Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong

Population growth drivers in Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong's population is around 8,203 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 67 people (0.8%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,136 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,084 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 39 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 36 persons per square kilometer, providing ample space per person. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was essentially the sole driver of 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. Anticipating future population dynamics, a population increase just below the median of regional areas nationally is expected, with the area expected to increase by 865 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 9.1% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong has recorded around 28 residential properties granted approval annually, totalling 144 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 20 approvals have been recorded. Given population has fallen over the past period, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, creating a well-balanced market with good buyer choice, while new dwellings are developed at an average construction cost of $766,000, demonstrating a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. Additionally, $7.5 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, demonstrating the area's primarily residential nature.

When measured against the Rest of NSW, Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong records markedly lower building activity (60.0% below regional average per person). This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. This level is likewise lower than nationally, reflecting market maturity and pointing to possible development constraints. Recent construction comprises 83.0% detached houses and 17.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's low density nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. With around 289 people per dwelling approval, Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong shows characteristics of a low density area.

Population forecasts indicate Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong will gain 746 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Existing development levels seem aligned with future requirements, maintaining stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 21 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Gerringong Surf Life Saving Club Redevelopment, Sunnymede Urban Release Area, Princes Highway Gerringong Upgrade, and Oceania @ Gerringong, 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.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong has a well-educated workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of just 2.0%, and 0.6% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 4,268 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 1.9% below Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (63.6% compared to Regional NSW's 61.3%). Based on Census responses, a high 32.6% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. The area has a particular employment specialization in education & training, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. On the other hand, retail trade is under-represented, with only 6.8% of Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong's workforce compared to 9.8% in Regional NSW. The 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, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.6% and the labour force increased by 0.5%, leaving unemployment broadly flat. By comparison, Regional NSW recorded an employment decline of 1.2%, a labour force decline of 0.8%, with unemployment rising 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong. 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 Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for FY-23 reveals that income in the Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong SA2 is very high nationally, with the median assessed at $52,619 while the average income stands at $78,236. This contrasts with Regional NSW's figures of a median income of $52,390 and an average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $57,281 (median) and $85,168 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong cluster around the 60th percentile nationally. The data shows the predominant cohort spans 29.8% of locals (2,444 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, aligning with the broader area where this cohort likewise represents 29.9%. After housing costs, residents retain 87.7% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure within Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 86.4% houses and 13.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong was well beyond that of Regional NSW, at 51.1%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (31.7%) or rented (17.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Regional NSW average at $2,167, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $500, compared to Regional NSW's $1,733 and $330. Nationally, Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 76.7% of all households, comprising 32.7% couples with children, 36.2% couples without children, and 7.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 23.3%, with lone person households at 21.1% and group households comprising 2.1% of the total. The median household size of 2.6 people is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 35.2% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 19.9% in the SA3 area and 21.3% in the Rest of NSW. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 23.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.9%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 36.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (12.2%) and certificates (24.7%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 26.6% of residents aged 15+ currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.9% in primary education, 7.0% in secondary education, and 4.3% 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 175 active transport stops operating within Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong, comprising a mix of trains and buses. These stops are serviced by 21 individual routes, collectively providing 2,600 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 127 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 93%, with 4% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 1.8 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A high 32.6% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 371 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 14 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

The level of general health in Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong demonstrates above-average health outcomes, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts show a low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 58% of the total population (~4,757 people), compared to 51.9% across Regional NSW.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 10.7% and 7.4% of residents, respectively, while 66.2% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 28.9% of residents aged 65 and over (2,371 people), which is higher than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than those of the general population.

Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 87.4% of its population born in Australia, 92.1% being citizens, and 96.2% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong is Christianity, which makes up 55.2% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.2% of the population, compared to 0.1% across Regional NSW.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong are English, comprising 32.6% of the population, Australian, comprising 28.1% of the population, and Irish, comprising 11.9% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Scottish is notably overrepresented at 9.0% of Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong (vs 8.0% regionally), Maltese at 0.6% (vs 0.4%) and Welsh at 0.6% (vs 0.5%).

Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong's median age of 48 years stands materially older than Regional NSW's 43 and is significantly higher than the Australian median of 38. The age profile shows 65 - 74 year-olds are particularly prominent (15.7%), while the 25 - 34 group is comparatively smaller (8.5%) than in Regional NSW. This 65 - 74 concentration is well above the national 9.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 8.6% to 9.6% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 12.4% to 11.3% and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 15.1% to 14.1%. Demographic modeling suggests Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 85+ age cohort is projected to expand considerably, increasing by 209 people (72%) from 290 to 500. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 65 to 74 and 15 to 24 cohorts.