Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay's population is around 3,372 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 3 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,369 people. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 3,366 in June 2024 and an additional 6 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,655 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 79.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 uses 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, the area is expected to grow by 458 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 13.4% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay has seen approximately 7 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, 36 homes were approved, with a further 7 approved in FY26 so far.

The average number of new residents per year per dwelling constructed over these five years is around 0.5. This suggests that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current expectations. The average expected construction cost value of new properties is approximately $632,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. Compared to Greater Sydney, Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay has significantly less development activity, recording 69.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. However, construction activity has intensified recently.

Nationally, this location also reflects lower development activity, possibly due to market maturity or potential development constraints. Recent construction in Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay comprises 57.0% standalone homes and 43.0% attached dwellings, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments offering options across different price points. This is a significant change from the current housing mix, which is currently 95.0% houses. This shift reflects reduced availability of development sites and addresses shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location has approximately 354 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established area. Looking ahead, Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay is expected to grow by 452 residents through to 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

No changes have been identified by AreaSearch that could impact the area. Key projects include Sutherland to Cronulla Active Transport Link (SCATL), Ozone Cronulla Apartment Development, M6 Stage 2, and Rail Service Improvement Program - T4 Illawarra & Eastern Suburbs Line.

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Employment conditions in Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 0.8% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 0.5% over the past year. In comparison to Greater Sydney's overall unemployment rate of 4.2%, Lilli Pilli had a lower rate of 3.4%.

Workforce participation in the area was 72.9%, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 45.4% of residents worked from home as of September 2025. Employment is primarily concentrated in construction, professional & technical services, and education & training sectors. Construction employment levels were at 1.6 times the regional average.

Conversely, health care & social assistance had lower representation at 11.5% compared to the regional average of 14.1%. Over the year ending September 2025, employment increased by 0.5%, labour force grew by 0.7%, and unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points in Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay. In Greater Sydney, employment grew by 2.1%, labour force expanded by 2.4%, and unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points during the same period. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, released in May 2025, project a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years for national employment. Applying these projections to Lilli Pilli's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 13.9% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of postcode level ATO data released on 30 June 2023 for financial year 2023, Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $74,990. The average income stood at $108,450. This places it in the top percentile nationally compared to Greater Sydney's levels of $60,817 and $83,053 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $81,634 (median) and $118,059 (average) as of September 2025. The 2021 Census shows household, family, and personal incomes in Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay rank highly nationally, between the 90th and 99th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 43.9% of individuals (1,480) earn over $4,000 annually, contrasting with Greater Sydney where the $1,500-$2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. The district shows significant affluence, with 58.0% earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retain 86.8% of income, indicating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Lilli Pilli-Port Hacking-Dolans Bay, as per the latest Census, 94.7% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 5.3% consisting of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings. This contrasts with Sydney's metropolitan area where 55.9% of dwellings are houses and 44.1% are other types. Home ownership in Lilli Pilli-Port Hacking-Dolans Bay stood at 48.3%, with mortgaged properties at 44.1% and rented dwellings at 7.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,900, significantly higher than Sydney's average of $2,427. Weekly rent median was recorded at $833, compared to Sydney's $470. Nationally, Lilli Pilli-Port Hacking-Dolans Bay's mortgage repayments were notably higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national average of $375.

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 90.3% of all households, including 55.0% couples with children, 28.3% couples without children, and 6.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 9.7%, with lone person households at 9.3% and group households making up 0.4%. The median household size is 3.2 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Educational achievement in Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates of 36.2% among residents aged 15+, exceeding the Australian average of 30.4% and the SA4 region rate of 31.0%. Bachelor degrees are prevalent at 24.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 32.1% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 12.4% and certificates at 19.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 31.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in primary education, 9.5% in secondary education, and 6.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Lilli Pilli-Port Hacking-Dolans Bay has 21 active public transport stops. These are served by four bus routes that together facilitate 496 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents located an average of 146 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily, primarily using cars (95%). On average, there are 2.2 vehicles per dwelling, higher than the regional norm. According to the 2021 Census, 45.4% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions.

Bus services operate at an average frequency of 70 trips daily across all routes, resulting in approximately 23 weekly trips per individual stop.

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, with very low prevalence across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 75% of the total population (2,539 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.8% and 5.6% of residents respectively.

A total of 77.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. The area has 18.7% of residents aged 65 and over (631 people), higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are strong and align with national rankings for the general population.

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Lilli Pilli-Port Hacking-Dolans Bay, surveyed between 2016-2021, had a below average cultural diversity with 87.0% Australian born residents, 95.7% citizens, and 91.3% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion (68.5%), compared to Greater Sydney's 49.2%. Top ancestral groups were English (29.4%, regional average 19.0%), Australian (27.2%, regional average 17.8%), and Irish (9.8%).

French, Greek, and Maltese groups were notably overrepresented in the area compared to regional averages.

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay's median age exceeds the national pattern

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay has a median age of 41 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's median of 38 years. The 15-24 age group makes up 17.8% of the local population, compared to 12.5% nationally and 9.6% in Greater Sydney. Conversely, the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 7.2%. According to the 2021 Census, Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay's population has shifted since 2016: the 15-24 cohort increased from 15.4% to 17.8%, and the 75-84 cohort grew from 5.1% to 7.3%. Meanwhile, the 45-54 age group decreased from 15.2% to 13.5%, and the 65-74 group fell from 10.8% to 9.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay's age profile. The 45-54 cohort is expected to grow by 32%, adding 144 residents to reach 599. However, the 0-4 and 35-44 age groups are projected to decrease in number.