Hill Top - Colo Vale

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

Hill Top - Colo Vale's population was approximately 6,716 as of November 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This figure represents an increase of 323 people, a growth rate of 5.1%, since the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 6,393. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,558 in June 2024 and an additional 235 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 38 persons per square kilometer. Hill Top - Colo Vale's growth rate exceeded that of its SA3 area (3.3%) and SA4 region, indicating it as a growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 81.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are utilised. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics anticipate significant growth, with the area expected to increase by 1,936 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 26.5% over the 17-year period.

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 granted development approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, 95 homes were approved, with a further 14 approved in FY26 so far. Each dwelling has attracted an average of 2.4 new residents per year over these five years, indicating strong demand that supports property values.

The average construction cost value of new homes is $301,000. This financial year has seen $550,000 in commercial approvals, suggesting a predominantly residential focus. Compared to the rest of NSW, Hill Top - Colo Vale shows significantly reduced construction activity, with 55.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties. The area's development is also under the national average, indicating its established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations.

New development consists of 93.0% standalone homes and 7.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 491 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. Population forecasts indicate Hill Top - Colo Vale will gain 1,778 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Hill Top - Colo Vale has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 44thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified one major project likely affecting the region: Tahmoor South Coal Project, Maldon to Dombarton Freight Rail Line, Illawarra-Shoalhaven Regional Transport Plan 2041, and South Pacific Offshore Wind Project are key initiatives. The following details projects most relevant to the area.

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 analysis of employment trends sees Hill Top - Colo Vale performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Hill Top - Colo Vale has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. The construction sector is particularly prominent, with an unemployment rate of 1.6% as of September 2025. Employment in the area grew by an estimated 2.9% over the past year.

As of September 2025, 3,535 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.3%, lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation is high at 68.5%, compared to Rest of NSW's 61.5%. According to Census data, 18.5% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts may have influenced this figure. Employment in Hill Top - Colo Vale is concentrated in construction, health care & social assistance, and retail trade.

The area has a high specialization in construction, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level. Conversely, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 12.1%, compared to the regional average of 16.9%. AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data indicates that between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.9% while the labour force grew by 3.6%. This resulted in a rise in unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw a fall in employment by 0.5%, a contraction in labour force by 0.1%, and an increase in unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Hill Top - Colo Vale's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.9% over five years and 12.4% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Hill Top - Colo Vale SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $56,104. The average income stood at $93,729. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to Rest of NSW's median and average incomes of $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates project the median income to approximately $61,075 and the average income to around $102,033 as of September 2025. Census data indicates that incomes in Hill Top - Colo Vale cluster around the 56th percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that 38.0% of the population (2,552 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, mirroring the broader area where 29.9% occupy this bracket. High housing costs consume 16.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 61st percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places 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 evaluation, 99.0% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 1.0% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Non-Metro NSW's dwelling composition of 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hill Top - Colo Vale stood at 30.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 55.2% and rented ones at 14.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, exceeding Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent in Hill Top - Colo Vale was $430, higher than Non-Metro NSW's figure of $330. Nationally, Hill Top - Colo Vale's mortgage repayments were above the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 79.7% of all households, including 39.4% couples with children, 27.3% couples without children, and 12.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 20.3%, with lone person households at 18.2% and group households comprising 2.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.8 people, 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 discrepancy 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%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 45.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.2%) and certificates (35.5%).

Educational participation is high at 28.4%, with 10.2% in primary education, 8.4% in secondary education, and 2.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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 133 operational transport stops. These comprise a mix of train and bus services, totaling 27 individual routes. Collectively, these routes facilitate 1,887 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing approximately 192 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outward, with the car being the primary mode of transportation at 97%. On average, there are 2.0 vehicles per dwelling, which exceeds the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 18.5% of residents work from home, a figure that may reflect COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 269 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 14 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map illustrates the 100 nearest stops in relation to the location's centerpoint.

Health performance in Hill Top - Colo Vale is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Hill Top-Colo Vale faces significant health challenges as assessed by AreaSearch. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 68% of the total population (4533 people) have private health cover, compared to 51.9% in Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 9.3% and 8.6% of residents respectively. However, 67.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Rest of NSW. Working-age residents show above average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 15.1% of residents aged 65 and over (1010 people), which is lower than the 23.0% in Rest of NSW, but national rankings are even higher than the general population.

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 low cultural diversity with 87.9% Australian-born population, 93.1% citizens, and 95.7% English-only speakers at home. Christianity was the predominant religion (56.2%), slightly higher than Rest of NSW's 55.9%. Top ancestral groups were English (31.9%), Australian (30.6%), Scottish (8.2%).

Notably, Maltese (1.1%) and Hungarian (0.4%) were overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.4% and 0.2%, respectively. Macedonian representation was slightly lower at 0.3%.

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

The median age in Hill Top-Colo Vale is 36 years, which is significantly below Rest of NSW's average of 43 and somewhat younger than Australia's median age of 38. The 35-44 age group comprises 14.5%, compared to the Rest of NSW figure. Meanwhile, the 65-74 cohort makes up 8.7%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 12.2% to 14.5%, while 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 group expected to grow by 50%, reaching 1,462 people from 973. Conversely, the 15 to 24 cohort shows minimal growth of just 4% (35 people).