Dalmeny

Population growth drivers in Dalmeny are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of Feb 2026, the population of Dalmeny is estimated at around 2,213, reflecting an increase of 19 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 2,194. This change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population as 2,187 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional one validated new address since the Census date. The population density ratio is 309 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Dalmeny has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.0%, outpacing its SA3 area. Interstate migration contributed approximately 76.0% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a 2021 base year.

Considering projected demographic shifts, Dalmeny is expected to grow by 305 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 14.8% over the 17 years.

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

Dalmeny has had minimal residential development activity with less than 1 dwelling approval annually over the past five years, totaling just 4 approvals. This low level of development reflects its rural nature, where housing needs drive development rather than broad market demand. Notably, the small number of approvals can significantly impact annual growth and relativity statistics on an individual project basis.

Dalmeny's development levels are substantially lower than those in the Rest of NSW, and this pattern is also below national averages.

Dalmeny has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 47thth percentile nationally

No changes can significantly impact an area's performance like alterations to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 0 projects that could potentially affect this particular area. Notable projects include Princes Highway Safety And Capacity: Nowra NSW To Victorian Border, Low And Mid-Rise Housing Policy, Regional NSW Road Network Safety Improvements, and Corridor Preservation For East Coast High Speed Rail. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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The employment landscape in Dalmeny presents a mixed picture: unemployment remains low at 3.3%, yet recent job losses have affected its comparative national standing

Dalmeny has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate was 3.3% as of September 2025, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. At this time, 822 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 0.5% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

However, workforce participation in Dalmeny lagged significantly at 45.0%, compared to Rest of NSW's 61.5%. Census responses indicated that only 13.4% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Dalmeny shows strong specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 1.5% of Dalmeny's workforce compared to 5.3% in Rest of NSW. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the 12-month period ending in September 2025, labour force decreased by 4.7% alongside a 4.5% employment decline, causing unemployment to fall by 0.2 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's employment decline of 0.5% and labour force decline of 0.1%, resulting in a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand within Dalmeny. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, indicate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Dalmeny's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

Dalmeny's median taxpayer income in financial year 2023 was $36,584, with an average of $49,808, according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is lower than the national averages for median ($52,390) and average incomes ($65,215). By September 2025, estimated median income would be approximately $39,825, and average income around $54,221, based on an 8.86% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. The 2021 Census data shows that Dalmeny's household, family, and personal incomes all fall between the 7th and 7th percentiles nationally. In Dalmeny, 29.5% of locals (652 people) earn predominantly in the $400 - $799 category, differing from metropolitan regions where the $1,500 - $2,999 category is predominant at 29.9%. After housing costs, 86.3% of income remains, ranking at the 10th percentile nationally.

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

The dwelling structure in Dalmeny, as per the latest Census, consisted of 90.9% houses and 9.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dalmeny stood at 54.5%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (26.6%) or rented (19.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,408, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent in Dalmeny was $330, matching Non-Metro NSW's figure. Nationally, Dalmeny's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 67.1% of all households, including 18.3% couples with children, 39.7% couples without children, and 8.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 32.9%, with lone person households at 29.9% and group households comprising 2.7%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

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

Dalmeny trails regional benchmarks in educational qualifications, with 22.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 32.2% in NSW. This indicates potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are most common at 16.6%, followed by graduate diplomas (3.3%) and postgraduate qualifications (3.0%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 43.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (31.6%).

A significant 23.4% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 9.0% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 1.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Dalmeny has 33 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by nine different routes that together offer 81 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these stops is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 174 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards from Dalmeny, primarily using cars (94%), while 4% walk. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling in Dalmeny, which is below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, only 13.4% of residents work from home, a figure that may reflect COVID-19 conditions.

The service frequency across all routes averages 11 trips per day, resulting in approximately two weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Dalmeny is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Dalmeny faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are notable across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover is extremely low at approximately 47% of the total population (around 1,033 people), compared to 51.9% in Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 14.1% of residents) and mental health issues (9.7%), while 53.2% report having no medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Rest of NSW. Working-age population health presents notable challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. Dalmeny has a higher proportion of seniors (38.7%, or 856 people) than Rest of NSW (23.4%). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly aligning with national rankings for the general population.

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

Dalmeny's population showed low cultural diversity, with 87.9% being citizens, 84.0% born in Australia, and 94.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 49.5%, compared to 55.9% regionally. The top three ancestry groups were English (33.1%), Australian (28.9%), and Irish (10.4%).

Some ethnic groups had notable differences: Polish (1.0% vs regional 0.5%), Welsh (0.7% vs regional 0.5%), and Spanish (0.5% vs regional 0.3%) were overrepresented in Dalmeny.

Dalmeny ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Dalmeny's median age is 58, which is significantly higher than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 and Australia's national median age of 38. The percentage of people aged 85 and over in Dalmeny is 8.7%, compared to Rest of NSW's figure, while the percentage of those aged 15-24 is 6.5%. This concentration of people aged 85 and over is well above the national average of 2.2%. Between 2021 and present, the population aged 35-44 has grown from 8.4% to 10.8%, while the 75-84 age group has increased from 10.8% to 12.2%. Conversely, the 55-64 age group has declined from 16.4% to 14.0%, and the 65-74 age group has dropped from 19.4% to 17.8%. Demographic modeling suggests that Dalmeny's age profile will change significantly by 2041. Leading this shift, the number of people aged 85 and over is expected to grow by 55%, reaching 299 from 192. Conversely, the populations aged 15-24 and 65-74 are projected to decrease.