Port Kembla - Warrawong
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Port Kembla - Warrawong's population is around 9,769 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 29 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,740 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,745 as of June 2024 and an additional 29 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,401 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 69.5% 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. Anticipating future population dynamics, lower quartile growth of Australia's regional areas is anticipated, with the area expected to increase by 14 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording 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 approved around 28 dwellings annually. Between FY21-FY25144 homes were approved, with 4 more in FY26 as of now. Despite population decline, housing supply has been adequate relative to demand, maintaining a balanced market with good buyer choice.

New properties' average construction cost is $425,000, aligning with regional trends. This financial year saw $13.7 million in commercial approvals, indicating steady investment activity. Compared to Rest of NSW, Port Kembla-Warrawong shows reduced construction (54.0% below average per person), supporting stronger demand and values for established properties due to limited new supply. This activity is also below the national average, suggesting an established area with potential planning limitations. New development consists mostly of standalone homes (81.0%) and attached dwellings (19.0%), preserving the area's traditional suburban character focused on family homes.

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

Port Kembla - Warrawong has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 20 projects likely to affect the area. Notable projects include Southern Suburbs Community Centre and Library, Warrawong Plaza Redevelopment, and Warrawong Community Health Centre, with the following list detailing those most relevant.

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

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 consisting of white and blue collar jobs. Key sectors include essential services, with an unemployment rate of 16.6% as of June 2025.

There are 3,365 residents in work, with the unemployment rate being 12.9% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation is significantly lower at 45.3%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Major industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area specializes in administrative & support services, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

However, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.5% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.3%. The ratio of 0.8 workers per resident indicates a higher than normal level of local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 0.1%, while labour force increased by 0.4%, resulting in a rise in unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.1% over the same period. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Port Kembla - Warrawong's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 indicates that income in Port Kembla - Warrawong is lower than average nationally. The median income is $48,519 and the average income stands at $59,785. In comparison, Rest of NSW has a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes are approximately $53,662 (median) and $66,122 (average) as of March 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, household, family and personal incomes in Port Kembla - Warrawong all fall between the 7th and 8th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that 27.1% of residents (2,647 people) earn within the $400 - 799 range, unlike surrounding regions where 29.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket. 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

In Port Kembla-Warrawong, as per the latest Census, 71.6% of dwellings were houses while 28.3% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Non-Metro NSW's figures of 85.5% for houses and 14.5% for other dwellings. Home ownership in Port Kembla-Warrawong stood at 36.7%, similar to Non-Metro NSW, with mortgaged dwellings at 21.6% and rented ones at 41.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,820, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent was $300, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $365. Nationally, Port Kembla-Warrawong's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,820 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially lower at $300 compared to the national figure of $375.

Port Kembla - Warrawong features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average 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 is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.6.

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

Port Kembla-Warrawong has lower university qualification rates (15.0%) than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common (10.3%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 35.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (8.7%) and certificates (26.5%). Educational participation is high at 27.4%, with 9.8% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 3.4% pursuing tertiary education.

The area has a robust network of 7 schools educating approximately 1,905 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 960) offering balanced educational opportunities. There are 5 primary and 2 secondary schools serving distinct age groups. As an education hub, the area has 19.5 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 12.9, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Port Kembla-Warrawong has 95 active public transport stops. These are all bus stops. There are 36 different bus routes serving these stops, which together make 1054 weekly trips for passengers.

The average distance residents live from the nearest stop is 146 meters. Each route makes an average of 150 trips per day, which is about 11 trips per week per individual 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 indicates significant health challenges in Port Kembla - Warrawong, with high prevalence of common conditions across younger and older age groups. Approximately 50% (~4835 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues (10.3%) and arthritis (10.0%) are most prevalent. Comparatively, 62.8% claim no medical ailments, slightly below Rest of NSW's 63.9%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 20.4% (1989 people), compared to Rest of NSW's 19.0%. Senior health outcomes mirror general population's profile, presenting some challenges.

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 compared to most local areas, with 30.5% of its population born overseas and 31.4% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Port Kembla-Warrawong, comprising 61.5%, which is slightly higher than the Rest of NSW average of 58.1%. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (20.8%), English (20.6%), and Other (11.4%).

Notably, Macedonian ethnicity is overrepresented at 10.2% compared to the regional average of 3.8%, Spanish at 1.2% versus 0.9%, and Serbian at 1.0% against a regional average of 0.8%.

Port Kembla - Warrawong hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Port Kembla-Warrawong's median age is 42 years, similar to Rest of NSW's average of 43 but older than Australia's 38 years. The age profile shows a prominent group of 25-34 year-olds (14.0%) and a comparatively smaller group of 65-74 year-olds (10.0%). Between 2021 and the 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 cohort declined from 11.8% to 10.9%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes. 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 cohorts.