Coniston

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

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Coniston is around 2,321, reflecting an increase of 54 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 2,267. This growth was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 2,312 based on ERP data released by ABS in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,189 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Coniston's 2.4% growth since census is within 2.7 percentage points of the non-metro area (5.1%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 85.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth for the suburb. 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 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. By 2041, the suburb is forecasted to experience a significant population increase in the top quartile of national non-metropolitan areas, with an expected increase of 830 persons, reflecting a gain of 37.3% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data indicates Coniston has seen approximately 8 new homes approved annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 40 homes were approved, with none so far in FY-26. Over the past five financial years, an average of 0.3 new residents per year per dwelling constructed was observed.

This suggests new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice while creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost value of new dwellings is $459,000. In FY-26, $1.7 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating a predominantly residential focus. New building activity shows 11.0% detached dwellings and 89.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a significant shift from existing housing patterns (currently 51.0% houses).

This trend may be due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. Coniston indicates a mature market with around 521 people per approval. Future projections show Coniston adding 866 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Should current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one major project expected to affect this region. Notable projects include the Wollongong to Coniston Rail Infrastructure Upgrade, Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), Wollongong Hospital ED Short Stay Units, and Kenny Street Mixed-Use Tower. The following details those most relevant.

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 assessment indicates Coniston faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Coniston has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 7.3% in the past year, according to AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data.

As of June 2025, 1,219 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 3.6% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation is on par with Rest of NSW at 56.4%. Dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Notably, finance & insurance employs 2.1 times the regional average, while agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.3% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.3%.

The ratio of 0.7 workers per resident indicates a level of local employment opportunities above the norm. During the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 0.4% and labour force grew by 0.3%, leaving unemployment broadly flat. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment contracted by 0.1%, labour force grew by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates differing significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Coniston's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Coniston had a median income among taxpayers of $44,272. The average level stood at $60,504. This was below the national average and compared to levels of $49,459 and $62,998 across Rest of NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $49,855 (median) and $68,134 (average) as of September 2025. Census data revealed household, family and personal incomes all ranked modestly in Coniston, between the 36th and 37th percentiles. Income brackets indicated that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominated with 31.8% of residents (738 people), reflecting patterns seen regionally where 29.9% similarly occupied this range. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 83.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 37th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

Coniston displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Coniston, as per the latest Census evaluation, dwelling structures comprised 50.8% houses and 49.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Non-Metro NSW had no recorded houses or other dwellings at the time of the Census. Home ownership in Coniston stood at 31.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.6% and rented dwellings at 42.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,820, aligning with Non-Metro NSW's average. The median weekly rent figure was $350, whereas Non-Metro NSW had no recorded rent figures at the time of the Census. Nationally, Coniston's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Coniston features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a median household size of 2.4 people

Family households constitute 62.6% of all households, including 25.1% couples with children, 25.1% couples without children, and 11.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 37.4%, with lone person households at 31.7% and group households comprising 5.2%. The median household size is 2.4 people.

Coniston shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

The area's educational profile stands out regionally, with university qualification rates of 27.3% among residents aged 15+ exceeding the Rest of NSW average of 21.3%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 18.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 34.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (10.8%) and certificates (23.3%).

Educational participation is high, with 31.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.1% in tertiary education, 8.9% in primary education, and 5.9% pursuing secondary education. Coniston Public School serves the local educational needs within Coniston, with an enrollment of 189 students as of the latest data. The school focuses exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas.

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

Transport analysis shows 22 active stops operating in Coniston, consisting of a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 29 individual routes, collectively providing 1,940 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 154 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 277 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 88 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Coniston is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Coniston faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

Approximately 51% of its total population (~1,181 people) have private health cover. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues affecting 10.0% of residents and arthritis impacting 8.8%. Conversely, 64.7% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 0% across Rest of NSW. The area has 18.8% of residents aged 65 and over (436 people). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Coniston 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

Coniston had a higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas, with 31.9% of its population born overseas and 33.0% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Coniston, accounting for 55.2% of the population. Islam, however, was overrepresented at 4.2%, compared to None% across Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups were English (20.8%), Australian (20.2%), and Other (10.7%). Notably, Macedonian (9.2%), Serbian (3.4%), and Croatian (1.9%) ethnicities were overrepresented in Coniston compared to None% regionally.

Coniston's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Coniston has a median age of 38, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 but matches the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group constitutes 19.1% of Coniston's population, higher than the Rest of NSW figure. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort makes up 8.8%, lower than the Rest of NSW figure. According to the 2021 Census, the 25-34 age group has increased from 15.8% to 19.1%. Meanwhile, the 45-54 cohort has decreased from 12.6% to 11.3%. Demographic projections indicate significant changes in Coniston's age profile by 2041. Notably, the 25-34 group is expected to grow by 64%, reaching 725 people from its current figure of 443.