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Sales Activity
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Population
Population growth drivers in Swansea - Caves Beach are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends
Swansea - Caves Beach's population is approximately 13,156 as of Aug 2025. This figure represents an increase of 597 people from the 2021 Census total of 12,559. The growth is inferred from ABS estimated resident population data for June 2024 (12,984) and validated new addresses since then (217). The population density is around 405 persons per square kilometer. Swansea - Caves Beach's growth rate of 4.8% since the 2021 Census exceeds that of its SA3 area (2.8%). Interstate migration accounted for approximately 64.3% of recent population gains.
AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024, with a base year of 2022, for most areas. For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 (base year: 2021) are used. Age group growth rates are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to these projections, the area is expected to have above median population growth and expand by 2,622 persons by 2041, reflecting an 18.6% increase over 17 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Swansea - Caves Beach among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide
Swansea - Caves Beach granted approximately 97 residential property approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 487 homes. In FY26 so far, there have been 17 approvals recorded. On average, 1.6 new residents arrived per newly approved home each year between FY21 and FY25. The average expected construction cost of new dwellings over this period was $698,000.
This financial year has seen $8.2 million in commercial approvals. Compared to the rest of NSW, Swansea - Caves Beach exhibited 86% higher building activity per capita recently. Recent construction comprised 90% detached houses and 10% medium or high-density housing. The area had approximately 180 people per dwelling approval, indicating low density development.
Population forecasts project an increase of 2,450 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, potentially facilitating further population growth.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Infrastructure
Swansea - Caves Beach has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally
Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified twelve projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Caves Beach Ambulance Station, Swansea Channel Permanent Dredging Solution, 42-44 Lake Road Residential Development, and South East Growth Area Plan. The following list details those most relevant.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Caves Beach Ambulance Station
A new purpose-built ambulance station to boost frontline emergency care and improve emergency response times across Lake Macquarie, servicing Caves Beach, Swansea, and surrounding communities including Nords Wharf, Catherine Hill Bay, Murray's Beach, and Cams Wharf. The site at Kayuga Close has been secured, and the project is proceeding with design development and planning approval. It is part of the NSW Government's $615.5 million NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program.
Swansea Channel Permanent Dredging Solution
A permanent dredging solution for Swansea Channel, the entrance to Lake Macquarie, involving a Beaver 30 dredge vessel and sand transfer system to maintain safe navigation for vessels, with sand pumped to Blacksmiths Beach. The project includes upgrades to the Blacksmiths boat ramp and aims to address ongoing sand accumulation issues.
Swansea Channel Dredging and Sand Transfer System
Multi-stage program to maintain safe navigation in Swansea Channel and deliver a permanent dredge and sand transfer system. Stage 3 maintenance dredging occurred in mid-2025 focusing on the Dog Leg, while Council has awarded a $7.4m tender to supply a Beaver 30 dredge and associated sand transfer system. Installation is scheduled from late 2025 to mid-2026, with commissioning targeted for mid-2026. Transport for NSW will operate the system for at least five years, with dredged sand to nourish Blacksmiths Beach.
Pelican Foreshore Stabilisation Project
Comprehensive coastal erosion management project addressing foreshore stabilization at Pelican through rock groyne construction, sand nourishment, and protective structures. Part of Lake Macquarie's Coastal Management Program to protect emergency and recreational assets from ongoing erosion in the dynamic Lake Macquarie channel environment. The project includes multiple precincts with works to stabilize the foreshore, protect community infrastructure, and maintain public access to the waterfront.
Crangan Bay Residential Estate
A 623 lot masterplanned environmentally inspired residential estate on the Central Coast, surrounded by National Parks and enjoying nearly 1 km of lakefront reserve on Lake Macquarie. The estate offers large, easy-to-build fully serviced home sites with stages being released progressively. Stages 1 and 2 are complete and registered. Stage 3/4 is completed with registration in progress, and Stage 5 is currently selling off the plan with registration due late 2026. The estate includes a children's playground, community spaces, and a lakeside boardwalk/pathway. Project updates are as current as July 2025.
Rathmines Park Transformation
Comprehensive redevelopment of Rathmines Park into a regional recreation destination. Features a $2+ million transformation including Lake Macquarie's biggest skate park, new pump track, youth activity areas, upgraded playground equipment, new playground, learn-to-ride area, youth hub, sports facilities, walking trails, and waterfront amenities. Enhanced connection to Lake Macquarie foreshore with improved accessibility and parking.
Salts Bay Littoral Rainforest Protection and Enhancement Works
Rehabilitation of endangered littoral rainforest ecosystem at Swansea Heads through targeted weed control, erosion management, and revegetation. The project addressed invasion of transformer weeds, urbanization impacts including rubbish dumping, and track erosion from unauthorized public access. Works included planting over 1,000 native species, installation of fencing to formalize access points, and comprehensive bush regeneration to protect this rare coastal ecological community. The project was supported by the NSW Coast and Estuary Grant Program and involved collaboration with OzFish Unlimited, Landcare NSW, and Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council. Supporting infrastructure improvements included sealing of Salts Bay Road and construction of a car park to improve controlled access while protecting the sensitive ecosystem.
Swansea Seawall Stabilisation
Stabilisation and repair of a 50-metre section of seawall at Belmont Street, Swansea, near Swansea Wharf. The seawall has been closed since 2021 due to instability caused by over-steepening of the underwater slope in Swansea Channel, with water velocity scouring beneath the wall creating a safety risk. The wall was found to be cracked and slumping during wharf and pontoon replacement work. Lake Macquarie City Council has submitted a budget proposal to the NSW Government for the estimated 8 million dollar repair project.
Employment
Employment performance in Swansea - Caves Beach has been broadly consistent with national averages
Swansea - Caves Beach has a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 2.8%, lower than the Rest of NSW's 3.7%.
Employment growth over the past year is estimated at 2.2%. As of June 2025, 6,023 residents are employed, with a workforce participation rate of 52.0%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Construction is particularly specialized, employing 1.4 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing employs just 0.4% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.3%.
Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 2.2%, but the labour force grew by 2.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.1% and a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National forecasts from May 2025 project employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but local growth patterns may differ due to varying sector-specific projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment
Swansea - Caves Beach had a median taxpayer income of $49,401 and an average income of $67,231 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This was slightly above the national average, compared to Rest of NSW's median income of $49,459 and average income of $62,998. By March 2025, adjusted for Wage Price Index growth of 10.6%, estimated incomes would be approximately $54,638 (median) and $74,357 (average). In the 2021 Census, income rankings in Swansea - Caves Beach were modest, between the 26th and 30th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. The largest segment of residents, comprising 27.3%, earned $1,500-$2,999 weekly (3,591 residents). Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 83.4% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 29th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Swansea - Caves Beach is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership
In Swansea - Caves Beach, as per the latest Census evaluation, 79.9% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 20.2% being semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings. This is compared to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 82.4% houses and 17.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Swansea - Caves Beach stood at 45.5%, with mortgaged properties accounting for 32.5% and rented dwellings making up the rest at 22.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in this area was $2,080, surpassing Non-Metro NSW's average of $2,000. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent figure was recorded as $360, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $370. Nationally, Swansea - Caves Beach's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower than the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Swansea - Caves Beach has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size
Family households constitute 72.0% of all households, including 26.6% couples with children, 32.2% couples without children, and 12.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 28.0%, with lone person households at 26.1% and group households comprising 1.9% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Swansea - Caves Beach shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist
The area's university qualification rate is 19.3%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 42.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (31.0%). Current educational participation is high at 25.2%, with 9.4% in primary, 7.2% in secondary, and 3.3% in tertiary education.
The area's five schools have a combined enrollment of 1,606 students, serving distinct age groups with balanced educational opportunities (ICSEA: 1001).
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Swansea's public transport analysis shows 144 operational stops in Caves Beach area. These stops offer a mix of bus services, with 25 individual routes running weekly trips totaling 698 passenger journeys. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, averaging just 190 meters to the nearest stop.
Bus services maintain an average frequency of 99 daily trips, equating to about four weekly trips per stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Swansea - Caves Beach is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts
Swansea - Caves Beach faces substantial health challenges, as indicated by health data.
The prevalence of common health conditions is notable across both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 53% (~7,025 people) of the total population has private health cover, which is relatively high. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are arthritis (12.2%) and mental health issues (8.6%). Conversely, 60.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 62.6% across Rest of NSW. As of 30 June 20XX, 27.7% (3,648 people) of residents are aged 65 and over, which is higher than the 21.4% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Swansea - Caves Beach is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics
Swansea-Caves Beach had a lower cultural diversity, with 88.5% of residents born in Australia and 93.4% being citizens. English was the home language for 96.3%. Christianity was the predominant religion at 55.1%, compared to 52.5% regionally.
The top three ancestry groups were English (33.1%), Australian (29.9%), and Irish (8.8%). Notably, Welsh (1.0%) and Scottish (8.6%) groups were relatively higher than regional averages of 0.8% and 8.8%, respectively. Maltese residents made up 0.6%, slightly higher than the regional average of 0.3%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Swansea - Caves Beach hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide
Swansea - Caves Beach has a median age of 49, which is higher than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and Australia's national median age of 38. The 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented in Swansea - Caves Beach at 14.8%, compared to the Rest of NSW average of 10.9% and the national average of 9.4%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 7.1%, lower than both the Rest of NSW average of 10.2% and the national average of 13.8%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 9.6% to 11.1% of the population, while the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 13.1% to 12.1%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Swansea - Caves Beach's age structure. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to grow by 36%, increasing from 1,219 people in 2021 to 1,655 people in 2041. Meanwhile, the number of individuals aged 15 to 24 is expected to decrease slightly.