Bonnet Bay

Bonnet Bay is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Feb 2026, the population of Bonnet Bay is estimated at around 2,317. This reflects an increase of 79 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,238. The current resident population estimate of 2,289 was inferred by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,050 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Bonnet Bay's growth of 3.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth of 3.1%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 63.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary population growth for Bonnet Bay.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, 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. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Bonnet Bay is expected to grow by 132 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 4.5% in total over the 17-year period.

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

Bonnet Bay has seen only 2 residential development approvals in the past five years. This indicates a mature, established suburb where available land for new construction is limited. For buyers, this scarcity of new housing stock typically supports property values and means competition may primarily be among existing homes.

When measured against Greater Sydney, Bonnet Bay has significantly less development activity (94.0% below regional average per person). This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established homes. However, building activity has accelerated in recent years. This activity remains under the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations.

Bonnet Bay has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

No infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as likely to impact the area. Key projects include 544-550 Box Road Jannali Mixed-Use Development, M6 Stage 2, Blaxland Riverside Estate, and Rail Service Improvement Program - T4 Illawarra & Eastern Suburbs Line.

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 analysis of employment trends sees Bonnet Bay performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Bonnet Bay has a well-educated workforce with professional services showing strong representation. The unemployment rate was 1.1% as of December 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.0% over the past year, based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. In December 2025, 1,360 residents were in work while the unemployment rate was 3.1% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation was 72.6%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%. Census responses indicated that 52.5% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The dominant employment sectors among residents include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Health care & social assistance was under-represented at 12.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 14.1%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited, indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 1.0% while labour force increased by 1.0%, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable, unlike Greater Sydney's higher growth rates and marginal rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Bonnet Bay's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

Bonnet Bay suburb's income level is extremely high nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Median income among taxpayers in Bonnet Bay is $69,036 and average income stands at $93,366, compared to Greater Sydney's figures of $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $75,153 (median) and $101,638 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Bonnet Bay rank highly nationally, between the 85th and 97th percentiles. Distribution data shows that 34.3% of the community (794 individuals) falls within the $4000+ earnings band, contrasting with the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 51.5% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. After housing costs, residents retain 87.6% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Bonnet Bay's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 98.9% houses and 1.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bonnet Bay stood at 44.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 50.1% and rented ones at 5.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, exceeding Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Bonnet Bay was recorded at $700, higher than Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Bonnet Bay's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Bonnet Bay features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 89.9% of all households, including 50.1% couples with children, 33.3% couples without children, and 5.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 10.1%, with lone person households at 9.5% and group households comprising 0.4%. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 37.8% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4% and the SA3 area rate of 30.5%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 25.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational credentials are held by 34.2% of residents aged 15+, including advanced diplomas (13.9%) and certificates (20.3%).

Educational participation is high, with 27.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 10.0% in primary, 7.5% in secondary, and 5.1% in tertiary education.

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

Bonnet Bay has 51 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by five different routes that together facilitate 260 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transports is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 88 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most Bonnet Bay residents commute outward. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport, used by 88% of residents, while 10% use trains. On average, there are 2.0 vehicles per dwelling in Bonnet Bay, which is above the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, specifically 52.5%, work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 37 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately five weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Bonnet Bay's health outcomes show excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 64% of the total population (1,477 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 59.9%.

Nationally, this figure stands at 55.7%. Arthritis and asthma were the most common medical conditions in Bonnet Bay, affecting 8.4% and 7.7% of residents respectively. A total of 70.3% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.6%. The under-65 population demonstrated better than average health outcomes. The area has 21.7% of residents aged 65 and over (502 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

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

Bonnet Bay's cultural diversity aligns with the broader area, as 78.6% were born in Australia, 93.4% are citizens, and 89.8% speak English only at home. Christianity is the dominant religion in Bonnet Bay, with 61.9%, compared to 49.2% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestral groups are English (29.0%), Australian (24.9%), and Irish (10.3%).

Notably, French (1.1%) Welsh (0.9%) and Polish (1.1%) groups are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.5%, 0.4% and 0.6% respectively.

Bonnet Bay hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Bonnet Bay has a median age of 44, which exceeds Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and is substantially higher than the national norm of 38. The age group of 65-74 is strongly represented at 12.9% compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 6.3%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15 to 24 has grown from 11.3% to 13.7%, and the 75 to 84 age group increased from 6.1% to 7.6%. Conversely, the 35 to 44 cohort has declined from 13.9% to 12.9%. Demographic modeling suggests Bonnet Bay's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. Leading this shift, the 55 to 64 group is projected to grow by 17 people, reaching 359 from 305. The aging population trend is clear, with those aged 65 and above comprising 70% of the projected growth. Meanwhile, the 45 to 54 and 0 to 4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.