Kurri Kurri

Kurri Kurri has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

As of November 2025, Kurri Kurri's population is estimated at around 6,690. This reflects an increase of 516 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,174 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 6,582 following examination of the latest ERP data release by ABS in June 2024, and an additional 67 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,322 persons per square kilometer, exceeding the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Kurri Kurri's growth rate of 8.4% since the 2021 census exceeded both the non-metro area (5.1%) and state averages, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 68.0% 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, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, 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 trends forecast a significant increase in the top quartile of locations outside capital cities, with Kurri Kurri expected to grow by 2,625 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 41.1% over the 17 years.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Kurri Kurri has averaged around 41 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 207 homes. So far in FY-26, 6 approvals have been recorded. This results in approximately 5.1 new residents per year for every home built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating significant demand exceeding supply, which typically leads to price growth and increased buyer competition. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $351,000, below regional norms, reflecting more affordable housing options for purchasers.

Additionally, $1.8 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Kurri Kurri has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and places among the 59th percentile of areas assessed nationally. New building activity shows 79.0% detached houses and 21.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's suburban nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers.

The location has approximately 259 people per dwelling approval, indicating room for growth. Population forecasts indicate Kurri Kurri will gain 2,753 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Should current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified one major project likely affecting this region: Kurri Kurri Lateral Pipeline (KKLP) and Storage Project, Hunter Power Project (Kurri Kurri Power Station), Hunter Regional Plan 2041, Heddon Greta South Road and Drainage Improvements are key initiatives.

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Employment conditions in Kurri Kurri face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Kurri Kurri has a balanced workforce comprising white and blue collar jobs, with manufacturing and industrial sectors prominent. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 6.4%.

The area has 2,894 residents in work, an unemployment rate 2.7% higher than Rest of NSW's 3.7%, and workforce participation at 53.7%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key employment industries are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Manufacturing is particularly strong, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 1.1% versus the regional average of 5.3%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data on working population vs resident population. Over the 12 months to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 3.9%, and employment fell by 4.7%, increasing unemployment by 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.1% and labour force growth of 0.3%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Kurri Kurri's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.9% over five years and 12.8% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for local population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Kurri Kurri is below the national average. The median assessed income is $46,605 and the average income stands at $54,635. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $49,459 and the average income is $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Kurri Kurri would be approximately $52,482 (median) and $61,524 (average) as of September 2025. From the Census conducted in August 2021, household, family and personal incomes in Kurri Kurri all fall between the 16th and 17th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 31.5% of residents (2,107 people), which is consistent with broader trends across the region showing 29.9% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Kurri Kurri, with only 82.1% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 16th percentile nationally.

Kurri Kurri is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in Kurri Kurri, as evaluated at the 2016 Census, comprised 83.2% houses and 16.8% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 90.9% houses and 9.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kurri Kurri was 30.4%, with the remainder either mortgaged (34.9%) or rented (34.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,417, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733 and Australia's average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure was $320, lower than Non-Metro NSW's $340 and Australia's national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 65.8% of all households, including 24.1% couples with children, 22.9% couples without children, and 17.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 34.2%, with lone person households at 31.3% and group households comprising 2.6%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.6.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 8.7%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 6.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.1%) and graduate diplomas (0.9%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 41.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 7.2% and certificates at 34.4%. Educational participation is high, with 26.2% currently enrolled in formal education: 9.3% in primary, 7.2% in secondary, and 2.4% in tertiary education.

Kurri Kurri's three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,731 students, serving varied educational conditions (ICSEA: 930). Education provision is balanced with two primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. The area functions as an education hub with 25.9 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 13.0, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Kurri Kurri has 48 active public transport stops, all bus services. These are served by 47 routes offering a total of 679 weekly passenger trips. The average distance to the nearest stop for residents is 191 meters.

On average, there are 97 trips per day across all routes, equating to about 14 weekly trips per stop.

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

Critical health challenges are evident across Kurri Kurri, with a range of health conditions impacting both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 49% of the total population (~3,250 people), compared to 51.9% across Rest of NSW and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 12.7% and 10.7% of residents respectively.

56.7% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 62.6% across Rest of NSW. The area has 17.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,170 people). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

The latest Census data sees Kurri Kurri placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Kurri Kurri, as per the Australian Census 2016 data, showed lower cultural diversity with 92.1% citizens, 94.2% born in Australia, and 97.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 51.8%, compared to 55.7% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (34.0%), English (32.3%), and Australian Aboriginal (8.4%).

Notable differences included overrepresentation of Scottish at 8.4% vs regional 8.2%, Samoan at 0.2% vs 0.1%, and Macedonian at 0.1% vs 0%.

Kurri Kurri's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Kurri Kurri is 37 years, which is lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 and close to the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 are prominent at 17.8%, while those aged 65-74 are smaller at 9.9%. From 2021 to present, the median age has decreased by 1 year from 38 to 37 years, indicating a younger demographic shift. The 25-34 age group has grown from 15.4% to 17.8%, while the 35-44 cohort increased from 10.4% to 12.3%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 12.3% to 11.0%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Kurri Kurri, with the 25-34 age group expected to grow by 53%, reaching 1,826 people from 1,190.