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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Culburra Beach's population is around 5,040 as of Feb 2026. This reflects a decrease of 65 people (1.3%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,105 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,016 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 36 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 66 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was essentially the sole driver of population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. As we examine future population trends, lower quartile growth of national non-metropolitan areas is anticipated, with the area expected to expand by 138 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 2.3% in total 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 has averaged around 26 new dwelling approvals each year, with 133 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 18 so far in FY-26. Given population has fallen over the past period, new supply has likely been keeping up with demand, offering good choice to buyers, while new dwellings are developed at an average value of $454,000, demonstrating a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. Additionally, $16.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, indicating steady commercial investment activity.

When measured against the Rest of NSW, Culburra Beach records about three-quarters of the building activity per person and places in the 58th percentile of areas assessed nationally. New building activity consists of 74.0% detached houses and 26.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. This marks a significant departure from existing housing patterns (currently 89.0% houses), suggesting diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. The location has approximately 276 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market.

Population forecasts indicate Culburra Beach will gain 114 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, 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 45thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 4 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include West Culburra Development, Culburra Beach Access Stairs - Penguins Head Road, Shoalhaven Heads Master Plan, and West Culburra Development, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

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AreaSearch analysis indicates Culburra Beach maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Culburra Beach possesses a balanced workforce spanning white and blue collar employment, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of only 3.0%, and 1.0% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 2,034 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.9% below Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%, and workforce participation lags significantly (47.9% compared to Regional NSW's 61.3%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 17.2% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, construction, and accommodation & food. The area has particular employment specialization in construction, with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level. Meanwhile, mining has limited presence with 0.4% employment compared to 2.5% regionally. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, the 12-month period saw employment increasing by 1.0% alongside labour force increasing by 2.4%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 1.3 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional NSW, where employment contracted by 1.2%, the labour force fell by 0.8%, and unemployment rose 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Culburra Beach. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Culburra Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.3% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Culburra Beach SA2 shows a median taxpayer income of $48,886 and an average of $60,390 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. This is lower than average on a national basis, contrasting with Regional NSW's median income of $52,390 and average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $53,217 (median) and $65,741 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Culburra Beach all fall between the 13th and 14th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals the $800 - 1,499 bracket dominates with 27.1% of residents (1,365 people), differing from patterns across the region where $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.8% of income remaining, ranking at the 14th percentile.

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

Dwelling structure within Culburra Beach, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 89.0% houses and 11.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Culburra Beach was well beyond that of Regional NSW, at 50.2%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (26.0%) or rented (23.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Regional NSW average at $1,710, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $331, compared to Regional NSW's $1,733 and $330. Nationally, Culburra Beach's mortgage repayments are lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 65.4% of all households, comprising 19.2% couples with children, 35.9% couples without children, and 9.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 34.6%, with lone person households at 31.2% and group households comprising 3.4% of the total. The median household size of 2.2 people is smaller than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

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

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (17.1%) substantially below the NSW average of 32.2%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 11.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 42.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (10.2%) and certificates (32.7%).

A substantial 20.5% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 7.1% in primary education, 5.7% in secondary education, and 2.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 112 active transport stops operating within Culburra Beach, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 14 individual routes, collectively providing 128 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 153 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 94%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. Some 17.2% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 18 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 1 weekly trip per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Health performance in Culburra Beach is lower than average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Culburra Beach faces significant health challenges, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The prevalence of common health conditions is notable across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 49% of the total population (~2,479 people). This compares to 51.9% across Regional NSW. The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 13.8 and 8.8% of residents, respectively, while 58.1% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 35.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,787 people), which is higher than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with 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 was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 87.8% of its population born in Australia, 93.4% being citizens, and 96.1% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Culburra Beach is Christianity, which makes up 56.5% of the population. This compares to 55.9% across Regional NSW.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Culburra Beach are English, comprising 32.7% of the population, Australian, comprising 30.6% of the population, and Irish, comprising 9.1% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Australian Aboriginal is notably overrepresented at 4.7% of Culburra Beach (vs 4.6% regionally), Maltese at 0.8% (vs 0.4%) and Hungarian at 0.3% (vs 0.2%).

Culburra Beach ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The 54-year median age in Culburra Beach is significantly above Regional NSW's average of 43 and also considerably older than the national norm of 38. Compared to the Regional NSW average, the 65 - 74 cohort is notably over-represented (18.4% locally), while 5 - 14 year-olds are under-represented (7.6%). This 65 - 74 concentration is well above the national 9.5%. Since the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 7.8% to 10.1% of the population, while the 85+ cohort increased from 3.9% to 5.1%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 16.9% to 14.6% and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 11.0% to 9.2%. 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 134 people (22%) from 603 to 738. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 61% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. On the other hand, both 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 age groups will see reduced numbers.