Batemans Bay
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Batemans Bay are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Batemans Bay's population was approximately 8,700 as of August 2025, marking an increase of 119 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 1.4% rise from the previous count of 8,581 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,672 in June 2024 and the addition of 94 validated new addresses since the Census date. This translates to a density ratio of 136 persons per square kilometer, indicating ample space per person with room for further development. Over the past decade, Batemans Bay has shown resilient growth patterns with an average annual increase of 1%. This outpaces the SA3 area's growth rate.

Interstate migration contributed significantly to population gains in recent periods, accounting for approximately 68.7% of overall population increases. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch employs NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 using the 2021 Census as its base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, Batemans Bay is expected to experience above median population growth for national non-metropolitan areas. By 2041, the area's population is projected to increase by 1,654 persons, representing an 18.5% rise over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Batemans Bay recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Batemans Bay has received around 66 dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data from the ABS shows a total of 333 approvals over the past five financial years, from FY20 to FY25, with 11 approvals recorded so far in FY26. On average, there are 1.6 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over these five years. However, this has moderated to 0.1 people per dwelling over the past two financial years. New properties have an average construction cost of $634,000.

Commercial development approvals totalled $85.2 million in FY26. Batemans Bay's development levels are similar to those of the rest of NSW on a per capita basis. Recent construction comprises 70% standalone homes and 30% medium and high-density housing.

The area has approximately 337 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. By 2041, Batemans Bay is projected to grow by 1,607 residents. At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably.

Batemans Bay has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 44thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified eight projects that could affect the region. Notable ones are Batemans Bay Community Health Facility, 24 Beach Road Residential Development, Batemans Bay Dredging, and 3 Clyde Street Mixed Use Tourist, Residential & Retail Development. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Batemans Bay face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Batemans Bay has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs, prominent tourism and hospitality sectors, and an unemployment rate of 6.9% as of June 2025. There are 3,307 employed residents, with an unemployment rate 3.3% higher than Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Workforce participation is significantly lower at 44.8%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries include retail trade, health care & social assistance, and construction. Retail trade has notably high concentration, with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average, while agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 1.6% versus the regional average of 5.3%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data.

In the 12 months prior to June 2025, labour force decreased by 3.6% and employment declined by 4.7%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.1 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment fell by 0.1%, labour force expanded by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia for May 2025 project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Batemans Bay's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.3% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

Batemans Bay's median income among taxpayers in financial year 2022 was $40,638. The average income during this period stood at $50,461. These figures are below the Rest of NSW's median income of $49,459 and average income of $62,998 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Batemans Bay's median income would be approximately $44,946 as of March 2025, with the average estimated at $55,810 during this period. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Batemans Bay all fall between the 8th and 11th percentiles nationally. The largest segment comprises 30.1% earning $800 - $1,499 weekly (2,618 residents), contrasting with regional levels where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket leads at 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Batemans Bay, with only 83.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 10th percentile nationally.

Batemans Bay is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Batemans Bay, as per the latest Census, consisted of 75.6% houses and 24.4% other dwellings (including semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This differed from Non-Metro NSW's structure of 84.3% houses and 15.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Batemans Bay was 44.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.2% and rented ones at 31.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,519, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,517. The median weekly rent figure in Batemans Bay was $330, slightly higher than Non-Metro NSW's $320. Nationally, Batemans Bay's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,519 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially lower at $330 versus the national figure of $375.

Batemans Bay features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households compose 64.4% of all households, including 18.0% couples with children, 33.4% couples without children, and 12.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 35.6%, with lone person households at 32.6% and group households comprising 3.0%. The median household size is 2.2 people, aligning with the average in the Rest of NSW.

Batemans Bay faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 14.9%, significantly below the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 9.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 42.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas at 10.2% and certificates at 32.2%.

A substantial 24.7% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 9.7% in primary, 7.1% in secondary, and 1.8% in tertiary education. Batemans Bay Public School provides local educational services within Batemans Bay, with an enrollment of 483 students. Batemans Bay demonstrates varied educational conditions, with 1 school focusing exclusively on primary education and secondary options available in surrounding areas. Limited local school capacity (5.6 places per 100 residents vs 12.7 regionally) means many families travel to nearby areas for schooling.

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

Batemans Bay has 169 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 41 unique routes that together facilitate 599 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's location to the nearest transport stop is 170 meters.

On average, there are 85 trips per day across all routes, translating to roughly three weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Batemans Bay is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Batemans Bay faces significant health challenges with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Approximately 46% (~4,019 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (12.5%) and mental health issues (9.8%), while 58.1% report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Rest of NSW's 59.6%. Residents aged 65 and over make up 29.7% (2,586 people), lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 31.7%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Batemans Bay perform better than those in the general population.

Batemans Bay ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Batemans Bay, as per the 2016 Census, had a cultural diversity score below average. Of its population, 84.1% were born in Australia, 89.7% held citizenship, and 94.4% spoke English at home exclusively. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 54.7%, compared to 49.0% across Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups were English (32.2%), Australian (28.1%), and Irish (9.2%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation stood at 5.9%, higher than the regional average of 3.6%. Maltese and Polish populations also had notable divergences, with 0.5% compared to 0.4% regionally for Maltese, and 0.7% compared to 0.5% regionally for Polish.

Batemans Bay ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Batemans Bay's median age is 51 years, significantly higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 and considerably older than the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 65-74 cohort is notably over-represented in Batemans Bay at 16.1%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 8.9%. The 65-74 concentration is well above the national average of 9.4%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 9.2% to 10.3% of Batemans Bay's population. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 17.3% to 16.1%. By 2041, Batemans Bay is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. The 35 to 44 group is projected to grow by 31%, adding 279 people and reaching a total of 1,174 from the current 894. Meanwhile, the 15 to 24 cohort is expected to grow modestly by 2% with an increase of 16 people.