Kogarah
Statistical Area - sa2

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, as of November 2025, is approximately 15,162. This represents an increase of 2,111 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 13,051. 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 results in a population density ratio of 6,829 persons per square kilometer, placing Kogarah in the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 16.2% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (5.5%) and the state level. This growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 91.6% 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, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Kogarah is expected to grow by 7,397 persons by 2041, recording a total gain of 47.7% over the 17-year period.

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

Kogarah granted approval for approximately 157 residential properties annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25789 homes were approved, with an additional 60 approved so far in FY-26. On average, each dwelling accommodated about 2.9 new residents per year during these years.

The average construction cost of new homes was around $233,000. This financial year has seen commercial approvals totaling $33.3 million, indicating strong commercial development momentum. 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 pattern of 23.0% houses. The area has approximately 540 people per dwelling approval. By 2041, Kogarah is projected to grow by 7,230 residents. If current construction levels continue, 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. Should current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Kogarah has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 30 such projects likely affecting the region. Notable ones include Kogarah North Urban Design Strategy Implementation, Serenity Gardens Rockdale, The Rise, and Kogarah Public School Upgrade. The following list details those expected to be most relevant.

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, with an estimated employment growth of 2.5%.

As of June 2025, 9,861 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.4%, below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was 62.2%, similar to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key employment sectors for residents were health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Health care & social assistance had notable concentration, at 1.5 times the regional average.

Conversely, education & training showed lower representation at 5.6% versus the regional average of 8.9%. The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.9, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 2.5%, labour force grew by 2.6%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.1 percentage points. In Greater Sydney, employment grew by 2.6%, labour force expanded by 2.9%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across sectors. Applying these projections to Kogarah's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.4% over five years and 15.0% over ten years.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2022, Kogarah had a median income among taxpayers of $53,633 with the average level standing at $67,997. This is above the national average and compares to levels of $56,994 and $80,856 across Greater Sydney respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% from financial year ended June 2022 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $60,396 (median) and $76,571 (average). From the Census conducted in August 2021, household, family and personal incomes in Kogarah cluster around the 65th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals 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, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 59th percentile and 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

The dwelling structure in Kogarah, 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 in the area was $2,251, lower than Sydney metro's $2,383. The median weekly rent figure in Kogarah was $464, compared to Sydney metro's $480. Nationally, Kogarah's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,251 versus the Australian average of $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 constitute 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

Educational attainment in Kogarah is notably high, with 46.4% of residents aged 15 years and above holding university qualifications. This compares to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 30.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 25.2% of residents aged 15 years and above holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (12.8%) and certificates (12.4%).

Educational participation is high, with 32.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.4% in primary education, 8.2% in tertiary education, and 5.5% pursuing secondary education. There are eight schools operating within Kogarah, educating approximately 3,510 students as of the latest data. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1060). The educational mix includes two primary, four secondary, and two K-12 schools. As an education hub, Kogarah offers 23.2 school places per 100 residents, significantly higher than the regional average of 11.4, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

The analysis of public transport in Kogarah shows that there are currently 42 active transport stops operating. These include a mix of train and bus services. In total, these stops are serviced by 24 individual routes, which collectively provide 4,411 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 134 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, service frequency across all routes is 630 trips per day, equating to approximately 105 weekly trips per individual 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 data shows excellent results, with younger age groups having particularly low prevalence of common health conditions.

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

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 has one of the most culturally diverse populations in Australia, with 65.0% speaking a language other than English at home and 59.8% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Kogarah, comprising 46.4% of its population. Hinduism is significantly overrepresented compared to the Greater Sydney average, making up 16.1% of Kogarah's population.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Other at 26.4%, Chinese at 14.4%, and English at 9.7%. There are notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Greek is overrepresented at 7.0%, Filipino at 4.7%, and Spanish at 1.1% compared to regional averages.

Kogarah's population is younger than the national pattern

Kogarah's median age is 35 years, which is slightly younger than Greater Sydney's 37 and the national average of 38 years. The 25-34 age group makes up 22.2% of Kogarah's population, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage but lower than the national average of 14.5%. The 5-14 age group is less prevalent in Kogarah at 8.9%. 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 changes in Kogarah's demographics, with the 45-54 age group projected to rise significantly by 70%, growing from 1,669 people to 2,837.