Avalon - Palm Beach

An assessment of population growth drivers in Avalon - Palm Beach reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Avalon - Palm Beach's population is around 13,247 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 195 people (1.5%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,052 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,188 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 25 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 1,538 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Avalon - Palm Beach's 1.5% growth since the census positions it within 0.5 percentage points of the SA3 area (2.0%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 97.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. As we examine future population trends, lower quartile growth of statistical areas across the nation is anticipated, with the area expected to expand by 76 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 0.1% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Avalon - Palm Beach according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Avalon - Palm Beach has averaged around 35 new dwelling approvals per year, with 179 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 28 so far in FY-26. With an average of only 0.5 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts, while new homes are being built at an average construction cost of $1,298,000, showing that developers are focusing on the premium market with high-end developments. Additionally, $6.6 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, suggesting a shift in the area's residential character.

Compared to Greater Sydney, Avalon - Palm Beach shows comparable new home approvals (per person), preserving market equilibrium consistent with surrounding areas. This activity is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints. Recent construction comprises 76.0% detached houses and 24.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The location has approximately 390 people per dwelling approval, reflecting an established area.

Looking ahead, Avalon - Palm Beach is expected to grow by 17 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Avalon - Palm Beach has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects and planning initiatives. In total 5 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Snappermans, Palm Beach, Avalon Beach Bike Facility, 100 Hilltop Road House Construction, and Palm Beach Shop-Top Housing (Former General Store site), with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

While Avalon - Palm Beach retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.3%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Avalon - Palm Beach possesses a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector a particular standout in terms of representation, and an unemployment rate of only 3.3%. As of December 2025, 6,776 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.8% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation lags significantly (62.8% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%). Based on Census responses, a high 48.6% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and construction. The area has a particular employment specialization in professional & technical, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, public administration & safety shows lower representation at 2.9% versus the regional average of 5.7%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, the 12-month period saw the labour force decrease by 0.2% combined with employment decreasing by 0.7%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%, with a marginal rise. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Avalon - Palm Beach. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Avalon - Palm Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.0% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for FY-23 reveals that income in the Avalon - Palm Beach SA2 is exceptionally high nationally, with the median assessed at $58,254 while the average income stands at $139,902. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's figures of a median income of $60,817 and an average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $63,415 (median) and $152,297 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Avalon - Palm Beach, between the 83rd and 91st percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate the predominant cohort spans 31.7% of locals (4,199 people) in the $4000+ category, unlike trends in the region where 30.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. A significant 43.9% earn above $3,000 weekly, reflecting pockets of prosperity that drive robust local economic activity. High housing costs consume 15.1% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 91st percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Avalon - Palm Beach is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure within Avalon - Palm Beach, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 84.0% houses and 16.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Avalon - Palm Beach was well beyond that of Sydney metro, at 49.2%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (35.3%) or rented (15.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Sydney metro average at $3,300, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $745, compared to Sydney metro's $2,427 and $470. Nationally, Avalon - Palm Beach's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

Avalon - Palm Beach features high concentrations of family households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households dominate at 77.7% of all households, comprising 35.7% couples with children, 33.0% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 22.3%, with lone person households at 20.8% and group households comprising 1.6% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people matches the Greater Sydney average.

Avalon - Palm Beach shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's educational profile stands out regionally, with university qualification rates (40.1% of residents aged 15+) exceeding the Australian average of 30.4% and that of NSW (32.2%), reflecting the community's emphasis on higher education. Bachelor degrees lead at 27.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 31.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (14.0%) and certificates (17.9%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.1% in primary education, 8.9% in secondary education, and 4.6% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Public transport analysis reveals 152 active transport stops operating within Avalon - Palm Beach, comprising a mix of ferry and buses. These stops are serviced by 38 individual routes, collectively providing 3,950 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 138 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 88%, with 6% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 1.7 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A high 48.6% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 564 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 25 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Avalon - Palm Beach's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data demonstrates outstanding results across Avalon - Palm Beach, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 84% of the total population (11,100 people). This compares to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 7.6% and 6.4% of residents, respectively, while 72.9% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The area has 29.4% of residents aged 65 and over (3,889 people), which is higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Avalon - Palm Beach ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Avalon - Palm Beach was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 76.1% of its population born in Australia, 90.6% being citizens, and 93.7% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Avalon - Palm Beach is Christianity, which makes up 43.4% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Judaism, which comprises 0.5% of the population, compared to 0.8% across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Avalon - Palm Beach are English, comprising 34.9% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 19.0%, Australian, comprising 23.2% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 17.8%, and Irish, comprising 10.4% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: French is notably overrepresented at 1.0% of Avalon - Palm Beach (vs 0.5% regionally), Scottish at 9.7% (vs 4.8%) and Welsh at 0.8% (vs 0.4%).

Avalon - Palm Beach hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

At 48 years, Avalon - Palm Beach's median age is significantly above the Greater Sydney average of 37 and similarly considerably older than Australia's 38 years. The age profile shows 65 - 74 year-olds are particularly prominent (14.7%), while the 25 - 34 group is comparatively smaller (4.5%) than in Greater Sydney. This 65 - 74 concentration is well above the national 9.5%. In the period since 2021, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 7.9% to 11.2% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 11.3% to 12.9%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 6.2% to 4.5% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 13.1% to 11.7%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Avalon - Palm Beach. The 85+ cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 155%, adding 727 residents to reach 1,196. Senior residents (65+) will drive 100% of population growth, underscoring demographic aging trends. On the other hand, population declines are projected for the 25 to 34 and 0 to 4 cohorts.