Willoughby (NSW), NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Willoughby is a leafy, established suburb on Sydney's lower North Shore, around eight kilometres north of the city centre, and the namesake of the wider City of Willoughby, whose commercial heart lies in neighbouring Chatswood. Accounts differ on how the suburb was named: some trace it to an English parish, while others credit Surveyor-General Sir Thomas Mitchell, who is said to have honoured Sir James Willoughby Gordon, an officer he served under during the Peninsular War. Among its landmarks is the heritage-listed incinerator on Small Street, designed in 1934 by the noted architect Walter Burley Griffin, and the nearby Telford Lane, a rare local survival of an old road-paving method. Small clusters of shops, restaurants and hotels gather along Mowbray Road, Willoughby Road, Penshurst Street and High Street, and the suburb is known for its long-established Armenian community.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Willoughby (NSW) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 99% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1148, 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.
Willoughby (NSW) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 7,124
- Median age
- 40
- Median weekly household income
- $2,995
- SEIFA score
- 1148
- Coordinates
- -33.8066, 151.1991
Willoughby (NSW) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Willoughby (NSW) 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%, 31% of homes are rented, and 36% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,503 | 21% |
| Youth (15–24) | 763 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,789 | 25% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,950 | 27% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,125 | 16% |
Share of the 7,130 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 830 | 33% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 851 | 34% |
| Rented | 771 | 31% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,406 | 57% |
| Townhouses & semis | 265 | 11% |
| Flats & apartments | 788 | 32% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,487 occupied private dwellings in Willoughby (NSW).
- Median weekly rent
- $583
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,500
- Average household size
- 2.7 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,830
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,264
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 2,476 (36%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,991 (29%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 36 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 4,244 (80%)
- Labour-force participation
- 65.4%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.4%
- Employed full-time
- 2,273
- Employed part-time
- 973
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 Willoughby (NSW)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Willoughby (NSW) is January (average daytime high around 25.7°C) and the coolest is July (around 16.5°C). The area receives roughly 1084 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25.7°C | 19.3°C | 104 mm |
| Feb | 25.1°C | 19°C | 119 mm |
| Mar | 24°C | 18°C | 186 mm |
| Apr | 21.9°C | 15°C | 100 mm |
| May | 19.2°C | 11.7°C | 56 mm |
| Jun | 16.5°C | 9.8°C | 74 mm |
| Jul | 16.5°C | 8.7°C | 70 mm |
| Aug | 17.3°C | 9.2°C | 67 mm |
| Sep | 19.6°C | 11.3°C | 55 mm |
| Oct | 21.8°C | 13.7°C | 92 mm |
| Nov | 22.8°C | 15.5°C | 78 mm |
| Dec | 24.7°C | 17.5°C | 83 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Willoughby (NSW)
Where is Willoughby (NSW)?
Willoughby (NSW) is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Willoughby (NSW)?
At the 2021 Census, Willoughby (NSW) had a population of about 7,124.
Is Willoughby (NSW) an advantaged area?
Willoughby (NSW) has an ABS SEIFA score of 1148, 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 Willoughby (NSW)?
Willoughby (NSW) has average daytime highs of about 21.3°C and overnight lows of about 14.1°C, with roughly 1,084 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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