Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's population is around 9,461 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 345 people (3.8%) 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 population level equates to a density ratio of 4,754 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, making land in the area a highly sought resource. Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's 3.8% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (3.3%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 63.1% of overall 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. Regarding demographic trends, lower quartile growth of national areas is anticipated, with the area expected to grow by 222 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 1.7% in total over the 17 years.

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 around 61 new homes approved each year, with 306 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 9 so far in FY-26. With an average of only 0.1 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $541,000, showing that developers are focusing on the premium market with high-end developments. Additionally, $300,000 in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, suggesting a predominantly residential focus.

When measured against Greater Sydney, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl has 127.0% more building activity (per person), offering buyers greater choice. New building activity shows 18.0% detached houses and 82.0% medium and high-density housing. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This represents a notable shift from the area's existing housing (currently 53.0% houses), indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and the need for more diverse, affordable housing options. With around 689 people per dwelling approval, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl reflects a highly mature market.

Population forecasts indicate Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl will gain 157 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl 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 15 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Northern Beaches Coast Walk, Casa Delmar, Havana Dee Why, and North Curl Curl Mixed-Use 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.

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.

The employment landscape in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl presents a mixed picture: unemployment remains low at 3.9%, yet recent job losses have affected its comparative national standing

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl features a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation and an unemployment rate of only 3.9%. As of December 2025, 5,675 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 0.2% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (74.9% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%). Based on Census responses, a high 47.6% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and construction. The area has a particular employment specialization in professional & technical, with an employment share 1.2 times the regional level. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 3.1% versus the regional average of 5.3%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.2% alongside a 1.5% employment decline, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 1.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%, with a marginal rise. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl. 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 Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.2% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl SA2's median income among taxpayers is $66,013, with an average of $92,333. This is extremely high nationally, and compares to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $71,862 (median) and $100,514 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl, between the 86th and 91st percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals the largest segment comprises 31.3% earning $4000+ weekly (2,961 residents), contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. The substantial proportion of high earners (43.4% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout this suburb. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 90th percentile and 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 above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure within Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 52.7% houses and 47.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl was well beyond that of Sydney metro, at 32.3%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (34.1%) or rented (33.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Sydney metro average at $3,000, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $573, compared to Sydney metro's $2,427 and $470. Nationally, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are 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 dominate at 73.5% of all households, comprising 39.2% couples with children, 23.4% couples without children, and 10.0% 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 of 2.7 people 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+ holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 29.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 29.8% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (12.8%) and certificates (17.0%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 31.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.6% in primary education, 9.1% in secondary education, and 6.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 43 active transport stops operating within Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 57 individual routes, collectively providing 1,588 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 117 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 80%, with 9% by bus and 5% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling. A high 47.6% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 226 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 36 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

Health outcomes data demonstrates outstanding results across Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 67% of the total population (6,319 people). This compares to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, impacting 6.2% and 5.8% of residents, respectively, while 77.9% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The area has 14.7% of residents aged 65 and over (1,390 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 16.8% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 31.9% born overseas. The main religion in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl is Christianity, which makes up 46.9% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Judaism, which comprises 0.4% of the population, compared to 0.8% across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl are English, comprising 29.6% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 19.0%, Australian, comprising 21.7% of the population, and Other, comprising 10.6% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 16.0%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: French is notably overrepresented at 1.0% of Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl (vs 0.5% regionally), Welsh at 0.9% (vs 0.4%) and South Australian at 0.9% (vs 0.5%).

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

The 38-year median age in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl is close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 and equivalent to the Australian median of 38. Relative to Greater Sydney, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl has a higher concentration of 55 - 64 residents (14.0%) but fewer 35 - 44 year-olds (13.3%). Since the 2021 Census, the 55 to 64 age group has grown from 12.6% to 14.0% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 13.0% to 14.3%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 13.1% to 10.5% and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 16.1% to 13.8%. By 2041, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. Leading the demographic shift, the 35 to 44 group will grow by 32% (398 people), reaching 1,656 from 1,257. The aging population dynamic is clear, with those 65+ comprising 50% of projected growth. On the other hand, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 cohorts.