Cronulla

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

Cronulla's population is estimated at around 18,897 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 998 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,899 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 18,757 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 299 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,908 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Cronulla's growth of 5.6% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (4.0%) and the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 73.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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, the suburb is expected to grow by 1,107 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 5.1% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Cronulla among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Based on AreaSearch analysis using ABS building approval numbers derived from statistical area data, Cronulla has seen approximately 129 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 646 homes were approved, with an additional 46 approved in FY-26 so far. The average population growth per dwelling built over these years was 0.8 people, indicating that new supply has kept pace with or exceeded demand.

The average construction cost value of new properties was $1,339,000, suggesting a focus on the premium market. This financial year, Cronulla has registered $86.3 million in commercial approvals, reflecting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Cronulla maintains similar development levels per capita, preserving market equilibrium with surrounding areas. The building activity shows 17.0% detached houses and 83.0% medium and high-density housing, offering affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

With around 140 people per dwelling approval, Cronulla exhibits characteristics of a low density area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Cronulla is projected to gain 967 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Cronulla has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 22 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include VUE Cronulla, Palm Cronulla, Isla Cronulla, and Port Hacking Estuary Dredging & Beach Nourishment. The following list 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.

The labour market in Cronulla shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Cronulla has an educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 2.6% as of December 2025. Employment grew by 0.9% over the past year according to AreaSearch data aggregation.

As of December 2025, 11,661 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.6%, below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was similar to Greater Sydney's at 70.2%. Census responses indicated that 43% of residents worked from home. Leading employment industries included construction, health care & social assistance, and professional services.

Construction had notable concentration with levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Retail trade showed lower representation at 7.1%, compared to the regional average of 9.3%. Employment opportunities locally seemed limited as indicated by Census working population vs resident population count. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.9% and labour force grew by 0.6%, reducing unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney had employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand within Cronulla. These projections estimate national employment expansion at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Cronulla's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on 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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Cronulla has exceptionally high incomes nationally. The median income is $67,730 and the average income stands at $102,400. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $73,731 (median) and $111,473 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, individual earnings at the 90th percentile nationally are $1,179 weekly. Income analysis reveals that the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 33.4% of Cronulla's community (6,311 individuals), aligning with the surrounding region where this cohort likewise represents 30.9%. A significant 30.8% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 16.6% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 68th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Cronulla's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 20.5% houses and 79.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasted with Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cronulla stood at 34.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.0% and rented ones at 41.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,404, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Cronulla was $500, higher than Sydney metro's figure of $470. Nationally, Cronulla's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Cronulla features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 60.5% of all households, including 20.0% couples with children, 31.6% couples without children, and 8.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 39.5%, with lone person households at 34.8% and group households making up 4.7%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Cronulla residents aged 15 and above have a university qualification rate of 34.6%, slightly higher than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 24.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 37.9% of residents holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 13.6% and certificates at 24.3%.

Currently, 22.8% of the population is engaged in formal education, including 5.9% in primary, 5.7% in secondary, and 5.1% in tertiary education.

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

Cronulla has 81 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry, train, and bus services. These stops are served by 26 different routes, collectively facilitating 4,650 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 129 meters from the nearest stop. Primarily residential, most residents commute outward using cars (83%), trains (7%), or walking (6%). On average, there are 1.1 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 43% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 664 trips daily across all routes, equating to roughly 57 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health outcomes data shows Cronulla has excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions have very low prevalence across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 67% of the total population (12,713 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and 55.7% nationally.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 8.0 and 6.4% of residents respectively. 72.2% of residents declare they are completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. As of 2021, 26.5% of residents are aged 65 and over (5,007 people), higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Cronulla ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Cronulla's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 82.2% of its population born in Australia and 89.4% being citizens. English is spoken as the only language at home by 90.6% of Cronulla residents. Christianity is the predominant religion in Cronulla, accounting for 57.8% of people, compared to 49.2% across Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestry groups are English (30.3%), Australian (24.4%), and Irish (11.1%), all of which are substantially higher than the regional averages of 19.0%, 17.8%, and 6.1% respectively. Notable divergences exist in the representation of certain ethnic groups, with French notably overrepresented at 0.7% compared to 0.5% regionally, Russian at 0.4% (the same as the regional average), and Macedonian at 0.3% compared to 0.4%.

Cronulla hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Cronulla's median age stands at 44, surpassing Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and significantly exceeding the national norm of 38. The 65-74 age group constitutes a strong 14.5% of Cronulla's population, compared to Greater Sydney's percentage, while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 6.7%. This concentration of the 65-74 age group is notably higher than the national figure of 9.5%. Post the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has risen from 6.0% to 8.5%, and the 65 to 74 cohort has increased from 12.4% to 14.5%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 age group has decreased from 18.0% to 16.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Cronulla's age profile. Leading this shift, the 75 to 84 group is expected to grow by 54%, reaching 2,475 people from 1,606. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 94% of projected growth. Meanwhile, the 45 to 54 and 15 to 24 age groups are anticipated to experience population declines.