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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
The median house price in Kariong is $1.08m, with units at $813k. House values have moved 4.7% a year compounded over five years.
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
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Sales Detail
Kariong has an estimated 6,394 residents, down from 6,485 at the 2021 Census — a change of 91 people, or 1.4%. The population has thinned by an average 0.6% a year over five years, slower than 96% of areas nationally. That puts 248 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
As of Aug 2026, the suburb of Kariong is home to approximately 6,394 residents, determined through AreaSearch's review of broader ABS demographic releases alongside post-Census address validations. Compared to the 6,485 people recorded in the 2021 Census, this marks a reduction of 91 people (1.4%). This update builds upon an Estimated Resident Population of 6,388 calculated following the June 2025 ABS ERP figures, combined with 14 validated new addresses added after the Census date. Demographic density stands at 247 persons per square kilometer, offering generous space per resident and room to accommodate potential future building.
Natural growth served as the primary contributor to population shifts, accounting for roughly 63.0% of all recent demographic increases. Demographic modeling by AreaSearch incorporates the 2024 ABS/Geoscience Australia SA2 projections that use 2022 as a base year, supplementing unrepresented localities with the NSW State Government's 2022 release anchored to 2021. Between the years 2032 to 2041, cohort-specific growth rates from these datasets are applied across all districts. Over the forecast horizon, the suburb of Kariong is projected to experience a net population contraction, with zero net demographic expansion anticipated through 2041 under this framework. Nonetheless, certain age segments will expand, most notably the 75 to 84 cohort, which is expected to gain 263 people.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
34 new dwellings have been approved in Kariong over the past five years, an average of 6 a year. That is 1.0 approvals per 1,000 residents. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 8, running ahead of that longer-run average. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this Suburb (SAL) boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
Analysis of ABS building approvals mapped to local boundaries indicates that Kariong records an average of roughly 6 residential approvals annually, yielding around 34 homes across the preceding 5 financial years. During FY-25 to date, 8 approvals have been logged. In the context of a declining local population, this pace of building activity appears relatively balanced for prospective purchasers, with typical dwelling construction costs averaging $446,000 in line with wider regional norms. Non-residential activity remains minimal, with commercial approvals totaling $68,000 this financial year, underscoring the suburb's focus on housing.
Per capita residential construction in Kariong lags behind Greater Sydney by 73.0%. Such restrained additions to local housing stock tend to reinforce established property values, even as building activity has picked up recently. Lower output relative to national figures suggests a mature urban footprint with physical development constraints. Detached houses constitute 67.0% of recent approvals while attached dwellings represent 33.0%, highlighting an increasing share of medium-density formats that diversify price points between traditional family residences and compact alternatives. This trend diverges from the existing profile where separate houses comprise 92.0%, reflecting shrinking greenfield capacity alongside evolving buyer preferences. Furthermore, a ratio of 805 people per approved dwelling highlights the suburb's subdued development pace. Given expectations of flat or contracting population levels, Kariong is likely to experience subdued housing pressure, creating favorable conditions for incoming buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Kariong
Loading development applications…
| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 49 current infrastructure and development projects close to Kariong, worth an estimated $3.46 billion. 8 are already under construction and 11 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, communities, precincts & urban renewal and transport & logistics. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local infrastructure programs and regional strategic initiatives represent crucial drivers of community performance. AreaSearch has highlighted 5 key development works of interest, comprising the Northside Private Hospital, Ocean Beach Road/Rawson Road Intersection Upgrade, Transport Oriented Development - Woy Woy Station Precinct, and Blackwall Road Intersection Upgrades.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Central Coast Quarter
Central Coast Quarter is a landmark mixed-use waterfront precinct transforming the former Gosford Primary School site. Stage 1, known as 'The Waterfront', reached completion in early 2026 and features 134 luxury apartments. As of March 2026, revised plans for Stage 2 (East and South towers) have been proposed as a State Significant Development, seeking to increase heights to 36 and 42 storeys to provide approximately 394 additional dwellings, including 98 affordable housing units, and a 152-room hotel above a retail podium.
West Gosford Village (Shopping Centre) Refurbishment
Multi-million dollar refurbishment of West Gosford Village including upgraded Coles supermarket, new alfresco dining precinct (e.g., Grilld, Mad Mex), new medical precinct, and a childcare centre. Works focused on modernising amenities, facade refresh, and creating a stronger local dining and services offer.
Northside Private Hospital
Developed in partnership with Health Projects International, Northside Private Hospital is a 238-bed State Significant Development for the Central Coast Region in Gosford.
The Outlook Narara
The Outlook Narara is a completed master planned over 55s lifestyle resort on the NSW Central Coast, comprising 178 independent living units delivered in stages between 2020 and 2023. The gated community provides resort style communal facilities and a residents clubhouse, offering low maintenance living for retirees close to Gosford services, shops and public transport. The village is now operating as an established over 55s community with ongoing lifestyle and management services in place.
Sapphire Gosford
Luxury residential project of 97 apartments across three 10-storey towers with a shared podium, gym, pool and landscaped courtyards. Construction reached advanced stages but work was reported halted in 2024 pending defect rectification and occupation certificate matters. Current status appears paused/near-complete awaiting resolution by parties involved.
Amalfi by ALAND
Mixed-use waterfront precinct at 50-70 Mann Street comprising three towers with about 506 apartments above a retail podium of roughly 9,530 sqm. The former Frogys site will be transformed to deliver new homes, retail, and public realm improvements in Gosford CBD.
10-16 Kendall St, Gosford
DA-approved seven-storey residential flat building. Original consent (Aug 2017) for 72 apartments with 92 basement car spaces was later modified in 2023 to 74 apartments and additional parking. Site demolition cleared existing dwellings. As at Aug 22, 2025, public sources show DA approval and modification but no verified superstructure construction commencement or completion announcements.
Residential Towers - Watt Street and Henry Parry Drive
Mixed-use residential development comprising two towers of 12 and 14 storeys above a three-level basement with 125 apartments and ground-floor retail. A seventh modification application revises apartment layouts, communal facilities, facade materials, parking and rooftop open space while retaining the approved overall scale. Completion remains anticipated during 2026.
3,757 residents of Kariong are employed, from a labour force of 3,853. Unemployment sits at 2.5%, with participation at 76.1%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.6% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 5,175, about 81% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Kariong boasts a highly skilled labor pool with strong representation in essential services, an unemployment rate of 2.5%, and an estimated employment growth of 3.2% over the previous year, according to AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. As of March 2026, 3,757 residents are employed while the local unemployment rate stands at 1.6% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.1%, and workforce participation exceeds the standard at 76.1% compared to Greater Sydney's 68.9%. Census data indicate that a high 30.2% of residents work from home, although the influence of Covid-19 lockdowns should be taken into account.
Local employment is concentrated primarily within health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Health care & social assistance exhibits strong overrepresentation, employing workers at 1.2 times the broader metropolitan rate. By contrast, professional & technical occupations represent 6.7% of resident workers, trailing the 11.5% regional benchmark. Comparison between the local working population and resident headcount reveals limited employment self-containment within the suburb itself. Review of SALM and ABS figures indicates that across the 12 months to March 2026, local jobs grew by 3.2% alongside a 3.4% expansion in the labour pool, resulting in a 0.3 percentage point uptick in unemployment. Across Greater Sydney over the same period, employment expanded by 1.9%, the workforce rose by 1.9%, and unemployment trended slightly downward. Long-term outlooks from Jobs and Skills Australia as of Mar-26 provide additional context for Kariong. National baseline projections point to employment gains of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though industry trajectories vary. Weighting these projections against Kariong's resident industry composition suggests prospective local employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Kariong is $2,200 a week (about $114,000 a year), with median personal income at $850 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $55,157 a year against an average of $71,280. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
ATO taxation statistics for financial year 2023 show Kariong taxpayers earning a median income of $55,157 and an average income of $71,280, surpassing national benchmarks while trailing Greater Sydney's figures of $60,817 and $83,003. Factoring in subsequent Wage Price Index growth of 10.32%, estimated earnings reached $60,849 (median) and $78,636 (average) by March 2026. According to the 2021 Census, median household income sat at the 78th percentile ($2,200 weekly) and personal income placed at the 59th percentile. The $1,500 - 2,999 weekly bracket forms the largest earnings group, taking in 39.9% of residents (2,551 people), compared to 30.9% across the wider metropolitan region.
While housing costs absorb 16.0% of earnings, strong local remuneration maintains disposable income at the 77th percentile, with the suburb ranking in the 6th decile on the SEIFA income index.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Kariong had 2,093 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 92% detached houses and 1% apartments. 52% are owned with a mortgage, 23% rented and 25% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $450 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,080 a month, a total housing cost higher than 82% of areas nationally. Rent absorbs 20.5% of household income here and mortgage repayments 21.8%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
At the latest Census, separate houses made up 92.2% of residential dwellings in Kariong, with medium and higher-density formats accounting for 7.8%, contrasting sharply with Greater Sydney's distribution of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Outright homeownership was 25.1%, lower than metropolitan levels, while 52.3% of homes carried a mortgage and 22.6% were rented. Typical monthly mortgage payments stood at $2,080 and median weekly rent was $450, both below Sydney's averages of $2,427 and $470. Compared against nationwide benchmarks, however, local mortgage commitments exceed the Australian average of $1,863, and rents remain above the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Kariong counted 2,093 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 3.0 people each. 45% are couples with children, more than in 88% of areas nationally, against 24% couples without children. 15% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.7 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families constitute 82.9% of local households, consisting of couples with children (44.5%), couples without children (24.4%), and one-parent families (13.3%). Non-family living arrangements account for the remaining 17.1%, comprising single-person dwellings at 15.1% and group homes at 2.0%. Kariong records an average household size of 3.0 people, exceeding the Greater Sydney benchmark of 2.7.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
20.7% of adults in Kariong hold a university qualification, including 15.0% with a bachelor degree and 3.9% with postgraduate qualifications. A further 29.2% hold a vocational qualification. 5 schools serve the area, with 1,933 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 945 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Tertiary attainment in the area lags broader metropolitan benchmarks, with 20.7% of residents holding university degrees compared to 38.0% across Greater Sydney. Among degree holders, bachelor qualifications represent 15.0%, postgraduate degrees account for 3.9%, and graduate diplomas make up 1.8%. Vocational qualifications are prominent, with 41.9% of residents aged 15+ possessing technical training across certificate levels (29.2%) and advanced diplomas (12.7%). Formal study engagement is substantial, with 32.2% of the local population actively participating in education. This proportion comprises 11.4% attending primary school, 9.7% in secondary education, and 3.9% engaged in higher education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Kariong reaches 35 stops on 27 routes, timetabled for about 440 services a week. The typical home sits about 200 m from its nearest stop. Households keep an average of 1.8 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Public transport connectivity in Kariong includes 35 bus stops serviced by 27 separate bus routes, delivering 444 scheduled trips each week. Access across the suburb is strong, with typical walking distances to the nearest stop averaging 199 meters. Commuting patterns reflect an outward flow from the residential base, with private vehicles accounting for 92% of work journeys. Household car ownership averages 1.8 vehicles per dwelling, exceeding regional levels. Working from home was recorded at 30.2% in the 2021 Census, subject to pandemic conditions. Local public transport operations provide an average frequency of 63 daily journeys across all lines, translating to approximately 12 weekly services per transit stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
69.2% of residents in Kariong report no long-term health condition. 4.8% need daily assistance with core activities, and 55.1% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 5.7 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health indicators in Kariong highlight several challenges across age cohorts based on chronic disease and mortality data, alongside a private health insurance rate of approximately 55% (~3,523 people). This compares to 59.9% coverage across Greater Sydney. Mental health conditions and asthma represent the most widely reported health issues, affecting 9.3% and 8.9% of the population respectively, while 69.2% of residents reported having no long-term health conditions, below the Greater Sydney figure of 74.6%. Working-age cohorts display elevated rates of chronic illness. Seniors aged 65 and over comprise 13.7% of the community (875 people), below Greater Sydney's 15.5%, with senior health rankings aligning closely with national standards.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Kariong is largely Australian-born, at 81.0% of residents, with 11.1% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are Australian (30.4%) and English (28.4%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity in Kariong aligns closely with wider regional figures, with 81.0% of the local population born in Australia, 91.2% holding citizenship, and 88.9% speaking exclusively English at home. Christianity forms the predominant religious affiliation, encompassing 51.4% of residents. Judaism accounts for 0.2% of the population, relative to 0.8% across Greater Sydney. Australian ancestry leads among local residents at 30.4%, surpassing the metropolitan level of 17.8%, followed by English ancestry at 28.4% compared to 19.0% regionally, and Irish ancestry at 7.2%. Other backgrounds display distinct representation levels, including Russian at 0.5% (vs 0.4% regionally), Welsh at 0.7% (vs 0.4%), and Lebanese at 0.9% (vs 2.6%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Kariong is 36. 26.0% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
Demographically, Kariong features a significant youth population alongside established mature families. August 2026 estimates indicate that children and youth (0 - 24) make up 35.3% of residents compared to 30.4% regionally, while those aged 25 - 44 account for 25.0% versus 31.4% across Greater Sydney. The median age remains 36 as at August 2026, matching the 2021 Census figure and sitting 1 year below Greater Sydney's Census benchmark of 37. The proportion of residents aged 65+ has increased from 10.5% at the Census to an estimated 13.7%. Projections to 2041 suggest older cohorts will drive future growth by adding 405 residents (46%) to reach 1,281, while younger cohorts and mid-career age brackets are anticipated to decrease.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Kariong
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Oct 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Oct 2026 this month headline measures · Sep 2026 baseline |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Oct 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, Local governments Daily | May 2026 5 months ago all 2 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated May 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 7 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Sep 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Sep 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 14 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (6,485 at the 2021 Census → 6,394 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL12082). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.