Palm Beach (NSW)

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of November 2025, Palm Beach (NSW) statistical area's estimated population is around 1,649. This reflects a decrease of 3 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,652. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 1,642 following examination of ABS' latest ERP data release in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level equates to a density ratio of 617 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Palm Beach (NSW) demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.8%, outpacing its SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 97.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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. Considering projected demographic shifts and aggregated SA2-level projections, Palm Beach (NSW) is expected to expand by 107 persons to reach 2041, reflecting an increase of 7.7% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Palm Beach averaged approximately one new dwelling approval per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, an estimated nine homes were approved, with three more in FY-26. Over the same period, about eight people moved to the area for each dwelling built, indicating demand significantly outpaces supply.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $2,537,000, suggesting developers focus on the premium market. This financial year, $48,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting Palm Beach's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Palm Beach has substantially reduced construction (62.0% below regional average per person), which typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Nationally, this is also below average, potentially due to the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent development has comprised entirely detached houses, preserving Palm Beach's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.

There are estimated 1106 people per dwelling approval in the area, reflecting its quiet development environment. Population forecasts indicate Palm Beach will gain 127 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Palm Beach has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects likely to impact the area. Key projects are Snappermans, Palm Beach Shop-Top Housing (Former General Store site), Palm Beach Rock Pool Renewal, and Mona Vale Hospital Reconfiguration. The following details those most relevant:.

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.

AreaSearch analysis indicates Palm Beach maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Palm Beach has a highly educated workforce. The technology sector is notably represented, with an unemployment rate of 3.0% as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025805 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.2% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Palm Beach is 7.4 percentage points lower than Greater Sydney's at 52.6%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and accommodation & food. Professional & technical services have a particularly strong presence with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, health care & social assistance has limited representation with 8.2% employment compared to the regional average of 14.1%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census working population data. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, labour force decreased by 1.0% and employment declined by 1.3%, leading to a rise in unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%. State-level data as of 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%, compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Palm Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Palm Beach's median income among taxpayers is $68,415. The average income is $154,182. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high. Greater Sydney's median income is $60,817 with an average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Palm Beach would be approximately $74,477 (median) and $167,843 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data ranks Palm Beach's household, family and personal incomes highly, between the 94th and 95th percentiles nationally. The predominant income cohort in Palm Beach is 35.6% of locals (587 people) earning $4000+ per week, differing from the regional norm where the $1,500 - $2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. Economic strength is evident with 47.7% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 13.6% of income. Strong earnings place residents within the 95th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Palm Beach, as per the latest Census, consisted of 89.3% houses and 10.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 72.1% houses and 27.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Palm Beach was at 58.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.9% and rented ones at 17.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $4,000, higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,200. Median weekly rent in Palm Beach was recorded at $895, compared to Sydney metro's $695. Nationally, Palm Beach's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Palm Beach has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 73.2% of all households, including 22.9% couples with children, 41.8% couples without children, and 7.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 26.8%, with lone person households at 24.5% and group households comprising 1.7%. The median household size is 2.3 people, smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Educational achievement in Palm Beach places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Palm Beach is notable. As of the latest data, 45.8% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, exceeding national (30.4%) and NSW state (32.2%) averages. University graduates comprise 31.6%, postgraduate qualifications holders are at 11.4%, and graduate diplomas holders stand at 2.8%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 28.8% of residents aged 15 and above holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.9%) and certificates (15.9%).

Currently, 21.0% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, with secondary education at 6.4%, primary education at 5.7%, and tertiary education at 5.0%.

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

Palm Beach has 32 active public transport stops operating within its area. These are a mix of ferry and bus services. There are 8 individual routes in total, which collectively provide 3,125 weekly passenger trips.

The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 135 meters. Service frequency across all routes averages 446 trips per day, equating to approximately 97 weekly trips per individual stop.

Palm Beach's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data shows positive outcomes for Palm Beach residents with low prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover rate is high at approximately 88% of the total population (1,443 people), compared to 73.8% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 8.6 and 6.2% of residents respectively.

A majority, 70.2%, report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.8% in Greater Sydney. Palm Beach has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 38.9% (641 people), compared to 24.1% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, even better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Palm Beach had below average cultural diversity as of the 2016 Census, with 77.5% of residents born in Australia, 91.1% being Australian citizens, and 94.6% speaking only English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 53.0% of Palm Beach's population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented, making up 1.1% compared to 0.3% in Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestry groups were English (36.6%), Australian (21.2%), and Irish (11.1%). Other ethnicities also showed variations: Scottish at 10.3% (vs regional 8.7%), French at 1.1% (vs 0.8%), and Spanish at 1.1% (vs 0.4%).

Palm Beach ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Palm Beach is 58 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and also above the national norm of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, the 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented in Palm Beach at 19.5%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 4.3%. This concentration of the 65-74 age group is well above the national average of 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 8.4% to 10.5%, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 14.6% to 16.3%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 age group has declined from 18.6% to 16.9%, and the 5 to 14 age group dropped from 6.7% to 5.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Palm Beach, with the 75 to 84 cohort projected to grow by 46%, adding 124 residents to reach 393. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive all population growth, underscoring trends of demographic aging. Conversely, both the 45 to 54 and 55 to 64 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.