Unanderra - Mount Kembla
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Unanderra - Mount Kembla's population is approximately 15,551 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 271 individuals, a 1.8% rise from the 2021 Census count of 15,280 people. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 15,492 in June 2024 and an additional 125 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 618 persons per square kilometer, offering ample space per person with potential for further development. Overseas migration was the primary driver of recent population growth in the area.

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, AreaSearch employs NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 using 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population projections indicate a decline overall, with an expected decrease of 232 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are anticipated to grow, notably the 25 to 34 age group, projected to expand by 296 people.

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 received approximately 20 dwelling development approvals annually. ABS data shows 103 dwellings approved over the past five financial years, from FY-20 to FY-25, with six approvals so far in FY-26. The average construction value of new dwellings is $502,000. Commercial development approvals totalled $46.0 million this financial year.

Compared to the Rest of NSW, Unanderra-Mount Kembla has 64.0% less construction per person, which can reinforce demand and pricing for existing properties. The dwelling approval ratio is 726 people per dwelling, indicating a quiet development environment with stable or declining population projections. New building activity consists of 48.0% detached dwellings and 52.0% attached dwellings, marking a shift from the current 89.0% houses, possibly due to land scarcity and evolving lifestyle preferences.

With population projections showing stability or decline, Unanderra - Mount Kembla should see reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

Unanderra - Mount Kembla has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 44thth percentile nationally

The performance of a region is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure and major projects. AreaSearch has identified 35 such projects that could impact this area. Notable ones include Stockland Forest Reach - Huntley, Western Suburbs Preschool Kitchen Upgrade, Farmborough Road Large Lot Subdivision, and Waples Road Residential Subdivision. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

Employment drivers in Unanderra - Mount Kembla are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Unanderra - Mount Kembla has a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 5.3% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 0.6%.

As of June 2025, 7,560 residents were in work, and the unemployment rate was 1.6% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation was broadly similar to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. The leading employment industries among residents were health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. The area showed strong specialization in education & training with an employment share 1.2 times the regional level.

In contrast, agriculture, forestry & fishing employed just 0.2% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.3%. The ratio of 0.7 workers per resident indicated a level of local employment opportunities above the norm. Over the past year, employment increased by 0.6%, while labour force grew by 0.7%, resulting in an unemployment rise of 0.1 percentage points. Rest of NSW experienced employment decline of 0.1% and labour force growth of 0.3%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data to Sep-25 showed NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Unanderra - Mount Kembla's employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 6.5% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

Unanderra - Mount Kembla had higher than average national income levels according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Its median income among taxpayers was $56,566 and the average income stood at $71,170, compared to Rest of NSW's figures of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $62,562 (median) and $78,714 (average) as of March 2025. Census data from 2021 shows household income ranked at the 61st percentile ($1,920 weekly), while personal income sat at the 41st percentile. Income distribution showed that 31.3% of locals (4,867 people) fell into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to the broader area where this cohort also represented 29.9%. After housing, 86.0% of income remained for other expenses and the area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 6th decile.

Unanderra - Mount Kembla is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Unanderra - Mount Kembla, as per the latest Census, 89.4% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 10.6% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other dwelling types. This compares to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 85.5% houses and 14.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Unanderra - Mount Kembla stood at 37.8%, similar to Non-Metro NSW, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.1% and rented ones at 24.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,080, higher than the Non-Metro NSW average of $2,000. Weekly rent in the area was $355, slightly lower than Non-Metro NSW's $365. Nationally, Unanderra - Mount Kembla's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,080 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while weekly rents were lower at $355 compared to Australia's $375.

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

Family households account for 77.7 percent of all households, including 37.7 percent couples with children, 27.3 percent couples without children, and 11.7 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 22.3 percent, with lone person households at 20.4 percent and group households comprising 1.9 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.6.

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

The area's educational profile is notable with university qualification rates at 25.6% of residents aged 15+, surpassing the SA3 area average of 16.9%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 17.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are prominent with 37.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (26.8%).

Educational participation is high at 28.2%, comprising 9.1% in primary education, 8.0% in secondary education, and 4.3% pursuing tertiary education. There are 10 schools operating within Unanderra - Mount Kembla educating approximately 2,528 students. These schools demonstrate typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1026) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 6 primary, 1 secondary, and 3 K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds residential needs at 16.2 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 12.9, indicating the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Unanderra-Mount Kembla has 173 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are served by 55 individual routes that facilitate 2,050 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average located 157 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 292 trips per day, equating to approximately 11 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Unanderra - Mount Kembla is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Unanderra - Mount Kembla faces significant health challenges. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 55% of the total population (~8,553 people), compared to 51.4% across Rest of NSW. Mental health issues impact 8.8% of residents, while arthritis affects 8.7%. Approximately 65.8% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.9% across Rest of NSW. Around 19.0% of residents are aged 65 and over (2,956 people). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Unanderra - Mount Kembla was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Unanderra-Mount Kembla has cultural diversity above average, with 20.4% of its population born overseas and 15.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Unanderra-Mount Kembla, accounting for 60.2%, compared to 58.1% across Rest of NSW. Regarding ancestry, Australian comprises 26.3%, English 25.2%, and Other 7.3%.

Notably, Macedonian (3.6%) is overrepresented compared to the regional average (3.8%), as are Serbian (1.1%) and Croatian (1.4%).

Unanderra - Mount Kembla's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Unanderra - Mount Kembla is 40 years, which is slightly below Rest of NSW's average of 43 but above Australia's median of 38. The 15-24 age cohort makes up 13.8% of the local population, compared to the Rest of NSW average, indicating over-representation in this age group. Conversely, those aged 65-74 comprise only 10.3%, demonstrating under-representation. Between the 2021 Census and present, the 35-44 age group has increased from 12.0% to 13.2%, while the 15-24 cohort has grown from 12.7% to 13.8%. However, the 55-64 age group has decreased from 13.5% to 12.1%. Population forecasts for 2041 suggest significant demographic shifts in Unanderra - Mount Kembla. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to expand by 242 people (14%), growing from 1,774 to 2,017. Meanwhile, the 45-54 and 5-14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.