Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena

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

As of Feb 2026, Cronulla-Kurnell-Bundeena's population is approximately 25,558, showing an increase of 1,184 people since the 2021 Census. The 2021 Census reported a population of 24,374. This growth is inferred from ABS estimates of 25,379 in June 2024 and validated new addresses since then. This results in a density ratio of 1,018 persons per square kilometer. The area's 4.9% growth exceeded the SA4 region's 4.0%, making it a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 72.9% to recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections where applicable, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Based on these projections, the area is expected to grow by 1,177 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 3.9% over 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Cronulla-Kurnell-Bundeena has recorded approximately 144 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY2021 to FY2025, around 724 homes were approved, with a further 49 approved in FY2026 so far. This averages out to about 0.9 new residents per year per dwelling constructed during this period.

The average construction value of these properties is approximately $725,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. In terms of commercial development, there have been around $86.3 million in approvals for FY2026. Compared to Greater Sydney, Cronulla-Kurnell-Bundeena shows 15.0% lower construction activity per person but ranks among the 76th percentile nationally. New developments consist of approximately 17.0% standalone homes and 83.0% attached dwellings, suggesting a trend towards denser development. This shift from the area's existing housing composition (currently around 37.0% houses) indicates decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and demand for more diverse, affordable housing options.

With approximately 167 people per approval, Cronulla-Kurnell-Bundeena is considered a low-density area. Population forecasts indicate the area will gain about 998 residents by 2041, suggesting that current development rates should comfortably meet demand and potentially support growth beyond current projections.

Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 48 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include VUE Cronulla, Palm Cronulla, Isla Cronulla, and 3 Ewos Parade Cronulla. The following list details those expected to be most 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.

Employment conditions in Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Cronulla-Kurnell-Bundeena has a highly educated workforce with professional services being well-represented. As of September 2025, the unemployment rate is 2.4%. Over the past year, there was an estimated employment growth of 1.7%.

In September 2025, 15,433 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.7% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation stands at 72.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 42.3% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. The dominant employment sectors are construction, healthcare and social assistance, and professional services.

Construction shows strong specialization with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level. Conversely, retail trade has lower representation at 7.2% compared to the regional average of 9.3%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by the ratio of Census working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 1.7%, labour force by 1.3%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1%, labour force growth of 2.4%, and a rise in unemployment of 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, issued in May-25, project national employment to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Cronulla-Kurnell-Bundeena's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2023, Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $68,276 and an average level of $103,796. This places it in the top percentile nationally, compared to Greater Sydney's levels of $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% from June 2023 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $74,325 (median) and $112,992 (average). The 2021 Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena rank highly nationally, between the 72nd and 87th percentiles. Income analysis reveals 32.8% of the population (8,383 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, similar to the metropolitan region where 30.9% occupy this bracket. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 32.0% exceeding $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 71st percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Cronulla-Kurnell-Bundeena, as per the latest Census evaluation, 36.7% of dwellings were houses while 63.3% were other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments, contrasting with Sydney metropolitan area's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cronulla-Kurnell-Bundeena stood at 35.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.7% and rented ones at 36.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,600, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in Cronulla-Kurnell-Bundeena was $500, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 64.8% of all households, consisting of 24.8% couples with children, 30.6% couples without children, and 8.6% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 35.2%, with lone person households at 31.0% and group households comprising 4.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational qualifications in Cronulla-Kurnell-Bundeena trail regional benchmarks, with 32.8% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 38.0% in Greater Sydney as of 2021 data. Bachelor degrees lead at 22.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 38.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (13.5%) and certificates (24.9%). Educational participation is notably high, with 25.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the same year's data.

This includes 7.4% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 4.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in the Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena area shows that there are 149 active transport stops operating. These include ferry, train, and bus services. There are 27 individual routes serving these stops, collectively providing 4694 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 139 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. The car remains the dominant mode of transport at 84%, with 6% using train and 5% walking.

On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 42.3% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 670 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 31 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 72% of the total population (18,478 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions were arthritis and asthma, impacting 8.0 and 6.4% of residents respectively. 72.4% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. As of the latest data (June 20XX), 24.6% of residents were aged 65 and over (6,297 people), higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Cronulla-Kurnell-Bundeena has a cultural diversity below average, with 82.2% of its population born in Australia, 89.9% being citizens, and 91.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 56.5%, compared to 49.2% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups are English (29.9%), Australian (25.0%), and Irish (10.9%), all higher than regional averages of 19.0%, 17.8%, and 7.3% respectively.

Notably, French is overrepresented at 0.7% compared to the regional average of 0.5%.

Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena is 42 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 65-74 age group constitutes 13.8% of the population, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 35-44 age group makes up 11.8%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 5.7% to 8.0%, and the 65 to 74 cohort has increased from 11.7% to 13.8%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 age group has declined from 15.2% to 13.6%, and the 45 to 54 age group has dropped from 13.1% to 12.0%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena, with the 75 to 84 age group expected to grow by 54%, reaching 3,160 people from 2,047. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 94% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 45 to 54 and 15 to 24 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.