Northern Beaches
Statistical Area - sa2

Northern Beaches has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Northern Beaches' population is approximately 7,232 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 666 people (10.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,566 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,052 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 163 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 7.2 persons per square kilometer. Northern Beaches' growth rate of 10.1% since the 2021 census exceeds that of the SA4 region (6.9%) and the SA3 area, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration drove population growth primarily, contributing approximately 68.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. These state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings aligned with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Considering projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth of Australian non-metropolitan areas is anticipated, with the area expected to expand by 1,287 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 15.3% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Northern Beaches when compared nationally

Northern Beaches averaged approximately 33 new dwelling approvals per year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides development approval data on a financial year basis. Between FY-21 and FY-25, Northern Beaches received 165 dwelling approvals, with an additional 7 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, 3.2 people moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years.

This supply lagging demand has resulted in heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. The average construction cost value of new properties was $445,000 during this period. Commercial approvals totaled $1.9 million in FY-26, indicating a predominantly residential focus.

Compared to the Rest of Qld, Northern Beaches exhibited moderately higher building activity, with 18.0% more approvals per person over the five-year period from FY-21 to FY-25. This balance between buyer choice and property value support is evident in the area's traditional low density character, maintained by recent building activity consisting entirely of standalone homes. Northern Beaches reflected a transitioning market with around 222 people per dwelling approval. Future projections indicate an addition of 1,107 residents by 2041. Construction has maintained a reasonable pace with projected growth, although increasing population could lead to growing buyer competition.

Northern Beaches has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects likely to impact the area. Key projects are Bushland Beach Master Planned Development, Lincoln Lifestyle Northern Beaches, Sunshine State Solar Farm and Battery, and Bruce Highway (Townsville-Ingham) upgrade program. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Employment performance in Northern Beaches has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Northern Beaches has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs, well-represented essential services sectors, and an unemployment rate of 4.9% as of June 2025. The area's unemployment rate is 0.9% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%, while workforce participation is similar at 59%.

Key industries include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Construction is particularly specialized with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Conversely, accommodation & food services are under-represented at 4.8% compared to Rest of Qld's 8.3%. Labour force decreased by 2.2% and employment declined by 3.9% in Northern Beaches during the year to June 2025, causing unemployment to rise by 1.7 percentage points.

State-level data to Sep-25 shows Queensland employment contracted by 0.23%, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 12.8% over ten years for Northern Beaches, based on industry-specific projections applied to its employment mix.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

Northern Beaches has a median taxpayer income of $59,529 and an average income of $67,260 based on the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This is higher than the national average, contrasting with Rest of Qld's median income of $50,780 and average income of $64,844. According to Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Northern Beaches would be approximately $66,500 (median) and $75,136 (average) as of March 2025. Census data indicates that household, family and personal incomes in Northern Beaches all rank modestly, between the 37th and 39th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 32.8% of the population (2,372 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, which is consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 31.7% in the same category. After housing expenses, 85.4% of income remains for other expenses.

Northern Beaches is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The latest Census evaluation shows that dwelling structures in Northern Beaches comprised 96.0% houses and 4.0% other dwellings such as semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Non-Metro Qld's structure of 81.3% houses and 18.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Northern Beaches stood at 36.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 48.2% and rented ones at 15.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,600, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,517. Median weekly rent in Northern Beaches was recorded at $300, compared to Non-Metro Qld's figure of $305. Nationally, Northern Beaches' mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Northern Beaches features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 72.3% of all households, including 27.2% couples with children, 34.2% couples without children, and 10.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 27.7%, with lone person households at 23.6% and group households comprising 4.0% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with the average in the Rest of Qld.

Northern Beaches faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area has educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 12.3%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 8.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 45.7% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (9.9%) and certificates (35.8%).

Educational participation is high at 28.4%, including 12.4% in primary education, 8.3% in secondary education, and 2.1% pursuing tertiary education. Northern Beaches has four schools with a combined enrollment of 461 students. Education provision is balanced with three primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. However, limited local school capacity (6.4 places per 100 residents vs 16.7 regionally) means many families travel to nearby areas for schooling.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

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

Northern Beaches faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover is relatively high, at approximately 53%, covering around 3,861 people. The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 10.6% of residents) and mental health issues (9.0%). A total of 64.3% of residents report being free from medical ailments, compared to 67.8% in the rest of Queensland. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 20.6% (1,491 people), compared to the regional average of 14.9%. Health outcomes among seniors present some difficulties but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

Northern Beaches is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Northern Beaches had a cultural diversity index below the average, with 88.6% being Australian citizens, 88.1% born in Australia, and 97.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 51.4%, compared to 52.7% across the rest of Queensland. The top three ancestry groups were English (32.5%), Australian (30.1%), and Irish (8.4%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation was higher than average at 3.9% (regional average: 5.0%), German at 4.2% (regional average: 4.0%), and Scottish at 8.3% (regional average: 7.7%).

Northern Beaches hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Northern Beaches is 45, which is higher than Rest of Qld's figure of 41 and also above the national average of 38. The age profile reveals that those aged 55-64 are prominent at 16.0%, while the 15-24 group is smaller at 9.0%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 5.3% to 6.4%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 14.7% to 12.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Northern Beaches's age structure. Notably, the 25 to 34 group is projected to grow by 34%, reaching 991 people from 739. In contrast, the 15 to 24 cohort shows minimal growth of just 1%.