Lake Munmorah

Lake Munmorah is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of November 2025, Lake Munmorah's population is estimated at around 5,158 people. This reflects an increase of 74 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,084. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population as 5,157, following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with an additional five validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of approximately 903 persons per square kilometer, aligning with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Lake Munmorah's growth rate of 1.5% since the census places it within 1.6 percentage points of the SA4 region (3.1%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth in the area, contributing approximately 75.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, 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. According to population projections moving forward, the suburb is anticipated to experience lower quartile growth, increasing by approximately 20 persons to reach a total population of around 5,178 by 2041, reflecting a decline of about 0.1% in total over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Lake Munmorah is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Based on AreaSearch analysis using ABS building approval numbers from statistical area data, Lake Munmorah has seen approximately 9 dwellings receiving development approval annually over the past 5 financial years, totalling an estimated 46 homes. As of FY-26, 2 approvals have been recorded. The area's population decline suggests new supply has likely kept pace with demand, offering buyers good choice while new properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $221,000, below the regional average, indicating more affordable housing options. This financial year, $690,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting minimal commercial development activity.

Compared to Greater Sydney, Lake Munmorah records significantly lower building activity (58.0% below regional average per person), which typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. This is also below national averages, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. New development consists of 75.0% detached houses and 25.0% attached dwellings, maintaining Lake Munmorah's traditional low density character focused on family homes appealing to those seeking space, marking a significant shift from existing housing patterns (currently 97.0% houses), possibly due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 1029 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. Given stable or declining population forecasts, Lake Munmorah may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Given stable or declining population forecasts, Lake Munmorah may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Lake Munmorah has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects likely impacting the area. Key projects are Crangan Bay Residential Estate, Lake Munmorah Recreation Facility, Lakes Ridge Residential Estate, and Darkinjung LALC & Landcom Housing Project. 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.

Lake Munmorah shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Lake Munmorah has a balanced workforce with representation from both white and blue collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well represented in the area.

The unemployment rate was 4.5% as of June 2025. This is 0.3% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Lake Munmorah lags at 48.3%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.

Construction is particularly specialized with an employment share of 1.8 times the regional level. Conversely, professional & technical services show lower representation at 3.8% versus the regional average of 11.5%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 1.7% while labour force grew by 2.6%, resulting in a rise in unemployment rate of 0.9 percentage points. In Greater Sydney over the same period, employment rose by 2.6%, labour force grew by 2.9%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. 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. Applying these projections to Lake Munmorah's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.5% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Lake Munmorah had a median taxpayer income of $51,791 and an average of $62,811 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is below Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. As of September 2025, estimated incomes are approximately $58,322 (median) and $70,731 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. The 2021 Census shows household, family, and personal incomes in Lake Munmorah fall between the 10th and 15th percentiles nationally. Income distribution data indicates that the $400 - 799 bracket dominates with 30.0% of residents (1,547 people), unlike regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 30.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 83.5% of income remaining, ranking at the 11th percentile nationally.

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

Lake Munmorah's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 96.6% houses and 3.3% other dwellings. Sydney metro, in comparison, had 83.2% houses and 16.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lake Munmorah stood at 51.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.7% and rented ones at 17.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, lower than Sydney metro's $1,900. Median weekly rent in Lake Munmorah was $380, compared to Sydney metro's $385. Nationally, Lake Munmorah's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 66.8% of all households, including 21.8% couples with children, 32.5% couples without children, and 11.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 33.2%, with lone person households at 30.6% and group households comprising 2.7%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 12.5%, significantly lower than Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 9.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.7%) and graduate diplomas (1.2%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 43.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 33.7%. A total of 23.6% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 8.1% in primary, 6.8% in secondary, and 3.0% in tertiary education.

Lake Munmorah's five schools have a combined enrollment of 2,084 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 975) and balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with three primary and two secondary schools serving distinct age groups. The area functions as an education hub with 40.4 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 13.6, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

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

Lake Munmorah has 47 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by a total of 57 different routes, offering 458 weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility of these services is rated as excellent, with residents living an average of 193 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 65 trips per day across all routes, which equates to about 9 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Lake Munmorah faces significant health challenges, affecting both younger and older residents. As of 2016, approximately 52% (~2,671 people) have private health cover, slightly lower than the average SA2 area's 49.3%, and Greater Sydney's 49.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (14.1%) and mental health issues (10.1%), while 54.4% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 61.5%. Lake Munmorah has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 32.4% (1,671 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 22.3%. Senior health outcomes broadly align with the general population's health profile.

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

Lake Munmorah had a cultural diversity score below average, with 88.1% of its residents born in Australia, 92.6% being citizens, and 96.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Lake Munmorah, comprising 60.7%, compared to 56.2% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups were English (33.6%), Australian (31.9%), and Irish (8.2%).

Notably, Maltese ethnicity had a higher representation at 1.0% in Lake Munmorah than regionally, while Australian Aboriginal was at 3.8% (vs 4.5%) and Lebanese at 0.4% (vs 0.2%).

Lake Munmorah ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Lake Munmorah's median age is 50 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's 37 years and the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Lake Munmorah has a higher proportion of residents aged 75-84 (14.0%), but fewer residents aged 25-34 (9.2%). This concentration of 75-84 year-olds is well above the national average of 6.0%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of Lake Munmorah's population aged 75 to 84 has increased from 12.0% to 14.0%, while the proportion of residents aged 85+ has risen from 3.1% to 4.3%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 45-54 has decreased from 10.8% to 8.8%, and the proportion of those aged 65-74 has dropped from 15.6% to 14.1%. By 2041, Lake Munmorah is expected to experience notable shifts in its age composition. Leading this demographic shift, the number of residents aged 85+ is projected to grow by 99%, reaching 442 from 221. This growth will be driven entirely by residents aged 65 and older. Conversely, both the 45-54 and 65-74 age groups are expected to decrease in number.