Long Jetty

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

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validations, the estimated population of Long Jetty as of February 2026 is around 7,012. This reflects an increase of 276 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,736. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of 6,966 residents following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 30 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,760 persons per square kilometer, placing Long Jetty in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 4.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's 3.7%, marking it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 76.0% 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. According to these projections, Long Jetty's population is expected to decline by 394 persons by 2041. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 75 to 84 age group, which is projected to increase by 274 people.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Long Jetty when compared nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Long Jetty has averaged around 42 new dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, between FY-21 and FY-25, an estimated 214 homes were approved. In FY-26, so far, there have been 43 approvals.

This averages out to approximately 0.2 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over these five years. The current rate of construction matches or exceeds demand, providing more options for buyers and potentially enabling population growth beyond current expectations. The average value of new homes being built is $503,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In this financial year, there have been $649,000 in commercial development approvals, suggesting a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Greater Sydney, Long Jetty has seen slightly more development activity, at 46.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years.

This balance supports buyer choice while maintaining current property values. The new building activity shows that 31.0% of approvals are for standalone homes, with the remaining 69.0% being townhouses or apartments. This shift towards denser development offers accessible entry options and appeals to downsizers, investors, and first-time buyers. This trend marks a significant change from existing housing patterns, which currently consist of 54.0% houses. This suggests diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. Long Jetty has an average population density of around 116 people per approval. Given stable or declining population forecasts, the area may experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Long Jetty has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects expected to affect the region: Vera's Water Garden Upgrade, Lakeside Shopping Centre Redevelopment, The Entrance Waterfront Plaza Accessible Playspace, and Central Coast Shared Pathway Network - Magenta Extension. These are detailed below for relevance.

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.

Employment performance in Long Jetty has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Long Jetty has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 5.6% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 4.3%. As of December 2025, 3,251 residents were employed, while the unemployment rate was 1.4% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation lagged at 57.8%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%. A high proportion of residents, 26.8%, worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. The leading employment industries were health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction showed notable concentration with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average.

Conversely, professional & technical services had lower representation at 4.6% compared to the regional average of 11.5%. Over the year to December 2025, employment increased by 4.3%, while labour force grew by 4.1%, leading to a slight unemployment decrease of 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.2% and labour force grow by 2.3%, with a marginal unemployment increase. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Long Jetty's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released on 30 June 2023, the suburb of Long Jetty had a median income among taxpayers of $47,307 and an average income of $58,821. This is lower than the national average of $60,817 and compares to levels of $60,817 and $83,003 across Greater Sydney respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Long Jetty would be approximately $51,498 (median) and $64,033 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household incomes in Long Jetty fall between the 13th and 21st percentiles nationally. The earnings profile shows that 27.6% of locals (1,935 people) have incomes in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, which is consistent with broader trends across the region showing 30.9% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Long Jetty, with only 77.9% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 9th percentile nationally.

Long Jetty displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Long Jetty's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 54.2% houses and 45.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Long Jetty stood at 32.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.2% and rented ones at 42.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,950, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Long Jetty was recorded at $360, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Long Jetty's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Long Jetty features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 59.2% of all households, including 19.9% couples with children, 22.8% couples without children, and 15.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 40.8%, with lone person households at 37.1% and group households making up 3.8%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 18.0%, significantly lower than Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 40.5% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.0%) and certificates (29.5%). Educational participation is high, with 25.3% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (8.4%), secondary (6.6%), and tertiary (3.3%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.4% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 3.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Long Jetty has 43 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 49 different routes that together facilitate 1,480 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is deemed excellent, with residents on average living just 151 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards due to its residential nature. Car remains the primary mode of transport, used by 93% of residents. On average, there are 1.1 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 26.8% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes averages 211 trips per day, equating to approximately 34 weekly trips per stop.

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

Long Jetty faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The prevalence of common health conditions is notable across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover stands at approximately 50% of the total population (~3,522 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 59.9%, and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (10.7%) and mental health issues (9.7%), with 60.9% of residents reporting no medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Working-age population health challenges include elevated chronic condition rates. Long Jetty has 27.4% of residents aged 65 and over (1,921 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Senior health outcomes present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Long Jetty ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Long Jetty's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 89.2% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (86.2%), speaking English only at home (92.7%). Christianity was the predominant religion in Long Jetty, comprising 58.3%, compared to Greater Sydney's 49.2%. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (29.7%, regional average: 17.8%), English (29.5%, regional average: 19.0%), and Irish (9.7%).

Notably, Maltese (1.1% vs regional 1.0%), Maori (0.7% vs 0.4%), and Spanish (0.5% vs 0.6%) were overrepresented in Long Jetty compared to the region.

Long Jetty hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Long Jetty is 45 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Long Jetty has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (13.2%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (10.2%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 75 to 84 has increased from 7.6% to 10.2%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 has decreased from 11.4% to 10.2%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Long Jetty's age structure. The population aged 85 and above is expected to grow by 77%, reaching 496 people from 280. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for all total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. However, both the 65-74 and 45-54 age groups are projected to have reduced numbers.