The Entrance
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in The Entrance reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

The Entrance's population is approximately 16,184 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 345 people, a rise of 2.2% since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 15,839. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 16,155 in June 2024 and an additional 83 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,167 persons per square kilometer, roughly inline with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, The Entrance has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.8%, outpacing the SA4 region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 75.6% 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. According to these projections, the area's population is expected to decline by 786 persons by 2041, while specific age cohorts like the 75 to 84 group are anticipated to grow, with an increase of 691 people over this period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within The Entrance when compared nationally

The Entrance has seen approximately 67 new homes approved annually. Development approval data is provided by the ABS on a financial year basis, with a total of 335 approvals over the past five financial years from FY20 to FY25, and 39 approvals so far in FY26. On average, 0.5 new residents have arrived per new home annually over these five years, indicating that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost value of new properties is $503,000.

This financial year has seen $2.3 million in commercial approvals registered, reflecting the area's predominantly residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, The Entrance shows moderately higher building activity, with 46.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period, maintaining good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. New building activity consists of 32.0% detached dwellings and 68.0% attached dwellings, marking a significant shift from current housing patterns (currently 47.0% houses), suggesting diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. The location has approximately 151 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Given population projections showing stability or decline, The Entrance is expected to have reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

With population projections showing stability or decline, The Entrance should see reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

The Entrance has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

The performance of a region is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified seven such projects likely to impact the area. Notable ones include Vera's Water Garden Upgrade, The Grant McBride Baths Upgrade, Lakeside Shopping Centre Redevelopment, and The Entrance Waterfront Plaza Accessible Playspace. The following list details those expected to be most relevant:.

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

The labour market performance in The Entrance lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

The Entrance has an experienced workforce with key sectors such as essential services well represented. The unemployment rate in the area was 6.1% during the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.1%.

As of June 2025, there are 7,167 residents employed, while the unemployment rate is 1.9% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in The Entrance lags behind Greater Sydney at 49.5% compared to 60.0%. The primary industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Notably, construction has a particularly high representation with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services show lower representation at 4.7% compared to the regional average of 11.5%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the census data on working population versus resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels in The Entrance increased by 2.1%, while the labour force grew by 2.7%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.5 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6%, labour force expansion of 2.9%, and an increase in unemployment rate of 0.3 percentage points during the same period. As of Sep-25, NSW experienced a contraction in employment by 0.41% (a loss of 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5%, and employment growth was 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and a 13.7% increase over ten years for national employment. Applying these projections to The Entrance's current employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.6%% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, although these figures are illustrative extrapolations and do not account for localized population projections.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows median income in The Entrance is $47,094 and average income is $58,556. This is below Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. By March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $52,086 (median) and $64,763 (average), based on a 10.6% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. Census data from 2021 indicates household, family and personal incomes in The Entrance are between the 12th and 21st percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows 26.4% earn $800 - $1,499 weekly (4,272 residents), contrasting with the broader area where 30.9% earn $1,500 - $2,999 weekly. Housing affordability pressures are severe in The Entrance, with only 78.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 9th percentile nationally.

The Entrance displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The Entrance's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 47.0% houses and 53.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's figures of 83.2% houses and 16.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in The Entrance was 34.7%, similar to Sydney metro, with mortgaged dwellings at 21.3% and rented ones at 44.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,950, higher than Sydney metro's $1,900. The median weekly rent figure stood at $365, compared to Sydney metro's $385. Nationally, The Entrance's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

The Entrance features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 58.2% of all households, including 17.8% couples with children, 25.7% couples without children, and 13.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for 41.8%, with lone person households at 37.9% and group households comprising 3.8%. The median household size is 2.1 people, smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

Educational outcomes in The Entrance fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area has university qualification rates of 18.4%, significantly lower than the Greater Sydney average of 38.0%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 40.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.6%) and certificates (29.1%).

A total of 24.9% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 8.1% in primary, 6.8% in secondary, and 3.3% in tertiary education. The Entrance's three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,755 students, serving distinct age groups with balanced educational opportunities (ICSEA: 985). School places per 100 residents (10.8) are below the regional average (13.6), indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

The analysis of public transport in The Entrance indicates that there are currently 94 operational transport stops, all of which service buses. These stops are served by a total of 77 different routes, resulting in approximately 1,827 weekly passenger trips combined. Residents enjoy excellent accessibility to these services, with an average distance of just 179 meters to the nearest stop.

The frequency of services is high, with an average of 261 trips per day across all routes, translating to about 19 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in The Entrance is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data indicates significant health challenges in The Entrance. Both younger and older age groups have notable prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover stands at approximately 49%, covering around 7,946 people, which is lower than the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.2%) and mental health issues (9.9%). Approximately 60.1% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 61.5% in Greater Sydney. As of 2021, 29.0% of residents are aged 65 and over, totaling 4,686 people, higher than the Greater Sydney average of 22.3%. Health outcomes among seniors show some challenges despite performing better than the general population in health metrics.

The Entrance ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

The Entrance's population showed lower cultural diversity, with 88.1% being citizens, 84.5% born in Australia, and 92.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 59.4%, compared to Greater Sydney's 56.2%. The top three ancestry groups were English (30.0%), Australian (28.7%), and Irish (9.8%).

Notably, Maltese (1.2% vs regional 1.0%) and Samoan (0.2% vs regional 0.1%) had lower representation, while Australian Aboriginal showed higher representation at 3.8% compared to the regional average of 4.5%.

The Entrance hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The Entrance's median age is 48 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's national median age of 38 years. The age profile indicates that individuals aged 65-74 are particularly prominent, comprising 15.0% of the population, compared to the national figure of 9.4%. Conversely, the proportion of individuals aged 25-34 is comparatively smaller at 9.7%, lower than Greater Sydney's percentage. Between 2021 and the present day, the proportion of individuals aged 75-84 has increased from 8.3% to 10.3%. Meanwhile, the proportion of individuals aged 5-14 has decreased from 9.3% to 8.4%. Population forecasts for The Entrance by 2041 suggest substantial demographic changes. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 37%, adding 613 residents to reach a total of 2,274 individuals in this age bracket. This growth will be driven entirely by seniors aged 65 and above, underscoring the trend towards an aging population. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 65-74 and 45-54 age cohorts.