Narara
Statistical Area - sa2

Narara has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Narara's population is around 7,352 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 195 people (2.7%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,157 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,344 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 4 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 954 persons per square kilometer. Narara's 2.7% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (2.3%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 51.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median of statistical areas analysed is expected. The area is projected to expand by 837 persons to 2041, with an increase of 11.3% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Narara according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Narara has seen approximately 14 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 72 homes. So far in FY-26, 4 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.9 new residents per year are associated with every home built between FY-21 and FY-25. This suggests demand is outpacing supply, which typically exerts upward pressure on prices and increases competition among buyers.

The average construction cost of new homes in Narara is $428,000, below the regional average, indicating more affordable housing options for buyers. In FY-26, commercial approvals worth $3.5 million have been registered, suggesting limited focus on commercial development. Compared to Greater Sydney, Narara has roughly half the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks in the 24th percentile nationally, implying somewhat limited buyer options while strengthening demand for established dwellings. Recent construction comprises 82.0% detached dwellings and 18.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining Narara's traditional suburban character focused on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

With around 688 people per approval, Narara indicates a mature, established area. Looking ahead, Narara is projected to grow by 829 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Narara has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified ten projects expected to influence the region. Notable initiatives include widening the M1 Pacific Motorway between Kariong and Somersby, expanding the Narara Ecovillage, establishing Central Coast Film Studios, and upgrading the Pacific Highway and Manns Road. The following list details those anticipated to have the most relevance.

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

The labour market in Narara shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Narara has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate in Narara is 3.0%, below the Greater Sydney rate of 4.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.1%. As of June 2025, 3,900 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.2% lower than Greater Sydney's rate. Workforce participation in Narara is higher at 65.1%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

The area shows strong specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level. Professional & technical services employ only 6.4% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 11.5%. Limited employment opportunities locally are indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 2.1% while labour force grew by 2.7%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney where employment rose by 2.6%, labour force grew by 2.9%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National unemployment rate is 4.5%, with national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 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 Narara's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8%% over five years and 14.2% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

Narara's median income among taxpayers was $52,821 according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. The average income stood at $68,261 in the same period. For Greater Sydney, these figures were $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Narara would be approximately $58,420 (median) and $75,497 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Narara cluster around the 57th percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that 36.2% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, comprising 2,661 individuals. This is consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region where 30.9% fall into the same category. High housing costs consume 15.5% of income in Narara, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 63rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Narara is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

The dwelling structure in Narara, as per the latest Census, consisted of 88.7% houses and 11.3% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and others. In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 74.2% houses and 25.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Narara stood at 32.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 47.4% and rented ones at 20.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,993, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,150. The median weekly rent in Narara was $420, slightly higher than Sydney metro's $400. Nationally, Narara's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Narara features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 78.2% of all households, including 38.0% couples with children, 26.4% couples without children, and 13.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 21.8%, with lone person households at 19.1% and group households making up 2.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

Educational attainment in Narara aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The area has university qualification rates of 25.0%, significantly lower than the Greater Sydney average of 38.0%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 17.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.2%) and certificates (27.2%).

Educational participation is high at 28.9%, with 10.6% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 4.0% pursuing tertiary education. Narara's four schools have a combined enrollment of 1,478 students. The area has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1014) with balanced educational opportunities. It includes one secondary school and three K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds residential needs at 20.1 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 15.9, indicating Narara serves as an educational center for the broader region. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Narara has 59 operational public transport stops, serving a combination of train and bus services. These stops are covered by 63 different routes, facilitating a total of 1,341 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to transport is considered good, with residents on average being located 224 meters away from the nearest stop.

On an average day, there are 191 trips across all routes, translating to approximately 22 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Narara is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Narara faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 54%, covering around 3948 people in total. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, impacting 9.4% and 9.3% of residents respectively. Approximately 66.5% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 64.8% across Greater Sydney. The area has 16.8% of residents aged 65 and over, totaling around 1234 people, which is lower than the 24.5% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Narara's population was found to align closely with the broader regional average in terms of cultural diversity, with 80.1% born in Australia, 91.6% being citizens, and 88.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Narara, representing 52.6%, compared to 53.4% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups in Narara are English (29.5%), Australian (28.8%), and Irish (8.1%).

Notably, Russian ancestry is overrepresented at 0.5% in Narara versus the regional average of 0.4%, as are Spanish (0.6% vs 0.4%) and Maltese (0.6% vs 0.7%).

Narara's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Narara is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, the 5-14 age cohort is over-represented at 14.2% locally, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 11.1%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75-84 age group has grown from 4.1% to 5.5%, and the 15-24 age cohort has increased from 11.3% to 12.6%. Conversely, the 55-64 age group has declined from 12.9% to 11.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Narara. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 70%, reaching 689 people from 404. Meanwhile, both the 0-4 and 55-64 age groups are expected to decrease in number.