Lennox Head - Skennars Head

Lennox Head - Skennars 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

According to the analysis by AreaSearch, the population of Lennox Head - Skennars Head stands at approximately 10,306 in May 2026. This represents a growth of 1,070 individuals (11.6%) from the 2021 Census, which recorded 9,236 residents. This shift is calculated using the ABS estimated resident population of 10,283 in June 2025 alongside 446 validated new addresses identified since the Census. With this population level, the density ratio reaches 272 persons per square kilometer, indicating low density and potential capacity for future residential expansion. The 11.6% growth rate observed in Lennox Head - Skennars Head since the 2021 census outpaced both the broader SA4 region (3.7%) and the Rest of NSW, establishing the locality as a regional leader in population growth. This upward trend was primarily propelled by interstate migration, which accounted for roughly 47.2% of the total population growth in recent times, though all other indicators including overseas migration and natural growth also registered positive outcomes.

Projections from ABS/Geoscience Australia published in 2024 with a 2022 baseline are applied to each SA2 location. For locations lacking this coverage, SA2 projections from the NSW State Government released in 2022 with a 2021 baseline are substituted. The age group growth rates derived from these datasets are projected forward for the years 2032 to 2041. Looking at upcoming demographic changes, the district is projected to experience population growth above the median for non-metropolitan Australia, with an estimated rise of 2,287 individuals by 2041 based on the most recent annual ERP data, representing a overall increase of 22.0% over the 16 years.

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

Over the last 5 financial years, Lennox Head - Skennars Head recorded an average of approximately 137 building approvals annually, translating to a total of 685 new residences. In the current FY-26 period, 42 approvals have been registered. The ratio of population growth to new construction stood at 1.9 people per completed dwelling over the 5 financial years spanning FY-21 to FY-25, indicating that local supply is aligned with demand to support stable market conditions. Newly constructed homes carry an average building cost of $441,000, which is marginally higher than the regional benchmark and points to a focus on premium builds. Additionally, the current financial year has seen $4.8 million in commercial approvals, underlining the predominantly residential focus of the local economy.

Per capita construction activity in Lennox Head - Skennars Head is 147.0% higher than in the Rest of NSW, providing home buyers with a broader selection of properties. This volume of building is also well above the national average, highlighting strong interest from developers. The composition of new residential projects consists of 63.0% detached houses and 37.0% medium and high-density options, offering a diverse array of housing types from traditional family homes to compact townhouses and apartments. There are approximately 88 people per building approval in the area, pointing to a growing real estate sector.

Long-term forecasts indicate that Lennox Head - Skennars Head will add 2,263 new residents by 2041, based on the latest quarterly calculations by AreaSearch. Given current building trends, the supply of new dwellings should be sufficient to meet demand, which supports favorable purchasing conditions and potentially allows population growth to outstrip current expectations.

Lennox Head - Skennars Head has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure, planning schemes, and major projects represent key factors influencing regional performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 24 projects likely to influence this locality. Some of the major developments include the EPIQ Lennox Head Masterplanned Community, the Epiq Marketplace Retail Precinct Expansion, the Lennox Head Public School Relocation, and the Lennox Surf Lodge located at 52-54 Ballina Street, with the detailed list below outlining those of primary relevance.

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Lennox Head - Skennars Head performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

The local workforce in Lennox Head - Skennars Head is highly educated with significant employment in essential services, an unemployment rate of only 1.4%, and an estimated job growth rate of 3.5% over the past year. By March 2026, the employed resident population reached 5,551, with the unemployment rate sitting 2.7% below the Regional NSW benchmark of 4.1%. Labor force participation is also elevated at 66.9% compared to the Regional NSW average of 60.6%. Census data indicates that 23.8% of employed residents worked from home, although these figures may reflect the influence of pandemic-related restrictions.

The primary sectors employing local residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. The community displays a notable concentration in education & training, with employment representation in this sector reaching 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing represents a small share of the workforce at 1.4%, compared to 5.3% across the region. The comparison between the locally employed Census population and the resident workforce suggests that local employment opportunities are somewhat limited.

An analysis of SALM and ABS data by AreaSearch shows that over the 12-month period, employment expanded by 3.5% while the labor force grew by 3.9%, leading to a 0.4 percentage point rise in the unemployment rate. In comparison, Regional NSW experienced a 0.9% decrease in employment, a 0.4% contraction in the labor force, and a 0.5 percentage point increase in the unemployment rate. Jobs and Skills Australia projections from May-25 offer additional indicators of future labor demand in Lennox Head - Skennars Head. These five-year and ten-year forecasts have been applied to the local workforce structure to model potential employment trends. Nationally, employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with performance varying widely across different industries. Applying these sectoral growth rates directly to the local employment structure suggests that employment in Lennox Head - Skennars Head could rise by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, representing a simple weighted extrapolation that does not account for localized population changes.

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

The most recent postcode level ATO statistics from the 2023 financial year show that incomes in the Lennox Head - Skennars Head SA2 fall below national averages, with a median income of $49,351 and an average of $64,576. This is slightly lower than the Regional NSW median of $52,390 and average of $65,215. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since the 2023 financial year, current estimates for March 2026 are approximately $54,444 for the median income and $71,240 for the average income. According to Census records, household, family, and individual incomes in the area sit at the 68th percentile nationally. The distribution of income shows that 33.5% of the population, or 3,452 residents, fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 brackets, similar to metropolitan areas where this cohort represents 29.9%. High housing expenses account for 15.2% of household income, but solid overall earnings help maintain disposable income levels at the 68th percentile, and the SEIFA index ranks the area in the 8th decile for income.

Lennox Head - Skennars Head is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

According to the latest Census data, the composition of residential dwellings in Lennox Head - Skennars Head was 76.5% separate houses and 23.4% other housing types, such as semi-detached properties, apartments, and alternative dwellings, compared to Regional NSW where separate houses made up 82.6% and other dwellings accounted for 17.4%. Home ownership rates in the area were higher than the regional average, standing at 42.1%, while 35.5% of homes were mortgaged and 22.4% were rented. The median monthly mortgage payment of $2,200 was significantly higher than the Regional NSW average of $1,733, and the median weekly rent of $580 also exceeded the regional figure of $330. Nationally, mortgage repayments in Lennox Head - Skennars Head are considerably higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rent costs are also well above the national median of $375.

Lennox Head - Skennars Head features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households represent the main household type at 75.7%, consisting of couples with children at 33.0%, couples without children at 31.9%, and single parent households at 10.1%. The remaining 24.3% are non-family households, which include lone person households at 20.4% and group households at 3.9%. The median household size is 2.6 residents, which is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

Lennox Head - Skennars Head shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The level of education in Lennox Head - Skennars Head is higher than regional benchmarks, with 36.9% of residents aged 15 and over holding a university qualification, compared to 21.3% in the Rest of NSW and 24.3% in the SA4 region. This education profile provides a strong foundation for knowledge-based employment. Bachelor degrees represent the most common higher qualification at 26.0%, with postgraduate qualifications at 7.2% and graduate diplomas at 3.7%. Technical and trade qualifications are also common, with 36.1% of residents aged 15 and over holding vocational credentials, split between advanced diplomas (13.2%) and certificate level qualifications (22.9%).

The proportion of residents enrolled in formal education is high at 29.3%. Within this student population, 11.0% are in primary school, 8.2% are in secondary school, and 3.8% are undertaking tertiary studies.

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

Analysis of local transit shows 77 active transport stops within Lennox Head - Skennars Head, consisting of bus services. These stops are connected to 42 individual routes, which provide a combined total of 373 passenger trips each week. Transport accessibility is ranked as good, with residents living an average of 217 meters from the nearest stop. Because the area is mostly residential, many workers commute to other areas, with private vehicles remaining the primary mode of travel at 93%. Car ownership stands at an average of 1.6 vehicles per household. Additionally, 23.8% of residents worked from home according to the 2021 Census, which may have been influenced by pandemic conditions.

Transit service frequency averages 53 daily trips across all routes, which corresponds to approximately 4 weekly passenger trips per individual stop.

Lennox Head - Skennars Head's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Data on health outcomes shows favorable results for Lennox Head - Skennars Head, reflecting low mortality rates and a low prevalence of chronic conditions across all age groups, while the rate of private health insurance coverage is relatively modest, representing approximately 51% of the population, or around 5,276 individuals.

Arthritis and asthma are the most common medical conditions recorded locally, affecting 7.2% and 6.9% of the population, respectively, while 73.7% of residents reported having no chronic health issues, compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. The working-age population is generally healthy, showing low rates of chronic illness. Residents aged 65 and over make up 20.2% of the local population (2,079 people), which is lower than the Regional NSW proportion of 23.4%. Senior citizens in the area display strong health profiles, with national rankings aligning with those of the broader local community.

Lennox Head - Skennars Head ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Lennox Head - Skennars Head has lower levels of cultural diversity than average, with 84.5% of residents born in Australia, 89.5% holding citizenship, and 94.4% using only English at home. Christianity is the dominant religion, representing 45.2% of the local population. The most prominent religious overrepresentation is Judaism, which accounts for 0.3% of residents compared to 0.1% across Regional NSW.

In terms of parent country of birth, the three most common ancestries in Lennox Head - Skennars Head are English at 31.1%, Australian at 25.9%, and Irish at 11.9%. Some specific backgrounds show higher representation than the regional average, with Scottish ancestry at 10.0% of the population (compared to 8.0% regionally), French at 0.8% (compared to 0.4%), and Welsh at 0.6% (compared to 0.5%).

Lennox Head - Skennars Head's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Lennox Head - Skennars Head is 42 years, which is close to the Regional NSW average of 43 years but older than the national median of 38 years. The population structure shows a high concentration of residents aged 35 to 44 years (15.1%), while the 15 to 24 age bracket is smaller (9.7%) than in Regional NSW. Since 2021, the proportion of residents aged 75 to 84 years rose from 4.9% to 6.3%, whereas the cohort aged 5 to 14 years declined from 13.9% to 12.4%. Projections for 2041 suggest changing demographics, with the 45 to 54 cohort expected to grow by 30%, adding 430 people to reach 1,884, while the 15 to 24 cohort is projected to increase by 6% (an addition of 60 residents).