NSW 2232 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Woronora

At a median house price of $1,605,000 and household income in the 93.7th percentile nationally, Woronora sits among Sydney's more affluent southern pockets. The suburb scores decile 10 on both IRSD and IER, the top advantage tier, yet its IEO decile sits at 8, a gap explained by a 59.4% participation rate rather than low qualifications. With 96.3% separate houses and 44.3% owned outright across just 1.88 km2, this is structurally owner-occupier territory with a slowly shrinking population of 2,043.

Woronora urban fabric map

Population

2,043

Median Age

44.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$2,614/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

11

Median House

$1.6M

2024-2025 (PSI derived)

1.88 km²· 1,086 people/km²· Family income $3,020/wk

The $1,605,000 median rose 14.7% from $1,473,000 in 2024, a strong one-year move. Stock is almost entirely detached houses at 96.3%, and 56.4% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms, so buyers compete for family-scale homes on a constrained footprint. The monthly mortgage averages $3,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.5%, below the 30% stress threshold because household incomes rank in the 93.7th percentile nationally. Outright owners at 44.3% outnumber mortgage holders at 45.9%, signalling an established owner base rather than leveraged new buyers.

For Buyers

The $1,605,000 median rose 14.7% from $1,473,000 in 2024, a strong one-year move. Stock is almost entirely detached houses at 96.3%, and 56.4% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms, so buyers compete for family-scale homes on a constrained footprint. The monthly mortgage averages $3,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.5%, below the 30% stress threshold because household incomes rank in the 93.7th percentile nationally. Outright owners at 44.3% outnumber mortgage holders at 45.9%, signalling an established owner base rather than leveraged new buyers.

For Investors

Only 9.8% of dwellings are rented, well below state norms, and weekly rent of $580 against a $1,605,000 median gives a gross yield under 2%. The vacancy rate of 3.9% is manageable. Development is minimal at 11 applications in 12 months with no new dwellings, confirming supply will not expand. Net internal outflow of 236 residents per year is only partly offset by 134 overseas arrivals, keeping population in slow decline. Capital growth of 14.7% in the past year is the main investment thesis; yield-focused buyers will find better options elsewhere.

Development Activity

Total DAs

86

Last 12 Months

11

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

+10.0%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Renovation / Extension
13
Swimming Pool / Spa
5
Other
1
New Dwelling
1
Granny Flat / Secondary Dwelling
1

Schools in Woronora iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Woronora River Public School

ICSEA 1054 Primary Government

K-6 · 70 students

Demographics

The median age of 44 is 4 years above the national figure, and the suburb is aging: the senior share rose 7.8 points while the working-age share fell 2.9 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents make up 16.4%, which is 5.2 points below the national average. Ancestry leads with English (895), Irish (285) and Scottish (222). University qualifications reach 39.1%, which is 9 points above national, and couples with children (701) outnumber couples without (450), consistent with the large-home, family-focused stock.

Age Distribution

0-14
16.9%
15-24
14.0%
25-44
20.2%
45-64
30.7%
65+
18.5%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
2.2%
2 bed
5.6%
3 bed
35.7%
4+ bed
56.4%

Dwelling Structure

96.3%

Houses

3.1%

Townhouse

N/A

Apartment

Tenure

Own 44.3% Mortgage 45.9% Rent 9.8%

Stock is nearly uniform: 96.3% separate houses, 3.1% semi-detached, apartments effectively absent. Large homes dominate at 56.4% with 4-plus bedrooms and 35.7% with 3, reflecting deep family demand. Tenure is 44.3% owned outright, 45.9% mortgaged and 9.8% renting, above the national rate of outright ownership. The median rose from $1,473,000 in 2024 to $1,690,000 in 2025, a 14.7% gain. Mortgage-to-income at 26.5% and rent-to-income at 22.2% both sit below the 30% stress level, because local incomes are in the top decile nationally.

Median House Price Trend

Source: State Valuer-General

Mortgage / mo

$3,000

Rent / wk

$580

HH Size

2.9

Personal Income / wk

$1,027

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

3.9%

Unoccupied

28

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

22.2%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

26.5%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Greek
14

Ancestry

English
895
Irish
285
Scottish
222
Other
182
German
94
Italian
65

Household Composition

24.8%

Couples, no children

1,813

Total families

Economy & Employment

Construction leads at 17.2% of the workforce (137 workers), followed by Healthcare at 15.0% (120), Education at 12.7% (101), Professional/Tech at 12.5% (100) and Public Admin at 8.0% (64). Professionals (284) and Managers (208) top the occupation tiers, in line with the decile 10 IRSD and IER scores. Unemployment is 2.4% and full-time employment is 65.5%. Weekly household income of $2,614 ranks in the 93.7th percentile nationally, well above the state median. Real incomes grew 9.7% over the decade. The IEO score of decile 8 rather than 10 reflects a 59.4% participation rate, with 525 residents outside the labour force.

Unemployment

2.1%

Labour Force

12,441

Unemployed

267

Quarterly Trend

Mar-24 Dec-25

Source: SALM Dec-25

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Overall advantage
9
Disadvantage
10
Economic resources
10
Education & occupation
8

Full-time

65.5%

Part-time

32.1%

Participation

59.4%

Employed

986

Occupations

Professionals 284
Managers 208
Clerical/Admin 156
Community/Personal 94
Sales 79
Labourers 46
Machinery/Drivers 29

Top Industries

Construction 17.2%
Healthcare 15.0%
Education 12.7%
Professional/Tech 12.5%
Public Admin 8.0%

University

39.1%

Postgraduate

11.1%

Born Overseas

16.4%

Dwellings

677

Transport to Work

Car dependence is high at 89.8% driving to work, above the national average, with only 2.9% using public transport. No schools are recorded within the 1.88 km2 boundary, so families rely on neighbouring suburbs. The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSD and decile 10 on IER nationally, placing it in the lowest-disadvantage tier. Only 4.4% of residents (87 people) need daily assistance. Mortgage stress at 26.5% and rent stress at 22.2% both sit below the 30% threshold, keeping housing costs manageable relative to local incomes.

Drive

89.8%

Public Transport

2.9%

Walk / Cycle

3.1%

Work from Home

N/A

Population Forecast

-0.32%/yr

(-67 people/yr)

Established

Population is declining at minus 0.32% annually, losing roughly 67 people per year, below the national growth rate. The 10-year change is minus 0.6%. Medium forecasts project the broader SA2 area at around 20,492 by 2031, down from 20,917 in 2025. Net internal outflow of 236 residents per year is the driver, offset only by 134 net overseas arrivals. The gentrification stage is not gentrifying, consistent with a suburb already at the top SEIFA decile with no room to climb. Rent grew 38.8% over the decade while real incomes rose just 9.7%.

Historical + Forecast

Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025

Age Cohort Forecast

Primary Driver

Overseas Migration

Net Overseas / yr

+134

Net Internal / yr

-236

0

Gentrification Signal

Not gentrifying

Net internal outflow -236/yr

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Woronora compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 21%
Household Income
Top 6%
Rent Level
Top 3%
Renters
Bottom 15%
Uni Educated
Top 19%
Public Transport
Bottom 46%
Born Overseas
Top 41%
Density
Top 14%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Woronora a good suburb to live in?

Woronora scores decile 10 on IRSD and IER, the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 93.7th percentile. The suburb is quiet, car-oriented and dominated by large detached houses, with 96.3% separate houses and 44.3% owned outright. The main trade-offs are no recorded schools inside the suburb and very limited public transport at 2.9% usage.

What is the median house price in Woronora?

The median house price is $1,605,000. Prices rose 14.7% from $1,473,000 in 2024 to $1,690,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,000, and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 26.5%, below the 30% stress threshold because local household incomes rank in the 93.7th percentile nationally.

What schools are in Woronora?

No schools are recorded inside the Woronora boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in surrounding suburbs. Despite this, local educational attainment is above average, with 39.1% of residents holding university qualifications, which is 9 percentage points higher than the national figure.

Is Woronora safe?

Detailed crime statistics are not available for Woronora in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on IRSD, the lowest-disadvantage tier nationally, and only 4.4% of its 2,043 residents (87 people) need daily assistance. Low deprivation levels are generally associated with lower crime exposure.

Is Woronora good for property investment?

Woronora is a weak yield market: only 9.8% of dwellings rent, weekly rent is $580, and against a $1,605,000 median the gross yield is under 2%. The vacancy rate is 3.9% and development activity is very low at 11 applications in 12 months. Capital growth of 14.7% in the past year makes it more viable as a land-banking play than an income investment.

How is Woronora's population changing?

Population is declining at minus 0.32% per year, losing roughly 67 residents annually. The 10-year change is minus 0.6%. Net internal outflow of 236 residents per year is partially offset by 134 net overseas arrivals annually. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 7.8 points and the working-age share down 2.9 points over the decade.

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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