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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay's population is around 3,372 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 3 people (0.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,369 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,366 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 6 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 2,655 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 79.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering the projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation is expected, with the area expected to grow by 458 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 13.4% in total over the 17 years.

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 recorded around 7 residential properties granted approval annually, with 36 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 7 so far in FY-26. Given an average of only 0.5 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new construction is matching or outpacing demand, offering buyers more options and enabling population growth that could exceed current expectations, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $632,000, demonstrating a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties.

When measured against Greater Sydney, Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay has significantly less development activity (69.0% below regional average per person). This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties, though construction activity has intensified recently. This is likewise lower than nationally, reflecting market maturity and pointing to possible development constraints. Recent construction comprises 57.0% standalone homes and 43.0% attached dwellings, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments providing options across different price points, from family homes to more affordable compact living. This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 95.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location has approximately 354 people per dwelling approval, reflecting an established area.

Looking ahead, Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay is expected to grow by 452 residents through to 2041 (from 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

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 0 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Sutherland to Cronulla Active Transport Link (SCATL), Ozone Cronulla Apartment Development, M6 Stage 2, and the Rail Service Improvement Program - T4 Illawarra & Eastern Suburbs Line, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

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

Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay features a well-educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of just 0.9%, and relative employment stability over the past year. As of December 2025, 1,960 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 3.3% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (72.9% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%). Based on Census responses, a high 45.4% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Employment among residents is concentrated in construction, professional & technical, and education & training. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in construction, with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average. Conversely, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 11.5% versus the regional average of 14.1%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 0.2% while labour force increased by 0.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. This compares to Greater Sydney, where employment grew by 2.2%, labour force expanded by 2.3%, and unemployment rose marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 13.9% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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 the latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $74,990 with the average level standing at $108,450. This is among the top percentile nationally and compares to levels of $60,817 and $83,003 across Greater Sydney respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $81,634 (median) and $118,059 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay, between the 90th and 99th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals the $4000+ earnings band captures 43.9% of the community (1,480 individuals), contrasting with the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. The district demonstrates considerable affluence with 58.0% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retain 86.8% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and 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

Dwelling structure within Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 94.7% houses and 5.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay was well beyond that of Sydney metro, at 48.3%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (44.1%) or rented (7.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Sydney metro average at $3,900, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $833, compared to Sydney metro's $2,427 and $470. Nationally, Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 90.3% of all households, comprising 55.0% couples with children, 28.3% couples without children, and 6.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 9.7%, with lone person households at 9.3% and group households comprising 0.4% of the total. The median household size of 3.2 people 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 stands out regionally, with university qualification rates (36.2% of residents aged 15+) exceeding the Australian average of 30.4% and that of the SA4 region (31.0%), reflecting the community's emphasis on higher education. Bachelor degrees lead at 24.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 32.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (12.4%) and certificates (19.7%).

Educational participation is notably 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

Public transport analysis reveals 21 active transport stops operating within Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 4 individual routes, collectively providing 496 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 146 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 95%. Vehicle ownership averages 2.2 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A high 45.4% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 70 trips per day across all routes, equating to 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

Health outcomes data demonstrates outstanding results across Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 75% of the total population (2,539 people). This compares to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 6.8% and 5.6% of residents, respectively, while 77.0% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The area has 18.7% of residents aged 65 and over (631 people), which is higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with 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 was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 87.0% of its population born in Australia, 95.7% being citizens, and 91.3% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay is Christianity, which makes up 68.5% of the population, compared to 49.2% across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay are English, comprising 29.4% of the population (substantially higher than the regional average of 19.0%), Australian, comprising 27.2% of the population (substantially higher than the regional average of 17.8%), and Irish, comprising 9.8% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of other ethnic groups: French is overrepresented at 1.0% (vs 0.5% regionally), Greek at 3.7% (vs 1.9%), and Maltese at 1.1% (vs 1.0%).

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

At 41 years, Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay's median age is significantly above the Greater Sydney average of 37 as well as somewhat older than the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, the 15 - 24 cohort is notably over-represented (17.8% locally), while 25 - 34 year-olds are under-represented (7.2%). This 15 - 24 concentration is well above the national 12.5%. Following the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 15.4% to 17.8% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 5.1% to 7.3%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 15.2% to 13.5% and the 65 to 74 group dropped from 10.8% to 9.6%. Demographic modeling suggests Lilli Pilli - Port Hacking - Dolans Bay's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 45 to 54 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 32%, adding 144 residents to reach 599. On the other hand, both 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 age groups will see reduced numbers.