Queenscliff (NSW)

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Queenscliff (NSW) is around 3,612 people. This reflects an increase of 205 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,407 people. The increase was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 3,586 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with an additional 3 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 8,209 persons per square kilometer, placing Queenscliff in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 6.0% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area (3.3%) and the SA4 region, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 65.0% 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 population projections, lower quartile growth is anticipated for statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, with Queenscliff expected to increase by 26 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a stayed the same % in total over the 17 years.

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

Queenscliff has seen around 9 new homes approved per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 48 homes. So far in FY-26, 4 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 new residents arrive per new home annually between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating balanced supply and demand. However, this ratio has increased to 34.6 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential supply constraints. New properties are constructed at an average value of $1,054,000, targeting the premium market segment.

This year, $15.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development. Queenscliff maintains similar construction rates per person compared to Greater Sydney, supporting market stability. However, activity is lower than nationally, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New development consists of 67.0% detached dwellings and 33.0% medium and high-density housing, offering options across different price points.

Detached housing favours more than current patterns suggest (17.0% at Census), indicating robust demand for family homes despite increasing density pressures. Queenscliff has approximately 1434 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an established market. With population projections showing stability or decline, reduced housing demand pressures are expected, benefiting potential buyers.

Queenscliff has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified six projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable projects include Freshwater Beach Masterplan, The Alba, Warringah Recreation Centre Upgrade, and Harbord Hotel Planning Proposal (37-Room Hotel Wing). The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Queenscliff exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Queenscliff has a highly educated workforce with the technology sector being particularly notable. Its unemployment rate is 3.4%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, 2,434 residents are employed and the unemployment rate is 0.8% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Queenscliff stands at 79.1%, exceeding Greater Sydney's 70.2%. According to Census responses, 61.2% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The leading employment industries among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. Queenscliff has a high specialization in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level, but it is under-represented in health care & social assistance, at 10.8% compared to Greater Sydney's 14.1%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between December 2024 and December 2025, Queenscliff's labour force decreased by 0.6%, employment declined by 1.5%, leading to a rise in unemployment of 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest total employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Queenscliff's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.6% 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 ending June 2023 shows that Queenscliff suburb has exceptionally high incomes nationally. The median assessed income is $84,242 while the average income stands at $150,676. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's figures of a median income of $60,817 and an average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year ending June 2023, current estimates would be approximately $91,706 (median) and $164,026 (average) as of September 2025. From the Census conducted in August 2021, household, family, and personal incomes all rank highly in Queenscliff, between the 96th and 97th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that the $4000+ earnings band captures 34.4% of the community (1,242 individuals), differing from patterns across the region where $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 30.9%. The substantial proportion of high earners (48.9% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout Queenscliff. High housing costs consume 16.9% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 95th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Queenscliff features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Queenscliff's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 17.0% houses and 83.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Queenscliff was at 26.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.1% and rented ones at 46.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,033, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $650, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Queenscliff's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Queenscliff features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 64.3% of all households, including 21.6% couples with children, 36.0% couples without children, and 6.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for 35.7%, with lone person households at 27.3% and group households comprising 8.0%. The median household size is 2.2 people, smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Queenscliff's residents aged 15 and above have a higher proportion of university qualifications than both national and state averages. Specifically, 56.4% of Queenscliff residents hold such qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in New South Wales (NSW). This educational advantage is reflected in the types of qualifications held: bachelor degrees are the most common at 38.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 13.7%, and graduate diplomas at 3.9%. Vocational pathways also contribute significantly to educational attainment, with advanced diplomas accounting for 11.3% and certificates for 12.3%.

Notably, 22.1% of the population is actively engaged in formal education, including 6.0% in tertiary education, 5.3% in primary education, and 5.0% pursuing secondary education.

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

Queenscliff has 31 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 30 different routes that collectively facilitate 3,155 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's home to the nearest transport stop is 85 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility in the area. As a predominantly residential region, most residents commute outwards for work or other purposes. Cars are the primary mode of transportation, used by 78% of residents, while buses account for 8%, and walking makes up 5%. The average number of vehicles owned per dwelling is 1.0, which is below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, at 61.2%, work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. On average, there are 450 trips made daily across all routes, equating to approximately 101 weekly trips per individual stop.

Queenscliff's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Queenscliff's health outcomes data shows excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 86% of the total population (3,112 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and 55.7% nationally.

Asthma and mental health issues are the most common medical conditions, affecting 6.7% and 4.9% of residents respectively. A total of 79.8% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Queenscliff has 12.5% of its population aged 65 and over (451 people), which is lower than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Queenscliff, as per the 2016 Census, had a higher linguistic diversity with 16.1% of its population speaking a language other than English at home. Overseas-born residents made up 39.3%. Christianity was the prevalent religion at 38.6%, but Judaism was disproportionately represented at 0.4%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.8%.

Top ancestral groups were English (30.0%), Australian (18.6%), and Irish (10.4%), with notable divergences in French (1.8% vs regional 0.5%), Spanish (1.2% vs 0.6%), and Welsh (0.8% vs 0.4%).

Queenscliff's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Queenscliff's median age is 36 years, nearly matching Greater Sydney's average of 37 and slightly below Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Queenscliff has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (25.1%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (4.9%). This 25-34 concentration is significantly higher than the national average of 14.4%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 8.2% to 10.0%, while the 5-14 cohort has declined from 6.7% to 4.9% and the 25-34 group has decreased from 26.3% to 25.1%. Demographic projections suggest significant changes in Queenscliff's age profile by 2041. The 75-84 cohort is expected to grow by 58%, adding 87 residents to reach a total of 239. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 95% of population growth, indicating a trend towards demographic aging. Conversely, the 45-54 and 5-14 age groups are projected to experience population declines.