Leura

An assessment of population growth drivers in Leura reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As of November 2025, Leura's population is estimated at around 4,539 people. This figure reflects an increase of 36 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,503 people. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 4,517 residents following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with an additional 23 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 408 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Leura has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.1%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration 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 trends project an above median growth, with Leura expected to grow by 1,032 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 24.1% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, indicates Leura averaged around 15 new dwelling approvals each year over the past 5 financial years, totalling an estimated 76 homes. As of FY-26, 1 approval has been recorded. Over these years, an average of 0.3 new residents arrived per new home. This suggests new construction is matching or outpacing demand, offering buyers more options and enabling population growth that could exceed current expectations.

New properties are constructed at an average value of $530,000. In FY-26, $2.5 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating the area's residential character. Compared to Greater Sydney, Leura has 66.0% more construction activity per person, offering buyers greater choice, though development activity has moderated in recent periods. This activity is similarly under the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. New building activity shows 60.0% detached houses and 40.0% attached dwellings, expanding medium-density options to create a mix of opportunities across price brackets. The current housing mix is 84.0% houses, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements.

The estimated count of 416 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment. Looking ahead, Leura is expected to grow by 1,093 residents through to 2041, according to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Leura has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

AreaSearch has identified two projects that could impact the area's performance: Katoomba Cultural Centre and Civic Precinct Upgrade, Echo Point Precinct Upgrade, Great Western Highway Upgrade - Katoomba to Lithgow, and Regional NSW Road Network Safety Improvements. These are the key projects with potential relevance.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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While Leura retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.1%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Leura has an educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 3.1% as of June 2025, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Leura is at 48.6%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Notably, education & training has a high concentration with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average. Finance & insurance has limited presence, with only 3.1% of residents employed in this sector compared to the regional average of 7.3%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the difference between the working population and resident population counts from the Census. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Leura's labour force decreased by 1.4% while employment declined by 1.1%, leading to a fall in unemployment of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.6%, the labour force grow by 2.9%, and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points during this period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Leura's employment mix indicates potential local employment growth of 7.0% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, although these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Leura's median income among taxpayers was $49,140 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $67,407 during the same period. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median and average incomes of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. By September 2025, estimates suggest Leura's median income will be approximately $55,337 and the average income around $75,907, based on a 12.61% increase since financial year 2022. Census data from 2021 shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Leura rank modestly, between the 25th and 39th percentiles. Income distribution reveals that 25.5% of locals (1,157 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 category, which is similar to the broader area where 30.9% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Leura, with only 83.6% of income remaining, ranking at the 25th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

Leura's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 84.2% houses and 15.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 92.3% houses and 7.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Leura stood at 49.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.9% and rented ones at 21.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, below Sydney metro's average of $2,033. Median weekly rent in Leura was $430, compared to Sydney metro's $400. Nationally, Leura's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 59.9% of all households, including 17.9% couples with children, 32.5% couples without children, and 8.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 40.1%, with lone person households at 36.9% and group households comprising 3.0%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.4.

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

Educational attainment in Leura is notably higher than broader averages. 42.7% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 23.9% in the SA4 region and 30.4% nationally (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016). Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 24.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.5%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 31.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas account for 14.0% and certificates for 17.2%.

A significant 24.4% of the population is currently engaged in formal education. This includes 7.1% in primary, 6.9% in secondary, and 4.9% in tertiary education (Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census, 2016). Leura Public School serves the local community with an enrollment of 222 students as of 2021. The school focuses exclusively on primary education, with ICSEA score of 1053 indicating above-average socio-educational conditions. Secondary schooling options are available in nearby areas due to limited local capacity (4.9 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 14.5).

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

Leura has 84 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 26 individual routes, facilitating 1,058 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is considered good, with residents generally located 329 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, service frequency across all routes stands at 151 trips per day, equating to about 12 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Leura is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Leura faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups.

Approximately 54% of Leura's total population (~2,432 people) have private health cover. The most frequent medical issues are arthritis (10.9%) and mental health problems (8.8%). However, 62.0% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 64.1% in Greater Sydney. Leura has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 35.8% (1,624 people), versus Greater Sydney's 24.3%. Health outcomes among Leura's seniors are above average, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Leura was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Leura's population showed higher-than-average cultural diversity, with 10.1% speaking a language other than English at home and 25.5% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Leura, accounting for 42.5%. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 0.7% versus 0.2%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (31.3%), Australian (19.8%), and Irish (12.5%). Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: Hungarian (0.7% vs regional 0.5%), Scottish (10.3% vs 9.0%), and Polish (1.1% vs 0.9%) were notably overrepresented in Leura compared to the region's averages.

Leura ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Leura's median age is 55, surpassing Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented in Leura at 18.3%, compared to the Greater Sydney average, while those aged 25-34 are under-represented at 5.5%. This concentration of the 65-74 cohort is significantly higher than the national figure of 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 11.1% to 12.9%, while the 15 to 24 cohort has risen from 8.1% to 9.3%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has decreased from 16.3% to 15.0%, and the 25 to 34 age group has dropped from 6.7% to 5.5%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Leura's age structure. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to increase by 399 people (68%), from 585 to 985. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 80% of population growth, emphasizing demographic aging trends. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 age cohorts.