Caringbah
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Caringbah's population is 13,995 as of Aug 2025. Since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 12,858 people, there has been an increase of 1,137 people (8.8%). This change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,761 in June 2024 and an additional 159 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is 3,498 persons per square kilometer, placing Caringbah in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Between the 2021 Census and Aug 2025, Caringbah's growth of 8.8% exceeded the SA4 region (4.0%) and the SA3 area, making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 52.5% of overall population gains during this period.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on latest population numbers, Caringbah is projected to increase by 2,382 persons to 2041, with an overall increase of 15.3% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Caringbah among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Caringbah has seen approximately 174 new homes approved annually. Development approval data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows a total of 871 approvals over the past five financial years, from FY20 to FY25, with 23 approvals recorded so far in FY26. On average, 1.4 new residents have moved into each newly approved home annually between FY20 and FY25, indicating a balanced supply and demand dynamic in the market. The average expected construction cost of new dwellings is $486,000, aligning with regional trends.

This year has seen $41.0 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating robust commercial development activity in Caringbah compared to Greater Sydney, where new home approvals per capita are 74.0% higher than the national average, reflecting developers' confidence in the area. The current housing approval mix is 7.0% detached houses and 93.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a shift from the existing pattern of 28.0% houses, likely due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. With around 185 people moving in for each dwelling approval, Caringbah exhibits characteristics of a growth area, with population forecasts indicating an increase of 2,148 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favorable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth beyond current projections.

Population forecasts indicate Caringbah will gain 2,148 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Caringbah has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Area infrastructure performance is significantly influenced by changes. 21 projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area. Key projects include Caringbah Pavilion, Sutherland to Cronulla Active Transport Link (SCATL), Caringbah Greens, and Caringbah Greens. The following list details those likely most relevant.

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

The labour market in Caringbah demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Caringbah's workforce is well-educated with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 4.2% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.6%. In June 2025, 7837 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate matching Greater Sydney's at 4.2%, and workforce participation at 65.9%, higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Construction shows strong specialization, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 8.1% compared to the regional average of 11.5%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 1.0, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 2.6%, while labour force grew by 3.3%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.6 percentage points. Greater Sydney recorded similar employment growth at 2.6%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, but lags behind national employment growth of 0.26%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in May 2025, project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Caringbah's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.6% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Caringbah has exceptionally high incomes nationally, with a median of $63,104 and an average of $93,718. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 median and $80,856 average. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $69,793 median and $103,652 average as of March 2025. The 2021 Census reveals individual earnings at the 80th percentile nationally are $1,020 weekly. Income brackets indicate that 31.2% of Caringbah residents (4,366 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket, consistent with broader trends across the region at 30.9%. High housing costs consume 20.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 53rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Caringbah features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

As at the 2021 Census, Caringbah had a dwelling structure comprising 28.3% houses and 71.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 52.4% houses and 47.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Caringbah was at 26.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.7% and rented ones at 38.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Caringbah was $2,544, below Sydney metro's $2,774. Median weekly rent in Caringbah was $470, compared to Sydney metro's $500. Nationally, Caringbah's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national average of $375.

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

Family households constitute 63.6% of all households, including 27.9% couples with children, 23.0% couples without children, and 11.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 36.4%, with lone person households at 33.0% and group households comprising 3.4%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

Caringbah shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational qualifications in Caringbah trail regional benchmarks with 28.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 38.0% in Greater Sydney. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 20.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 38.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (12.7%) and certificates (25.6%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.4% in primary education, 6.4% in secondary education, and 4.9% pursuing tertiary education. A robust network of 7 schools operates within Caringbah, educating approximately 3,951 students while Caringbah demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1095). The educational mix includes 3 primary, 3 secondary, 1 K-12 school. The area functions as an education hub with 28.2 school places per 100 residents – significantly above the regional average of 13.9 – attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Caringbah has 84 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 36 different routes that collectively facilitate 3798 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 126 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 542 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 45 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Caringbah is notably higher than the national average with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Caringbah shows superior health outcomes, with common health conditions similar to other areas for both young and elderly residents. Approximately 68% of its total population (9,544 people) has private health cover, higher than Greater Sydney's 65.7%, but lower than the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 7.5% and 7.3% respectively.

About 72.4% of residents report no medical ailments, comparable to Greater Sydney's 72.3%. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 16.2% (2,264 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 21.1%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are above average, mirroring the general population's health profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Caringbah was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Caringbah's cultural diversity is notable, with 22.4% of its population born overseas and 15.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Caringbah, accounting for 57.5% of its population, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 61.2%. The top three ancestry groups are English (26.9%), Australian (25.4%), and Irish (8.9%).

Some ethnic groups have notable representation: Russian at 0.9%, Serbian at 0.5%, and Maltese at 0.9%.

Caringbah's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Caringbah's median age is 37, matching Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and remaining comparable to Australia's 38 years. The 25-34 age group comprises 17.2%, higher than Greater Sydney, while the 15-24 cohort stands at 9.9%. Between 2021 and present, the 25-34 age group increased from 16.4% to 17.2%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort decreased from 8.5% to 7.9%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Caringbah's age structure. Notably, the 55-64 group is projected to grow by 36%, adding 550 people and reaching 2,094 from 1,543. Meanwhile, both 25-34 and 35-44 age groups are expected to decrease in number.