Nambucca Heads Surrounds
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Nambucca Heads Surrounds are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Nambucca Heads Surrounds' population was around 8,485 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 383 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,102 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,409 in June 2024 and an additional 134 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 6.3 persons per square kilometer. Nambucca Heads Surrounds' growth rate of 4.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 4.5%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 54.8% 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 from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest population numbers, the area is projected to increase by 1,533 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 17.2% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Nambucca Heads Surrounds when compared nationally

Nambucca Heads Surrounds has received around 42 dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, between FY-21 and FY-25212 homes were approved, with a further 9 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, each dwelling accommodates approximately 2 new residents per year over these five years, indicating strong demand that supports property values.

The average expected construction cost value of new homes is $315,000. This financial year has seen $4.6 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential character. Compared to Rest of NSW, Nambucca Heads Surrounds demonstrates comparable development activity per person, suggesting market stability aligned with regional trends.

Recent construction comprises 97% detached houses and 3% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low density character focused on family homes. There are approximately 222 people per dwelling approval in the location. Future projections indicate Nambucca Heads Surrounds is expected to grow by 1,457 residents by 2041. Construction pace is currently keeping up with projected growth, but buyers may face increasing competition as population increases.

Nambucca Heads Surrounds has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 18thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 15 projects likely affecting the region. Notable ones are Vista Apartments, Nambucca Heads Lifestyle Estate, Nambucca River Foreshore Walk and Cultural Way, and Main Beach Protective Seawall and Bleachers. 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 Nambucca Heads Surrounds has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Nambucca Heads Surrounds has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate as of June 2025 was 4.8%.

Employment stability over the past year was relative. As of June 2025, 3,849 residents were in work while the unemployment rate was 1.1% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation lagged significantly at 50.7%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Employment among residents was concentrated in health care & social assistance, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and education & training.

The area had particular employment specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share of 2.2 times the regional level. Conversely, public administration & safety showed lower representation at 4.6% versus the regional average of 7.5%. Employment opportunities locally appeared limited based on Census working population vs resident population comparison. During the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 0.4%, and labour force increased by 0.8%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In Rest of NSW, employment fell by 0.1%, labour force expanded by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Nambucca Heads Surrounds' employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 6.2% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Nambucca Heads Surrounds had a median income among taxpayers of $36,952 and an average level of $47,953. This is below the national average of $49,459 and the Rest of NSW's levels of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for median income are approximately $41,612 and average income is around $54,000 as of September 2025. Census data indicates household, family and personal incomes in Nambucca Heads Surrounds fall between the 7th and 8th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals 28.5% of the population (2,418 individuals) have incomes within the $800 - $1,499 range, contrasting with the broader area where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket leads at 29.9%. After housing costs, 86.6% of income remains, ranking at only the 12th percentile nationally.

Nambucca Heads Surrounds is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Nambucca Heads Surrounds had 97.0% houses and 3.1% other dwellings at the latest Census, compared to Non-Metro NSW's 88.8% houses and 11.2% other dwellings. Home ownership was 52.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.4% and rented at 13.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,400, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,330. Median weekly rent was $300, the same as Non-Metro NSW. Nationally, Nambucca Heads Surrounds' mortgage repayments were lower at $1,400 compared to Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were lower at $300 compared to Australia's figure of $375.

Nambucca Heads Surrounds has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 69.7% of all households, including 24.0% couples with children, 33.6% couples without children, and 11.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 30.3%, with lone person households at 26.9% and group households comprising 3.5%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.3.

Educational outcomes in Nambucca Heads Surrounds fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 18.3%, significantly below the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 13.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.8%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 43.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (10.3%) and certificates (33.2%).

Educational participation is high at 28.3%, including 10.3% in primary education, 9.1% in secondary education, and 2.4% pursuing tertiary education. Nambucca Heads Surrounds has 5 schools with a combined enrollment of 367 students, featuring varied educational conditions. The educational mix includes 4 primary schools and 1 K-12 school. Limited local school capacity (4.3 places per 100 residents vs regional average of 13.1) means many families travel to nearby areas for schooling.

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

Nambucca Heads Surrounds has 267 active public transport stops. These include train and bus services. There are 56 individual routes operating in total, providing 738 weekly passenger trips.

The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 348 meters. On average, there are 105 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately two weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Nambucca Heads Surrounds is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Nambucca Heads Surrounds faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Only approximately 46% (~3,903 people) have private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (11.4%) and mental health issues (8.9%). Conversely, 62.5% report no medical ailments, higher than Rest of NSW's 58.0%. Residents aged 65 and over comprise 26.7% (2,268 people), lower than Rest of NSW's 28.1%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are above average, outperforming the general population in various health metrics.

Nambucca Heads Surrounds is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Nambucca Heads Surrounds had a cultural diversity level below average, with 89.3% of its population being citizens, 89.4% born in Australia, and 96.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 48.6% of people in Nambucca Heads Surrounds. The most notable overrepresentation was seen in the 'Other' category, which made up 1.0% of the population compared to 0.7% across Rest of NSW.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English at 33.4%, Australian at 31.0%, and Scottish at 9.0%. There were notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Australian Aboriginal was overrepresented at 4.4% (vs regional 7.5%), Irish at 8.9% (vs 8.7%), and Welsh at 0.5% (vs 0.4%).

Nambucca Heads Surrounds ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Nambucca Heads Surrounds has a median age of 50, which is higher than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 and also above the national average of 38. The 55-64 age group comprises 16.6%, notably higher than Rest of NSW but significantly above the national average of 11.2%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort makes up only 7.7%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75-84 age group has increased from 7.0% to 8.6%, while the 55-64 cohort has decreased from 18.6% to 16.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Nambucca Heads Surrounds' age profile. The 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 38%, adding 281 people and reaching 1,015. Meanwhile, the 15-24 cohort will grow modestly by 3% (22 people).