Ocean Shores

Ocean Shores lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

By Nov 2025, Ocean Shores' population was estimated at around 6,093. This reflected a growth of 316 people from the 2021 Census figure of 5,777, marking an increase of 5.5%. AreaSearch validated this estimate based on their examination of ERP data released by ABS in June 2024 and additional new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a resident population estimate of 6,062. The suburb's growth rate exceeded the SA4 region (3.3%) and non-metro areas, highlighting its status as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 57.9% to overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections where applicable. Considering these projections, Ocean Shores is expected to grow by 1,032 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 16.3% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Ocean Shores when compared nationally

Ocean Shores has seen approximately 21 new homes approved each year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 108 homes were approved, with an additional 7 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, for every home built over the past five financial years, about 4.1 new residents have been added.

This supply lagging behind demand has led to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $591,000, slightly above the regional average. In FY-26, $1.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating a predominantly residential focus.

Compared to Rest of NSW, Ocean Shores has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 55th percentile nationally. The area's development consists of 71.0% detached dwellings and 29.0% attached dwellings, maintaining its traditional low density character. There are approximately 286 people per dwelling approval in Ocean Shores. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the location is expected to grow by 992 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Ocean Shores has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects that could affect this region: Place Plan for New Brighton, South Golden Beach and Ocean Shores; Bayside Brunswick Heads (Wallum); Marshalls Creek Boardwalk; Gulgan Village. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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The employment landscape in Ocean Shores presents a mixed picture: unemployment remains low at 3.9%, yet recent job losses have affected its comparative national standing

Ocean Shores has a well-educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate stands at 3.9%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of June 2025, there are 2,852 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.3% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation is similar to Rest of NSW at 56.4%. Key employment industries among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Notably, professional & technical services have a high concentration with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average.

However, public administration & safety has limited presence at 3.7%, compared to the regional average of 7.5%. The area may offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. In the 12-month period ending Sep-22, labour force decreased by 4.6% and employment declined by 4.0%, leading to a fall in unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment fell by 0.1%, labour force expanded by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ocean Shores' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Ocean Shores has lower income compared to national averages. The median income is $39,774 and the average income stands at $55,867. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $49,459 and the average income is $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Ocean Shores would be approximately $44,790 (median) and $62,912 (average) as of September 2025. Census data indicates that household, family and personal incomes in Ocean Shores rank modestly, between the 30th and 34th percentiles. Income distribution shows that the largest segment comprises 35.6% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (2,169 residents), which is similar to the regional pattern where 29.9% fall within this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Ocean Shores, with only 80.3% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 29th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Ocean Shores is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Dwelling structure in Ocean Shores, as per the latest Census, consisted of 83.8% houses and 16.3% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 75.1% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ocean Shores was 38.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.7% and rented ones at 27.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,893, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,980. Median weekly rent in Ocean Shores was $508, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $450. Nationally, Ocean Shores's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Ocean Shores features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 66.0% of all households, including 24.5% couples with children, 25.2% couples without children, and 15.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 34.0%, with lone person households at 25.8% and group households comprising 8.1%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the Rest of NSW average.

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

Educational attainment in Ocean Shores is notably high with 32% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This compares to 21.3% in the rest of NSW and 24.3% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 21.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 6.2% and graduate diplomas at 3.9%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent with 38.5% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (14.2%) and certificates (24.3%).

Educational participation is high with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.8% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 4.2% pursuing tertiary education. Ocean Shores Public School serves the area with an enrollment of 290 students as of a recent report. The school's ICSEA score is 1041, indicating typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities. It caters exclusively to primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas due to limited local capacity (4.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 13.2).

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

The analysis of public transport in Ocean Shores shows that there are currently 18 active transport stops operating. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 27 individual routes providing service to the area. Each week, these routes facilitate 213 passenger trips collectively.

The accessibility of transport is rated as good, with residents typically located approximately 296 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are 30 trips per day across all routes, which equates to around 11 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Ocean Shores is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Ocean Shores shows superior health outcomes for both younger and older age groups, with low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 49% (~2,989 people) have private health cover, lower than the Rest of NSW's 52.3%, but close to the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues affect 8.5% and arthritis impacts 8.1% of residents, while 70.6% report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 68.0% in Rest of NSW.

As of June 20XX (exact year not specified), 19.2% of residents are aged 65 and over (1,169 people), lower than the 23.6% in Rest of NSW. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, outperforming the general population in various health metrics.

In terms of cultural diversity, Ocean Shores records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Ocean Shores' cultural diversity aligns with the broader region, with 86.3% being citizens, 78.9% born in Australia, and 90.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 27.8%. Judaism, however, is overrepresented at 1.8%, compared to 0.6% regionally.

The top three ancestry groups are English (29.2%), Australian (23.1%), and Irish (11.2%). Notably, French (1.1%) is overrepresented compared to the regional average of 0.9%, as are Russian (0.6% vs 0.3%) and Spanish (0.6% vs 0.5%).

Ocean Shores hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Ocean Shores has a median age of 42 years, similar to Rest of NSW's average of 43 and considerably older than Australia's average of 38 years. The age profile shows that the 35-44 year-olds are particularly prominent at 16.6%, while the 15-24 group is smaller at 8.7% compared to Rest of NSW. Since 2021, the 35-44 age group has grown from 14.2% to 16.6% of the population, while the 55-64 cohort has declined from 14.5% to 12.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Ocean Shores. The 35-44 age group is expected to grow by 28%, adding 284 residents to reach 1,296. In contrast, numbers in the 55-64 age range are expected to fall by 6%.