Port Kembla - Warrawong

Port Kembla - Warrawong has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Port Kembla-Warrawong's population is approximately 9,768 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 28 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,740. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,744 in June 2024 and an additional 30 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,401 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 69.5% 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. Future population dynamics anticipate lower quartile growth for Australia's regional areas, with the area expected to increase by 14 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a decrease of 0.1% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Port Kembla - Warrawong, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Port Kembla - Warrawong has experienced approximately 28 dwelling approvals per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 144 homes received development approval. In FY-26 up until now, there have been 7 approved dwellings.

The average construction value for new properties is $301,000. This year has seen $13.7 million in commercial approvals registered. Compared to the rest of NSW, Port Kembla - Warrawong shows reduced construction activity, with 54% below the regional average per person. The area's established nature and potential planning limitations are indicated by its activity being under the national average. New development consists mainly of standalone homes (81%) and attached dwellings (19%), maintaining the area's traditional suburban character focused on family homes.

With around 527 people per approval, Port Kembla - Warrawong indicates a mature market. Population projections showing stability or decline suggest reduced housing demand pressures in the future, benefiting potential buyers.

Port Kembla - Warrawong has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

AreaSearch has identified 17 projects that are expected to impact the area significantly. Notable ones include Southern Suburbs Community Centre and Library, Warrawong Plaza Redevelopment, Warrawong Community Health Centre, and Salvation Army Housing - Warrawong Group Home. The following list details those considered most relevant.

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 Port Kembla - Warrawong face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Port Kembla-Warrawong has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs. Key sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. As of September 2025, 3,296 residents are employed, but the unemployment rate is high at 19.2%.

This is 15.4% above Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation lags at 51.3%, compared to Rest of NSW's 61.5%. Home-based work is moderate, with 20.8% of residents working from home. Employment specialization in administrative & support services is high, at 1.6 times the regional level.

However, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.5%, below Rest of NSW's 5.3%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.8, indicating local employment opportunities are above average. Over the year to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.1% while employment declined by 1.9%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 1.6 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest Port Kembla-Warrawong's employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, though this is an illustrative extrapolation not accounting for local population projections.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that income in Port Kembla - Warrawong SA2 is lower than average nationally. The median income is $52,517 and the average is $62,927. In comparison, Rest of NSW has a median income of $52,390 and an average of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Port Kembla - Warrawong are approximately $57,170 (median) and $68,502 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Port Kembla - Warrawong fall between the 6th and 7th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that 27.1% of residents earn between $400 - $799, while surrounding regions have more residents (29.9%) earning between $1,500 - $2,999. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Port Kembla - Warrawong, with only 80.5% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 7th percentile nationally.

Port Kembla - Warrawong is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in Port Kembla - Warrawong, as per the latest Census, consisted of 71.6% houses and 28.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Port Kembla - Warrawong was 36.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 21.6% and rented ones at 41.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,820, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent was $300, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Port Kembla - Warrawong's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Port Kembla - Warrawong features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 63.4% of all households, including 23.9% couples with children, 21.6% couples without children, and 16.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 36.6%, with lone person households at 33.7% and group households making up 2.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

Port Kembla - Warrawong faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 15.0%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 10.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 35.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (8.7%) and certificates (26.5%).

Educational participation is high, with 27.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.8% in primary, 7.6% in secondary, and 3.4% in tertiary education.

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

Port Kembla - Warrawong has 98 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 36 different routes that together provide 1,076 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 146 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards daily due to the primarily residential nature of the area. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport, used by 91% of residents. On average, there is one vehicle per dwelling, which is below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 20.8% of residents work from home, a figure that may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The average service frequency across all routes is 153 trips per day, equating to approximately 10 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Port Kembla - Warrawong is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data shows significant health challenges in Port Kembla - Warrawong. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high across both younger and older age groups.

Only approximately 50% (~4,923 people) of the total population has private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are mental health issues (10.3%) and arthritis (10.0%), with 62.8% of residents reporting no medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW's 63.3%. Working-age individuals face notable health challenges due to higher chronic condition rates. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 20.4% (1,989 people), compared to Rest of NSW's 23.0%. Health outcomes among seniors are broadly in line with national rankings.

Port Kembla - Warrawong was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Port Kembla-Warrawong has a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 30.5% of its population born overseas and 31.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Port Kembla-Warrawong, making up 61.5% of people, compared to 55.9% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (20.8%), English (20.6%), and Other (11.4%).

Notably, Macedonian is overrepresented at 10.2%, Spanish at 1.2%, and Serbian at 1.0%.

Port Kembla - Warrawong's median age exceeds the national pattern

Port Kembla-Warrawong's median age is 42 years, similar to Rest of NSW's average of 43 but older than Australia's average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 are particularly prominent at 14.0%, while the 65-74 group is smaller at 10.0% compared to Rest of NSW. Between 2021 and present, the 0-4 age group has grown from 6.0% to 7.5%, while the 25-34 cohort increased from 12.9% to 14.0%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group has declined from 11.8% to 10.9%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Port Kembla-Warrawong. The 25-34 cohort is projected to grow by 13%, adding 173 residents to reach 1,545. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 85+ and 5-14 age groups.