Kingscliff - Fingal Head
Statistical Area - sa2

Kingscliff - Fingal Head lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Kingscliff - Fingal Head's population is 15,448 as of Aug 2025. This reflects a growth of 630 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,818. The increase is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 15,201 in June 2024 and an additional 191 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 401 persons per square kilometer. Kingscliff - Fingal Head's growth rate of 4.3% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (3.2%) and the SA3 area, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, 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. Demographic trends project an above median population growth for locations outside capital cities. Kingscliff - Fingal Head is expected to expand by 2,976 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 17.7% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Kingscliff - Fingal Head among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Kingscliff-Fingal Head has seen approximately 97 new homes approved annually. Development approval data is provided by the ABS on a financial year basis. Over the past five years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 487 homes have been approved, with an additional 22 approved so far in FY-26. On average, about 1.6 people move to the area per dwelling built over these five financial years.

This suggests a balance between supply and demand, maintaining stable market dynamics. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $1,037,000, indicating that developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26 alone, commercial approvals have reached $731.1 million, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Kingscliff-Fingal Head has 113.0% more new home approvals per person.

This should provide buyers with ample choice. The new development consists of 53.0% detached dwellings and 47.0% attached dwellings, offering a mix of medium-density options across various price brackets. With around 149 people per approval, Kingscliff-Fingal Head reflects a low density area. By 2041, the region is expected to grow by approximately 2,729 residents. Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Kingscliff - Fingal Head has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 37thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 56 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Kingscliff Stormwater Infrastructure Upgrade, Uniting Kingscliff Redevelopment, Marine & Pearl. The following details projects expected to have the greatest relevance.

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

The labour market in Kingscliff - Fingal Head shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Kingscliff - Fingal Head has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 1.8%, below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%.

There are 6,994 residents employed, with workforce participation at 56.4%, matching Rest of NSW's rate. Major employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Notably, construction employment is high at 1.3 times the regional average, while agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 1.7% compared to 5.3% regionally. Local employment opportunities may be limited as Census working population versus resident population suggests.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, labour force decreased by 4.8%, employment fell by 4.5%, causing unemployment to drop by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw a 0.1% employment decline, labour force expansion of 0.3%, and unemployment rise of 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%, slightly below the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Kingscliff - Fingal Head's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9%% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though this is an illustrative extrapolation not accounting for localized population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Kingscliff - Fingal Head has a median taxpayer income of $48,434 and an average income of $73,234 based on the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This is higher than the national averages of $51,967 (median) and $70,283 (average). By March 2025, estimates suggest a median income of approximately $53,568 and an average income of around $80,997, factoring in a 10.6% growth since the financial year 2022. The 2021 Census ranks household, family, and personal incomes in Kingscliff - Fingal Head between the 38th and 42nd percentiles. Income distribution shows that 27.0% of locals (4,170 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999, similar to the surrounding region where 29.9% fall into this bracket. Housing affordability is severe, with only 82.1% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 36th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Kingscliff - Fingal Head displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Kingscliff - Fingal Head, as per the latest Census evaluation, 63.2% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 36.8% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types of dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 66.3% houses and 33.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kingscliff - Fingal Head was 45.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.0% and rented ones at 26.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,240, significantly higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,872. Weekly rent in Kingscliff - Fingal Head was recorded at $483, compared to Non-Metro NSW's figure of $400. Nationally, mortgage repayments were $1,863 and rents were $375.

Kingscliff - Fingal Head has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 69.3% of all households, including 28.8% couples with children, 30.3% couples without children, and 9.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 30.7%, with lone person households at 27.5% and group households comprising 3.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which matches the average for the Rest of NSW.

Kingscliff - Fingal Head performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

The area's university qualification rate stands at 28.3% for residents aged 15+, exceeding the Rest of NSW average of 21.3%. This is also higher than the SA3 area average of 21.5%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 19.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%).

Vocational credentials are held by 37.1% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 12.6% and certificates at 24.5%. Educational participation is high, with 28.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.5% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 3.8% pursuing tertiary education. The five schools in Kingscliff - Fingal Head have a combined enrollment of 1,926 students. These schools demonstrate typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1010) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with four primary schools and one secondary school serving distinct age groups.

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

Analysis shows 104 active transport stops operating within Kingscliff - Fingal Head area. These consist of bus stops only. They are serviced by 71 individual routes, providing a total of 957 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 186 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 136 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 9 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Kingscliff - Fingal Head is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Kingscliff-Fingal Head faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is high at approximately 56% of the total population (~8,650 people), compared to 49.3% across Rest of NSW.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 9.4 and 7.6% of residents respectively, while 67.9% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 64.2% across Rest of NSW. The area has 26.1% of residents aged 65 and over (4,024 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Kingscliff - Fingal Head is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Kingscliff-Fingal Head had a lower-than-average cultural diversity, with 84.1% of its residents born in Australia, 90.5% being citizens, and 95.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, making up 53.1% of the population, slightly higher than the Rest of NSW's 51.3%. The top three ancestry groups were English (32.9%), Australian (26.7%), and Irish (10.9%).

Notably, Scottish ancestry was overrepresented at 8.9%, compared to the regional average of 8.7%. French ancestry was also slightly higher at 0.6% versus 0.5%, and New Zealand ancestry was marginally overrepresented at 0.8% compared to the regional 0.7%.

Kingscliff - Fingal Head hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Kingscliff - Fingal Head's median age is 47 years, significantly above Rest of NSW's average of 43 and substantially exceeding the national average of 38 years. The age profile reveals a prominence of 65-74 year-olds at 15.2%, compared to the Rest of NSW figure, while the 25-34 group is smaller at 6.7%. This concentration of 65-74 year-olds is well above the national average of 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has grown from 9.3% to 10.9%, while the 65-74 cohort increased from 14.0% to 15.2%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort declined from 14.9% to 13.7%, and the 35-44 group dropped from 12.5% to 11.3%. By 2041, Kingscliff - Fingal Head is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. Leading this shift, the 75-84 group will grow by 38%, reaching 1,723 from 1,245. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 51% of projected growth. In contrast, the 5-14 cohort shows minimal growth of just 1%, adding 21 people.