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This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
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Sales Activity
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Population
Katoomba - Leura is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends
As of November 2025, Katoomba - Leura's population is around 13,531. This reflects a growth of 183 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,348. The increase was inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 13,439 in June 2024 and an additional 78 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 331 persons per square kilometer. Katoomba - Leura's growth rate of 1.4% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's rate of 1.2%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during this period.
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, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Katoomba - Leura is expected to increase by 1,384 persons by 2041, reflecting a gain of approximately 9.5% over the 17-year period. This growth rate is just below the median of national areas.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential development activity is lower than average in Katoomba - Leura according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets
Katoomba-Leura has had approximately 47 dwelling approvals per year. From fiscal year 2021 to 2025, a total of 236 homes were approved, with an additional 8 approved in fiscal year 2026 as of the present time. The average construction cost value for new properties is $260,000, which is below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options.
In fiscal year 2026, there have been $4.9 million in commercial approvals. Compared to Greater Sydney, Katoomba-Leura has 75% more building activity per person. However, this activity is lower than the national average, indicating market maturity and possible development constraints. The new building activity consists of 65% detached houses and 35% medium and high-density housing, offering a mix of traditional family housing and more affordable compact alternatives. This represents a shift from the area's existing housing composition, which is currently 84% houses. Katoomba-Leura has approximately 319 people per dwelling approval, indicating low density characteristics.
According to AreaSearch quarterly estimates, the area is projected to gain 1,291 residents by 2041. The current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Infrastructure
Katoomba - Leura has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally
Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects likely impacting this region. Notable ones are Katoomba Cultural Centre and Civic Precinct Upgrade, Katoomba Town Centre Upgrade, Echo Point Precinct Upgrade, and Lilypad Katoomba. The following list highlights those most relevant.
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INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Transmission Project
Australia's first coordinated Renewable Energy Zone transmission project. Delivers new 500 kV and 330 kV lines, energy hubs and substations across approximately 20,000 km2 in central-west NSW. ACEREZ consortium (Acciona, Cobra, Endeavour Energy) appointed as the Network Operator for design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance over 35 years. Initial network capacity of 4.5 GW, expanding to 6 GW by 2038. Construction commenced June 2025, with staged commissioning from 2027 and full operations targeted for 2028-2029. Project reached financial close in April 2025.
High Speed Rail - Newcastle to Sydney (Stage 1)
The first stage of the proposed National High Speed Rail network aims to connect Newcastle to Sydney via the Central Coast, reducing travel time to approximately one hour with trains reaching speeds up to 320 km/h. The project is focused on the development phase, which includes design refinement, securing planning approvals, and corridor preservation. It is being advanced by the Australian Government's High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA). Stations are planned for Broadmeadow, Lake Macquarie, Central Coast, and Central Sydney. The long-term vision is a national network connecting Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne.
Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy
State-wide NSW planning reforms via amendments to the State Environmental Planning Policy to enable more diverse low and mid-rise housing (dual occupancies, terraces, townhouses, manor houses and residential flat buildings up to 6 storeys) in well-located areas within 800 m of selected train, metro and light-rail stations and town centres. Stage 1 (dual occupancies in R2 zones statewide) commenced 1 July 2024. Stage 2 (mid-rise apartments, terraces and dual occupancies near stations) commenced 28 February 2025. Expected to facilitate up to 112,000 additional homes over the next five years.
Mariyung Fleet (New Intercity Fleet)
The Mariyung Fleet is a 610-carriage double-deck electric train fleet being delivered by RailConnect NSW (UGL, Hyundai Rotem, Mitsubishi Electric Australia) for Transport for NSW. Named after the Darug word for emu, the fleet commenced passenger services on the Central Coast & Newcastle Line on 3 December 2024, followed by the Blue Mountains Line on 13 October 2025. Services on the South Coast Line are scheduled to commence in 2026. The fleet features modern amenities including spacious 2x2 seating, charging ports, improved accessibility with wheelchair spaces and accessible toilets, CCTV emergency help points, and dedicated spaces for luggage, prams and bicycles. The trains operate in flexible 4-car, 6-car, 8-car or 10-car formations. The fleet replaces aging V-set trains that entered service in the 1970s and serves approximately 26 million passenger journeys annually across the electrified intercity network. Supporting infrastructure includes the new Kangy Angy Maintenance Facility, platform extensions, and signaling upgrades at multiple stations.
Katoomba Cultural Centre and Civic Precinct Upgrade
Upgrade of the Katoomba Cultural Centre and Civic Precinct as part of the wider Katoomba Town Centre Upgrade program. The project focuses on improving the civic and cultural heart of Katoomba around Parke Street, Civic Place and Katoomba Street, delivering new and enhanced public spaces, community and cultural infrastructure, safer and more accessible links between the Cultural Centre, Katoomba Civic Centre and the main street, plus landscaping, public art, outdoor dining and event spaces. Planning and design are underway, with construction expected to commence after detailed design is completed and overall town centre works targeted for completion around 2027.
Echo Point Precinct Upgrade
Multi stage upgrade of the Echo Point visitor precinct at Katoomba, including the new sandstone gathering place amphitheatre, new Prince of Wales Lookout and accessible night lit boardwalk completed in 2020, together with current works to improve visitor facilities, walking tracks, lighting, signage, traffic management and parking at Echo Point and connected lookouts funded through Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants and Council investment, including the purchase of The Lookout retail and hospitality plaza.
Katoomba Town Centre Upgrade
Council led upgrade program to Katoomba Street and adjacent laneways in Katoomba town centre. Works include continuation and completion of paving, kerb and gutter upgrades, new street furniture and lighting, outdoor dining and event spaces, tree planting and landscaping, public art and heritage interpretation, and improved wayfinding and directional signage. The project is funded by a 7.5 million dollar NSW Government grant and is in the planning and design phase, with construction to follow and completion targeted for 2027.
Great Western Highway Upgrade - Katoomba to Lithgow
Targeted upgrades on the Great Western Highway between Katoomba and Lithgow to improve safety, traffic flow and resilience. Active works in 2023-2025 include the Medlow Bath Upgrade (1.2 km widening to four lanes and a new pedestrian bridge with lifts) and the Coxs River Road Upgrade at Little Hartley (2.4 km four-lane realignment and new grade-separated interchange). The Medlow Bath pedestrian bridge opened in April 2025; the road works and Coxs River Road Upgrade are expected to complete in late 2025. Broader duplication proposals, including the Blackheath to Little Hartley tunnel, remain paused pending funding.
Employment
The employment landscape in Katoomba - Leura presents a mixed picture: unemployment remains low at 3.7%, yet recent job losses have affected its comparative national standing
Katoomba-Leura has an educated workforce with essential services well-represented. As of September 2025, its unemployment rate is 3.7%.
By this date, 6493 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.5% lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation stands at 51.6%, significantly below Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and accommodation & food, with a particular specialisation in the latter (1.9 times the regional level). Conversely, finance & insurance has lower representation (2.2% vs regional average of 7.3%).
Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over September 2024 to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 4.0%, employment declined by 3.1%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%, favourably comparing to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 estimate a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Katoomba-Leura's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch
AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Katoomba - Leura SA2 is below the national average. The median income is $44,833 and the average income stands at $61,499. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's figures of a median income of $56,994 and an average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Katoomba - Leura as of September 2025 would be approximately $50,486 (median) and $69,254 (average). Census 2021 income data shows that household, family and personal incomes in Katoomba - Leura all fall between the 16th and 25th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the $1,500 - $2,999 earnings band captures 26.0% of the community (3,518 individuals), which aligns with the metropolitan region where this cohort represents 30.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Katoomba - Leura, with only 81.4% of income remaining, ranking at the 14th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Katoomba - Leura is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region
Katoomba-Leura's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 83.8% houses and 16.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Sydney metro's 92.3% houses and 7.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Katoomba-Leura was 41.1%, similar to Sydney metro, with the rest being mortgaged (29.5%) or rented (29.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, lower than Sydney metro's $2,033 and national average of $1,863. Median weekly rent was $380, higher than Sydney metro's $400 but below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Katoomba - Leura features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size
Family households constitute 57.1 percent of all households, including 17.7 percent couples with children, 27.8 percent couples without children, and 10.8 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 42.9 percent, with lone person households at 38.5 percent and group households comprising 4.3 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.4.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
The educational profile of Katoomba - Leura exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics
Educational attainment in Katoomba-Leura shows a significant advantage with 37.7% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to the SA4 region's 23.9% and Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 22.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.2%) and graduate diplomas (4.0%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent with 32.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.8%) and certificates (20.0%). A substantial 24.8% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, comprising 7.5% in primary, 6.7% in secondary, and 4.7% in tertiary education.
A substantial 24.8% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 7.5% in primary education, 6.7% in secondary education, and 4.7% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Public transport analysis indicates that there are 215 active transport stops operating within the Katoomba - Leura area. These include a mix of train and bus services. There are 46 individual routes serving these stops, collectively providing 3,112 weekly passenger trips.
Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 242 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages 444 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 14 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Katoomba - Leura is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts
Katoomba-Leura faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 51% of the total population (~6846 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 54.4%.
Mental health issues affect 11.2% of residents, while arthritis impacts 9.7%. 62.0% report no medical ailments, compared to 64.1% in Greater Sydney. As of 30 June 20XX, 29.5% of residents are aged 65 and over (3992 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 24.3%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are above average, outperforming the general population in health metrics.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
In terms of cultural diversity, Katoomba - Leura records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics
Katoomba-Leura has a higher cultural diversity than average, with 10.2% speaking a language other than English at home and 24.1% born overseas. Christianity is the dominant religion, comprising 36.5%. Judaism, however, is overrepresented at 0.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.2%.
For ancestry, the top groups are English (29.5%), Australian (20.9%), and Irish (12.2%). Notably, Hungarian is overrepresented at 0.6% vs regional 0.5%, Scottish at 9.7% vs 9.0%, and Polish at 1.1% vs 0.9%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Katoomba - Leura ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide
Katoomba-Leura's median age is 50 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's 37 years and the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Katoomba-Leura has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (16.6%), but fewer residents aged 25-34 (8.1%). This 65-74 concentration is well above the national figure of 9.4%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 75 to 84 has increased from 8.0% to 10.1%, while those aged 15 to 24 have risen from 8.9% to 10.4%. Conversely, the number of residents aged 25 to 34 has decreased from 9.2% to 8.1%. By 2041, Katoomba-Leura's age composition is expected to change notably. The 75 to 84 group is projected to grow by 55%, reaching 2,115 people from the current 1,366. This demographic shift will be led by residents aged 65 and older, representing 88% of anticipated growth. Conversely, both the 25 to 34 age group and those aged 0 to 4 are expected to decrease in number.