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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's population is around 9660 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 544 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9116 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 9396 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 4854 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's growth of 6.0% since the 2021 Census exceeded the SA4 region's growth of 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 by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, 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. Based on demographic trends, lower quartile growth of national areas is anticipated. The area is expected to grow by 222 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, with a reduction of 0.4% 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 had approximately 61 new homes approved annually. Between FY21-FY25306 homes were approved, with an additional 2 approved in FY26 so far. The average population growth per dwelling built over the past five financial years was 0.1 people.

This indicates that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction value of new properties is $1,253,000, suggesting a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY26, $300,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Greater Sydney, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl has 127.0% more building activity per person. This offers buyers greater choice. New building activity comprises 18.0% detached houses and 82.0% medium and high-density housing.

This shift from the area's existing housing (currently 53.0% houses) indicates decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects 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. Given stable or declining population projections, housing demand pressures are expected to reduce, benefiting potential buyers in the area.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 15 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Northern Beaches Coast Walk, Havana Dee Why, Casa Delmar, and Northern Beaches Secondary College Freshwater Campus Expansion. The following list details those 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.

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 professional services well represented. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 3.3%.

The area's employment rate is 0.9% below Greater Sydney's at 4.2%, with workforce participation at 70.3% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Residents' employment is concentrated in professional & technical (1.2 times the regional level), health care & social assistance, and construction. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 3.1% versus the regional average of 5.3%. Over June 2024 to June 2025, labour force levels remained stable (0.0%) while employment declined by 0.9%, raising unemployment by 0.9 percentage points.

In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project a 6.6% increase 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

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released on June 30, 2022, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's median income among taxpayers is $61,876, with an average of $92,953. This is high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% from financial year 2022 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $69,679 (median) and $104,674 (average). Census 2021 income data shows household, family, and personal incomes all rank highly in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl, between the 87th and 91st percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 31.3% of residents earn $4,000+ weekly, 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 a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl, as per the latest Census, consisted of 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 rate. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (34.1%) or rented (33.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,000, aligning with the Sydney metro average. The median weekly rent figure 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 constitute 73.5% of all households, including 39.2% couples with children, 23.4% couples without children, and 10.0% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 26.5%, with lone person households at 21.9% and group households making up 4.7%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which aligns with 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 exceeds national and state averages. 42.5% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are most common at 29.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 29.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (12.8%) and certificates (17.0%).

Educational participation is high, with 31.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: primary (9.6%), secondary (9.1%), and tertiary (6.5%). The area's 3 schools have a combined enrollment of 2,924 students and demonstrate strong educational performance (ICSEA: 1170). It functions as an education hub with 30.3 school places per 100 residents, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Transport analysis shows that Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl has 40 active public transport stops. These are served by buses on 57 different routes, offering a total of 1,186 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent access to transport, with an average distance of 117 meters to the nearest stop.

On average, there are 169 trips per day across all routes, which equals about 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

Health outcomes data shows excellent results for Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl, with a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is notably high at approximately 68% of the total population (6,588 people), compared to 71.5% in Greater Sydney and the national average of 55.3%. Asthma and mental health issues are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 6.2 and 5.8% of residents respectively.

A significant majority, 77.9%, report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.7% across Greater Sydney. The area has 14.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1,353 people), which is lower than the 17.8% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly aligning with 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 residents speaking a language other than English at home and 31.9% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl, accounting for 46.9% of its population. Judaism, however, was slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 0.4% versus 0.3%.

The top three ancestry groups were English at 29.6%, Australian at 21.7%, and Other at 10.6%. Notably, French (1.0%), Welsh (0.9%), and South African (0.9%) ethnicities showed some overrepresentation compared to regional averages.

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, closely matching Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl had a higher percentage of residents aged 55-64 (13.5%) but fewer residents aged 35-44 (13.4%). Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the population aged 15-24 grew from 13.0% to 14.2%, while those aged 5-14 declined from 13.1% to 10.8% and those aged 45-54 decreased from 16.1% to 14.2%. By the year 2041, projections indicate significant shifts in Dee Why (South) - North Curl Curl's age composition. Notably, the 35-44 age group is expected to grow by 28%, increasing from 1,294 people in 2021 to 1,656 people by 2041. The aging population trend is evident with those aged 65 and above contributing to 55% of the projected growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 5-14 age cohorts.