Wahroonga, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Wahroonga is a leafy suburb on Sydney's Upper North Shore, about 18 kilometres north-west of the city across the Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby council areas. Its name is an Aboriginal word likely from the Ku-ring-gai language, said to mean our home. British colonists used the area for its tall timber from the 1820s, and after the North Shore railway opened in 1890 it became a favoured place for wealthy families to build large garden homes, many in the Arts and Crafts and Federation styles. Among its heritage houses is the modernist Rose Seidler House, designed by Harry Seidler around 1950. The suburb has produced or raised a striking roll of public figures, including the actor Hugh Jackman and the musician and politician Peter Garrett. Wahroonga remains known for its shady streets and well-kept gardens.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Wahroonga is more socio-economically advantaged than about 99% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1157, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Wahroonga at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 17,853
- Median age
- 44
- Median weekly household income
- $2,998
- SEIFA score
- 1157
- Coordinates
- -33.7149, 151.1173
Wahroonga demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Wahroonga using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 27%, 18% of homes are rented, and 39% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 3,332 | 19% |
| Youth (15–24) | 2,320 | 13% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 3,437 | 19% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 4,800 | 27% |
| Seniors (65+) | 3,966 | 22% |
Share of the 17,855 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,222 | 38% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,292 | 40% |
| Rented | 1,030 | 18% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 4,311 | 75% |
| Townhouses & semis | 331 | 6% |
| Flats & apartments | 1,135 | 20% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 5,785 occupied private dwellings in Wahroonga.
- Median weekly rent
- $600
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,467
- Average household size
- 2.9 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,420
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,042
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 6,866 (39%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 5,148 (30%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 69 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 11,125 (82%)
- Labour-force participation
- 59.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.9%
- Employed full-time
- 4,942
- Employed part-time
- 2,622
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Wahroonga
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Wahroonga is January (average daytime high around 28.4°C) and the coolest is July (around 16.8°C). The area receives roughly 854 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.4°C | 18.6°C | 85 mm |
| Feb | 27.1°C | 18.1°C | 92 mm |
| Mar | 25.4°C | 16.9°C | 139 mm |
| Apr | 22.9°C | 13.6°C | 72 mm |
| May | 19.7°C | 10°C | 37 mm |
| Jun | 16.7°C | 8°C | 57 mm |
| Jul | 16.8°C | 7.1°C | 56 mm |
| Aug | 17.9°C | 7.6°C | 52 mm |
| Sep | 20.9°C | 9.8°C | 44 mm |
| Oct | 23.7°C | 12.6°C | 77 mm |
| Nov | 25.2°C | 14.7°C | 73 mm |
| Dec | 27.5°C | 16.9°C | 70 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Wahroonga
Where is Wahroonga?
Wahroonga is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Wahroonga?
At the 2021 Census, Wahroonga had a population of about 17,853.
Is Wahroonga an advantaged area?
Wahroonga has an ABS SEIFA score of 1157, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 99 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 99% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Wahroonga?
Wahroonga has average daytime highs of about 22.7°C and overnight lows of about 12.8°C, with roughly 854 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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