Cromer
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Cromer reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Cromer's population, as of August 2025, is approximately 8,299 people. This figure represents a growth of 253 individuals, a 3.1% increase from the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 8,046. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,282 in June 2024 and an additional 10 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,108 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Cromer has exhibited resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.8%, outperforming its SA3 area. Overseas migration drove population growth, contributing approximately 75.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 uses 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 years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, lower quartile growth is anticipated among statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch. Cromer is expected to grow by 89 persons by 2041, recording a total gain of 0.9% over the 17 years.

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

Cromer granted around 14 residential properties approval annually over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25. In total, 72 homes were approved during this period, with one more approved in FY26 so far. On average, for every home built between FY21 and FY25, Cromer saw 3.5 new residents per year.

This results in demand significantly exceeding supply, leading to price growth and increased buyer competition. The average construction cost of new properties was $238,000, below regional norms, offering more affordable housing options for purchasers. In FY26, Cromer has recorded $7.8 million in commercial approvals, indicating limited focus on commercial development. Compared to Greater Sydney, Cromer shows approximately 60% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 22nd percentile nationally, suggesting more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes.

Recent construction comprises 64.0% standalone homes and 36.0% townhouses or apartments, expanding medium-density options across various price brackets. Cromer has approximately 753 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. By 2041, Cromer is expected to grow by 72 residents. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Cromer has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Eleven infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. These include Casa Delmar, Northern Beaches Corridor Capacity: Seaforth To Mona Vale, Hamptons by Rose, and NSW Government Low and Mid-Rise Housing Reforms (Northern Beaches). The following list details those considered most relevant.

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

While Cromer retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.6%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Cromer has an educated workforce with strong representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 3.6%.

As of June 2025, 4,328 residents are employed, with a local unemployment rate of 3.6%, which is 0.6% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. The workforce participation rate in Cromer is 62.2%, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and professional & technical services. Notably, construction employment is at 1.4 times the regional average.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing has lower representation at 2.9% compared to the regional average of 5.3%. Over the year to June 2025, labour force levels in Cromer remained stable while employment decreased by 1.3%, leading to a rise in unemployment by 1.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and a slight increase in unemployment by 0.3 percentage points. Statewide, NSW's employment contracted by 0.41% between Sep-24 and Sep-25, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, compared to the national rate of 4.5%. Looking ahead, Jobs and Skills Australia projects national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Cromer's employment mix suggests local growth could be approximately 6.8% over five years and 13.8% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode-level ATO data released for financial year 2022, indicating Cromer had a median taxpayer income of $59,497 and an average income of $89,414. These figures rank among the highest in Australia, compared to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, estimated current incomes are approximately $65,804 (median) and $98,892 (average). The 2021 Census ranks household incomes at the 87th percentile ($2,379 weekly). Income analysis shows that 27.6% of Cromer's community earns over $4,000 per week (2,290 individuals), contrasting with the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. The district exhibits affluence, with 40.8% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 17.8% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 83rd percentile. Cromer's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Cromer's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 75.9% houses and 24.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Sydney metro had 57.6% houses and 42.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cromer was at 40.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 44.1% and rented ones at 15.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,179, exceeding Sydney metro's average of $3,000. The median weekly rent in Cromer was recorded at $650, higher than Sydney metro's $592. Nationally, Cromer's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 78.1% of all households, including 44.5% couples with children, 24.3% couples without children, and 8.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 21.9%, with lone person households at 20.1% and group households comprising 1.7%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 30.0%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 41.5%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 21.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 36.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (13.6%) and certificates (22.6%). Educational participation is high at 30.8%, including 10.5% in primary education, 9.8% in secondary education, and 4.2% pursuing tertiary education.

The area has two schools serving 1,641 students: Cromer Public School and Northern Beaches Secondary College Cromer Campus. It demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1069). School capacity exceeds typical residential needs, with 19.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.2, indicating it serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Cromer has 61 active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totaling 41 individual routes. Together, they facilitate 2,318 weekly passenger trips.

Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 144 meters to the nearest stop. Across all routes, service frequency averages 331 trips per day, which translates to approximately 38 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Cromer is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Cromer shows better-than-average health results, with both younger and older residents having low rates of common health issues. The area has a notably high private health insurance rate, at around 64% (5,311 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 71.5%. Nationally, the average is 55.3%.

Arthritis and asthma are the most prevalent conditions in Cromer, affecting 7.2% and 6.3% of residents respectively. A total of 72.9% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 74.7%. Cromer has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 21.6% (1,790 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 17.8%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Cromer are largely on par with the general population's health profile.

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

Cromer's cultural diversity was above average, with 13.0% speaking a language other than English at home as of the date of the study and 25.3% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Cromer, comprising 56.6%. Judaism, however, was notably overrepresented at 0.3%, compared to the regional average of 0.3%.

In terms of ancestry, English comprised 29.9%, Australian 25.1%, and Irish 7.7% of Cromer's population. Some ethnic groups showed notable divergences: Serbian was overrepresented at 1.0% (regional average 0.6%), French at 0.8% (regional average 1.1%), and Welsh at 0.8% (regional average 0.7%).

Cromer hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Cromer is 42 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's median age of 38 years. The 75-84 age group comprises 8.9% of the population compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 7.5%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 12.1% to 14.2%, and the 85+ cohort has risen from 3.2% to 4.8%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort has decreased from 9.4% to 7.9%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Cromer, with the 85+ group expected to grow by 99%, reaching 792 people from 397. Notably, combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 99% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 25-34 and 0-4 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.