Cecil Hills
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Cecil Hills' population is approximately 6,855 as of Aug 2025. This figure represents a decrease of 51 people from the 2021 Census total of 6,906, indicating a 0.7% decline. The estimated resident population in June 2024 was 6,848, with an additional 2 validated new addresses since the Census date contributing to this change. This results in a density ratio of 1,828 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 69.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch's projections are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a 2022 base year for each SA2 area, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a 2021 base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Future trends suggest a population increase just below the national median, with an expected expansion of 724 persons to 2041 based on the latest numbers, indicating a total gain of 10.5% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Cecil Hills is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Cecil Hills averaged approximately four new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics generates development approval data on a financial year basis. Over the past five financial years, from FY20 to FY25, 24 homes were approved, with one approval so far in FY26. Despite population decline, development activity has been adequate relative to demand, maintaining a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average expected construction cost of new homes is $439,000, aligning with regional trends. This financial year saw $1.5 million in commercial approvals, indicating a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Greater Sydney and nationally, Cecil Hills has significantly less development activity, which usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes but has accelerated recently. New building activity comprises 67% detached dwellings and 33% townhouses or apartments, offering options across different price points. This shift from the area's existing housing (95% houses) suggests decreasing developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles. With around 1256 people per dwelling approval, Cecil Hills reflects a highly mature market.

Population forecasts indicate an increase of 717 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified six projects likely to affect this region. Notable ones are: M7-M12 Integration Project, Liverpool Reservoir Water Infrastructure Upgrade, Cecil Hills High School Upgrade, and Elizabeth Drive Upgrade (Cecil Hills to Luddenham). The following list details those most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Cecil Hills demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Cecil Hills has a skilled workforce with manufacturing and industrial sectors well-represented. Its unemployment rate is 2.2%, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 5.4%. As of June 2025, 4,065 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.0%, below Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation is lower than standard (57.1% vs Greater Sydney's 60.0%). Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing.

Manufacturing shows strong specialization, with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services are under-represented at 6.2%, compared to Greater Sydney's 11.5%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 5.4% while the labour force grew by 4.9%, reducing unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data up to 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%, lagging behind national employment growth of 0.26%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Cecil Hills' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.1%% over five years and 12.8% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows Cecil Hills' median income at $49,830 and average income at $60,587. This is below Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. By March 2025, adjusting for a 10.6% Wage Price Index growth, estimated incomes would be approximately $55,112 (median) and $67,009 (average). Census data ranks Cecil Hills' household income at the 88th percentile ($2,409 weekly), but personal income is lower at the 34th percentile. The predominant income cohort is 32.3% of locals (2,214 people) earning $1,500 - 2,999 per week. This is consistent with broader trends across the area showing 30.9% in the same category. A substantial proportion, 37.0%, earns above $3,000 weekly, indicating strong economic capacity. Housing accounts for 13.4% of income, and residents rank within the 89th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Cecil Hills is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Cecil Hills, as per the latest Census evaluation, 94.8% of dwellings were houses, with 5.2% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Sydney metro's figures of 90.4% houses and 9.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cecil Hills stood at 36.8%, compared to mortgaged dwellings at 48.4% and rented ones at 14.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,475. The median weekly rent in Cecil Hills was $550, higher than Sydney metro's figure of $490. Nationally, Cecil Hills' mortgage repayments were higher at $2,167 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Cecil Hills features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 90.7% of all households, including 58.2% couples with children, 17.6% couples without children, and 14.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 9.3%, with lone person households accounting for 8.4% and group households making up 0.6%. The median household size is 3.6 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 3.4.

Educational outcomes in Cecil Hills fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 22.9%, substantially lower than Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 18.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 28.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.3%) and certificates (17.6%).

Educational participation is high, with 32.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.0% in secondary education, 9.1% in primary education, and 7.0% pursuing tertiary education. The area has educational provisions including Cecil Hills Public School and Cecil Hills High School, serving a total of 2,135 students. Cecil Hills demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1004) with balanced educational opportunities. Educational provision is conventional, split between one primary and one secondary institution. The area functions as an education hub with 31.2 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 19.2, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Cecil Hills has 32 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are serviced by 33 different routes that together facilitate 1,024 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 193 meters to the nearest stop.

Bus services operate at a frequency of 146 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 32 weekly trips per stop.

Cecil Hills's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Cecil Hills shows excellent health outcomes, notably among younger age groups with low prevalence of common conditions. Approximately half of Cecil Hills' population (around 3,427 people) has private health cover, lower than Greater Sydney's 52.5% and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 5.9%) and asthma (5.6%), with 77.6% reporting no medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's 77.9%.

Cecil Hills has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 15.2% (1,038 people) compared to Greater Sydney's 10.1%. While health outcomes among seniors are above average, they require more attention than the broader population.

Cecil Hills is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Cecil Hills has a significant cultural diversity, with 45.6% of its population born overseas and 60.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Cecil Hills, accounting for 67.9% of the population. The most notable overrepresentation is in Buddhism, which comprises 9.7% of the population compared to 6.6% across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Other (31.0%), Italian (10.2%), and Australian (9.4%), with Australian being lower than the regional average of 14.8%. Notably, Croatian (3.4%) is overrepresented compared to the regional average of 1.4%, as are Serbian (2.9% vs 1.9%) and Spanish (1.6% vs 1.0%).

Cecil Hills's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Cecil Hills is 38 years, close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Cecil Hills has a higher percentage of residents aged 15-24 (19.1%) but fewer residents aged 35-44 (10.0%). This 15-24 concentration is above the national average of 12.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 17.8% to 19.1%, while the 75 to 84 cohort has risen from 3.0% to 4.1%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group has declined from 15.8% to 14.0% and the 5 to 14 group has dropped from 13.6% to 12.0%. By 2041, Cecil Hills' age composition is expected to shift notably. The 75 to 84 age group is projected to grow by 124%, reaching 626 people from 278. Those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 86% of the population growth. Conversely, declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age groups.