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 5790 as of May 2026. This reflects a decrease of 14 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5804 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5786 in June 2025 and an additional 76 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 28 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.4%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 71.9% 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 utilises 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 an above median growth for national non-metropolitan areas, with the area expected to increase by 881 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 15.2% in total over the 16 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 FY-21 to FY-25159 homes were approved, with an additional 13 approved so far in FY-26. Each year, on average, 2.1 new residents were associated with each dwelling approved during these five years.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $373,000. In the current financial year, $2.0 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest has 12.0% less new development per person but ranks among the 60th percentile nationally.

The area's new development consists of 81.0% standalone homes and 19.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining its low density nature. With around 247 people per dwelling approval, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest exhibits characteristics of a low density area. Population forecasts indicate the area will gain approximately 877 residents by 2041. Current development appears well-aligned with future needs, suggesting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified nine projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives are Tea Gardens Library Upgrade & Extension, The Belvedere, Kurrara Hill, and Fingal Bay Link Road. Relevant projects are detailed below.

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

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

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest has a skilled workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 3.6% as of December 2025. This is 0.4% lower than Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation, however, lags significantly at 32.7%, compared to Regional NSW's 60.5%. According to Census responses, 23.7% of residents work from home. Leading employment industries among residents include 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 local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.3%, while 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%, labour force fell by 0.8%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these 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 and not accounting for 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 had median and average incomes below the national level in financial year 2023. The median was $48,799 and the average was $58,440, compared to Regional NSW's median of $52,390 and average of $65,215. By March 2026, estimated incomes were approximately $53,835 (median) and $64,471 (average), based on a 10.32% growth in wages since financial year 2023. According to the 2021 Census, income levels in Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest fell between the 4th and 6th percentiles nationally. A total of 32.2%, or 1,864 individuals, had incomes ranging from $800 to $1,499. Housing costs were modest, with 86.8% of income retained, but disposable income ranked 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

The dwelling structure in Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest, as evaluated at the latest Census in 2016, comprised 88.8% houses and 11.3% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings in the same period. The level of home ownership within Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest was recorded at 62.1%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (19.9%) or rented (18.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,600, which is below the Regional NSW average of $1,733 reported in the same year. The median weekly rent figure for Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest was recorded at $350, compared to Regional NSW's $330 during this period. Nationally, Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863 as of 2016, while rents were less than the national figure of $375 in the same year.

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

Family households account for 69.1% of all households, including 11.2% that are couples with children, 50.9% that are couples without children, and 6.2% that are 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%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which 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's university qualification rate is 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 most common at 13.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 4.0% and graduate diplomas at 1.7%. Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 44.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.9%) and certificates (31.2%).

School and university attendance accounts for 17.1% of the community, comprising 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 shows 57 active transport stops operating within Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest. These comprise a mix of buses serviced by 27 individual routes providing 203 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated as good with residents typically located 257 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains the dominant mode at 90%, with 7% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, some 23.7% of residents work from home, which 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. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover is low at approximately 48% of the total population (~2,790 people), compared to 51.9% in Regional NSW and 55.7% nationally.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis (17.2%) and heart disease (8.0%). While 50.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, this is lower than the 63.3% across Regional NSW. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has a high proportion of residents aged 65 and over (3,108 people), at 53.7%, compared to 23.4% in Regional NSW. National rankings for this age group are 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, surveyed in August 2016, had a low cultural diversity index with 82.6% of its residents born in Australia. Citizenship was high at 89.1%, and English-only speakers at home were 96.0%. Christianity dominated the religious landscape, practiced by 66.6%, compared to Regional NSW's 55.9%.

Ancestry breakdown showed English as the largest group at 35.6% (regional average: 30.5%), followed by Australian at 27.2% and Irish at 10.2%. Notable differences included Scottish representation at 9.6% (regional: 8.0%), Welsh at 0.8% (regional: 0.5%), and French at 0.6% (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, significantly above Regional NSW's average of 43 years and substantially exceeding Australia's median of 38 years. The 75-84 age group shows strong representation at 21.7%, compared to Regional NSW, whereas the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 4.7%. This 75-84 concentration is well above the national average of 6.1%. Between the 2016 and 2021 Censuses, the 75 to 84 age group grew from 18.7% to 21.7%, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 5.1% to 6.3%. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort declined from 27.0% to 24.9%, and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 17.3% to 15.4%. 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 414 people (102%) from 408 to 823. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 68% of population growth, underscoring demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.