Hill Top - Colo Vale
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Hill Top - Colo Vale are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Hill Top - Colo Vale's population is around 6594 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 201 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 6393 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6566 from ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 231 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 37 persons per square kilometer. Hill Top - Colo Vale's growth rate of 3.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 2.9%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth contributing approximately 81.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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. Anticipating future population dynamics, a significant increase is forecast in Hill Top - Colo Vale's top quartile national regional area population. The area is expected to increase by 1936 persons to 2041 based on the latest numbers, reflecting an increase of 28.8% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Hill Top - Colo Vale according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Hill Top-Colo Vale has seen approximately 19 dwellings receive development approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY2021 to FY2025, around 95 homes were approved, with another six approved in FY2026 so far. On average, each dwelling has added about 2.4 new residents per year over these five years, indicating steady demand that supports property values.

The average construction cost of new homes is $400,000, aligning with broader regional development trends. This financial year has also seen $550,000 in commercial approvals, suggesting a predominantly residential focus. Compared to the rest of NSW, Hill Top-Colo Vale exhibits significantly reduced construction levels, at 55.0% below the regional average per person. Recent construction comprises mostly detached dwellings (93.0%) and a smaller proportion of townhouses or apartments (7.0%), maintaining the area's low-density character while attracting space-seeking buyers. The estimated population count stands at 491 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet development environment.

By 2041, Hill Top-Colo Vale is projected to grow by approximately 1,900 residents. If current construction levels continue, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Hill Top - Colo Vale has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

No factors influence a region's performance more than modifications to local infrastructure, significant projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has pinpointed 0 projects expected to impact this area. Key projects comprise Illawarra Offshore Wind Area, Illawarra-Shoalhaven Regional Transport Plan Infrastructure, South Pacific Offshore Wind Project, and Sydney-Canberra Rail Connectivity And Capacity, with the following list specifying those most pertinent.

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

Employment conditions in Hill Top - Colo Vale rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Hill Top - Colo Vale has a balanced workforce spanning white and blue collar jobs. The construction sector stands out with high representation, an unemployment rate of 1.1% as of June 2025, and estimated employment growth of 2.7% over the past year.

There are 3,480 employed residents, with an unemployment rate of 2.5% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation is high at 68.0%, compared to 56.4% regionally. Key employment sectors include construction, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Construction has a particularly strong presence, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level.

Health care & social assistance, however, has limited presence at 12.1%, compared to 16.9% regionally. Employment opportunities locally appear limited based on Census data analysis. During June 2024 to June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.7% and labour force grew by 2.6%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment contract by 0.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National unemployment is at 4.5%, with national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's 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 Hill Top - Colo Vale's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.9%% over five years and 12.4% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

Hill Top - Colo Vale had an exceptionally high national income level according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for the financial year ended June 2022. The median income among taxpayers was $51,888 and the average income stood at $112,224, compared to figures for Rest of NSW of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. Based on a Wage Price Index growth rate of 10.6% since financial year ended June 2022, estimated current incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $57,388 (median) and $124,120 (average). According to the Census conducted in August 2021, household, family and personal incomes in Hill Top - Colo Vale clustered around the 57th percentile nationally. Income distribution showed that 38.0% of residents (2,505 people) fell within the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, similar to the broader area where 29.9% occupied this bracket. High housing costs consumed 16.3% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 61st percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

Hill Top - Colo Vale is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

In Hill Top-Colo Vale, as per the latest Census data, 99.0% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 1.0% comprising semi-detached properties, apartments and other types. This contrasts with Non-Metro NSW where 90.6% were houses and 9.4% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Hill Top-Colo Vale stood at 30.8%, with mortgaged dwellings accounting for 55.2% and rented properties at 14.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, lower than the Non-Metro NSW average of $2,167. The median weekly rent in Hill Top-Colo Vale was $430, matching the Non-Metro NSW figure but higher than the national average of $375. Nationally, mortgage repayments were above the Australian average of $1,863.

Hill Top - Colo Vale features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 79.7 percent of all households, including 39.4 percent couples with children, 27.3 percent couples without children, and 12.0 percent single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 20.3 percent, with lone person households at 18.2 percent and group households at 2.2 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in Hill Top - Colo Vale fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 15.0%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.1%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 45.7% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (10.2%) and certificates (35.5%).

Educational participation is high at 28.4%, including primary education (10.2%), secondary education (8.4%), and tertiary education (2.6%). The area has Hill Top Public School and Colo Vale Public School, serving a total of 277 students. Both schools focus on primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas. Local school capacity is limited at 4.2 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 13.3, leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

The analysis of public transportation in Hill Top - Colo Vale indicates that there are currently 125 operational transport stops. These stops offer a combination of train and bus services, with a total of 26 individual routes providing 1,870 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transport services is rated as good, with residents on average being located approximately 200 meters from the nearest stop.

On an average day, there are 267 trips across all routes, which translates to roughly 14 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health outcomes in Hill Top - Colo Vale are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Health indicators show below-average outcomes in Hill Top - Colo Vale, with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 76% of the total population (5024 people), compared to 66.3% across Rest of NSW, which is higher than the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 9.3% and 8.6% of residents respectively.

67.3% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 64.8% across Rest of NSW. The area has 15.1% of residents aged 65 and over (992 people), which is lower than the 27.7% in Rest of NSW. This aligns broadly with the general population's health profile.

Hill Top - Colo Vale is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Hill Top-Colo Vale, surveyed in June 2016, had a predominantly Australian-born population with 87.9% born there. Citizenship was also high at 93.1%. English was the primary language spoken at home by 95.7%.

Christianity was the dominant religion, practiced by 56.2%, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW's 57.0%. Ancestry showed English as the most prevalent at 31.9%, followed by Australian at 30.6% and Scottish at 8.2%. Some ethnic groups were disproportionately represented: Maltese at 1.1% (regional average 0.5%), Hungarian at 0.4% (0.3%) and Macedonian at 0.3% (0.2%).

Hill Top - Colo Vale's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Hill Top - Colo Vale is 36 years, significantly lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 and Australia's average of 38 years. The age group of 35-44 has a strong representation at 14.5%, compared to Rest of NSW's percentage, while the 65-74 cohort is less prevalent at 8.7%. According to data from the post-2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 12.2% to 14.5%, and the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 14.1% to 11.9%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Hill Top - Colo Vale, with the 35 to 44 age group expected to grow by 53% (505 people), reaching a total of 1,462 from the previous count of 956. Conversely, the 15 to 24 cohort shows minimal growth of just 6% (50 people).