Blackheath - Megalong Valley
Statistical Area - sa2

Blackheath - Megalong Valley is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Blackheath-Megalong Valley's population is approximately 5,884 as of August 2025. This figure represents a growth of 120 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 5,764. The increase was inferred from an estimated resident population of 5,830 in June 2024 and the addition of 44 new addresses validated since the Census date. This results in a population density of 42 persons per square kilometer. The area's growth rate of 2.1% exceeded the SA3 area's 1.2%, positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of this growth.

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, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends suggest lower quartile growth nationally, with Blackheath-Megalong Valley expected to expand by 46 persons to 2041, reflecting a total decline of 0.1% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Blackheath - Megalong Valley according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Blackheath-Megalong Valley averages approximately 35 dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides development approval data on a financial year basis, with 175 homes approved between FY20 and FY25, and 3 so far in FY26. Over the past five financial years, an average of 0.5 people per year have moved to the area for each dwelling built. New supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts.

The average construction value of new properties is $721,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY26, there have been $2.0 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Blackheath-Megalong Valley records 86.0% more development activity per person, offering buyers greater choice, though recent periods show a moderation in development activity. This is below average nationally, suggesting maturity and possible planning constraints. New development consists of 86.0% detached houses and 14.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's low density nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers.

The estimated population count per dwelling approval is 376 people, reflecting a quiet, low activity development environment. With stable or declining population forecasts, Blackheath-Megalong Valley may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Blackheath - Megalong Valley has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified four projects expected to affect the region. Key initiatives are the Great Western Highway upgrade from Katoomba to Lithgow, Mount Victoria Memorial Park playspace and court upgrades, Mount Victoria station upgrade, and the Great Western Highway upgrade program (West Section: Little Hartley to Lithgow). The following list details those most relevant.

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

While Blackheath - Megalong Valley retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.6%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Blackheath-Megalong Valley has a highly educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate as of June 2025 is 3.6%, which is 0.6% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation lags behind Greater Sydney at 50.5% compared to 60.0%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Notably, education & training has a higher share of employment at 1.5 times the regional level. Conversely, finance & insurance shows lower representation at 2.8%, compared to the regional average of 7.3%.

The area appears to have limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, labour force decreased by 2.3% while employment declined by 2.0%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.3 percentage points. Meanwhile, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%. State-level data for NSW as of Sep-25 shows employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%, compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.5% and national employment growth of 0.26%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate a projected expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Blackheath-Megalong Valley's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

Blackheath - Megalong Valley had a median taxpayer income of $43,408 and an average income of $60,859 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. These figures are lower than the national averages of $56,994 (median) and $80,856 (average) for Greater Sydney. By March 2025, these incomes would have increased to approximately $48,009 (median) and $67,310 (average), based on a 10.6% growth in the Wage Price Index since financial year 2022. The 2021 Census figures show that Blackheath - Megalong Valley ranks modestly for household, family, and personal incomes, between the 21st and 34th percentiles. The largest income segment comprises 28.6% of residents earning $1,500 to $2,999 weekly (1,682 residents). Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.6% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 23rd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Blackheath - Megalong Valley is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Blackheath-Megalong Valley, as per the latest Census, 96.5% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 3.5% being other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments. This is compared to Sydney metropolitan area's figures of 92.3% houses and 7.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Blackheath-Megalong Valley stood at 48.4%, with the rest either mortgaged (31.2%) or rented (20.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, lower than Sydney metro's $2,033 and Australia's average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in Blackheath-Megalong Valley was $380, higher than the national figure of $375 but lower than Sydney metro's $400.

Blackheath - Megalong Valley features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 61.1% of all households, including 18.4% couples with children, 30.8% couples without children, and 11.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 38.9%, with lone person households at 35.9% and group households comprising 3.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.1 people, smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Blackheath - Megalong Valley exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Blackheath-Megalong Valley shows significant surpassing of broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 40.1% hold university qualifications, compared to 23.9% in the SA4 region and 30.4% nationally. This includes Bachelor degrees at 24.2%, postgraduate qualifications at 11.8%, and graduate diplomas at 4.1%. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 33.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 12.9% and certificates at 20.4%.

Educational participation is high, with 25.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 8.3% in primary, 7.0% in secondary, and 4.2% in tertiary education. The area's five schools have a combined enrollment of 602 students, operating under typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1036) with balanced educational opportunities. This includes three primary schools and two K-12 schools. School places per 100 residents stand at 10.3, below the regional average of 14.5, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Blackheath-Megalong Valley has 100 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. There are 16 individual routes operating in total, which provide 1,060 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as good, with residents on average located 224 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 151 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 10 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Blackheath - Megalong Valley is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data indicates significant challenges for Blackheath - Megalong Valley, with high prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 50% (~2,942 people) have private health cover, lower than Greater Sydney's 54.4% and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent conditions are arthritis (10.4%) and mental health issues (9.6%), with 61.0% reporting no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 64.1%.

Residents aged 65 and over comprise 30.8% (1,814 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 24.3%. Senior health outcomes are strong, outperforming general population metrics.

In terms of cultural diversity, Blackheath - Megalong Valley records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Blackheath-Megalong Valley's cultural diversity is roughly in line with the wider region's average. 77.5% of its population was born in Australia, 88.9% are citizens, and 92.5% speak English only at home. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 37.7% of people.

However, Judaism is overrepresented at 0.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.2%. The top three ancestry groups are English (30.6%), Australian (22.6%), and Irish (12.3%). Notably, Scottish (10.6%) is overrepresented compared to the regional average of 9.0%. Hungarian (0.6%) and Russian (0.6%) also show notable divergences from their respective regional averages of 0.5% and 0.4%.

Blackheath - Megalong Valley ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Blackheath - Megalong Valley has a median age of 52, which is older than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and higher than Australia's national norm of 38. The 65-74 age group constitutes 16.6%, compared to Greater Sydney's percentage. Meanwhile, the 25-34 cohort stands at 7.3%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 75-84 age group grew from 9.5% to 12.0%, while the 15-24 cohort increased from 6.7% to 7.7%. Conversely, the 5-14 cohort declined from 10.5% to 8.8%. By 2041, Blackheath - Megalong Valley is expected to see significant shifts in its age composition. The 75-84 group is projected to grow by 30%, reaching 919 from 704. This growth is led by the aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising all of the projected growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 25-34 age cohorts.