Willoughby zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Willoughby
(Willoughby, NSW) - 1.62 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
1.62 km² - this suburb is relatively unconstrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Willoughby's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Aircraft noise and flight paths over Willoughby
Two different things, kept apart on purpose. The ANEF contour is the planning instrument - a forecast published per airport that planning schemes use to control noise-sensitive development. Observed overflight is what a sampled aircraft-tracking feed actually recorded over the suburb - where aircraft flew, how low and how often.
Observed overflight - sampled 4 Sep to 2 Oct 2026
typical observed square 2 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 1,500 ft - night is sampled as often as day, but night traffic is light, so this is a floor and no rate can be put on it.
Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously, so every figure is a floor: aircraft not captured between samples are not represented. Rates are per 500 m square - the busiest square in the suburb, not a count of flights over the suburb - and a square is only rated where enough traffic was seen to measure it. Altitudes are above mean sea level. Flight paths change with runway use, weather, season and airspace design. This is a record of observed traffic; it is not a noise contour and not a planning control.
Willoughby at a glance
How Willoughby is zoned
Buying in Willoughby? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.
Across its 1.62 km², Willoughby is relatively unconstrained by the planning overlays we hold. We hold no flood mapping covering this suburb, so no flood figure is shown - that is a gap in our data, not an all-clear. There are 28 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 496 m² across 2,037 parcels.
Who lives in Willoughby
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Willoughby suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.
Socio-economic standing
ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.
Score 1148, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Willoughby's 7,124 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Willoughby, the wider ABS statistical area containing Willoughby. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Willoughby itself.
11,270 in 2001 to 13,771 in 2025, up 22%.
Source: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.
Willoughby data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Not mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Zoning | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence |
| Observed flight paths | Observed | adsb.lol, under the Open Database License |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 3 October 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.
Check a specific Willoughby address
See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.
Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 58% of Willoughby. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.
Published flood models are held over parts of Willoughby. The free check tells you whether one reaches an address; where it does, a Flood Model Report is +$9 with the planning report.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Willoughby lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Willoughby planning - frequently asked
Is Willoughby flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Willoughby, so this page can't say how much of the suburb is flood-affected - that is a gap in our data, not an indication that the suburb is free of flood risk. Willoughby is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Published flood models are held over parts of Willoughby; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Willoughby bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Willoughby and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone (the Willoughby average is 26%).
Is Willoughby under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 58% of Willoughby, and over about 100% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 4,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 4 aircraft a day were recorded passing over one 500 m square. Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously and flight paths change with runway use, weather and season; the ANEF contour is the planning instrument.
What is the zoning in Willoughby?
The dominant planning zone in Willoughby is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Medium Density Residential and Infrastructure.
Does Willoughby have heritage-listed places?
Willoughby has 28 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Willoughby?
Across 2,037 surveyed parcels in Willoughby, the median lot size is about 496 m². There are also 7 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Willoughby have a train station?
There is no train station inside Willoughby itself. The suburb is served by 65 bus stops.
What is the population of Willoughby?
At the 2021 Census Willoughby had 7,124 usual residents, with a median age of 40 and an average household size of 2.7 people. The wider Willoughby statistical area, which contains Willoughby, went from 11,270 people in 2001 to 13,771 in 2025, up 22%.
Is Willoughby an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Willoughby scores 1148 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Willoughby?
Median household income in Willoughby was $2,995 a week at the 2021 Census, against $3,196 for the typical suburb in Willoughby. Median rent was $583 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,500 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willoughby East | 1.0 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Naremburn | 1.2 km | Not mapped | 6% |
| North Willoughby | 1.2 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Artarmon | 1.6 km | Not mapped | 6% |
| Northbridge | 1.7 km | Not mapped | 29% |
| St Leonards | 1.9 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Middle Cove | 1.9 km | Not mapped | 74% |
| Castlecrag | 2.0 km | Not mapped | 44% |
| Chatswood | 2.1 km | Not mapped | 13% |
| Crows Nest North Sydney |
2.1 km | Not mapped | 0% |