Batemans Bay

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of Nov 2025, Batemans Bay's population is estimated at around 1,623. This reflects an increase of 50 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,573. The change is inferred from the resident population of 1,548 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 76 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 48 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Batemans Bay has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.2%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 69.0% of overall 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 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends project an above median growth for Australian non-metropolitan areas, with Batemans Bay expected to expand by 292 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 10.9% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Batemans Bay according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Batemans Bay granted around 27 residential property approvals each year over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 136 homes from FY-21 to FY-25. As of FY-26, 11 approvals have been recorded. Over these five years, new construction has averaged 0.7 new residents per dwelling constructed.

Commercial approvals in Batemans Bay reached $35.0 million this financial year. Compared to Rest of NSW, Batemans Bay has 228.0% more new home approvals per person. New building activity favours detached dwellings at 67.0%, with attached dwellings making up the remaining 33.0%. Batemans Bay has around 201 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density area. Population forecasts suggest Batemans Bay will gain 177 residents by 2041.

At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably.

Batemans Bay has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified eight projects likely to affect this region. Notable ones include Batemans Bay Community Health Facility, Batemans Bay Dredging, 3 Clyde Street Mixed Use Tourist Residential & Retail Development, and 24 Beach Road Residential Development. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Batemans Bay face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Batemans Bay's workforce is balanced across white and blue collar jobs, with tourism and hospitality prominent. The unemployment rate in September 2025 was 6.8%, according to AreaSearch data aggregation.

At that time, 572 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.0% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation lagged significantly at 39.1%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries included accommodation & food, retail trade, and health care & social assistance. The area had a notable concentration in accommodation & food, with employment levels at 2.7 times the regional average.

Conversely, education & training was under-represented, with only 3.4% of Batemans Bay's workforce compared to 9.6% in Rest of NSW. There were 1.5 workers for every resident as per the Census, indicating that the area functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding regions. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 5.4%, alongside a 5.0% employment decline, causing unemployment to fall by 0.6 percentage points. This contrasted with Rest of NSW where employment fell by 0.5%, labour force contracted by 0.1%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov showed NSW employment had contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Batemans Bay's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that income in Batemans Bay is below the national average. The median income is $36,751 and the average income stands at $45,635. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $52,390 and the average income is $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $40,007 (median) and $49,678 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Batemans Bay all fall between the 0th and 6th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that the largest segment comprises 38.9% earning $400 - $799 weekly (631 residents), differing from metropolitan patterns where $1500 - $2999 dominates with 29.9%. Lower income households are prevalent, with 51.4% earning below $800 weekly, indicating affordability pressures for many residents. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 75.9% of income remaining, ranking at the 2nd percentile.

Batemans Bay features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Batemans Bay's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 40.4% houses and 59.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Non-Metro NSW's figures of 84.3% houses and 15.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Batemans Bay stood at 33.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 9.0% and rented ones at 57.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,517. The median weekly rent in Batemans Bay was $285, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $320. Nationally, Batemans Bay's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,300 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 42.8% of all households, including 8.5% couples with children, 21.9% couples without children, and 10.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 57.2%, with lone person households at 52.0% and group households comprising 5.2%. The median household size is 1.8 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.2.

The educational profile of Batemans Bay exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 11.2%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.2%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.6%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.4%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 40.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.4%) and certificates (29.9%). A total of 21.3% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, which includes 7.3% in primary, 4.2% in secondary, and 2.2% in tertiary education.

A substantial 21.3% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 7.3% in primary education, 4.2% in secondary education, and 2.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Batemans Bay has 28 operational public transport stops. All of these are bus stops. They are served by a total of 36 different routes.

These routes combined offer 566 weekly passenger trips. The town's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents located an average of 183 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 80 trips per day across all routes, which equates to about 20 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Batemans Bay is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Batemans Bay faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older age groups. Approximately 45% (~731 people) have private health cover, lower than Rest of NSW's 47.3% and the national average of 55.7%. Arthritis and mental health issues are the most prevalent conditions, impacting 13.3% and 11.0% of residents respectively.

Conversely, 54.6% report being free from medical ailments compared to Rest of NSW's 59.6%. As of 2021, 32.4% (525 people) are aged 65 and over. Despite this, seniors' health outcomes perform better than the general population in relevant metrics.

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

Batemans Bay, surveyed in 2016, had a cultural diversity index below the average. Its population composition was 85.6% citizens, 81.5% born in Australia, and 92.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated Batemans Bay's religious landscape with 55.4%, compared to 49.0% across Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups were English (31.7%), Australian (29.5%), and Irish (9.8%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal people were overrepresented at 6.9% in Batemans Bay versus the regional average of 3.6%. Similarly, Croatian (0.6%) and Maltese (0.5%) groups had higher representations compared to their respective regional averages of 0.3% and 0.4%.

Batemans Bay ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Batemans Bay is 52 years, significantly higher than Rest of NSW's average of 43 and also above the national norm of 38. The 75-84 age cohort is notably over-represented in Batemans Bay at 13.3%, compared to Rest of NSW's average of 9.0% and the national average of 6.0%. Conversely, the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 6.5%, lower than Rest of NSW's average of 18.7%. Between 2021 and present, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 8.4% to 10.0% of the population, while the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 16.2% to 14.9%. By 2041, Batemans Bay's population is forecasted to see significant demographic changes. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 67%, adding 45 residents to reach a total of 114. Meanwhile, the number of people in the 15 to 24 age range is expected to decrease by 8%.