Bondi Beach

An assessment of population growth drivers in Bondi Beach 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, the suburb of Bondi Beach's population is estimated at around 12,968 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,455 people (12.6%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,513 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 12,922, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 107 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 10,629 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 76.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, primarily driving Bondi Beach's growth since the 2021 Census. AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, 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. Looking at population projections moving forward, the suburb is expected to grow by 1,187 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 8.8% in total over the 16-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates that Bondi Beach recorded approximately 38 residential properties granted approval annually. Between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, around 194 homes were approved, with a further 32 approved so far in FY-26. Despite population decline in recent years, development activity has been adequate relative to other areas.

The average construction cost value of new properties is $1,394,000, indicating that developers are targeting the premium market segment. This year, $19.9 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting balanced commercial development activity compared to Greater Sydney. However, construction rates per person in Bondi Beach are below average nationally, possibly due to planning constraints and the area's maturity. New development consists of 16.0% detached dwellings and 84.0% medium and high-density housing, appealing to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. As of now, there are approximately 329 people per dwelling approval in Bondi Beach.

By 2041, the area is projected to grow by 1,141 residents, with building activity keeping pace with growth projections despite potential increased competition among buyers as population grows.

Bondi Beach has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 40 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives comprise Hall Street Development, Pearl Bondi Beach, Central Element Lamock Avenue, and AVRA Bondi Beach, as outlined subsequently.

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

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Employment conditions in Bondi Beach demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Bondi Beach's workforce is highly educated with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 2.8% as of December 2025. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.8%.

This was based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, 9,573 residents were in work with an unemployment rate of 1.3% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was high at 83.6%, compared to Greater Sydney's 68.8%. According to Census responses, 65.2% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents were professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Professional & technical had particularly notable concentration with employment levels at 2.1 times the regional average. Health care & social assistance was under-represented with only 8.5% of Bondi Beach's workforce compared to 14.1% in Greater Sydney. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census working population vs resident population comparison. Over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 3.8% while labour force increased by 3.8%, keeping unemployment relatively stable. By comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%, with unemployment rising marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offered further insight into potential future demand within Bondi Beach. These projections estimated national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differed significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Bondi Beach's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 14.6% over ten years. However, it was noted that this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not take into account localised population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

Bondi Beach suburb has a median taxpayer income of $76,849 and an average income of $150,085 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is notably higher than Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $84,780 (median) and $165,574 (average). According to the 2021 Census, Bondi Beach's household, family, and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 95th and 98th percentiles. Income analysis shows that 34.4% of the community earns $4,000 or more (4,460 individuals), differing from regional patterns where earnings between $1,500 and $2,999 dominate with 30.9%. A substantial proportion of high earners (47.8%) in Bondi Beach indicates strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. High housing costs consume 20.5% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 92nd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Bondi Beach, as per the latest Census, consisted of 4.1% houses and 95.9% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. The home ownership level in Bondi Beach was at 15.9%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (16.5%) or rented (67.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,033, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure in Bondi Beach was recorded at $675, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Bondi Beach's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 50.0% of all households, including 15.5% couples with children, 27.9% couples without children, and 5.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 50.0%, with lone person households at 36.1% and group households making up 14.0%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Bondi Beach shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Bondi Beach is notably higher than national averages. Specifically, 62.7% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in New South Wales (NSW). The area's highest educational attainment lies in Bachelor degrees, with 43.3%. Postgraduate qualifications follow at 16.5%, and graduate diplomas are held by 2.9% of residents.

Vocational pathways account for 19.1% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas comprising 9.8% and certificates making up 9.3%. Notably, 24.7% of the population is actively pursuing formal education. This includes 6.5% in tertiary education, 5.6% in primary education, and 4.2% pursuing secondary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Bondi Beach shows that there are currently 22 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops service a mix of bus routes, totalling 26 individual routes. Collectively, these routes provide 7,667 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 129 meters from their nearest transport stop. As Bondi Beach is primarily residential, most residents commute outward. The dominant mode of transport remains the car at 45%, followed by train at 19% and bus at 15%.

Despite this, vehicle ownership averages only 0.5 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, a high percentage of residents, specifically 65.2%, work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 1,095 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 348 weekly trips per individual stop.

Bondi Beach's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data shows excellent results for Bondi Beach, as assessed by AreaSearch. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 86% of the total population (11,144 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions were mental health issues and asthma, affecting 6.4% and 6.2% of residents respectively. 80.9% of residents reported being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. The area has 8.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,102 people), which is lower than the 15.5% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Bondi Beach was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Bondi Beach has a high level of cultural diversity, with 22.6% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 48.2% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Bondi Beach, making up 32.5% of people. Judaism is overrepresented, comprising 8.3%, compared to the Greater Sydney average of 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (25.2%), Australian (14.8%), and Other (14.7%). French, Spanish, and Hungarian ethnicities are notably overrepresented in Bondi Beach compared to regional averages.

Bondi Beach's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Bondi Beach's median age is 32 years, which is younger than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and significantly lower than Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Bondi Beach has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (37.1%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (4.4%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is well above the national average of 14.6%. Post-2021 Census data shows that younger residents have lowered the median age by 1.0 years to 32. Key changes include the growth of the 15 to 24 age group from 7.0% to 9.3%, and the increase of the 35 to 44 cohort from 19.2% to 20.4%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 11.1% to 9.0%, and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 6.2% to 4.4%. Demographic modeling suggests that Bondi Beach's age profile will significantly evolve by 2041. The 25 to 34 cohort is projected to grow strongly at 6%, adding 286 residents to reach a total of 5,098. However, the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.