Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau

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

As of November 2025, Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau's population is approximately 14,219, reflecting a growth of 239 people since the 2021 Census. This increase represents a 1.7% rise from the previous population count of 13,980. The change was inferred from ABS estimates and additional validated addresses between June 2024 and the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,442 persons per square kilometer, placing Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau in the upper quartile compared to other locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 1.7% since the census is within 1.5 percentage points of its SA4 region (3.2%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 76.6% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth in the area.

AreaSearch adopts 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 utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, demographic trends project an overall population decline over this period. According to this methodology, Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau's population is expected to decrease by 357 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are anticipated to grow, notably the 85 and over age group, which is projected to increase by 630 people.

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

Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau has seen approximately 36 dwellings receiving development approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 181 homes were approved, with an additional nine approved so far in FY26. This steady supply of new housing has likely kept pace with demand despite a falling population.

The average expected construction cost value for these new homes is $782,000, indicating that developers are targeting the premium market segment. In terms of commercial development, $322,000 in approvals have been registered this financial year, suggesting minimal activity in this sector. Compared to Greater Sydney, Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau records 13.0% less building activity per person, placing it among the 50th percentile nationally. However, building activity has increased in recent years.

The area's established nature and potential planning limitations may contribute to its lower-than-average building activity levels. Recent construction comprises 59.0% detached houses and 41.0% townhouses or apartments, offering a mix of medium-density options across various price brackets. With approximately 361 people per dwelling approval, Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau reflects an established area with stable or declining population forecasts, potentially creating favourable conditions for buyers due to less housing pressure.

Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 37thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified 18 projects that could impact the area's performance due to changes in local infrastructure. Notable projects include Montecito Collaroy, 1010-1014 Pittwater Road Mixed Use Development, 1129-1131 Pittwater Road Mixed Use, and Cromer Village Green (Proposed Mixed-Use Precinct). The following list provides details on those most likely to be relevant.

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.

The employment landscape in Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. The unemployment rate is 4.1% as of September 2025.

There are 8,039 residents employed, with a participation rate of 66.6%, higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading industries include construction (1.5 times the regional level), professional & technical services, and health care & social assistance. Transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence at 3.2% compared to 5.3% regionally. Between September 2024 and September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.5%, employment fell by 1.7%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.1 percentage points.

In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1%. As of 25-Nov-25, NSW's employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, favourable to the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia projects national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau's mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

The Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $62,125 and an average income of $101,706 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This places it among the top percentile nationally, contrasting with Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. Based on a 12.61% increase in Wage Price Index from financial year 2022 to September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $69,959 (median) and $114,531 (average). Census 2021 income data shows household, family, and personal incomes all rank highly in Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau, between the 84th and 92nd percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows 30.2% of the population falls within the $4000+ range, differing from regional patterns where $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 30.9%. A substantial proportion of high earners (43.6% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the district. High housing costs consume 15.9% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 91st percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau, as per the latest Census evaluation, 58.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 41.9% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is comparable to Sydney metropolitan area's distribution of 57.6% houses and 42.4% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau was higher than that of Sydney metro, at 36.6%. Mortgaged dwellings accounted for 36.9%, while rented properties made up 26.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,000, aligning with the Sydney metro average. However, the median weekly rent figure was $600, which is higher than the Sydney metro's $592 but lower than the national average of $375. Nationally, Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863.

Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 76.0% of all households, including 38.9% couples with children, 26.6% couples without children, and 9.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 24.0%, with lone person households at 21.1% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 2.7 people, aligning with the Greater Sydney average.

Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational qualifications in Collaroy-Collaroy Plateau trail regional benchmarks, with 35.6% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to the SA4 region's 41.5%. This gap indicates potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 33.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (13.3%) and certificates (20.2%).

Educational participation is high, with 29.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.3% in primary education, 8.4% in secondary education, and 5.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis shows 53 active stops operating in Collaroy-Collaroy Plateau. These are served by 59 routes, offering 5481 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is excellent, with residents typically 173 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 783 daily trips across all routes, equating to approximately 103 weekly trips per stop.

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

Health outcomes data shows excellent results for Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 72% of the total population (10,195 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 6.4% and 6.2% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 75.2%, reported being completely clear of medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 74.7%. As of 2021, 18.4% of the population is aged 65 and over (2,609 people). Health outcomes among seniors align with those of the general population.

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

Collaroy-Collaroy Plateau had cultural diversity above average, with 13.4% speaking a language other than English at home and 26.0% born overseas. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 54.9%. Judaism, at 0.3%, was overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney's 0.3%.

Top ancestry groups were English (29.2%), Australian (24.0%), and Irish (9.4%). Notable divergences included French (0.8% vs regional 1.1%), Serbian (0.6% vs 0.6%), and New Zealand (1.0% vs 0.9%).

Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau has a median age of 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and somewhat older than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, the 55-64 cohort is notably over-represented in Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau at 13.2%, while the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented at 11.0%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 12.7% to 14.9% of the population, and the 75 to 84 cohort has grown from 5.3% to 6.5%. Conversely, the 35 to 44 cohort has declined from 13.1% to 11.5%, and the 5 to 14 age group has decreased from 12.4% to 11.2%. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, Collaroy - Collaroy Plateau's age profile will change significantly. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 172%, adding 608 residents to reach 963. This growth is driven entirely by demographic aging, as residents aged 65 and older represent 100% of the anticipated population increase. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 55 to 64 and 45 to 54 cohorts.