile absorb the cost. With 33.8% of homes owned outright and only 34.7% mortgaged, this is a settled, equity-rich owner base rather than a churning buyer market, which tightens supply for incoming families.
For Buyers
The $1,751,500 median house price prices out most first-time buyers, but the local profile explains who absorbs it. Separate houses dominate at 56.5% of dwellings against 31.7% apartments and 10.7% semi-detached, so demand is anchored to family-sized stock: 32.3% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 31.1% have 4 or more. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,500, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.0%, just under the 30% stress threshold because personal income at $1,264 per week and household income in the 97.1st percentile absorb the cost. With 33.8% of homes owned outright and only 34.7% mortgaged, this is a settled, equity-rich owner base rather than a churning buyer market, which tightens supply for incoming families.
For Investors
Willoughby works better as a capital-growth play than a yield play. Weekly rent of $583 against a $1,751,500 median house price implies a gross yield near 1.7%, low even by Sydney standards, so cash flow is thin. The renter share of 31.4% is below the owner-occupier majority, but the 7.6% vacancy rate signals a softer rental market than the suburb's prestige suggests. Demand support comes from net overseas migration averaging 213 per year, offset by internal outflow of 43, and 80 development applications lodged in the past 12 months show ongoing renewal. Rent grew 20.2% across the last census period, faster than incomes, so the thesis here is scarcity-driven appreciation in a decile 10 location rather than rental income.
Development Activity
Total DAs
461
Last 12 Months
85
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+9.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Willoughby iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Thomas' Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 277 students
Willoughby Girls High School
7-12 · 1036 students
Willoughby Public School
K-6 · 905 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 matches the national median exactly, but that masks a household structure tilted to established families. Couples with children (2,942 families) outnumber couples without children (1,177) by more than two to one, and average household size of 2.7 sits 0.2 above national. University qualifications at 61.9% run 31.8 points above the national rate, the defining demographic signal. Overseas-born residents at 35.9% are 14.3 points above national, with Chinese ancestry (1,088) the second-largest group after English (2,087) and Mandarin (171) and Cantonese (140) the leading non-English languages. This is a credentialed, family-oriented population where high education and a strong migrant professional layer reinforce the suburb's decile 10 standing.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
56.5%
Houses
10.7%
Townhouse
31.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is unusually balanced for a premium suburb: 33.8% own outright, 34.7% carry a mortgage and 31.4% rent, so no single tenure dominates. The stock skews to houses at 56.5%, with apartments at 31.7% and semi-detached at 10.7%, and bedroom mix leans family-sized, with 32.3% three-bedroom and 31.1% four-bedroom-plus homes. The price record is short but steep: the median moved from $1,682,000 in 2024 to $2,150,000 in 2025, against the headline median house price of $1,751,500. Both mortgage-to-income at 27.0% and rent-to-income at 19.5% sit below stress thresholds, lower than many cheaper suburbs, because Willoughby's high incomes track the high absolute prices rather than lagging them.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,500
Rent / wk
$583
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,264
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.6%
Unoccupied
203
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.0%
Couples, no children
5,879
Total families
Economy & Employment
Willoughby's workforce is concentrated in knowledge industries. Professional and technical services lead at 19.5% (552 workers), followed by Finance at 15.4% (435), Healthcare at 13.0% (368), Education at 8.8% (250) and Construction at 5.5% (156). Occupationally, Professionals (1,396) and Managers (812) account for the bulk of the labour force, consistent with the IEO decile 10 ranking, the top education-and-occupation tier nationally. Unemployment at 3.6% sits below the national average, though the participation rate of 59.9% reflects the older, partly retired household base rather than weak demand. Real incomes grew 10.6% over the decade, slower than fast-gentrifying suburbs but adequate to sustain the high price base.
Unemployment
5.1%
Labour Force
7,254
Unemployed
368
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
70.0%
Part-time
26.4%
Participation
59.9%
Employed
3,246
Occupations
Top Industries
University
61.9%
Postgraduate
19.4%
Born Overseas
35.9%
Dwellings
2,487
Transport to Work
Livability rests on advantage rather than density: at 4,377 people per km2 Willoughby is moderately dense, yet 56.5% of homes are separate houses, preserving a leafy residential feel close to the CBD. Transport leans on the car, with 72.9% driving against 12.2% on public transport and 9.0% walking or cycling, reflecting the suburb's position off the main rail line. The strongest livability signal is socioeconomic: IRSAD and IRSD both sit in decile 10, the most advantaged national tier, and the volunteering rate of 18.1% points to civic engagement above what raw affluence would predict. Only 4.3% of residents need daily assistance, below the national pattern, consistent with a healthy, working-age and active-senior population.
Drive
72.9%
Public Transport
12.2%
Walk / Cycle
9.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.68%/yr
(+94 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than explosive, befitting an established suburb. The forecast projects 0.68% annual growth (about 94 persons per year), a rate well below high-growth fringe suburbs, with the SA2 population rising from 13,771 in 2025 to a medium projection of 14,094 by 2031. Overseas migration is the primary driver at 213 net arrivals per year, more than offsetting net internal outflow of 43. Population grew 11.7% over the past decade, and the gentrification score of 14 classifies the suburb as not gentrifying, since it is already affluent rather than transitioning. Affordability eased from 58.1% in 2011 to 51.4% in 2021, while the senior share rose 2.3 points and the working-age share fell 2.6 points, signalling a maturing resident base.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+213
Net Internal / yr
-43
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +12% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +213/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Willoughby compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Willoughby a good suburb to live in?
Willoughby ranks in SEIFA decile 10 on three of four indices (IEO, IRSD, IRSAD), the highest national tier, and household income sits in the 97.1st percentile. With 56.5% separate houses and 61.9% university qualifications, it suits established professional families. The main trade-off is cost, with a $1,751,500 median house price.
What is the median house price in Willoughby?
The median house price is $1,751,500. The local price record shows the median moving from $1,682,000 in 2024 to $2,150,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,500 and weekly rent is $583, giving a gross yield near 1.7%, low even by Sydney standards.
What schools are in Willoughby?
No government or independent school sits inside the 1.63 km2 suburb boundary in the dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring lower North Shore suburbs. The education profile is strong, with 61.9% of residents holding university qualifications, 31.8 points above the national rate, and an IEO ranking in decile 10.
Is Willoughby safe?
Suburb-level crime counts are not published in this dataset, so safety is best read from socioeconomic indicators. Willoughby sits in IRSAD and IRSD decile 10, the most advantaged national tier, and only 4.3% of residents need daily assistance. High advantage suburbs like this typically report low rates of violent crime.
Is Willoughby good for property investment?
It favours capital growth over yield. Weekly rent of $583 on a $1,751,500 median house price gives a gross yield near 1.7%, and the vacancy rate is 7.6%. Demand is supported by net overseas migration of 213 per year and 80 development applications in 12 months, but thin cash flow makes it a long-hold scarcity play.
How is Willoughby's population changing?
Growth is modest at 0.68% per year (about 94 persons), with the SA2 population projected to reach 14,094 by 2031 from 13,771 in 2025. Overseas migration drives it at 213 net arrivals annually, offsetting internal outflow of 43. The population rose 11.7% over the decade, and the senior share grew 2.3 points.
What languages are spoken in Willoughby?
With 35.9% of residents born overseas, 14.3 points above national, Willoughby has a strong migrant layer. After English, the leading non-English languages are Mandarin (171 speakers) and Cantonese (140), followed by Japanese (57), reflecting Chinese ancestry of 1,088, the second-largest ancestry group.
Is there much development activity in Willoughby?
Yes, 80 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, a high figure for a 1.63 km2 suburb. Recent samples include new dwelling houses and residential accommodation under complying development certificates, indicating steady knock-down-rebuild renewal rather than large-scale apartment construction.
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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