Maroubra - South

An assessment of population growth drivers in Maroubra - South reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Maroubra - South's population is around 11,602 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 518 people (4.7%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,084 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,546 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 208 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 5,632 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, making land in the area a highly sought resource. Over the past decade, Maroubra - South has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a 0.1% compound annual growth rate, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 78.3% 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. Regarding demographic trends, a population increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation is expected, with the area expected to grow by 1,235 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 10.2% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Maroubra - South recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Maroubra - South has recorded around 32 residential properties granted approval per year, totalling 160 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 32 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 1.5 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), supply and demand appear well-balanced, creating stable market conditions, though recent data shows this has intensified to 4.9 people per dwelling over the past 2 financial years, indicating growing popularity and potential undersupply. New properties are constructed at an average value of $488,000, revealing that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. Additionally, $3.4 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, demonstrating the area's primarily residential nature.

When measured against Greater Sydney, Maroubra - South maintains similar construction rates (per person), preserving market equilibrium consistent with surrounding areas. This is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints. New building activity shows 12.0% standalone homes and 88.0% townhouses or apartments. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. At around 316 people per approval, Maroubra - South reflects a low density area.

Population forecasts indicate Maroubra - South will gain 1,179 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may experience heightened competition as the population grows.

Maroubra - South has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 12 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Google Pacific Connect - Tabua and Honomoana Cable Landing Infrastructure, Yorktown Parade and Fitzgerald Avenue Affordable Housing Redevelopment, 181-191 Maroubra Road Development, and South Maroubra Coastal Walkway Extension, 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 drivers in Maroubra - South are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Maroubra - South features a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of 9.3%, and 3.3% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 5,960 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 5.1% above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, showing room for improvement, and workforce participation is somewhat below standard (68.0% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%). Based on Census responses, a high 48.4% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in education & training, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. On the other hand, retail trade is under-represented, with only 6.3% of Maroubra - South's workforce compared to 9.3% in Greater Sydney. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 3.3% while the labour force increased by 3.3%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%, with a marginal rise. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Maroubra - South. 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 Maroubra - South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.4% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Maroubra - South SA2's median income among taxpayers is $60,508, with an average of $94,674. This is among the highest in Australia, and compares to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $65,869 (median) and $103,062 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals personal income ranks at the 75th percentile ($968 weekly), while household income sits at the 58th percentile. The earnings profile shows the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 25.5% of the community (2,958 individuals), reflecting patterns seen in the surrounding region where 30.9% similarly occupy this range. The district demonstrates considerable affluence with 31.8% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 22.1% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 51st percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Maroubra - South features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure within Maroubra - South, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 20.1% houses and 79.9% 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 Maroubra - South was lagging that of Sydney metro, at 23.9%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (22.6%) or rented (53.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Sydney metro average at $3,000, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $490, compared to Sydney metro's $2,427 and $470. Nationally, Maroubra - South's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

Maroubra - South features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 62.2% of all households, comprising 25.9% couples with children, 23.4% couples without children, and 11.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 37.8%, with lone person households at 32.9% and group households comprising 4.9% of the total. The median household size of 2.3 people is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

The educational profile of Maroubra - South exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Maroubra - South significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 44.2% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 28.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 26.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (15.0%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.4% of residents aged 15+ currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.3% in primary education, 6.9% in secondary education, and 6.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 84 active transport stops operating within Maroubra - South comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 34 individual routes, collectively providing 6,332 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 94 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward - the car remains the dominant mode at 76%, with 10% by bus and 5% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 0.8 per dwelling, below the regional average. A high 48.4% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 904 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 75 weekly trips per individual stop.

Maroubra - South's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Maroubra - South, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Younger cohorts in particular see very low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 69% of the total population (7,970 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 mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 7.6% and 7.1% of residents, respectively, while 72.4% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 18.2% of residents aged 65 and over (2,117 people), which is higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, though ranking lower nationally than the broader population.

Maroubra - South is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Maroubra - South scores highly on cultural diversity, with 32.5% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 41.5% born overseas. The main religion in Maroubra - South is Christianity, which makes up 52.2% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 3.8% of the population, compared to 0.8% across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Maroubra - South are English, comprising 19.6% of the population, Australian, comprising 16.8% of the population, and Other, comprising 15.1% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: French is notably overrepresented at 2.4% of Maroubra - South (vs 0.5% regionally), Russian at 1.4% (vs 0.4%) and Spanish at 1.1% (vs 0.6%).

Maroubra - South's population is slightly older than the national pattern

With a median age of 40, Maroubra - South is somewhat higher than the Greater Sydney figure of 37 and similarly marginally higher than Australia's 38 years. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, the 75 - 84 cohort is notably over-represented (6.3% locally), while 15 - 24 year-olds are under-represented (11.5%). In the period since 2021, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 9.1% to 11.5% of the population. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 15.8% to 14.5%. Demographic modeling suggests Maroubra - South's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 65 to 74 age cohort is projected to see notable expansion, increasing by 243 people (24%) from 1,032 to 1,276. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 53% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.