Terrigal - North Avoca
Statistical Area - sa2

Terrigal - North Avoca lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

The population of Terrigal - North Avoca, as per AreaSearch's analysis, is approximately 15,450 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 601 people, a growth rate of 4.0%, since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 14,849. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 15,437 in June 2024 and an additional 39 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,474 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The growth rate of 4.0% since the 2021 census exceeds that of the SA3 area (2.3%) and the SA4 region, indicating Terrigal - North Avoca as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 76.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest population numbers, an above median growth is projected for Terrigal - North Avoca, with an expected increase of 3,432 persons by 2041, resulting in a total gain of 22.1% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Terrigal - North Avoca when compared nationally

Terrigal - North Avoca has seen around 46 new homes approved each year over the past five financial years, totalling 231 homes. So far in FY-26, 13 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.9 new residents per year were associated with every home built between FY-21 and FY-25. This indicates that supply is lagging behind demand, leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $548,000. There have been $3.3 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating limited commercial development focus compared to residential growth. When measured against Greater Sydney, Terrigal - North Avoca shows 18.0% lower construction activity per person while it places among the 48th percentile of areas assessed nationally. This suggests somewhat limited buyer options and strengthening demand for established properties in the area. Recent construction comprises 42.0% standalone homes and 58.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating a shift towards compact living to offer affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. The location has approximately 555 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market with limited developable sites.

Population forecasts indicate Terrigal - North Avoca will gain 3,419 residents through to 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth in the area.

Terrigal - North Avoca 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 28 projects likely to affect the region. Notable initiatives include Central Coast Highway Upgrade from Wamberal to Bateau Bay, Wamberal Beach Coastal Protection Works, and residential developments at 310 Terrigal Drive. The following list details those most relevant.

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

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Terrigal - North Avoca performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Terrigal - North Avoca has a well-educated workforce with professional services showing strong representation. The unemployment rate was 1.4% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.3%. There were 8,209 residents in work while the unemployment rate was 2.8% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation was broadly similar to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Health care & social assistance has a particularly strong presence with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level.

Professional & technical services have limited representation with 8.3% employment compared to 11.5% regionally. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. During the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.3% and labour force increased by 2.7%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6%, labour force growth of 2.9%, with unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest potential future demand within Terrigal - North Avoca. These projections indicate national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates differing significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Terrigal - North Avoca's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.1%% over five years and 14.5% over ten years.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Terrigal - North Avoca had a median income among taxpayers of $54,768. The average income stood at $83,072. This is among the highest in Australia, compared to levels of $56,994 and $80,856 across Greater Sydney respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $61,674 (median) and $93,547 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Terrigal - North Avoca cluster around the 73rd percentile nationally. The earnings profile shows the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 28.5% of residents (4,403 people). This reflects patterns seen in the metropolitan region where 30.9% similarly occupy this range. A substantial proportion of high earners, 34.7%, have incomes above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. High housing costs consume 15.7% of income. However, strong earnings place disposable income at the 75th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Terrigal - North Avoca is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Terrigal - North Avoca, as per the latest Census, consisted of 73.8% houses and 26.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 74.2% houses and 25.9% other dwellings. The home ownership level in Terrigal - North Avoca was 40%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (37%) or rented (23.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,500, above Sydney metro's average of $2,150. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $520, compared to Sydney metro's $400. Nationally, Terrigal - North Avoca's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Terrigal - North Avoca has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 75.1% of all households, including 33.6% couples with children, 30.5% couples without children, and 10.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 24.9%, with lone person households at 21.8% and group households making up 3.1%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

Terrigal - North Avoca shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Terrigal - North Avoca is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. 33.8% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 20.8% in the SA4 region and 25.7% in the SA3 area. Bachelor degrees are most common at 23.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 35.6% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 13.7% and certificates at 21.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.2% in primary education, 8.5% in secondary education, and 5.2% pursuing tertiary education. Terrigal - North Avoca's 5 schools have a combined enrollment of 2,529 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1063). The educational mix includes 2 primary, 2 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. Note: for schools with 'n/a' in enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Transport analysis indicates 110 active public transport stops in Terrigal - North Avoca. These are a mix of bus services. There are 45 individual routes operating, providing a total of 659 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 176 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 94 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 5 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Terrigal - North Avoca is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Terrigal - North Avoca shows above-average health outcomes for both young and elderly residents. Common health conditions have low prevalence in this area. Approximately 61% of its total population (9,470 people) has private health cover, compared to 54.7% across Greater Sydney and the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 7.8% and 6.8% of residents respectively. 71.5% of residents report no medical ailments, higher than the 64.8% in Greater Sydney. The area has 22.6% of residents aged 65 and over (3,496 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 24.5%. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

Terrigal - North Avoca ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Terrigal-North Avoca, in a diversity assessment conducted, was found to have below average cultural diversity. The population born in Australia comprised 78.6%, with 89.2% being citizens and 92.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, accounting for 53.9% of the population.

Notably, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 0.2% versus 0.2%. The top three ancestry groups were English (31.9%), Australian (25.9%), and Irish (9.8%). Some ethnic groups showed notable divergences: Welsh at 0.8% (versus 0.7% regionally), South African at 0.8% (versus 0.5%), and New Zealand at 0.9% (versus 0.7%).

Terrigal - North Avoca hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Terrigal - North Avoca is 43 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 65-74 years make up 12.3% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years comprise only 8.5%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of those aged 75-84 has increased from 6.5% to 7.9%, and the 15-24 age group has risen from 11.6% to 12.7%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has decreased from 9.8% to 8.5%, and the 55-64 age group has dropped from 13.3% to 12.2%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Terrigal - North Avoca's age structure. The number of those aged 85 years and above is projected to grow by 790 people (211%), from 375 to 1,166. Notably, the combined age groups of 65+ will account for 53% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 35-44 and 0-4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.