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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
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Population
Population growth drivers in Bulli are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends
As of Feb 2026, Bulli's population is estimated at around 7,246, reflecting a growth of 448 people since the 2021 Census. This increase represents a 6.6% rise from the previous population count of 6,798. The latest estimate of 7,184 residents by AreaSearch, based on ERP data released by the ABS in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date, indicates this growth rate. This results in a density ratio of approximately 836 persons per square kilometer, which aligns with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Bulli's population growth of 6.6% since the 2021 Census exceeds the Rest of NSW's growth rate of 5.9%, positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of this population increase during recent periods.
AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. These projections indicate a population increase just below the median of Australian non-metropolitan areas, with Bulli expected to expand by 358 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 4.1% over the 17-year period.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential development activity is lower than average in Bulli according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets
AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data shows Bulli had around 49 new homes approved each year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 246 homes were approved, with an additional 28 approved so far in FY-26. The population has declined recently, but housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, creating a balanced market with good buyer choice.
New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $682,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. In FY-26, $5.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting limited commercial development focus. New development consists of 51.0% detached houses and 49.0% medium and high-density housing, with an increasing mix of townhouses and apartments providing options across different price points.
This represents a shift from the area's existing housing composition, which is currently 80.0% houses. The location has approximately 262 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Bulli is expected to grow by 296 residents through to 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Infrastructure
Bulli has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally
AreaSearch has identified a total of 13 projects likely to impact the area, with key ones including the Bulli Bypass Feasibility Study, Woonona Place, Bulli Hospital Site Redevelopment, and the 481-485 Princes Highway Multi Dwelling Housing Development. The following list details those most relevant.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Woonona Place
A $122 million masterplanned redevelopment of the historic IRT Woonona site into a modern vertical seniors community. The project features 98 independent living units across five buildings (up to four storeys), a 700sqm Social and Wellness Centre with a hydrotherapy pool and gym, a 450sqm clubhouse, and a major refurbishment of the existing Flame Tree Aged Care Centre. The site will also include the adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed Blue Gum Sanctuary church as a restaurant and community hub.
The Plaza Woonona Specialist Retail and Recreational Centre
Mixed use development comprising retail shops, gymnasium, childcare centre, basement parking and six awning signs. Modification B approved to remove the swim school/pool, raise basement levels and implement minor design changes. Features 6 individual retail spaces with shared amenities, recreational facilities including gymnasium and health spa, childcare centre for 0-6 year olds with outdoor covered play area, and basement parking with allocated spaces for each tenancy plus visitor parking.
Sandon Point Seniors Housing Development
Construction of a seniors housing development comprising a 41-bed Residential Aged Care Facility, 229 Independent Living Units, communal facilities including cafe and restaurant open to public, retail, medical and lifestyle amenities, services, access, and underground car parking with over 460 spaces.
Electrify 2515 Community Pilot
The Electrify 2515 Community Pilot is an Australian-first initiative providing subsidies and support to upgrade 500 households in the 2515 postcode area of northern Illawarra, NSW, to efficient electric appliances, household batteries, and home energy management systems. The project aims to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of household electrification, reduce emissions and energy costs, and provide insights into network impacts and barriers to scaling electrification nationwide. As of August 2025, stage one has been completed with 60 homes upgraded, and the pilot continues toward its goal of 500 homes.
More Trains More Services Stage Two - Mortdale to Kiama Capital Works
Package of rail upgrades along the T4 Illawarra and South Coast lines between Mortdale and Kiama to support more frequent services and new trains. Works include platform extensions (e.g. Kiama), new and expanded stabling yards (e.g. Waterfall, Wollongong, Kiama), track and turnout changes, power and overhead wiring upgrades, signalling, and Mortdale Maintenance Centre upgrades.
Thirroul Plaza Redevelopment
Redevelopment of Thirroul Plaza into a mixed-use precinct including apartments, expansion of Coles supermarket, additional retail spaces, and underground parking. Currently in the master planning stage with community consultation following previous rejection in 2022.
Bulli Bypass Feasibility Study
Feasibility study for bypass route to improve traffic flow and safety around Bulli Pass area. Part of broader Illawarra transport infrastructure improvements to reduce congestion and improve freight movement.
Bulli Hospital Site Redevelopment
Transformation of the former Bulli Hospital site into a residential community featuring 50 homes including freestanding houses, duplexes, terraces, and above-garage studios. The development includes 10% affordable rental housing, a new 2500sqm park with mature turpentine trees, native landscaping, stormwater management systems, and pedestrian connections. The project also provides 58 on-street parking spaces within the new internal street network.
Employment
AreaSearch analysis indicates Bulli maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks
Bulli has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 4.2% as of the past year, with estimated employment growth of 0.5%. As of December 2025, 3,654 residents were employed, and the unemployment rate was 0.2% higher than Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%.
Workforce participation was 65.5%, compared to Regional NSW's 61.3%. According to Census responses, 42.4% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment include health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Bulli specializes in education & training with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 0.3% compared to 5.3% regionally.
Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. In a 12-month period ending in May-25, employment increased by 0.5%, labour force by 0.5%, and unemployment remained largely unchanged. By comparison, Regional NSW saw employment decline of 1.2% and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bulli's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch
The suburb of Bulli had one of Australia's highest income levels according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year 2023. Its median taxpayer income was $66,862 and average income stood at $92,010, compared to Regional NSW's figures of $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $72,786 (median) and $100,162 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023. Bulli's household, family, and personal incomes ranked highly nationally, between the 73rd and 85th percentiles according to census data. Income distribution showed that 26.8% (1,941 individuals) earned $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, consistent with the region's broader trend of 29.9%. Higher earners made up a substantial 38.5%, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. Housing consumed 14.2% of income, while residents ranked in the 85th percentile for disposable income. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Bulli is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region
Dwelling structure in Bulli, as evaluated at the 2016 Census, comprised 80.5% houses and 19.5% other dwellings. In comparison, Regional NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bulli was 35.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.2% and rented at 21.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Bulli was $2,525, compared to Regional NSW's $1,733. The median weekly rent in Bulli was $370, while Regional NSW recorded $330. Nationally, Bulli's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were lower than the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Bulli features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size
Family households account for 77.7% of all households, including 43.1% couples with children, 23.8% couples without children, and 9.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 22.3%, with lone person households at 20.9% and group households comprising 1.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Bulli shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators
Bulli's residents aged 15 and above have a higher university qualification rate of 34.3%, compared to the Rest of NSW at 21.3% and the SA4 region at 25.2%. This gives Bulli an educational advantage for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 10.0% and graduate diplomas at 3.4%. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 34.6% of residents holding them - advanced diplomas at 11.6% and certificates at 23.0%.
Educational participation is high in Bulli, with 32.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.1% in primary education, 9.2% in secondary education, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Bulli has 43 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are served by 34 routes that collectively facilitate 1,683 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 196 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward, with car being the dominant mode at 91%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.6 per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 42.4% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions.
Service frequency averages 240 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 39 weekly trips per stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Bulli's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts
Bulli residents show positive health outcomes, with mortality rates and health conditions aligning with national benchmarks. Common health conditions are low among the general population but higher among older cohorts at risk. Private health cover is exceptionally high at 63%, compared to 51.9% in Regional NSW and a national average of 55.7%.
The most common conditions are arthritis (7.8%) and asthma (7.3%), with 72% reporting no medical ailments, higher than the 63.3% regional average. Under-65 residents have better health outcomes. Bulli has 16.6% of residents aged 65 and over (1,202 people), lower than Regional NSW's 23.4%, but ranks lower nationally compared to the broader population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Bulli ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics
Bulli's population, found in a study dated June 2016, showed low cultural diversity with 85.4% born in Australia, 93.1% being citizens, and 93.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 47.9% of Bulli's population as per the census data from June 2016. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented in Bulli with 0.2%, compared to Regional NSW's 0.1%.
In terms of ancestry, English and Australian topped the list at 28.5% and 28.3% respectively, followed by Irish at 9.5%. Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: Welsh were overrepresented at 0.8% (regional average 0.5%), Dutch at 1.9% (regional average 1.0%), and Scottish at 9.0% (regional average 8.0%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Bulli's population is slightly older than the national pattern
The median age in Bulli is 40 years, which is slightly below Regional NSW's average of 43 but above Australia's median of 38. The 35-44 age cohort is notably higher in Bulli at 15.0%, compared to the regional average, while the 75-84 year-olds are under-represented at 5.3%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 12.0% to 14.2%, and the 75-84 cohort has risen from 4.1% to 5.3%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group has decreased from 15.6% to 13.3%, and the 45-54 group has dropped from 15.0% to 13.5%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Bulli. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to grow by 19% from 637 to 761 people. Meanwhile, the 55-64 and 5-14 cohorts are expected to decline in population.