Bonny Hills

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

The population of the Bonny Hills statistical area (Lv2) was estimated at around 3,045 people as of Nov 2021. By Nov 2025, this figure is projected to increase to approximately 3,275, reflecting a growth of 230 people or 7.6%. This change can be inferred from the resident population estimate of 3,142 by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 38 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is estimated at 157 persons per square kilometer, indicating significant space per person and potential room for further development. Between Nov 2021 and Nov 2025, Bonny Hills (SA2) experienced a growth rate of 7.6%, which exceeded the non-metro area's growth rate of 5.7%. Interstate migration contributed approximately 85.0% of overall population gains during this period.

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 the years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, an above median population growth is projected nationally for regional areas, with the Bonny Hills (SA2) expected to expand by 635 persons, reflecting a gain of 17.2% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Bonny Hills when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Bonny Hills averaged around 24 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 123 homes. So far in FY-26, 4 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.6 people moved to the area annually for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating balanced supply and demand dynamics. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $431,000, slightly above the regional average.

In FY-26, there have been $2.0 million in commercial approvals, predominantly for residential developments. Compared to Rest of NSW, Bonny Hills shows comparable new home approvals per person, supporting market stability aligned with regional patterns. New building activity comprises 89.0% detached houses and 11.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character focused on family homes.

The location has approximately 109 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market. Population forecasts indicate Bonny Hills will gain 562 residents by 2041, with current construction levels expected to meet demand and create favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current projections.

Bonny Hills has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects that could impact this region. Notable projects include Beach to Beach Shared Path, Whitewater Terrace Development, Lake Cathie improvements, Lake Cathie Public School upgrade, and Glen Eden Estate. The following list details those likely to have the most relevance.

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

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Employment conditions in Bonny Hills demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Bonny Hills has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 1.7% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 0.5%.

As of September 2025, 1,548 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 2.2% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation is similar to Rest of NSW at 56.4%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Bonny Hills has a particularly strong specialization in education & training with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

However, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 1.9% compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%. The area may offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 0.5%, and labour force increased by 0.8%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced employment decline of 0.5% and labour force decline of 0.1%. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% with a state unemployment rate of 3.9%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 indicate potential future demand within Bonny Hills. Applying these projections to Bonny Hills' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2023 shows Bonny Hills' median income at $48,456 and average income at $60,287. Nationally, the median was $52,390 and average was $65,215. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $52,749 (median) and $65,628 (average), based on an 8.86% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. In Bonny Hills, household, family, and personal incomes ranked modestly between the 24th and 30th percentiles according to 2021 Census figures. The $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket dominated with 28.3% of residents (926 people), similar to metropolitan regions at 29.9%. After housing expenses, 85.5% of income remained for other expenses. Bonny Hills' SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

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

Bonny Hills' dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 98.8% houses and 1.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Non-Metro NSW's 75.9% houses and 24.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bonny Hills stood at 51.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.0% and rented ones at 17.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,820, surpassing Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Bonny Hills was recorded at $445, higher than Non-Metro NSW's figure of $375. Nationally, Bonny Hills' mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially higher than the national figure of $375.

Bonny Hills has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 75.8% of all households, including 27.2% couples with children, 39.1% couples without children, and 9.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 24.2%, with lone person households at 20.9% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 2.5 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.3.

Educational achievement in Bonny Hills places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

The area's university qualification rate is 21.4%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 42.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.4%) and certificates (30.3%). Educational participation is high, with 25.0% currently enrolled in formal education: 8.6% in primary, 7.4% in secondary, and 3.2% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.6% in primary education, 7.4% in secondary education, and 3.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Bonny Hills has 27 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 29 different routes that collectively facilitate 246 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents typically located 223 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 35 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately nine weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Bonny Hills faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent among both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover is relatively low at approximately 51% of the total population (~1,663 people). The most common medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 12.0% of residents) and mental health issues (8.1%). In contrast, 62.6% report no medical ailments, compared to 59.9% in Rest of NSW. As of June 2021, 29.5% of Bonny Hills' residents are aged 65 and over (~966 people). Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are above average, outperforming the general population in key health metrics.

The latest Census data sees Bonny Hills placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Bonny Hills, surveyed in June 2016, had a predominantly Australian-born population with 90.0% of residents born there. Citizenship was high at 94.8%, and English was the primary language spoken at home by 97.2%. Christianity was the dominant religion, practiced by 60.0% of the population, slightly higher than the regional average of 57.5%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (32.8%), Australian (32.1%), and Irish (9.3%). Notably, Scottish ancestry was overrepresented at 9.2%, compared to 8.3% regionally. Welsh ancestry was also slightly higher at 0.6% versus 0.5%, and South African ancestry was marginally more prevalent at 0.5% compared to the regional average of 0.3%.

Bonny Hills ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Bonny Hills's median age is 51 years, significantly higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 and considerably older than the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, Bonny Hills has an over-representation of the 75-84 cohort at 11.4%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 6.1%. This concentration of the 75-84 cohort is well above the national average of 6.0%. According to post-2021 Census data, Bonny Hills's population aged 75 to 84 has grown from 10.2% to 11.4%, while the 45 to 54 age group has declined from 14.5% to 13.0%. By 2041, Bonny Hills is expected to experience notable shifts in its age composition. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 26%, reaching 471 people from 373, while the 55-64 cohort will remain relatively stable with a growth of 0% (an increase of just 2 people).