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

Terrigal - North Avoca's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 15,468. This figure represents an increase of 619 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,849. The growth is inferred from ABS data: estimated resident population of 15,437 as of June 2024 and 46 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 1,476 persons per square kilometer, higher than the national average assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 4.2% since the 2021 Census exceeded both its SA3 area (2.3%) and SA4 region, making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 76.9% to recent population gains.

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 released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are applied. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are used for years 2032 to 2041. Based on current demographic trends and latest population numbers, the area is projected to grow by an above median rate nationally, adding 3,432 persons by 2041, a total gain of 22.0% over 17 years.

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

Terrigal - North Avoca has seen approximately 46 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 231 homes. As of FY-26, 18 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.9 new residents per year were associated with each home built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating a significant gap between supply and demand, which often leads to increased buyer competition and pricing pressures. The average value of new homes being constructed is $477,000, reflecting developers' focus on the premium segment with upscale properties.

This financial year has seen $3.3 million in commercial development approvals, suggesting the area's residential character. Compared to Greater Sydney, Terrigal - North Avoca shows 18.0% lower construction activity per person while it ranks among the 48th percentile of areas assessed nationally, indicating somewhat limited buyer options and strengthening demand for established properties. This activity is also below the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. Recent construction comprises 42.0% standalone homes and 58.0% townhouses or apartments, representing a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 74.0% houses. This shift indicates decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and demand for more diverse, affordable housing options. The location has approximately 555 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market with population forecasts indicating growth of 3,401 residents by 2041.

If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

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 identified 28 projects likely affecting 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. Relevant projects are detailed below.

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

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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 being strongly represented. The unemployment rate was 1.4% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.3%. In June 2025, 8,209 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 2.8 percentage points lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was 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 had an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Professional & technical services had a limited presence with 8.3% employment compared to 11.5% regionally. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data on working population versus 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% with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Terrigal - North Avoca's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.1% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022, Terrigal - North Avoca had a median income among taxpayers of $54,768 and an average income of $83,072. These figures are among the highest in Australia compared to Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes would be approximately $61,674 (median) and $93,547 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Terrigal - North Avoca cluster around the 73rd percentile nationally. The earnings profile indicates that 28.5% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week (4,408 people), which is similar to the metropolitan region where 30.9% fall into this bracket. A substantial proportion of high earners, at 34.7%, indicates strong economic capacity in the suburb. High housing costs consume 15.7% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 75th percentile nationally. 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

In Terrigal - North Avoca, as per the latest Census, 73.8% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 26.2% being semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. This is similar to Sydney's metropolitan area, which had 74.2% houses and 25.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Terrigal - North Avoca stood at 40.0%, with mortgaged properties at 37.0% and rented ones at 23.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, higher than Sydney's average of $2,150. The median weekly rent in Terrigal - North Avoca was $520, compared to Sydney's $400. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents 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 account for 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 constitute the remaining 24.9%, with lone person households at 21.8% and group households comprising 3.1%. The median household size is 2.6 people, 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+ have university qualifications, compared to 20.8% in the SA4 region and 25.7% in the SA3 area. Bachelor degrees are the 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 them, including advanced diplomas (13.7%) and certificates (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 has 5 schools with a combined enrollment of 2,529 students. The area shows above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1063). It includes 2 primary, 2 secondary, and 1 K-12 school.

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

Transport analysis shows 110 active stops operating in Terrigal - North Avoca, serving a mix of bus routes. These are serviced by 45 individual routes, providing 659 weekly passenger trips collectively. 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 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 a low prevalence in this area. The rate of private health cover is high at approximately 61% of the total population (9,481 people), compared to 54.7% across Greater Sydney and 55.3% nationally.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 7.8% and 6.8% of residents respectively. A total of 71.5% of residents report no medical ailments, higher than the 64.8% average in Greater Sydney. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 22.6% (3,500 people), compared to 24.5% in Greater Sydney. 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 showed cultural diversity levels below average, with 78.6% of its residents born in Australia, 89.2% being citizens, and 92.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated the religious landscape, accounting for 53.9%. Notably, Judaism was proportionally similar to Greater Sydney's 0.2%.

The top three ancestral groups were English (31.9%), Australian (25.9%), and Irish (9.8%). Some ethnicities showed notable differences: Welsh at 0.8% compared to the regional 0.7%, South African at 0.8% versus 0.5%, and New Zealand at 0.9% against 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 make up 12.3% of the population, while those aged 25-34 constitute 8.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 6.5% to 7.9%, and the 15 to 24 cohort has grown from 11.6% to 12.7%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has decreased from 9.8% to 8.5%, and the 55 to 64 group has dropped from 13.3% to 12.2%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Terrigal - North Avoca's age structure. The 85+ age cohort is projected to grow by 790 people (210%), from 375 to 1,166. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 53% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 35 to 44 and 0 to 4 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.