CensusAtlas

Compare

Waverley vs Willoughby

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 12 km apart · Waverley profile · Willoughby profile

Waverley Willoughby

Willoughby and Waverley are both high-income areas in Greater Sydney, but they differ in their demographics and housing. Willoughby has a larger share of families, with 18.9% of the population being children under 15 and 44.7% of homes being separate houses. In contrast, Waverley is more apartment-heavy, with 64.1% of homes being flats or apartments and a much higher share of people in de facto relationships (19.6% compared to 8.9% in Willoughby). Language diversity is also more pronounced in Willoughby, where 41.0% of people use a language other than English at home, compared to 20.9% in Waverley.

Everyday life shares many similarities in both places, such as the 55% of people who work from home and a very short walk to public transport. Both areas also have high typical weekly incomes that sit well above the national figure. Over time, some gaps have shifted; for example, the difference in typical weekly income has widened, with Waverley's typical pay now $297 higher than in Willoughby. Meanwhile, the gap in the share of renters has narrowed since 2011.

Open map →

Where they differ most

Separate houses: 28.7 pts higher in Willoughby Other language: 20.1 pts higher in Willoughby De facto: 10.7 pts higher in Waverley 3+ bedrooms: 14.5 pts higher in Willoughby Household size: 0.3 larger in Willoughby

Demographics & Identity

Population in Waverleyin Willoughby +7,008 larger in Willoughby gap widening
68,605 78th pct 75,613 80th pct
Median age in Waverleyin Willoughby +4 yrs older in Willoughby gap widening
35 yrs 14th pct 39 yrs 33rd pct
First Nations in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.1 pts higher in Waverley gap steady
0.4% 2nd pct 0.3% 0th pct
Aged 65+ in Waverleyin Willoughby +3.1 pts higher in Willoughby gap widening
12.9% 20th pct 16.0% 29th pct
Under 15 in Waverleyin Willoughby +3.1 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
15.8% 26th pct 18.9% 64th pct
De facto in Waverleyin Willoughby +10.7 pts higher in Waverley gap widening
19.6% 89th pct 8.9% 10th pct

Age structure

40.4% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +11.2 pts 29.2%
21.8% Older adults (45–64) +3.3 pts ▸ 25.1%
15.8% Children (0–14) +3.1 pts ▸ 18.9%
12.9% Seniors (65+) +3.1 pts ▸ 16.0%
9.1% Youth (15–24) +1.7 pts ▸ 10.8%

Marital status

35.8% Married +17.9 pts ▸ 53.7%
51.1% Never married ◂ +17.9 pts 33.2%
7.6% Divorced ◂ +0.8 pts 6.8%
3.5% Widowed +0.7 pts ▸ 4.2%
2.0% Separated +0.1 pts ▸ 2.1%

Age & sex structure

Waverley Willoughby

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Waverleyin Willoughby +4.8 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
41.7% 95th pct 46.5% 98th pct

Country of birth

52.9% Australia ◂ +2.5 pts 50.5%
1.2% China +9.8 pts ▸ 11.0%
8.2% England ◂ +4.6 pts 3.6%
4.5% South Africa ◂ +3.6 pts 1.0%
0.5% India +2.6 pts ▸ 3.1%
2.3% New Zealand ◂ +0.6 pts 1.7%
0.7% Philippines +0.7 pts ▸ 1.4%
1.3% Italy ◂ +0.7 pts 0.6%
0.1% Nepal +0.6 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.2% Vietnam +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%

Ancestry

30.8% English ◂ +7.3 pts 23.5%
3.7% Chinese +22.7 pts ▸ 26.5%
21.3% Australian ◂ +1.3 pts 20.0%
12.0% Irish ◂ +3.4 pts 8.6%
7.7% Scottish ◂ +0.7 pts 7.0%
5.7% Italian ◂ +2.4 pts 3.2%
4.2% German ◂ +1.8 pts 2.4%
1.1% Indian +2.9 pts ▸ 3.9%
2.6% Greek ◂ +1.3 pts 1.3%
1.0% Filipino +0.7 pts ▸ 1.7%
1.3% Dutch ◂ +0.4 pts 1.0%
0.3% Vietnamese +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%

Language

Other language in Waverleyin Willoughby +20.1 pts higher in Willoughby gap widening
20.9% 79th pct 41.0% 90th pct
Limited English in Waverleyin Willoughby +5.2 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
1.6% 72nd pct 6.8% 91st pct

Language used at home

73.1% English only ◂ +17.6 pts 55.5%
1.4% Mandarin +11.5 pts ▸ 12.9%
0.5% Cantonese +7.2 pts ▸ 7.8%
1.6% Italian ◂ +0.8 pts 0.8%
0.1% Hindi +1.3 pts ▸ 1.4%
1.1% Greek ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%
0.3% Arabic +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.3% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.2% Vietnamese +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.0% Punjabi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Religion

No religion in Waverleyin Willoughby +1.5 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
42.0% 54th pct 43.6% 62nd pct

Religious affiliation

42.0% No religion +1.5 pts ▸ 43.6%
31.6% Christianity +8.5 pts ▸ 40.0%
16.0% Judaism ◂ +15.1 pts 1.0%
7.9% Not stated ◂ +2.6 pts 5.3%
1.2% Buddhism +3.3 pts ▸ 4.5%
0.5% Hinduism +3.2 pts ▸ 3.6%
0.5% Islam +0.8 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.3% Other religions +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Waverleyin Willoughby +1.4 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
82.0% 100th pct 83.5% 100th pct
Bachelor+ in Waverleyin Willoughby +1.2 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
52.0% 99th pct 53.1% 100th pct
Schools in Waverleyin Willoughby +2 more in Willoughby
16 67th pct 18 71st pct
Schools/1k kids in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.22 more in Waverley
1.48 8th pct 1.26 3rd pct
Students in Waverleyin Willoughby +2,275 more in Willoughby
8,828 74th pct 11,103 78th pct
Avg size in Waverleyin Willoughby +101 larger in Willoughby
552 87th pct 653 94th pct
ICSEA in Waverleyin Willoughby +14 higher in Willoughby
1,132 96th pct 1,146 98th pct

Highest year of school

82.0% Year 12 +1.4 pts ▸ 83.5%
5.9% Year 10 +0.2 pts ▸ 6.1%
2.3% Year 9 or below +1.5 pts ▸ 3.8%
2.7% Year 11 ◂ +0.3 pts 2.4%

Highest qualification level

44.9% Bachelor degree ◂ +1.1 pts 43.8%
17.1% Postgraduate degree +4.9 pts ▸ 22.1%
11.5% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.6 pts ▸ 12.2%
8.6% Certificate III / IV ◂ +1.8 pts 6.7%
3.4% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.9 pts ▸ 4.3%
0.7% Certificate I / II even 0.7%

Field of qualification

28.0% Management & commerce +3.9 pts ▸ 31.9%
16.6% Society & culture ◂ +2.5 pts 14.1%
9.5% Creative arts ◂ +4.0 pts 5.5%
7.1% Engineering & related +2.0 pts ▸ 9.1%
7.9% Health +1.1 pts ▸ 9.0%
2.5% Information technology +4.0 pts ▸ 6.6%
4.9% Education +0.3 pts ▸ 5.2%
4.9% Architecture & building ◂ +1.8 pts 3.1%
3.0% Natural & physical sciences +1.4 pts ▸ 4.3%
2.8% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.3 pts 2.5%
0.7% Agriculture & environment even 0.7%

Income

Personal income in Waverleyin Willoughby +$297 higher in Waverley gap widening
$1,442 96th pct $1,145 89th pct
Household income in Waverleyin Willoughby +$298 higher in Waverley gap widening
$2,854 99th pct $2,556 94th pct
Family income in Waverleyin Willoughby +$474 higher in Waverley gap widening
$3,709 100th pct $3,235 97th pct
High earners in Waverleyin Willoughby +3.5 pts higher in Waverley gap widening
31.7% 100th pct 28.2% 98th pct
High-income homes in Waverleyin Willoughby +2.9 pts higher in Waverley gap steady
45.4% 100th pct 42.5% 98th pct

Household income distribution

34.0% $4,000 or more ◂ +2.3 pts 31.7%
24.3% $1,500–$2,999 +0.8 pts ▸ 25.1%
14.6% $650–$1,499 +1.5 pts ▸ 16.1%
11.4% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +0.6 pts 10.8%
9.5% Under $650 +1.7 pts ▸ 11.3%

Personal income distribution

22.6% Under $650 +10.4 pts ▸ 33.0%
26.1% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.8 pts 22.4%
25.1% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.4 pts 23.7%
18.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 16.5%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Waverleyin Willoughby +1.2 pts higher in Willoughby
19.3% 11th pct 20.5% 14th pct
Mental health in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.5 pts higher in Waverley
5.8% 19th pct 5.3% 14th pct
Needs assistance in Waverleyin Willoughby +1.1 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
2.8% 10th pct 3.9% 22nd pct

Long-term health conditions reported

5.9% Other condition +1.3 pts ▸ 7.2%
6.0% Asthma even 6.0%
5.8% Mental health ◂ +0.5 pts 5.3%
4.8% Arthritis +0.3 pts ▸ 5.2%
2.2% Diabetes +1.0 pts ▸ 3.1%
2.5% Heart disease +0.5 pts ▸ 3.0%
2.3% Cancer +0.3 pts ▸ 2.6%
0.8% Lung condition even 0.9%
0.7% Dementia even 0.7%
0.5% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%

Number of long-term health conditions

72.8% None +1.5 pts ▸ 74.3%
14.6% One condition +0.7 pts ▸ 15.3%
3.3% Two conditions +0.4 pts ▸ 3.7%
1.4% Three or more +0.1 pts ▸ 1.5%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.3 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
16.0% 40th pct 16.3% 42nd pct
Unpaid carers in Waverleyin Willoughby +1.0 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
9.3% 18th pct 10.3% 26th pct
Unpaid child care in Waverleyin Willoughby +5.1 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
23.5% 38th pct 28.6% 78th pct
Defence service in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.1 pts higher in Willoughby
1.2% 7th pct 1.3% 8th pct
Housework 15h+ in Waverleyin Willoughby +6.2 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
15.8% 13th pct 22.0% 49th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Waverleyin Willoughby +72 larger in Waverley
279 36th pct 207 30th pct
Median age in Waverleyin Willoughby +1 yrs older in Willoughby
31 yrs 82nd pct 32 yrs 86th pct
Year 12 in Waverleyin Willoughby +4.7 pts higher in Waverley
72.4% 100th pct 67.7% 97th pct
Unemployment in Waverleyin Willoughby +2.1 pts higher in Willoughby
3.8% 9th pct 5.9% 13th pct
Median income in Waverleyin Willoughby +$197 higher in Waverley
$1,254 100th pct $1,057 94th pct
Household income in Waverleyin Willoughby +$126 higher in Willoughby
$2,361 94th pct $2,487 97th pct
Indigenous language in Waverleyin Willoughby +4.5 pts higher in Waverley
10.8% 79th pct 6.3% 60th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.3 larger in Willoughby gap steady
2.3 29th pct 2.6 79th pct
One-parent in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.6 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
9.6% 16th pct 10.2% 20th pct
Living alone in Waverleyin Willoughby +7.0 pts higher in Waverley gap steady
29.9% 57th pct 22.9% 18th pct

Family composition

57.5% Couples with children +7.5 pts ▸ 65.0%
31.9% Couples without children ◂ +8.2 pts 23.7%
9.6% One-parent families +0.6 pts ▸ 10.2%
1.1% Other families +0.1 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

36.0% 2 people ◂ +4.3 pts 31.7%
29.9% 1 person ◂ +7.0 pts 22.9%
13.3% 4 people +6.0 pts ▸ 19.3%
15.0% 3 people +2.9 pts ▸ 17.8%
4.6% 5 people +1.6 pts ▸ 6.1%
1.2% 6 or more +0.9 pts ▸ 2.1%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Waverleyin Willoughby +$99 higher in Waverley gap widening
$670 100th pct $571 100th pct
Mortgage in Waverleyin Willoughby +$201 higher in Waverley gap widening
$3,500 100th pct $3,299 100th pct
People / bedroom in Waverleyin Willoughby even gap steady
1.00 89th pct 1.00 89th pct
Renting in Waverleyin Willoughby +10.6 pts higher in Waverley gap narrowing
49.0% 88th pct 38.4% 80th pct
Owned outright in Waverleyin Willoughby +7.5 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
24.2% 18th pct 31.7% 32nd pct
Separate houses in Waverleyin Willoughby +28.7 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
16.0% 0th pct 44.7% 6th pct
3+ bedrooms in Waverleyin Willoughby +14.5 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
39.6% 0th pct 54.0% 8th pct

How homes are owned or rented

49.0% Rented ◂ +10.6 pts 38.4%
24.2% Owned outright +7.5 pts ▸ 31.7%
23.8% Owned with a mortgage +3.0 pts ▸ 26.8%
1.6% Other tenure +0.6 pts ▸ 2.2%
1.4% Not stated ◂ +0.5 pts 0.8%

Types of homes

64.1% Flat or apartment ◂ +16.9 pts 47.1%
16.0% Separate house +28.7 pts ▸ 44.7%
18.1% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +10.3 pts 7.8%
1.6% Other dwelling ◂ +1.4 pts 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

41.3% 2 bedrooms ◂ +9.0 pts 32.4%
22.2% 3 bedrooms +3.9 pts ▸ 26.1%
12.6% 4 bedrooms +6.4 pts ▸ 19.1%
15.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +3.7 pts 11.9%
4.7% 5 or more +4.2 pts ▸ 8.9%
2.2% Studio / none ◂ +1.2 pts 1.0%

Weekly rent distribution

37.4% $750 or more ◂ +12.5 pts 24.9%
33.4% $550–$749 ◂ +2.8 pts 30.6%
19.4% $350–$549 +13.2 pts ▸ 32.6%
4.0% $200–$349 +1.3 pts ▸ 5.4%
2.8% Under $200 +0.5 pts ▸ 3.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

55.6% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 53.5%
17.3% $1,800–$2,999 +1.7 pts ▸ 18.9%
10.1% Under $1,000 +1.1 pts ▸ 11.2%
8.9% $1,000–$1,799 +0.8 pts ▸ 9.7%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Waverleyin Willoughby +4.8 pts higher in Waverley gap narrowing
18.9% 89th pct 14.0% 87th pct
Work from home in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.6 pts higher in Waverley gap steady
55.1% 100th pct 54.4% 100th pct
PT commute in Waverleyin Willoughby +1.3 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
3.6% 80th pct 5.0% 86th pct
PT stops in Waverleyin Willoughby +86 more in Willoughby
226 73rd pct 312 76th pct
Stops/1k in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.83 more in Willoughby
3.29 50th pct 4.13 60th pct
Departures/1k in Waverleyin Willoughby +769.9 more in Waverley
2,782.3 98th pct 2,012.4 91st pct
PT routes in Waverleyin Willoughby +37 more in Willoughby
23 73rd pct 60 86th pct
Stop walk in Waverleyin Willoughby even
2 14th pct 2 14th pct
Drive to city in Waverleyin Willoughby +1 longer in Waverley
10 9th pct 9 7th pct

How people get to work

55.1% Worked at home ◂ +0.6 pts 54.4%
19.9% Car (driver) +0.3 pts ▸ 20.3%
3.9% Walked +0.5 pts ▸ 4.4%
1.6% Train +1.6 pts ▸ 3.1%
2.0% Bus ◂ +0.1 pts 1.8%
1.4% Car (passenger) +0.5 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.0% Bicycle ◂ +0.6 pts 0.3%

Motor vehicles per home

48.6% 1 vehicle ◂ +0.7 pts 47.9%
25.3% 2 vehicles +3.7 pts ▸ 28.9%
18.9% No vehicle ◂ +4.8 pts 14.0%
5.1% 3 vehicles +1.5 pts ▸ 6.6%
2.2% 4 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 2.6%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Waverleyin Willoughby +6.3 pts higher in Waverley gap widening
50.2% 94th pct 44.0% 87th pct
Recent arrivals in Waverleyin Willoughby +5.8 pts higher in Waverley gap widening
23.2% 87th pct 17.3% 73rd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.7 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
3.7% 32nd pct 4.4% 50th pct
Participation in Waverleyin Willoughby +5.0 pts higher in Waverley gap widening
68.7% 95th pct 63.7% 78th pct
Full-time in Waverleyin Willoughby +1.7 pts higher in Waverley gap steady
64.7% 76th pct 62.9% 69th pct

Industries people work in

19.6% Professional & technical ◂ +0.9 pts 18.7%
10.7% Finance & insurance +2.2 pts ▸ 12.8%
10.3% Health care & social assistance +1.8 pts ▸ 12.1%
7.3% Education & training +0.3 pts ▸ 7.5%
6.5% Retail trade +0.7 pts ▸ 7.1%
6.7% Construction ◂ +2.2 pts 4.5%
5.1% Accommodation & food +0.4 pts ▸ 5.5%
4.2% Media & telecommunications ◂ +0.5 pts 3.7%
4.0% Administrative & support ◂ +0.9 pts 3.1%
3.5% Public administration & safety +0.2 pts ▸ 3.8%
2.4% Wholesale trade +0.9 pts ▸ 3.4%
3.1% Rental & real estate ◂ +0.2 pts 2.9%

Occupations people work in

41.8% Professionals ◂ +0.3 pts 41.4%
22.1% Managers ◂ +1.4 pts 20.7%
9.6% Clerical & administrative +2.3 pts ▸ 11.8%
6.8% Sales workers +0.1 pts ▸ 6.9%
6.6% Community & personal service ◂ +0.1 pts 6.5%
6.6% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.7 pts 5.9%
3.0% Labourers +0.2 pts ▸ 3.2%
1.5% Machinery operators & drivers +0.1 pts ▸ 1.7%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Waverleyin Willoughby even
10 100th pct 10 100th pct
IRSD decile in Waverleyin Willoughby even
10 100th pct 10 100th pct
IER decile in Waverleyin Willoughby +1 higher in Willoughby
8 71st pct 9 86th pct
IEO decile in Waverleyin Willoughby even
10 100th pct 10 100th pct
IRSAD score in Waverleyin Willoughby +21 higher in Waverley
1,163 100th pct 1,142 99th pct
ERP in Waverleyin Willoughby +7,175 higher in Willoughby
73,345 78th pct 80,520 79th pct
Growth in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.2 pts higher in Willoughby
5.7% 68th pct 5.9% 70th pct
Businesses in Waverleyin Willoughby +2,106 higher in Willoughby
11,439 86th pct 13,545 86th pct
Approvals in Waverleyin Willoughby +72 higher in Willoughby
152 65th pct 224 72nd pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Waverleyin Willoughby +46 higher in Waverley
1,484 91st pct 1,438 90th pct
Max temp in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.2 higher in Willoughby
22.9 36th pct 23.2 38th pct
Min temp in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.7 higher in Waverley
14.0 76th pct 13.3 72nd pct

Crime & Safety

Crime rate in Waverleyin Willoughby +1,197 higher in Waverley
7,263 41st pct 6,066 29th pct
Assault/100k in Waverleyin Willoughby +285 higher in Waverley
707 31st pct 422 10th pct
Sexual/100k in Waverleyin Willoughby +80 higher in Waverley
207 39th pct 127 14th pct
Robbery/100k in Waverleyin Willoughby even
13 25th pct 13 25th pct
Burglary/100k in Waverleyin Willoughby +21 higher in Willoughby
192 9th pct 213 12th pct
Theft/100k in Waverleyin Willoughby +455 higher in Waverley
1,624 64th pct 1,169 45th pct
Vehicle theft/100k in Waverleyin Willoughby +103 higher in Waverley
287 41st pct 184 20th pct
Property damage/100k in Waverleyin Willoughby +174 higher in Waverley
440 20th pct 266 2nd pct
Drugs/100k in Waverleyin Willoughby +448 higher in Waverley
662 62nd pct 214 23rd pct
5-yr change in Waverleyin Willoughby +33.5 pts higher in Willoughby
-9.9% 20th pct 23.6% 70th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.6 higher in Waverley
9.2 100th pct 8.6 98th pct
Types ≤15 min in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.4 more in Waverley
8.0 100th pct 7.6 97th pct
15-min city in Waverleyin Willoughby +3.7 pts higher in Waverley
100.0% 100th pct 96.3% 97th pct
Walk to shops in Waverleyin Willoughby +8.2 pts higher in Waverley
99.5% 100th pct 91.3% 94th pct
Walk to transit in Waverleyin Willoughby even
100.0% 100th pct 99.8% 99th pct
Walk to school in Waverleyin Willoughby +2.8 pts higher in Waverley
100.0% 100th pct 97.2% 97th pct
Walk to a park in Waverleyin Willoughby even
100.0% 100th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to health in Waverleyin Willoughby +10.3 pts higher in Waverley
98.3% 100th pct 88.0% 95th pct
Amenities/1k in Waverleyin Willoughby +0.1 more in Waverley
13.6 27th pct 13.5 26th pct
Intersections/km² in Waverleyin Willoughby +101 higher in Waverley
365 97th pct 264 92nd pct
Mean slope in Waverleyin Willoughby +1.6 pts higher in Willoughby
8.7% 90th pct 10.3% 98th pct

Compare Waverley with nearby areas

Woollahra Randwick Sydney Mosman North Sydney Inner West Willoughby Bayside

Compare Willoughby with nearby areas

North Sydney Lane Cove Mosman Hunters Hill Ku-ring-gai Ryde Sydney Woollahra

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Waverley vs Willoughby [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA18050/waverley/vs/LGA18250/willoughby