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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest's population is around 5,870 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 66 people (1.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,804 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,806 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 73 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 28 persons per square kilometer, providing ample space per person. Over the past decade, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a 1.6% compound annual growth rate, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, which contributed approximately 78.4% 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, an above-median population growth for national non-metropolitan areas is projected, with the area expected to increase by 985 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, recording a gain of 15.7% 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 has averaged around 31 new dwelling approvals annually, with 159 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 13 so far in FY-26. With an average of 2.1 new residents per year for each dwelling over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), indicating healthy demand that should support property values, new homes are being built at an average construction cost of $373,000. Additionally, $2.0 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, suggesting a predominantly residential focus.

Compared to the rest of NSW, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest has 12.0% less new development (per person) while it places among the 60th percentile of areas assessed nationally. New development consists of 81.0% standalone homes and 19.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's low-density nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. With around 247 people per dwelling approval, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest shows characteristics of a low-density area.

Population forecasts indicate Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest will gain 921 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 9 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Tea Gardens Library Upgrade & Extension, The Belvedere, Kurrara Hill, and Fingal Bay Link Road, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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 Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest possesses a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of only 3.6%, and relative employment stability over the past year. As of December 2025, 1,698 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.4% below Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%, and workforce participation lags significantly (32.6% compared to Regional NSW's 61.3%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 23.7% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise 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.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.3% and labour force decreased by 0.8%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 1.0 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional NSW, where employment contracted by 1.2%, the labour force fell by 0.8%, and unemployment rose 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. 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 (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest SA2's income level is below the national average according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest SA2's median income among taxpayers is $48,799 and the average income stands at $58,440, which compares to figures for Regional NSW's of $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $53,123 (median) and $63,618 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest all fall between the 4th and 6th percentiles nationally. The data shows 32.2% of the population (1,890 individuals) fall within the $800 - 1,499 income range, unlike trends in the metropolitan region where 29.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. While housing costs are modest with 86.8% of income retained, the total disposable income ranks at just the 7th percentile nationally.

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

Dwelling structure within Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 88.8% houses and 11.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest was well beyond that of Regional NSW, at 62.1%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (19.9%) or rented (18.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Regional NSW average at $1,600, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $350, compared to Regional NSW's $1,733 and $330. Nationally, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are 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 dominate at 69.1% of all households, comprising 11.2% couples with children, 50.9% couples without children, and 6.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 30.9%, with lone person households at 28.7% and group households comprising 2.3% of the total. The median household size of 2.0 people is smaller than the Regional 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 faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (18.8%) substantially below the NSW average of 32.2%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 13.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.0%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 44.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (12.9%) and certificates (31.2%).

School and university attendance encompasses 17.1% of the community. This includes 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

Public transport analysis reveals 57 active transport stops operating within Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 27 individual routes, collectively providing 203 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 257 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 90%, with 7% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. Some 23.7% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 29 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 3 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest faces significant health challenges, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 48% of the total population (~2,829 people). This compares to 51.9% across Regional NSW. The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and heart disease, impacting 17.2 and 8.0% of residents, respectively, while 50.0% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 52.7% of residents aged 65 and over (3,092 people), which is higher than the 23.4% in Regional NSW, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

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 was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 82.6% of its population born in Australia, 89.1% being citizens, and 96.0% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest is Christianity, which makes up 66.6% of the population, compared to 55.9% across Regional NSW.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest are English, comprising 35.6% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 30.5%, Australian, comprising 27.2% of the population, and Irish, comprising 10.2% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of other ethnic groups: Scottish is overrepresented at 9.6% in Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest (vs 8.0% regionally), Welsh at 0.8% (vs 0.5%), and French at 0.6% (vs 0.4%).

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

At 65 years, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest's median age is significantly above the Regional NSW average of 43 and substantially exceeds the Australian median of 38. The 75 - 84 age group shows strong representation at 21.2% compared to Regional NSW, whereas the 25 - 34 cohort is less prevalent at 4.1%. This 75 - 84 concentration is well above the national 6.1%. Since the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 18.7% to 21.2% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 5.1% to 6.2%. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 27.0% to 24.6% and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 17.3% to 16.2%. By 2041, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. The 85+ age cohort is projected to surge dramatically, expanding by 417 people (103%) from 405 to 823. Senior residents (65+) will drive 67% of population growth, underscoring demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.