Culburra Beach

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

Culburra Beach's population is around 5,029 as of Nov 2025. This reflects a decrease of 76 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,105 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,016 in June 2024 and an additional 36 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 65 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, 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. Future trends indicate lower quartile growth for national non-metropolitan areas, with an expected expansion of 138 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 2.5% over the 17 years.

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

Culburra Beach averaged approximately 26 new dwelling approvals annually from FY-21 to FY-25, totalling 133 homes. In FY-26 up to May, 11 dwellings have been approved. The population has decreased during this period, suggesting that new supply has likely kept pace with demand, providing good options for buyers.

The average expected construction cost of new dwellings is $629,000, higher than regional norms, indicating quality-focused development. This financial year, Culburra Beach has registered $16.6 million in commercial approvals, signifying steady commercial investment activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Culburra Beach records about three-quarters the building activity per person and ranks among the 58th percentile nationally. New building activity comprises 74.0% detached houses and 26.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low density character focused on family homes.

This marks a shift from existing housing patterns, which are currently 89.0% houses, possibly due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. The location has approximately 276 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Population forecasts suggest Culburra Beach will gain 125 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Culburra Beach has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects likely to impact the area: West Culburra Development, Culburra Beach Access Stairs - Penguins Head Road, Shoalhaven Heads Master Plan, and West Culburra Development. The following details those of most relevance.

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AreaSearch analysis reveals Culburra Beach significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Culburra Beach's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 2.0% as of June 2025, lower than the Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Employment grew by 3.4% over the past year. As of June 2025, 2,028 residents were employed with a participation rate of 47.1%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries are health care & social assistance, construction, and accommodation & food. Construction is particularly prominent, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level, while mining has limited presence at 0.4% compared to the regional 2.5%.

The area may offer limited local employment opportunities. In the year ending June 2025, employment increased by 3.4%, labour force grew by 2.6%, reducing unemployment by 0.7 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment contracted by 0.1%, labour force grew by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Statewide, NSW's employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs) to Nov-25, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. National forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Culburra Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

The median taxpayer income in Culburra Beach SA2 was $46,457 and the average was $58,560 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This is lower than national averages; Rest of NSW had a median income of $49,459 and an average of $62,998. By September 2025, estimates suggest the median would be approximately $52,315 and the average $65,944 based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61%. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Culburra Beach fall between the 13th and 14th percentiles nationally for households, families, and individuals. Income analysis shows that 27.1% of residents (1,362 people) earn between $800 - 1,499 annually, differing from regional patterns where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe; only 84.8% of income remains after housing costs, ranking at the 14th percentile nationally.

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

In Culburra Beach, as per the latest Census evaluation, 89.0% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 11.0% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 87.8% houses and 12.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Culburra Beach stood at 50.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.0% and rented ones at 23.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,710, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent in Culburra Beach was $331, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $350. Nationally, Culburra Beach's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863 and rents were substantially lower than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 65.4% of all households, including 19.2% couples with children, 35.9% couples without children, and 9.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for 34.6%, with lone person households at 31.2% and group households comprising 3.4%. The median household size is 2.2 people, smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.3.

Culburra Beach faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 17.1%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common, at 11.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are prevalent among residents aged 15+, with 42.9% holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 10.2% and certificates at 32.7%.

A substantial 20.5% of the population is actively engaged in formal education, including 7.1% in primary, 5.7% in secondary, and 2.1% in tertiary education.

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

Culburra Beach has 107 active public transport stops. These are served by a mix of bus routes, totalling 16 individual routes. The combined weekly passenger trips from these routes amount to 132.

The average distance residents live from the nearest stop is 154 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility. On average, there are 18 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

Health performance in Culburra Beach is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Culburra Beach faces significant health challenges with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Approximately 49% (~2,469 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (13.8%) and mental health issues (8.8%). Conversely, 58.1% report no medical ailments, compared to 59.4% in Rest of NSW. Residents aged 65 and over comprise 35.0% (1,759 people), higher than the regional average of 27.8%. Health outcomes among seniors are challenging but better than those for the general population.

Culburra Beach is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Culburra Beach had a cultural diversity level below average, with 87.8% of its population born in Australia, 93.4% being citizens, and 96.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Culburra Beach, accounting for 56.5%. This figure is higher than the regional average of 52.6% across Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups were English (32.7%), Australian (30.6%), and Irish (9.1%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation was higher in Culburra Beach at 4.7%, compared to 4.4% regionally. Maltese and Hungarian populations also showed higher percentages in Culburra Beach, at 0.8% and 0.3% respectively, compared to regional averages of 0.6% and 0.2%.

Culburra Beach ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Culburra Beach is 54 years, significantly higher than Rest of NSW's average of 43 years and older than the national norm of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 65-74 age group is notably over-represented at 18.2% locally, while the 5-14 age group is under-represented at 7.7%. This concentration of the 65-74 age group is well above the national average of 9.4%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 7.8% to 10.2%, while the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 16.9% to 15.1% and the 45 to 54 group has dropped from 11.0% to 9.7%. By 2041, Culburra Beach is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to grow steadily, expanding by 129 people (21%) from 608 to 738. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 59% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, both the 45 to 54 and 5 to 14 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.