Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora

Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora's population was around 20,917 as of May 2026. This reflected a decrease of 10 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 20,927 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 20,917 in June 2025 and an additional 24 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 626 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 66.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections were used, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group were applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics anticipated lower quartile growth of national statistical areas, with an expected increase of 563 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 2.7% over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora has recorded approximately 47 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 235 homes were approved, with an additional 8 approved so far in FY-26. The area's population decline suggests that new supply is likely meeting demand, offering good choice for buyers.

The average construction value of new properties is $429,000, moderately above regional levels, indicating a focus on quality construction. This financial year has seen $10.0 million in commercial approvals registered, reflecting steady commercial investment activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 11th percentile nationally, suggesting limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing dwellings. Recent construction comprises 77.0% standalone homes and 23.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 1418 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. Future projections estimate an addition of 563 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.

Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects likely to impact the area. Notable ones include Illawong Village Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Baxter Place, Sutherland Public School Hall Upgrade, and Blaxland Riverside Estate. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora ranks among the strongest 15% of areas evaluated nationally

Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora has a well-educated workforce with professional services showing strong representation. The unemployment rate was 2.1% in the past year. Employment growth was estimated at 0.9%.

As of December 2025, there were 12,174 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.0%, below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was 73.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 68.8%. According to Census responses, 43.6% of residents worked from home. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction.

Education & training has notably high employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average. Professional & technical employs 9.3% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 11.5%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, with a count of Census working population vs resident population indicating this. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.9%, labour force increased by 0.7%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%, with a marginal rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.6% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora SA2 had a median income of $65,958 and an average income of $84,052. Nationally, these figures are high, with Greater Sydney's median at $60,817 and average at $83,053. By March 2026, estimated incomes would be approximately $72,765 (median) and $92,726 (average), based on a 10.32% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. Census data ranks household incomes at the 93rd percentile ($2,692 weekly). Income distribution shows 28.8% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, mirroring Greater Sydney's 30.9%. Higher earners make up 44.3%, indicating strong purchasing power. Housing consumes 13.5% of income, with residents ranking at the 94th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora, as per the latest Census evaluation, 82.7% of dwellings were houses while 17.2% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments. This contrasts with Sydney metropolitan areas where 55.9% of dwellings are houses and 44.1% are other types. The home ownership rate in Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora was 40.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 48.0% and rented ones at 11.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,687, higher than Sydney's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure stood at $580 compared to Sydney's $470. Nationally, Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 86.5% of all households, consisting of 48.7% couples with children, 26.2% couples without children, and 11.0% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 13.5%, with lone person households at 12.5% and group households comprising 1.0%. The median household size is 3.0 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

In Menai-Lucas Heights-Woronora trail region, 28.6% of residents aged 15 and above hold university degrees, compared to Greater Sydney's 38.0%. This indicates potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are most common at 19.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 37.1% of residents aged 15 and above holding them - advanced diplomas at 12.6% and certificates at 24.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 9.7% in primary, 8.4% in secondary, and 5.2% in tertiary education.

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

Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora has 133 active public transport stops. These stops serve 60 different bus routes, providing a total of 1,883 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically living 166 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily. Car remains the dominant mode of transportation at 89%, while train usage stands at 6%. On average, there are 1.9 vehicles per dwelling in the area.

According to the 2021 Census, 43.6% of residents work from home, which may be due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 269 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 14 weekly trips per stop. The accompanying map displays the locations of the 100 nearest stops to the area's centerpoint.

The level of general health in Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Menai-Lucas Heights-Woronora shows superior health outcomes as per AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both younger and older age groups have low prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is exceptionally high at around 62% (12,884 people), exceeding the national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (7.7%) and arthritis (7.6%). About 71.2% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Under-65s have better-than-average health outcomes. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 19.1% (3,993 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 15.5%. Seniors' health outcomes are above average, generally aligning with national rankings for the overall population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Menai-Lucas Heights-Woronora, as of the 2016 Census, had a cultural diversity index above average with 18.2% of its population born overseas and 14.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Menai-Lucas Heights-Woronora at 69.7%, compared to 49.2% across Greater Sydney. In terms of ancestry, Australian was the highest represented group at 26.3%, followed by English at 25.9%, and Irish at 8.0%.

Notably, Macedonian (1.4%), Greek (3.2%), and Maltese (1.2%) groups were overrepresented compared to their regional averages of 0.4%, 1.9%, and 1.0% respectively.

Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora has a median age of 40, which is higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38 years. The area has an over-representation of the 65-74 age cohort at 11.4%, compared to the Greater Sydney average, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 8.9%. Between 2021 and present, the 75-84 age group has increased from 4.1% to 6.0% of the population. Conversely, the 55-64 age cohort has declined from 14.6% to 12.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Menai - Lucas Heights - Woronora's age profile. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 732 people (58%), from 1,263 to 1,996. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 77% of total population growth. Meanwhile, the 15-24 and 25-34 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.