Unanderra - Mount Kembla

Unanderra - Mount Kembla has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Unanderra - Mount Kembla's population is around 15,631 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 351 people (2.3%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,280 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 15,351 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 143 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 621 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was essentially the sole driver of 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, projections indicate a decline in overall population, with the area's population expected to shrink by 232 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 25 to 34 age group, which is projected to increase by 296 people. See the age section for more details.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Unanderra - Mount Kembla, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Unanderra - Mount Kembla has seen around 36 new homes approved annually, with 183 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 14 so far in FY-26. With population declining over recent years, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, creating a well-balanced market with good buyer choice, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $353,000. Additionally, $46.0 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, indicating strong commercial development momentum.

Relative to the Rest of NSW, Unanderra - Mount Kembla records markedly lower building activity (62.0% below regional average per person). This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established homes. This activity is similarly below the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations. New development consists of 48.0% detached houses and 52.0% percentage townhouses or apartments. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 89.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The estimated count of 726 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment.

With the population expected to remain stable or decline, Unanderra - Mount Kembla should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Unanderra - Mount Kembla has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 33 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Stockland Forest Reach - Huntley, Western Suburbs Preschool Kitchen Upgrade, Farmborough Road Large Lot Subdivision, and Waples Road Residential Subdivision, 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.

AreaSearch assessment indicates Unanderra - Mount Kembla faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Unanderra - Mount Kembla has a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of 6.1%, and relative employment stability over the past year. As of December 2025, 7,595 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 2.1% above Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (64.4% compared to Regional NSW's 61.3%). Based on Census responses, a high 30.8% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. The area shows particularly strong specialization in education & training, with an employment share of 1.2 times the regional level. On the other hand, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 0.2% of Unanderra - Mount Kembla's workforce compared to 5.3% in Regional NSW. The ratio of 0.7 workers for each resident, as at the Census, indicates a level of local employment opportunities above the norm.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 0.2% while the labour force increased by 0.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 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 Unanderra - Mount Kembla. 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 Unanderra - Mount Kembla's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.7% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

The Unanderra - Mount Kembla SA2 shows a median taxpayer income of $59,650 and an average of $74,556 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. This is high nationally, contrasting with Regional NSW's median income of $52,390 and average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $64,935 (median) and $81,162 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household income ranks at the 60th percentile ($1,920 weekly), while personal income sits at the 41st percentile. Looking at income distribution, the largest segment comprises 31.3% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (4,892 residents), reflecting patterns seen in the surrounding region where 29.9% similarly occupy this range. After housing, 86.0% of income remains for other expenses and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Unanderra - Mount Kembla is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Dwelling structure within Unanderra - Mount Kembla, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 89.4% houses and 10.6% 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 Unanderra - Mount Kembla was in line with that of Regional NSW, at 37.8%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (38.1%) or rented (24.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Regional NSW average at $2,080, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $355, compared to Regional NSW's $1,733 and $330. Nationally, Unanderra - Mount Kembla's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are lower than the national figure of $375.

Unanderra - Mount Kembla features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 77.7% of all households, comprising 37.7% couples with children, 27.3% couples without children, and 11.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 22.3%, with lone person households at 20.4% and group households comprising 1.9% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

Unanderra - Mount Kembla performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

The area's educational profile stands out regionally, with university qualification rates (25.6% of residents aged 15+) exceeding the SA3 area average of 16.9%, reflecting the community's emphasis on higher education. Bachelor degrees lead at 17.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 37.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (26.8%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.1% in primary education, 8.0% in secondary education, and 4.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 180 active transport stops operating within Unanderra - Mount Kembla, comprising a mix of trains and buses. These stops are serviced by 56 individual routes, collectively providing 2,273 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 157 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 94%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.6 per dwelling. A high 30.8% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 324 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 12 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Health performance in Unanderra - Mount Kembla is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data reveals substantial challenges facing Unanderra - Mount Kembla, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The prevalence of common health conditions is notable across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 56% of the total population (~8,768 people), compared to 51.9% across Regional NSW.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 8.8% and 8.7% of residents, respectively, while 65.8% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. Working-age residents show an above-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 19.1% of residents aged 65 and over (2,987 people), which is lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Unanderra - Mount Kembla records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Unanderra - Mount Kembla was found to be above average in terms of cultural diversity, with 20.4% of its population born overseas and 15.7% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Unanderra - Mount Kembla is Christianity, which makes up 60.2% of people in the area. This compares to 55.9% across Regional NSW.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Unanderra - Mount Kembla are Australian, comprising 26.3% of the population, English, comprising 25.2% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 30.5%, and Other, comprising 7.3% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Macedonian is notably overrepresented at 3.6% of Unanderra - Mount Kembla (vs 0.4% regionally), Serbian at 1.1% (vs 0.2%) and Croatian at 1.4% (vs 0.3%).

Unanderra - Mount Kembla's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The 40-year median age in Unanderra - Mount Kembla is modestly under Regional NSW's average of 43 though slightly above the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Regional NSW average, the 15 - 24 cohort is notably over-represented (13.7% locally), while 75 - 84 year-olds are under-represented (6.1%). Since the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 12.0% to 13.5% of the population. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 13.5% to 11.9%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Unanderra - Mount Kembla. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to see notable expansion, expanding by 208 people (12%) from 1,808 to 2,017. Meanwhile, the 45 to 54 and 5 to 14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.