Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest's population was 5,804 as of the 2021 Census. By June 2024, the estimated resident population was 5,808, indicating a growth of 71 people since the Census date due to validated new addresses. This reflects an increase of 38 people (0.7%) from the 2021 figure. As of November 2025, the population is around 5,842, showing continued growth. The population density as of this latest estimate is 28 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest has had a compound annual growth rate of 1.6%, outpacing its SA3 area.

Interstate migration contributed approximately 78.4% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are utilized, 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 an above median growth for national non-metropolitan areas. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest is projected to increase by 985 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 16.2% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest when compared nationally

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest averaged approximately 31 new dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25159 homes were approved, with a further 9 approved so far in FY26. Each dwelling attracted an average of 2.1 new residents per year during this period.

The average construction cost value for new homes was $589,000, which is moderately higher than regional levels, suggesting quality construction focus. This financial year has seen $2.0 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest shows 12.0% lower construction activity per person, while it ranks among the 60th percentile nationally.

New development consists predominantly of standalone homes at 81.0%, with medium and high-density housing making up the remaining 19.0%. This maintains the area's low density nature, attracting space-seeking buyers with around 247 people per dwelling approval. Population forecasts estimate Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest will gain 949 residents by 2041. Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, promoting steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 48thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified nine projects that could impact this region. Notable ones are Tea Gardens Library Upgrade & Extension, The Belvedere, Kurrara Hill, and Fingal Bay Link Road. Relevant projects are listed below for further detail.

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

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While Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.8%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest has an unemployment rate of 3.8% as of June 2025. It has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented.

There are 1,689 residents in work, which is 0.2% above the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. However, workforce participation lags significantly at 31.6%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and accommodation & food.

Conversely, education & training shows lower representation at 5.8% versus the regional average of 9.6%. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. During the year to June 2025, the labour force decreased by 4.3% and employment declined by 3.9%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.3 percentage points. This compares to Rest of NSW where employment fell by 0.1%, labour force expanded by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. To provide broader context, state-level data to Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $45,394 and an average income of $55,209. Nationally, these figures are lower than the averages of $49,459 and $62,998 for Rest of NSW respectively. By September 2025, adjusted for Wage Price Index growth of 12.61%, estimated median income is approximately $51,118 and average income is $62,171. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest fall between the 4th and 6th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate 32.2% of residents earn between $800 and $1,499 annually, differing from broader areas where earnings between $1,500 and $2,999 are more common at 29.9%. Housing costs are modest, with 86.8% of income remaining after expenses, but total disposable income ranks at the 7th percentile nationally.

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest, as per the latest Census evaluation, 88.8% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 11.3% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other dwelling types. This compares to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 81.1% houses and 18.9% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest stood at 62.1%, with mortgaged dwellings making up 19.9% and rented properties accounting for 18.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,600, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent in the area was $350, compared to Non-Metro NSW's figure of $360. Nationally, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 69.1% of all households, including 11.2% couples with children, 50.9% couples without children, and 6.2% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 30.9%, with lone person households at 28.7% and group households making up 2.3%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area has university qualification rates of 18.8%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.0%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 44.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (12.9%) and certificates (31.2%).

School and university attendance makes up 17.1% of the community, including 5.8% in primary education, 5.4% in secondary education, and 1.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Analysis of public transport in Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest shows 54 active transport stops operating. These are served by a mix of buses along 27 individual routes. The total weekly passenger trips provided is 220.

Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 257 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 31 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 4 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Health challenges are prominent in Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest, affecting various age groups. Around 48% (~2,780 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

Common conditions include arthritis (17.2%) and heart disease (8.0%). Notably, 50.0% report no medical ailments, compared to 59.3% in Rest of NSW. The area has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 52.7% (3,079 people), compared to 28.1% in Rest of NSW.

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest, surveyed in 2016, showed low cultural diversity with 82.6% of its population born in Australia, 89.1% being citizens, and 96.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 66.6%, compared to 57.4% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were English (35.6%), Australian (27.2%), and Irish (10.2%).

Notably, Scottish ancestry was higher at 9.6% compared to the regional average of 8.3%. Welsh ancestry stood at 0.8%, slightly above the regional 0.7%, and French ancestry was recorded at 0.6%, higher than the regional 0.4%.

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest's median age is 65 years, which is significantly higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and substantially exceeds the Australian median of 38 years. The 75-84 age group comprises 21.4% of the population compared to the Rest of NSW figure, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 4.1%. This concentration in the 75-84 age group is well above the national average of 6.0%. Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the proportion of the population aged 75 to 84 has grown from 18.7% to 21.4%, while the 15 to 24 cohort has increased from 5.1% to 6.2%. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 27.0% to 24.7%. By 2041, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest's age composition is expected to shift notably. The 85+ age cohort is projected to increase dramatically by 436 people (113%), from 386 to 823. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 67% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.