Waitara, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Waitara NSW is 7,837 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Waitara is $1,055 per week ($54,860 per year). Median rent in Waitara is $490 per week ($2,123 per month). Waitara has a median age of 36 years, younger than the national median of 38. Waitara has a population density of 10,287 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Waitara is India. The most common religion is No religion (34.3% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Waitara is $2,200.

There were 50 recorded offences in Waitara in 2025-26, a rate of 6 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (15 offences).

Population
7,837
Census 2021
Median income
$1,055/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$490/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
36years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Waitara vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Waitara is $1,055 a week, 38% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 273rd of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $490 a week, $105 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 23.3% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 36, 7 years younger than in the typical NSW suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureWaitaraTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,055/wk$765/wk +38%$766/wk
Household income$2,106/wk$1,704/wk +24%$1,637/wk
Rent$490/wk$385/wk +27%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,200/mo$1,965/mo +12%$1,733/mo
Median age3643 −7 yrs42
Rent share of household income23.3%22.6% +0.7 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Waitara, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Waitara Population

7,837 residents at the 2021 Census.

Waitara Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,055/wk
$54,860 per year
Ranked 896 of 14,663
Median Rent
$490/wk
$2,123 per month
Ranked 714 of 14,663
Median Age
36years
2 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$2,200/mo
Avg household size: 2.4 · 1.2 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Waitara Rent Prices & Affordability

23% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $2,106/wk
Median rent $490/wk
Rent to income 23.3%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Waitara against your income

About $9,126 a month
Median rent $490/wk
Left after rent $1,616/wk
Rent share 23.3%

Waitara Schools

33
schools nearby
13
government
1133
avg ICSEA score
19,430
total students
Abbotsleigh Independent
Combined · K-12 · 1,634 students
1217
ICSEA
Hornsby Girls High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 722 students
1209
ICSEA
Normanhurst Boys High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 752 students
1207
ICSEA
Knox Grammar School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 3,345 students
1187
ICSEA
Warrawee Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 622 students
1170
ICSEA
Barker College Independent
Secondary · K-12 · 2,856 students
1166
ICSEA
Loreto Normanhurst Independent
Combined · 5-12 · 1,240 students
1164
ICSEA
Wahroonga Adventist School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 633 students
1161
ICSEA
Wahroonga Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 508 students
1156
ICSEA
Prouille Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 262 students
1156
ICSEA
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 337 students
1153
ICSEA
Hornsby North Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 937 students
1148
ICSEA
Waitara Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 972 students
1148
ICSEA
Normanhurst Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 372 students
1139
ICSEA
Normanhurst West Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 363 students
1136
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 33 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Waitara, with a map

Waitara Map

Waitara, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

People in Waitara

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.4% (3,791) Female 51.6% (4,044)

Population Density

10,287
people per km²
7,837 people · 0.8 km²

Households

2.4
Avg household size
1.2
Persons per bedroom
$2,402
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

India
16.2%
China
14.7%
South Korea
3.6%
Philippines
3.5%
Iran
3.4%
Nepal
3.1%
Hong Kong
2.7%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
15.5%
Hindi
7.0%
Cantonese
6.2%
Korean
4.3%
Persian (excluding Dari)
3.8%
Nepali
3.3%
Other Indo-Aryan languages
2.7%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

Chinese
25.5%
Indian
17.0%
English
12.3%
Australian
10.3%
Korean
4.8%
Filipino
4.2%
Irish
3.7%
Scottish
3.3%
German
1.2%
Italian
1.2%
Russian
0.9%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
34.3%
Hinduism
19.2%
Catholic
13.6%
Not stated
6.7%
Anglican
5.4%
Islam
4.0%
Buddhism
4.0%
Christian (other)
2.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.3%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
60.0% 3,709
Separated
2.7% 166
Divorced
7.3% 452
Widowed
4.7% 289
Never married
25.3% 1,562

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
56.6%
Couple: no children
23.8%
Couple: no children under 15
8.5%
One parent: children under 15
5.6%
One parent: no children under 15
5.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
27.1%
2 persons
29.6%
3 persons
23.3%
4 persons
15.9%
5 persons
2.9%
6+ persons
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Waitara

Housing Tenure

Of the 3,088 occupied private dwellings in Waitara at the 2021 Census, 50.0% were rented, 18.4% owned outright and 29.1% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.3% 39 dwellings
Owned outright
18.4% 569 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
29.1% 900 dwellings
Rented
50.0% 1,545 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.1% 33 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
84.5%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
14.3%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
18.5%
2 bedrooms
60.8%
3 bedrooms
16.3%
4 bedrooms
3.3%
5 bedrooms
0.9%
6+ bedrooms
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
6.2%
$300-$449/mo
0.6%
$450-$599/mo
1.1%
$600-$799/mo
1.6%
$800-$999/mo
1.9%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.8%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
12.2%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
31.1%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
23.6%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
11.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
15.4%
1 vehicle
65.2%
2 vehicles
16.6%
3 vehicles
1.9%
4+ vehicles
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Waitara

Employment

Employed full-time
47.2% 2,621 people
Employed part-time
15.9% 880 people
Unemployed
3.8% 210 people
Not in labour force
33.1% 1,838 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
47.5%
Managers
14.7%
Clerical & Administrative
11.8%
Community & Personal Service
8.6%
Technicians & Trade Workers
7.2%
Sales Workers
4.9%
Labourers
3.5%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.3%
$1-$149/wk
1.0%
$150-$299/wk
1.7%
$300-$399/wk
1.7%
$400-$499/wk
3.6%
$500-$649/wk
3.1%
$650-$799/wk
3.7%
$800-$999/wk
4.1%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.7%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.8%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.1%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.7%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
16.2%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
8.1%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
8.6%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.4%
$4,000+/wk
16.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
13.8%
$1-$149/wk
3.7%
$150-$299/wk
5.0%
$300-$399/wk
2.0%
$400-$499/wk
2.0%
$500-$649/wk
2.2%
$650-$799/wk
6.1%
$800-$999/wk
7.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.2%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.3%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.8%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.3%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
16.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
4.2%
$3,500+/wk
4.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
46.5%
Did not go to work
20.3%
Train
16.7%
Walked only
9.5%
Car (passenger)
4.1%
Other
1.1%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.6%
Bus
0.5%
Truck
0.3%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.2%
Bicycle
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
89.5%
Year 10 or equivalent
6.6%
Year 11 or equivalent
2.4%
Year 9 or equivalent
1.6%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
46.7%
Postgraduate Degree
27.5%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
12.5%
Certificate III/IV
8.2%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
4.3%
Certificate I/II
0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
31.3%
Information Technology
17.4%
Engineering
14.1%
Society & Culture
11.3%
Health
9.1%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.1%
Education
3.8%
Creative Arts
3.3%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
2.9%
Architecture & Building
2.2%
Agriculture & Environment
0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
43.7%
Vocational Education
16.8%
Pre-school
13.5%
Secondary: Government
13.1%
Primary: Catholic
4.2%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
3.7%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
2.6%
Secondary: Catholic
2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
91.0%
Has need for assistance
4.4%
Need for assistance not stated
4.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
354
Asthma
181
Diabetes
140
Heart disease
121
Arthritis
96
Lung condition
54
Cancer
51
Kidney disease
44
Stroke
42
Dementia
16

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
8.6% 496
Did not provide
91.4% 5,303

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
10.8% 630
Not a volunteer
89.2% 5,190

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 7
Previously served
0.9% 51
Never served
99.0% 5,799

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
35.5%
1 child
29.8%
2 children
26.9%
3 children
5.7%
4 children
1.8%
5+ children
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
17
1951: 1960
34
1961: 1970
60
1971: 1980
99
1981: 1990
277
1991: 2000
510
2001: 2010
1,270
2011: 2015
965
2016
325
2017
394
2018
392
2019
398
2020
192
2021
61

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

23.9%
moved in the last year
65.8%
moved in the last 5 years
5.1%
unemployment rate (Census)
65.2%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
5,629
Moved from NSW
998
Moved: same area (SA2)
552
Moved from overseas
178
Moved from QLD
22
Moved from VIC
16

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
17.6%
5: 14 hours
28.5%
15: 29 hours
14.1%
30+ hours
9.3%
Did not do domestic work
30.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
94.0%
Step family: no other children
5.1%
Blended family: no other children
0.4%
Other couple: children only
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Waitara Crime Statistics

50 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
15
Assault
12
Other Against Person
8
Other Against Property
5
Property Damage
4
Traffic
3
Drug Offences
2
Sexual Offences
1

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near Waitara

The closest suburb to Waitara is Hornsby, 1.5 km away.

Hornsby
1.5 km away · income $890/wk · rent $440/wk
Normanhurst
1.8 km away · income $921/wk · rent $550/wk
Wahroonga
1.9 km away · income $1,042/wk · rent $600/wk
Warrawee
2.6 km away · income $1,153/wk · rent $650/wk
Asquith
2.7 km away · income $1,041/wk · rent $490/wk
Thornleigh
2.7 km away · income $1,025/wk · rent $530/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About Waitara

What is the population of Waitara NSW?

The population of Waitara NSW is 7,837 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 10,287 people per km². Waitara is ranked #906 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Waitara?

The median personal income in Waitara NSW is $1,055 per week, or $54,860 per year. The median household income is $2,106 per week. Family income is $2,402 per week. Waitara is ranked #896 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Waitara?

Median rent in Waitara NSW is $490 per week ($2,123 per month). Rent represents 23.3% of household income, which is considered affordable. Waitara ranks #714 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Waitara?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Waitara NSW is $2,200. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Waitara?

The median age in Waitara NSW is 36 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Waitara a good suburb to live in?

Waitara is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 7,837. The median income is $1,055/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (23.3% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 14104. All dollar figures in AUD.