Hill Top (Wingecarribee - NSW)

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the Hill Top (Wingecarribee - NSW) statistical area (Lv2), its population is estimated at around 2,916 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 124 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,792 people. The change was inferred from the resident population of 2,836 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 10 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 76 persons per square kilometer. The Hill Top (Wingecarribee - NSW) SA2's growth rate of 4.4% since the 2021 census exceeded the broader area's growth rate of 3.3%. Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth, contributing approximately 81.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections 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 Hill Top (Wingecarribee - NSW) SA2 is forecasted to have a population increase of 813 persons based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 25.6% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis shows Hill Top recorded approximately 6 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past 5 financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 30 homes were approved, with another 3 so far in FY-26. Each dwelling built gained an average of 2.9 new residents per year over these years.

The average construction cost value for new homes was $400,000, slightly above the regional average, indicating a focus on quality developments. This financial year, Hill Top registered $175,000 in commercial approvals, reflecting its residential nature. Compared to Rest of NSW, Hill Top has significantly less development activity, 67.0% below the regional average per person. Recent development has been entirely standalone homes, preserving the area's low density nature with an estimated 1139 people per dwelling approval. Looking ahead, AreaSearch estimates Hill Top will grow by 745 residents through to 2041.

If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

No changes can significantly affect a region's performance like modifications to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. Zero projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could potentially impact this area. Notable projects include Tahmoor South Coal Project, South Pacific Offshore Wind Project, Sydney-Canberra Rail Connectivity And Capacity, and Paling Yards Wind Farm. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Hill Top performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Hill Top's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs. The construction sector stands out with a 1.6% unemployment rate and an estimated 2.5% employment growth in the past year, according to AreaSearch data aggregation.

As of September 2025, 1,497 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.3%, below Rest of NSW's 3.8%. Workforce participation is high at 69.5% compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key employment industries include construction, retail trade, and health care & social assistance. Manufacturing is particularly strong, with an employment share 1.7 times the regional level.

However, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 0.9% compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited based on Census working population vs resident population data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.5%, labour force by 3.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.7 percentage points in Hill Top. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.5%, labour force contract by 0.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 3.9%. National unemployment stands at 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project total employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Hill Top's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.8% over five years and 12.4% over ten years, assuming constant population projections.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

The suburb of Hill Top had a median taxpayer income of $53,091 and an average income of $114,827 in the financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is notably higher than the national median income of $52,390 and average income of $65,215 for Rest of NSW. Based on a Wage Price Index growth rate of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $57,795 (median) and $125,001 (average). Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Hill Top are around the 58th percentile nationally. In terms of income distribution, 38.6% of individuals in Hill Top earn between $1,500 and $2,999, which is similar to the regional pattern where 29.9% fall into this earnings band. Residents allocate 17.5% of their income towards housing costs, but despite this, disposable income remains at the 58th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

Hill Top is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

The dwelling structure in Hill Top, as per the latest Census, consisted of 98.9% houses and 1.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro NSW's 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hill Top was at 26.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 60.8% and rented dwellings at 13.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $2,167. The median weekly rent figure in Hill Top was $435, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $430. Nationally, Hill Top's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,000 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially higher at $435 compared to the national figure of $375.

Hill Top features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 78.3% of all households, including 38.4% couples with children, 25.2% couples without children, and 13.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 21.7%, with lone person households at 19.4% and group households comprising 2.6%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Hill Top faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 12.7%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 9.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.3%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 45.6% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (9.9%) and certificates (35.7%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.6% in primary education, 8.1% in secondary education, and 2.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis shows 44 active stops in Hill Top offering mixed bus services. These are covered by 13 routes, giving 134 weekly passenger trips. Accessibility is rated good with residents typically 213 meters from nearest stop.

Average service frequency is 19 trips daily across all routes, meaning approximately 3 weekly trips per stop.

Health outcomes in Hill Top are marginally below the national average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Hill Top has below-average health outcomes, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 72% of Hill Top residents have private health cover, higher than the 64.6% in Rest of NSW and the national average of 55.7%. The most common conditions are asthma (9.5%) and arthritis (9.2%), with 66.5% reporting no medical ailments, compared to 64.8% in Rest of NSW.

Hill Top has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 13.2%, compared to 27.7% in Rest of NSW. Senior health outcomes align broadly with the general population's profile.

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

Hill Top's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 87.8% of its population born in Australia, 93.7% being citizens, and 95.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Hill Top, comprising 53.4% of the population. However, Judaism is overrepresented compared to the rest of NSW, with 0.1% of Hill Top's population identifying as such, versus 0.3%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (32.1%), Australian (31.4%), and Scottish (8.0%). Notably, Hungarian (0.4%) is overrepresented compared to the regional average of 0.3%, Maltese (1.0% vs 0.5%), and Macedonian (0.4% vs 0.2%) are also more prevalent in Hill Top than in the rest of NSW.

Hill Top's population is younger than the national pattern

Hill Top's median age in 2021 was 34, which is lower than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 and Australia's figure of 38. The 35-44 age group was notably over-represented in Hill Top at 15.8%, compared to the Rest of NSW average. Conversely, the 65-74 age group was under-represented at 7.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 35-44 age group has grown from 13.6% to 15.8% of Hill Top's population, while the 45-54 cohort has declined from 13.2% to 11.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Hill Top's age profile. The 35-44 age group is projected to expand by 217 people (47%), growing from 460 to 678. Meanwhile, the 15-24 cohort is projected to grow modestly by 4%, adding 12 people.