Collaroy (NSW)

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Collaroy (NSW) is around 8,106, reflecting an increase of 162 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 2.0% rise from the previous figure of 7,944 residents. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 8,061 following examination of ABS data released in June 2024 and an additional 11 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,024 persons per square kilometer, placing Collaroy in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 2.0% growth since census is within 1.3 percentage points of the SA3 area (3.3%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 77.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth in the area.

AreaSearch adopts 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 released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for areas not covered by the former data. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics anticipate lower quartile growth, with Collaroy expected to grow by 15 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a reduction of 0.4% in total over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Collaroy, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Collaroy has seen approximately 17 residential properties approved annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Around 89 homes were approved between FY21 and FY25, with an additional 5 approved in FY26 so far. Despite a falling population, development activity has been adequate relative to other areas.

The average expected construction cost value for new homes is $1,197,000, indicating a focus on the premium market. There have also been $322,000 in commercial approvals this financial year. Compared to Greater Sydney, Collaroy has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 32nd percentile nationally, suggesting constrained buyer choice and interest in existing dwellings. New development consists of 71.0% detached dwellings and 29.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving Collaroy's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.

Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests at Census. Collaroy indicates a mature market with around 518 people per approval. Population projections show stability or decline, suggesting reduced housing demand pressures in the future.

Collaroy has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 15 such projects that could potentially impact the area. Notable among these are Montecito Collaroy, 1129-1131 Pittwater Road Mixed Use, 1010-1014 Pittwater Road Mixed Use Development, and Cromer Village Green (Proposed Mixed-Use Precinct). The following list provides details on those projects likely to have the most relevance.

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.

Collaroy has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Collaroy has a well-educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 4.6%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, there are 4,540 residents employed, and the unemployment rate is 0.4% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Collaroy is similar to Greater Sydney's at 70.0%. Census responses show that 46.0% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The dominant employment sectors among residents are professional & technical, construction, and health care & social assistance. Construction is notably concentrated in Collaroy, with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

However, health care & social assistance is under-represented, with only 12.0% of Collaroy's workforce compared to 14.1% in Greater Sydney. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.5%, combined with employment decreasing by 1.8%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.2 percentage points in Collaroy. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Collaroy's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, according to a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The suburb of Collaroy had a median taxpayer income of $62,591 and an average income of $102,469 in the financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is notably higher than Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,013 during the same period. By September 2025, estimates suggest the median income will be approximately $68,137 and the average income $111,548, based on an 8.86% increase since financial year 2023. In Collaroy, household incomes ranked at the 84th percentile nationally in 2021 Census figures, while family incomes were at the 85th percentile and personal incomes at the 86th percentile. The income band of $1,500 - 2,999 captured 29.5% of Collaroy's residents (2,391 individuals), closely matching the regional level trend of 30.9%. A significant proportion of high earners (39.3%) in Collaroy had incomes above $3,000 per week, indicating robust economic capacity. Despite housing costs consuming 16.4% of income, disposable income remained at the 85th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 9th decile.

Collaroy features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Collaroy, as per the latest Census, 41.7% of dwellings were houses while 58.3% consisted of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is distinct from Sydney metro's dwelling structure which was 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Collaroy stood at 37.7%, with mortgaged properties at 31.6% and rented ones at 30.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,800, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Collaroy was $600, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Collaroy's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,800 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Collaroy has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 71.7% of all households, including 31.0% couples with children, 29.7% couples without children, and 9.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 28.3%, with lone person households at 24.9% and group households comprising 3.5%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Collaroy demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

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 NSW rate of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 26.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials are held by 32.2% of residents aged 15+, including advanced diplomas (13.1%) and certificates (19.1%).

Educational participation is high, with 26.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 7.6% in secondary education, 7.4% in primary education, and 6.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Collaroy has 35 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 55 different routes that collectively facilitate 4768 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents located an average of 189 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential area, most commutes are outward-bound. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation, used by 84% of residents, while buses account for 8%. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 46% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 681 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 136 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Collaroy's health outcomes show exceptional results according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Approximately 67% of Collaroy's total population (5,456 people) has private health cover, which is higher than Greater Sydney's 59.9% and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions in Collaroy are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.7% and 6.5% of residents respectively. 72.9% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.6%. Collaroy has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 21.8%, with 1,767 people falling into this age group, compared to Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors in Collaroy are strong, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Collaroy was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Collaroy's cultural diversity is above average, with 13.4% speaking a language other than English at home and 27.3% born overseas. Christianity is the dominant religion in Collaroy, comprising 53.9%. Judaism, however, is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 0.2% of Collaroy's population versus 0.8%.

In terms of ancestry, English (29.8%) and Australian (22.8%) are significantly higher than regional averages of 19.0% and 17.8%, respectively. Irish ancestry is also notable at 10.2%. Some ethnic groups show significant differences: French (0.8% vs 0.5%), Hungarian (0.4% vs 0.3%), and New Zealand (1.0% vs 0.5%) are notably more represented in Collaroy than regionally.

Collaroy hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Collaroy is 43 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that individuals aged 55-64 make up 14.1% of the population, while those aged 35-44 constitute only 10.3%. Since 2021, the proportion of individuals aged 15-24 has increased from 12.1% to 14.3%, and the proportion of those aged 75-84 has risen from 6.3% to 7.7%. Conversely, the proportion of individuals aged 35-44 has decreased from 12.3% to 10.3%, and the proportion of those aged 5-14 has fallen from 10.0% to 8.6%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate that the age cohort of 85+ will grow significantly, increasing by 425 people (164%) from 259 to 685. Notably, all population growth in Collaroy is projected to come from those aged 65 and above, with the combined 65+ age groups accounting for 100% of total population growth. Meanwhile, the cohorts aged 45-54 and 55-64 are expected to experience population declines.