Culburra Beach

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

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, as of November 2025, Culburra Beach's estimated population is around 2,945. This shows a decrease of 1 person since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,946 people. The current resident population of 2,930, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and additional 29 validated new addresses since the Census date, results in a density ratio of 220 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration. AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022.

For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Looking ahead, lower quartile growth is anticipated for Australia's regional areas. Culburra Beach (SA2) is projected to grow by 112 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of approximately 2.1% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Culburra Beach according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, shows Culburra Beach recorded around 22 residential properties granted approval per year. Approximately 110 homes were approved over the past five financial years, between FY-21 and FY-25, with an additional 17 approved so far in FY-26. Despite population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost of $629,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. This financial year, there have been $10.4 million in commercial approvals, suggesting steady commercial investment activity. When compared to Rest of NSW, Culburra Beach maintains similar construction rates per person, preserving market balance consistent with the broader area.

New development consists of 75% standalone homes and 25% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. The location has approximately 165 people per dwelling approval, confirming a low density market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Culburra Beach is expected to grow by 63 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Culburra Beach has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified one major project likely affecting the region: West Culburra Development. Other key projects include Illawarra-Shoalhaven Regional Transport Plan 2041, Sydney-Canberra Rail Connectivity And Capacity, and South Pacific Offshore Wind Project.

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AreaSearch analysis reveals Culburra Beach significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Culburra Beach has a skilled workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 1.8% as of September 2025.

This rate is 2.0% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. The area experienced an employment growth of 3.3% over the past year, according to AreaSearch data aggregation. As of September 2025, 1,205 residents are employed. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training.

Construction is particularly strong, with an employment share 1.4 times higher than the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 0.8% of Culburra Beach's workforce compared to 5.3% in Rest of NSW. Employment opportunities locally appear limited, indicated by Census working population vs resident population counts. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 3.3%, while labour force increased by 3.9%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment fell by 0.5% and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Culburra Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

The suburb of Culburra Beach had a median income among taxpayers of $47,354 and an average income of $59,691 in the financial year 2023, according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This compares to figures for Rest of NSW which were $52,390 (median) and $65,215 (average). By September 2025, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% suggest median income will be approximately $51,550 and average income $64,980. According to the 2021 Census, household incomes in Culburra Beach fell between the 16th and 17th percentiles nationally, with family incomes at the 16th percentile and personal incomes at the 16th percentile. Income distribution showed that 27.3% of residents (803 people) earned between $800 - 1,499, contrasting with the broader area where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket was dominant at 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures were severe in Culburra Beach, with only 84.3% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 17th percentile nationally.

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

Culburra Beach had 88.4% houses and 11.6% other dwellings in its dwelling structure as of the latest Census. Non-Metro NSW had 87.8% houses and 12.2% other dwellings during this period. Home ownership in Culburra Beach was 48.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.9% and rented ones at 24.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,768, above Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure in Culburra Beach was $350, matching Non-Metro NSW's figure. Nationally, Culburra Beach's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 65.1% of all households, including 18.5% couples with children, 35.8% couples without children, and 9.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 34.9%, with lone person households at 31.3% and group households comprising 4.0%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.3.

Educational outcomes in Culburra Beach fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area has university qualification rates of 19.5%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 12.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 41.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 10.1% and certificates at 31.8%. School and university attendance covers 19.5% of the community, including 6.8% in primary education, 5.0% in secondary education, and 2.3% pursuing tertiary education.

School and university attendance encompasses 19.5% of the community. This includes 6.8% in primary education, 5.0% in secondary education, and 2.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Culburra Beach has 48 active public transport stops. These are served by buses on 8 different routes that provide a total of 93 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 173 meters.

All routes combined offer an average of 13 trips per day, which equates to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

Health performance in Culburra Beach is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Culburra Beach faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Approximately 51% (~1,489 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (14.1%) and mental health issues (9.5%), while 58.9% report no medical ailments, slightly below Rest of NSW's 59.4%. Residents aged 65 and over comprise 34.8% (1,024 people), higher than Rest of NSW's 27.8%. Health outcomes among seniors are challenging but generally better than the overall population in health metrics.

Culburra Beach is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Culburra Beach's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 87.7% of its population born in Australia, 94.1% being citizens, and 95.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 55.1% of Culburra Beach's population. The most notable overrepresentation was Judaism, which made up 0.4% compared to the regional average of 0.1%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (32.4%), Australian (30.2%), and Irish (9.4%). Notably, Hungarian (0.4%) and Maltese (1.1%) ethnicities were overrepresented in Culburra Beach compared to regional averages of 0.2% and 0.6%, respectively.

Culburra Beach ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Culburra Beach is 54 years, significantly higher than Rest of NSW's average of 43 years and older than the national norm of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented at 17.3% locally, while the 5-14 age group is under-represented at 7.4%. This concentration of the 65-74 age group is well above the national figure of 9.4%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 7.9% to 9.9%, while the 85+ cohort increased from 4.5% to 5.7%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 age group declined from 17.0% to 15.1%, and the 45 to 54 age group dropped from 10.4% to 8.9%. By 2041, Culburra Beach is expected to see significant shifts in its age composition. The 85+ age cohort is projected to grow steadily, increasing by 80 people (48%) from 167 to 248. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 58% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, both the 45-54 and 5-14 age groups are expected to decrease in numbers.