Moruya

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

As of May 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Moruya is around 4,377. This reflects a growth of 82 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 4,295. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 4,367 following examination of ABS' latest ERP data release in June 2025 and an additional 47 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 56 persons per square kilometer. Moruya's growth rate of 1.9% since the census is within 0.7 percentage points of the SA3 area's growth rate of 2.6%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Interstate migration contributed approximately 56% of overall population gains during recent periods, primarily driving the area's population growth.

AreaSearch adopts 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. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb of Moruya is expected to increase its population by 336 persons to reach a total of 4,713 by 2041. This reflects an overall increase of approximately 7.5% over the 16-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Moruya according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Moruya averaged approximately 25 new dwelling approvals per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 126 homes were approved, with an additional 17 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, each new home attracted about 0.9 new residents annually over the past five financial years.

This indicates that new construction is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections. The average expected construction cost of these properties was $523,000, suggesting a focus on premium segment development. In FY-26, commercial approvals totaled $4.5 million, indicating limited commercial development activity in the area relative to residential development.

Moruya's building activity per capita is comparable to that of the rest of NSW, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader region. However, development activity has shown some moderation in recent periods. New developments consist predominantly of standalone homes (78.0%) and townhouses or apartments (22.0%), reflecting the area's traditional low-density character and focus on family homes. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 451 people, indicating a quiet and low-activity development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Moruya is projected to grow by approximately 326 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favorable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects likely impacting the region. Notable projects are South Moruya Roundabout, Moruya Housing Infrastructure Project, New Eurobodalla Regional Hospital, and Moruya Bypass. The following details projects expected to have the most relevance.

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

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While Moruya retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.4%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Moruya has a balanced workforce with representation from both white and blue collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well-represented in the area. As of December 2025, Moruya's unemployment rate is 3.4%.

This is 0.5% lower than Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation in Moruya stands at 50.1%, compared to 60.5% in Regional NSW. According to Census responses, only 10.6% of residents work from home. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

Retail trade is particularly strong with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. However, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 2.8%, compared to Regional NSW's 5.3%. Labour force levels in Moruya decreased by 4.4% over the year to December 2025, with employment decreasing by 3.7%. This resulted in a fall of 0.6 percentage points in unemployment. In contrast, Regional NSW experienced an employment decline of 1.2% and labour force decline of 0.8%, leading to a rise of 0.4 percentage points in unemployment. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia suggest that Moruya's employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released in financial year 2023, Moruya had a median income among taxpayers of $39,344. The average income stood at $50,461. This is lower than the national average and compares to levels of $52,390 and $65,215 across Regional NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Moruya would be approximately $43,404 (median) and $55,669 (average) as of March 2026. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Moruya all fall between the 9th and 10th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that 28.1% of locals (1,229 people) predominantly earn within the $400 - $799 category, unlike trends in the region where 29.9% fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 range. After housing costs, 85.6% of income remains, ranking Moruya at only the 12th percentile nationally for disposable income.

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

Moruya's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 89.3% houses and 10.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Moruya stood at 49.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.4% and rented dwellings at 22.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, below Regional NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Moruya was $300, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Moruya's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 67.0% of all households, including 19.4% couples with children, 35.1% couples without children, and 11.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for 33.0%, with lone person households at 30.3% and group households comprising 2.8%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in Moruya fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 16.8%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.5%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 44.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (32.8%). Educational participation is high, with 26.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 9.9% in primary, 7.5% in secondary, and 1.9% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 26.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.9% in primary education, 7.5% in secondary education, and 1.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Moruya has 161 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 34 different routes that collectively provide 323 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility in Moruya is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 198 meters from the nearest transport stop. Most residents commute outward due to its primarily residential nature. Car remains the dominant mode of transportation at 92%, while 5% walk. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, only 10.6% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 46 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 2 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

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

Moruya faces substantial health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are notable across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 47% of the total population (around 2,055 people), compared to 51.9% in Regional NSW and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 13.0 and 9.1% of residents respectively, while 57.8% report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Regional NSW. Working-age residents face significant health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. Moruya has 31.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,378 people), higher than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present notable challenges, ranking even higher than the general population nationally.

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

Moruya, surveyed in 2016, had low cultural diversity with 89.1% citizens, 88.2% born in Australia, and 96.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated Moruya's religion in 2016, at 54.3%, slightly below Regional NSW's 55.9%. Top ancestral groups were English (31.8%), Australian (30.9%), and Irish (9.7%).

Notably, Welsh (0.8% vs 0.5%), Hungarian (0.4% vs 0.2%), and Dutch (1.7% vs 1.0%) were overrepresented in Moruya compared to Regional NSW.

Moruya ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Moruya is 52 years, which is significantly higher than the average for Regional NSW at 43 years, and also above the national norm of 38 years. Compared to Regional NSW's average, the cohort aged 65-74 is notably over-represented in Moruya at 17.2%, while those aged 15-24 are under-represented at 9.2%. This concentration of residents aged 65-74 is well above the national average of 9.4%. From 2021 to present, the proportion of residents aged 75 to 84 has grown from 8.6% to 10.4%, while the cohort aged 55 to 64 has declined from 18.1% to 15.0%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate that Moruya's 85+ age group is projected to grow by 69%, adding 118 residents to reach a total of 289. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 52% of population growth, reflecting demographic aging trends. Conversely, both the 5-14 and 65-74 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.