Lennox Head - Skennars Head
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Lennox Head - Skennars Head's population is around 10,348 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,112 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,236 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,961 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 412 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 273 persons per square kilometer. Lennox Head - Skennars Head's growth rate of 12.0% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (3.2%) and the non-metro area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 38.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, 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. Based on latest population numbers, a significant increase is forecast in Lennox Head - Skennars Head's top quartile of Australia's regional areas, with an expected increase of 2,414 persons by 2041, marking a total increase of 19.6% over the 17 years.

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

Lennox Head - Skennars Head has recorded approximately 137 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, showing 685 homes over the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25, with six approvals so far in FY-26. On average, 1.8 people have moved to the area annually for each dwelling built during these five years. This suggests a balance between supply and demand, contributing to stable market dynamics.

The average expected construction cost of new homes is $744,000, indicating developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, there have been $4.8 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's predominantly residential nature. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Lennox Head - Skennars Head has 150.0% more construction activity per person, offering greater choice for buyers and indicating robust developer interest. New building activity comprises 63.0% detached dwellings and 37.0% medium and high-density housing, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments catering to various price points. The location has approximately 85 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market.

Future projections estimate Lennox Head - Skennars Head will add 2,026 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Lennox Head - Skennars Head has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly influence regional performance. AreaSearch identified 23 projects potentially impacting the area. Key projects include EPIQ Lennox Head Masterplanned Community, Epiq Marketplace Retail Precinct Expansion, Lennox Rise Estate, and Lennox Head Public School Relocation. The following list details those likely most relevant.

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

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

Lennox Head - Skennars Head has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 1.0%.

The area's employment rate is 2.7% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%, with a workforce participation rate of 66.0% compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Education & training has particularly high representation at 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 1.4% versus the regional average of 5.3%.

Between Jun-24 and Jun-25, the area saw a 4.8% decrease in labour force alongside a 4.7% employment decline, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data as of Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Lennox Head - Skennars Head's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9%% over five years and 14.1% over ten years.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 indicates Lennox Head - Skennars Head's median income among taxpayers is $45,691, with an average of $61,497. This figure is below the national average. The median and average incomes in Rest of NSW are $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Lennox Head - Skennars Head would be approximately $50,534 (median) and $68,016 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Lennox Head - Skennars Head cluster around the 68th percentile nationally. Income brackets show that 33.5% of the population, equating to 3,466 individuals, fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, reflecting patterns seen in the broader area where 29.9% similarly occupy this range. High housing costs consume 15.2% of income, leaving strong earnings placing disposable income at the 69th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Lennox Head - Skennars Head's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 76.5% houses and 23.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is compared to Non-Metro NSW which had 75.1% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lennox Head - Skennars Head was 42.1%, similar to Non-Metro NSW. Mortgaged dwellings made up 35.5% and rented dwellings were at 22.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,200, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,980. The median weekly rent was $580 compared to Non-Metro NSW's $450. Nationally, Lennox Head - Skennars Head's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,200 against the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 75.7% of all households, including 33.0% couples with children, 31.9% couples without children, and 10.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 24.3%, with lone person households at 20.4% and group households comprising 3.9%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Rest of 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

Lennox Head - Skennars Head has a higher educational attainment than broader benchmarks. 36.9% of its residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the rest of NSW and 24.3% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 26.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 36.1% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (13.2%) and certificates (22.9%).

Educational participation is high, with 29.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.0% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 3.8% pursuing tertiary education. The area's three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,708 students as of the latest data. Lennox Head - Skennars Head has above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1080. It offers balanced educational provision with two primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs, with 16.5 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 13.2, indicating that the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Lennox Head - Skennars Head has 73 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 40 different routes that together offer 312 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 218 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 44 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 4 weekly 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

Lennox Head - Skennars Head shows excellent health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages.

Approximately 51% (~5,236 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average. The most prevalent conditions are arthritis (7.2%) and asthma (6.9%), while 73.7% report no medical ailments, higher than the Rest of NSW's 68.0%. Around 19.6% (~2,032 people) are aged 65+, lower than the Rest of NSW's 23.6%. Seniors in the area have strong health outcomes, outperforming the general population.

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, as per the census conducted on 27 June 2016, had a below average cultural diversity with 84.5% of its population born in Australia, 89.5% being citizens, and 94.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, making up 45.2% of people in Lennox Head - Skennars Head. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented, comprising 0.3% compared to 0.6% across Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups were English (31.1%), Australian (25.9%), and Irish (11.9%). Some ethnic groups showed notable divergences: Scottish at 10.0% (vs regional 9.0%), French at 0.8% (vs regional 0.9%), and Welsh at 0.6% (vs regional 0.6%).

Lennox Head - Skennars Head hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Lennox Head - Skennars Head's median age is 42 years, similar to Rest of NSW's average of 43 but older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The age profile shows that the 35-44 year-olds are particularly prominent at 15.0%, while the 75-84 group is smaller at 5.9% compared to Rest of NSW. Between 2021 and present, the 75-84 age group has increased from 4.9% to 5.9% of the population. Conversely, the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 13.9% to 12.5%. By 2041, population forecasts suggest substantial demographic changes with the 35-44 age group projected to grow by 24%, adding 380 residents for a total of 1,937. Meanwhile, the 15-24 cohort is expected to grow by a modest 4%, an increase of 36 people.