Kogarah

Kogarah lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Kogarah's population was around 15,162 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 2,111 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,051 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,995 in June 2024 and an additional 528 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 6,829 persons per square kilometer, placing Kogarah in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The growth rate of 16.2% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (5.5%) and the state level, indicating strong population growth in the area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 91.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 utilized NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations were applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts and exceptional growth, Kogarah is predicted to grow by 7,397 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 47.7% in total over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Kogarah among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Kogarah has recorded approximately 157 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25789 homes were approved, with a further 61 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, each dwelling accommodated around 2.9 new residents per year over these five years.

The average construction cost value of new homes was $233,000 during this period. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $33.3 million, indicating significant commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Kogarah exhibits 114.0% higher development activity per person. Recent construction comprises 6.0% detached houses and 94.0% medium and high-density housing, marking a shift from the current housing pattern of 23.0% houses. The area has approximately 540 people per dwelling approval, reflecting an established location. By 2041, Kogarah is projected to grow by 7,230 residents. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Looking ahead, Kogarah is expected to grow by 7,230 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Should current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Kogarah has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 30 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Kogarah North Urban Design Strategy Implementation, Ganellen Kogarah Town Centre Redevelopment, The Rise project, and Kogarah Public School Upgrade. Relevant projects are listed below.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Kogarah performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Kogarah has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 1.8% in the past year, showing strong growth of 4.7%.

As of September 2025, 10,317 residents are employed at an unemployment rate of 2.4%, below Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation is 62.2%, similar to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Health care & social assistance has notable concentration, at 1.5 times the regional average, while education & training shows lower representation at 5.6% compared to the regional average of 8.9%.

The worker-to-resident ratio is substantial at 0.9. In the year ending September 2025, employment increased by 4.7%, labour force by 4.9%, raising unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. This compares to Greater Sydney's growth rates of 2.1% for employment and 2.4% for labour force, with a similar unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. Statewide in NSW, employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs) as of 25-Nov, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Kogarah's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 15.0% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022, Kogarah SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $53,633 and an average level of $67,997. This is above the national average of $56,994 and Greater Sydney's average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for median income in Kogarah would be approximately $60,396 as of September 2025, and the average estimate is $76,571. From the 2021 Census, incomes in Kogarah cluster around the 65th percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that 37.8% of the population (5,731 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, mirroring the region where 30.9% occupy this bracket. High housing costs consume 19.1% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 58th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Kogarah features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Kogarah's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 22.7% houses and 77.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 39.8% houses and 60.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kogarah was at 22.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.5% and rented ones at 47.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,251, below the Sydney metro average of $2,383. The median weekly rent was $464, compared to Sydney metro's $480. Nationally, Kogarah's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Kogarah features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 67.4% of all households, including 31.1% couples with children, 25.3% couples without children, and 8.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 32.6%, with lone person households at 26.7% and group households comprising 5.9%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.6.

Kogarah shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Kogarah's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 46.4% hold university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. University graduates lead at 30.3%, followed by postgraduates (14.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 25.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 12.8% and certificates at 12.4%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.3% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.4% in primary education, 8.2% in tertiary education, and 5.5% pursuing secondary education.

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

Kogarah has 42 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 24 individual routes that facilitate 4,411 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance to the nearest transport stop for residents is 134 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

On average, there are 630 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 105 weekly trips per stop.

Kogarah's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Kogarah's health outcomes show notable results, with younger groups having a low prevalence of common conditions.

Approximately 53% (~8,096 people) have private health cover, higher than the average rate. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (5.0%) and asthma (4.6%). 80.0% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 77.5% in Greater Sydney. Kogarah has 12.8% of residents aged 65 and over (1,948 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 16.4%. However, seniors' health outcomes are above average, requiring more attention.

Kogarah is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Kogarah, as per the 2016 Census, has a population where 65.0% speak languages other than English at home and 59.8% were born overseas. Christianity is the dominant religion in Kogarah with 46.4%. Hinduism is significantly higher here compared to Greater Sydney's average of 6.6%, comprising 16.1%.

Ancestry wise, 'Other' tops at 26.4%, followed by Chinese at 14.4% and English at 9.7%. Notably, Greeks make up 7.0% (vs regional 8.8%), Spanish 1.1% (vs 0.9%) and Filipinos 4.7% (vs regional 2.5%).

Kogarah's population is younger than the national pattern

Kogarah's median age is 35 years, slightly younger than Greater Sydney's 37 and the national average of 38. The 25-34 age group is strongly represented at 22.2%, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 8.9%. This 25-34 concentration is well above the national figure of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has grown from 10.6% to 12.4%, while the 85+ cohort has declined from 3.5% to 2.6%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Kogarah, with the 45-54 age group projected to rise substantially by 70%, from 1,669 to 2,837 people.