Malabar

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

The Malabar statistical area's population is estimated at around 4,847 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 133 people from the 2021 Census figure of 4,714, indicating a growth rate of approximately 2.8%. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 4,786 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional five validated new addresses since the Census date. This equates to a density ratio of 1,357 persons per square kilometer, which is higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, from 2015 to 2025, Malabar has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.2%. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration during this period.

For projections, AreaSearch is utilising ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year for SA2 areas covered by this data. For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to population projections, an above median growth is expected, with the Malabar (SA2) area projected to increase by 611 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of approximately 13.1% over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Malabar had around 13 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years ending June 2021, totalling approximately 66 homes. As of February 2026, four approvals have been recorded this financial year. The area's population decline suggests new supply has kept pace with demand, providing good buyer choice. Average construction value is $722,000, indicating developers target the premium market segment.

Commercial approvals in FY-26 totalled $60,000, reflecting minimal commercial development activity. Malabar's construction rates per person are similar to Greater Sydney but below national average, suggesting maturity and possible planning constraints. New developments consist of 12.0% detached houses and 88.0% attached dwellings, a shift from the current 62.0% house dominance, likely due to diminishing developable land and evolving housing preferences. Malabar has around 190 people per dwelling approval, characteristic of low-density areas. By 2041, AreaSearch projects an increase of 634 residents, with building activity keeping pace with growth projections despite potential competition among buyers as population grows.

Future projections show Malabar adding 634 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may experience heightened competition as the population grows.

Malabar 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 seven projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones are Malabar Ocean Pool Accessible Amenities Building, Jennifer St, Little Bay, Yorktown Parade and Fitzgerald Avenue Affordable Housing Redevelopment, and Meriton Little Bay Development.

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.

The labour market performance in Malabar lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Malabar has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 9.2% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 3.9%.

As of September 2025, 1,966 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 5.0%, higher than Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation lags at 39.1% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant employment sectors include education & training, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Education & training has a particularly high representation, being 1.5 times the regional level.

Conversely, manufacturing shows lower representation at 3.1% versus the regional average of 5.7%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. In the past year, employment increased by 3.9% while labour force grew by 2.6%, reducing the unemployment rate by 1.1 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney where employment rose by 2.1%, labour force grew by 2.4%, and unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3%. 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 Malabar's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023 indicates that Malabar's median income among taxpayers is $52,024. The average income in the suburb during this period was $72,885. Both figures are above the national averages. In comparison, Greater Sydney had a median income of $60,817 and an average income of $83,003 in the same financial year. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Malabar's median income would be approximately $56,633 by September 2025, with an average income of around $79,343 during the same period. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Malabar cluster around the 52nd percentile nationally. The earnings profile shows that 26.9% of residents (1,303 people) fall within the $4000+ bracket, unlike regional trends where 30.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Malabar exhibits income diversity with 31.3% earning under $800 weekly and 36.2% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating a mixed socioeconomic profile in the suburb. High housing costs consume 16.5% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 52nd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

Malabar's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 62.0% houses and 38.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Sydney metro had 26.9% houses and 73.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Malabar stood at 37.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.9% and rented ones at 35.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,900, higher than Sydney metro's $3,033. Median weekly rent in Malabar was $150, lower than Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, Malabar's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,900 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 68.7% of all households, including 35.9% couples with children, 20.4% couples without children, and 10.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 31.3%, with lone person households at 29.9% and group households comprising 1.7%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.4.

Malabar demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 38.6%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 54.6%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 24.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational credentials are held by 36.0% of residents aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 12.4% and certificates at 23.6%. Educational participation is high, with 45.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 15.1% in secondary education, 14.8% in primary education, and 8.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis shows 69 active transport stops in Malabar, operated by buses. These stops are served by 11 routes, offering a total of 1,696 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 127 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 242 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 24 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Malabar is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Malabar faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 56% of the total population (~2701 people), compared to 70.1% across Greater Sydney.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 8.6 and 7.9% of residents respectively. 68.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 76.0% across Greater Sydney. As of 2021, 22.3% of Malabar's residents are aged 65 and over (1080 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Sydney. This aligns broadly with the general population's health profile.

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

Malabar has a higher cultural diversity compared to most local markets, with 27.1% of its population born overseas and 20.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Malabar, accounting for 64.4% of the population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented in Malabar, comprising 1.8% of the population compared to 4.4% across Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestry groups in Malabar are English (23.5%), Australian (20.9%), and Irish (10.5%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: French is overrepresented at 1.6% in Malabar versus 1.5% regionally, Hungarian at 0.7% versus 0.6%, and Russian at 0.7% versus 1.1%.

Malabar hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Malabar is 46 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and also above Australia's median age of 38 years. The 45-54 age cohort makes up 16.1% of the population in Malabar, compared to the Greater Sydney average, indicating an over-representation of this group locally. Conversely, those aged 25-34 make up only 10.2% of the population in Malabar, suggesting under-representation compared to Greater Sydney's averages. According to the 2021 Census, the proportion of individuals aged 15 to 24 has increased from 10.4% to 12.6%, while those aged 5 to 14 have decreased from 9.4% to 8.5%. By 2041, population forecasts predict significant demographic changes in Malabar. The number of individuals aged 65 to 74 is projected to increase by 195 people (35%), rising from 562 to 758. This growth reflects the aging population trend, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 68% of the projected population increase. Conversely, the populations in the age groups of 5 to 14 and 35 to 44 are expected to decline.