Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's population is around 9,660 as of August 2025. This reflects an increase of 544 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,116 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,396 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 88 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,854 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's growth rate of 6.0% since the 2021 Census exceeded the SA4 region's 3.1%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 63.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends, the area is anticipated to grow by 222 persons to 2041, with a reduction of 0.4% in total over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl when compared nationally

Dee Why South-North Curl Curl has seen approximately 61 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 306 homes were approved, with an additional two approved so far in FY26. On average, about 0.1 person per year has moved to the area for each dwelling built during this period.

This suggests that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and allowing for population growth beyond current projections. The average expected construction cost of these properties is around $1,253,000, indicating a focus on premium developments in the area. In FY26, approximately $300,000 worth of commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting a predominantly residential focus in the area. Compared to Greater Sydney, Dee Why South-North Curl Curl has 127% more building activity per capita. The new building activity consists mainly of medium and high-density housing (82%), with detached houses making up about 18%. This shift from the current housing composition (53% houses) suggests decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and demand for affordable, diverse housing options.

With around 689 people per dwelling approval, Dee Why South-North Curl Curl indicates a highly mature market. Given population projections showing stability or decline, the area is expected to experience reduced housing demand pressures in the future, benefiting potential buyers.

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

The performance of a region is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 14 such projects that could impact this area. Notable projects include Havana Dee Why, Casa Delmar, Northern Beaches Secondary College Freshwater Campus Expansion, and North Curl Curl Mixed-Use Development. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

AreaSearch assessment positions Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Dee Why South - North Curl Curl has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 3.3%.

The area's unemployment rate is 0.9% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation is higher at 70.3% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and construction sectors. The area specializes in professional & technical employment with a share 1.2 times the regional level. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 3.1% compared to the regional average of 5.3%.

Over the year to June 2025, labour force levels remained stable while employment declined by 0.9%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%. As of Sep-25, NSW's employment contracted by 0.41%, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dee Why South - North Curl Curl's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.1% over five years and 14.2% over ten years.

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

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released on June 30, 2022, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's median income among taxpayers was $61,876 with an average of $92,953. Nationally, this is extremely high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, the current estimated median income as of March 2025 would be approximately $68,435 and the average would be around $102,806. According to Census 2021 income data, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's household, family, and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 87th and 91st percentiles. Income analysis shows that the largest segment comprises 31.3% earning $4000+ weekly, with a total of 3,023 residents falling into this bracket, contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. The substantial proportion of high earners, at 43.4% above $3,000/week, indicates strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 90th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The latest Census evaluated dwelling structures in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl with 52.7% houses and 47.3% other dwellings. In comparison, Sydney metro had 57.6% houses and 42.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl was 32.3%, similar to Sydney metro's figure. Mortgaged dwellings accounted for 34.1% and rented dwellings made up 33.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, aligning with the Sydney metro average. The median weekly rent in the area was $573, compared to Sydney metro's $3,000 and $592 respectively. Nationally, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 73.5% of all households, including 39.2% that are couples with children, 23.4% that are couples without children, and 10.0% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 26.5%, with lone person households at 21.9% and group households comprising 4.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.7 people, which matches the Greater Sydney average.

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 42.5% of residents aged 15 years and above holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW as of the latest available data. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 29.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 29.8% of residents aged 15 years and above holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas (12.8%) and certificates (17.0%). Educational participation is notably high, with 31.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.6% in primary education, 9.1% in secondary education, and 6.5% pursuing tertiary education as of the latest data available.

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's 3 schools have a combined enrollment reaching 2,924 students while the area demonstrates exceptional educational performance with an ICSEA score of 1170, placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. The educational mix includes 1 primary school, 1 secondary school, and 1 K-12 school. The area functions as an education hub with 30.3 school places per 100 residents – significantly above the regional average of 16.2 – attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Public transport analysis conducted in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl area shows 40 active transport stops operating. These are a mix of bus stops serviced by 57 individual routes. The total number of weekly passenger trips facilitated by these routes is 1,186.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 117 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 169 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 29 weekly trips per individual stop.

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl shows excellent health outcomes, with low prevalence of common health conditions across all ages. Private health cover is high at approximately 68% of the total population of 6588 people, compared to Greater Sydney's 71.5%. Nationally, it stands at 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.2% and 5.8% respectively. Notably, 77.9% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.7%. The area has 14.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1353 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 17.8%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, mirroring the general population's health profile.

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 16.8% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home and 31.9% born overseas. Christianity was the dominant religion in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl, composing 46.9% of its population. Notably, Judaism was slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 0.4% versus 0.3%.

The top three ancestry groups were English at 29.6%, Australian at 21.7%, and Other at 10.6%. Some ethnic groups had notable differences in representation: French was slightly overrepresented at 1.0% compared to the regional figure of 1.1%, Welsh was also higher at 0.9% versus 0.7%, and South African representation was similar at 0.9%.

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl as of the 2021 Census was 38 years, close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and equivalent to Australia's national median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl had a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64, at 13.5%, but fewer residents aged 35-44, at 13.4%. Between the censuses of 2016 and 2021, the population aged 15-24 grew from 13.0% to 14.2%, while the proportion of those aged 5-14 decreased from 13.1% to 10.8%. The percentage of residents aged 45-54 also dropped, from 16.1% to 14.2%. By 2041, significant shifts in age composition are projected for Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl. The population aged 35-44 is expected to grow by 28%, reaching 1,656 from 1,294. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 55% of the projected growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the age groups 0-4 and 5-14.