Kogarah

Kogarah lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

The suburb of Kogarah's population was estimated at around 18,608 as of Nov 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 2,192 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,416. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 18,437 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with an additional 530 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 7,156 persons per square kilometer, placing Kogarah in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 13.4% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (5.5%) and the state level, marking it as a growth leader in the area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 92.0% 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. Future population dynamics anticipate a significant increase in Kogarah, with an expected growth of 7,273 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 38.6% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Kogarah among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Kogarah averaged around 160 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 802 homes were approved, with a further 61 approved in FY-26. Each year, an average of 2.7 new residents was gained per dwelling built over the past five financial years.

The average construction cost value for new homes is $505,000. This financial year, there have been $33.3 million in commercial approvals, reflecting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Kogarah records 71.0% more development activity per person. Recent construction comprises 7.0% detached houses and 93.0% medium and high-density housing. There are approximately 254 people per dwelling approval in the location, indicating potential for growth.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Kogarah is expected to grow by 7,177 residents through to 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 30 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include St George Hospital Redevelopment Stage 3, Kogarah North Urban Design Strategy Implementation, Sydney Metro West, and Ganellen Kogarah Town Centre Redevelopment. 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.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Kogarah significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Kogarah has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.4%, lower than the Greater Sydney average of 4.2%.

Over the past year, employment grew by an estimated 2.2%. As of June 2025, 12,171 residents are employed, with a local unemployment rate of 1.8% and workforce participation at 62.8%. Key industries for residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Notably, health care & social assistance employment is at 1.5 times the regional average, while education & training employs only 5.5% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 8.9%.

The worker-to-resident ratio indicates a level of local employment opportunities above the norm. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 2.2%, labour force grew by 2.4%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industries. Applying these projections to Kogarah's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localised population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Kogarah is higher than average nationally. The median income is $53,175 and the average income stands at $67,515. In Greater Sydney, the median income is $56,994 with an average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Kogarah would be approximately $59,880 (median) and $76,029 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that incomes in Kogarah cluster around the 60th percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that 37.5% of the population (6,978 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, similar to the surrounding region where 30.9% occupy this bracket. High housing costs consume 19.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 55th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Kogarah features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Kogarah's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 20.9% houses and 79.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 39.8% houses and 60.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kogarah was at 22.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.8% and rented ones at 50.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,200, below Sydney metro's average of $2,383. Median weekly rent in Kogarah was $450, compared to Sydney metro's $480. Nationally, Kogarah's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Kogarah features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 67.3% of all households, including 30.5% couples with children, 25.4% couples without children, and 9.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 32.7%, with lone person households at 26.4% and group households comprising 6.3%. The median household size is 2.5 people, smaller than Greater Sydney's average of 2.6.

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

Educational attainment in Kogarah is notably higher than national and state averages. As of 2016 data, 46.0% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are most common at 29.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 25.1% of residents holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 12.9% and certificates for 12.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.4% of residents enrolled in formal education as of 2016. This includes 8.7% in tertiary education, 7.8% in primary education, and 5.4% pursuing secondary education. As of 2019, Kogarah has a robust network of 8 schools educating approximately 3,510 students. The area's socio-educational conditions are above average, with an ICSEA score of 1060. The educational mix includes 2 primary, 4 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. As an education hub, Kogarah has significantly more school places per resident than the regional average – 18.9 compared to 11.4 – attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Kogarah has 52 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 25 individual routes, collectively facilitating 4,416 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 133 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 630 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 84 weekly trips per stop.

Kogarah's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Kogarah, with younger cohorts experiencing a very low prevalence of common health conditions.

Approximately 54% (~9,979 people) of the total population has private health cover, which is relatively high. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, affecting 4.8% and 4.4% of residents respectively. Around 80.8% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 77.5% across Greater Sydney. As of September 2021, 12.5% (2,326 people) of Kogarah's residents are aged 65 and over, which is lower than the 16.4% in Greater Sydney. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those in the broader population.

Kogarah is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Kogarah, as of the latest data available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in June 2016, has a population where 67.2% speak a language other than English at home. This figure is higher compared to the national average. Additionally, 61.8% of Kogarah's population was born overseas.

Christianity is the predominant religion in Kogarah, with 42.9% of people identifying as Christian. However, Hinduism is notably overrepresented in Kogarah, comprising 18.3% of the population compared to the Greater Sydney average of 6.6%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Other at 29.4%, Chinese at 14.8%, and English at 9.5%. Notably, Spanish is overrepresented at 1.1% in Kogarah versus the regional average of 0.9%. Greek and Filipino populations also show significant variations compared to regional averages, with Greeks comprising 6.0% of Kogarah's population (versus 8.8%) and Filipinos making up 4.4% (versus 2.5%).

Kogarah's population is younger than the national pattern

Kogarah's median age is 35 years, slightly younger than Greater Sydney's 37 and the national average of 38. The 25-34 age group makes up 23.2% of Kogarah's population, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage but lower than the national average of 14.5%. The 5-14 age group constitutes 8.6%, less prevalent compared to Greater Sydney. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.3% to 13.0%, while the 85+ cohort has decreased from 3.0% to 2.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant changes in Kogarah's demographics, with the 45-54 age group projected to rise substantially by 60%, from 2,009 to 3,219 people.