Wamberal

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

The population of the Wamberal statistical area (Lv2) is estimated to be around 7,117 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 126 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,991. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 7,106 in June 2024, based on examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS, and an additional 3 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 811 persons per square kilometer, which is roughly inline with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Wamberal has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.0%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 63.0% 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 the 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 Wamberal (SA2) is expected to increase by 496 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 6.7% over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Wamberal averaged around 14 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 72 homes. As of FY-26, 8 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25 gained 2.4 new residents per year. New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $741,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments.

This financial year has seen $3.2 million in commercial development approvals, suggesting limited commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Wamberal exhibits approximately half the construction activity per person and ranks among the 26th percentile nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing dwellings. Recent construction comprises 67.0% detached houses and 33.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a shift from the area's predominantly house-based housing stock (currently 87.0%). The estimated population per dwelling approval is 643 people, reflecting Wamberal's quiet development environment. By 2041, AreaSearch estimates Wamberal will grow by 474 residents.

With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

"Infrastructure changes significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 19 projects likely affecting the region, including key initiatives like the Central Coast Highway Upgrade (Wamberal to Bateau Bay), Wamberal Beach Coastal Protection Works, and Terrigal Public School Upgrade.".

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Wamberal performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Wamberal has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 1.4% as of September 2025.

There was estimated employment growth of 3.0% over the past year. As of that date, 3946 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 2.8%, below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Wamberal was 64.9%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training.

Health care & social assistance is particularly strong with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level. Finance & insurance has limited presence at 4.1% compared to the regional figure of 7.3%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data comparison between working population and resident population. Over a 12-month period ending September 2025, employment in Wamberal increased by 3.0%, while labour force grew by 3.4%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points. In Greater Sydney over the same period, employment grew by 2.1%, labour force expanded by 2.4%, and unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points. As of 25-November-25, NSW employment had contracted by 0.03% (losing 2260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wamberal's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Wamberal's median income among taxpayers is $57,465. The average income in the suburb is $86,724. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, current estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $62,556 (median) and $94,408 (average). According to the 2021 Census figures, household incomes rank at the 88th percentile ($2,407 weekly). The earnings profile shows that 27.8% of residents (1,978 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket. This aligns with the region where this cohort also represents 30.9%. Economic strength is evident through 40.1% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 14.3% of income. Strong earnings rank residents within the 88th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Wamberal's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 87.4% houses and 12.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 74.2% houses and 25.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wamberal was at 38.0%, mirroring the Sydney metro level, with mortgaged dwellings at 44.6% and rented ones at 17.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Wamberal was $2,500, higher than Sydney metro's $2,150. Median weekly rent in Wamberal was $500, compared to Sydney metro's $400. Nationally, Wamberal's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,500 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375 at $500.

Wamberal features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 80.3% of all households, including 42.0% couples with children, 28.1% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 19.7%, with lone person households at 16.7% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

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

Wamberal's educational attainment is notably higher than broader regional benchmarks. Among residents aged 15 and above, 31.4% have university qualifications, compared to the SA4 region's 20.8%. This includes 22.2% with bachelor degrees, 6.3% with postgraduate qualifications, and 2.9% with graduate diplomas. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 36.7% of residents holding such qualifications - this comprises 13.1% with advanced diplomas and 23.6% with certificates.

Educational participation is high in Wamberal, with 32.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.7% in primary education, 9.9% in secondary education, and 5.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows that as of March 2019, there are 68 active transport stops operating within Wamberal. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with 83 individual routes in total providing 1,246 weekly passenger trips combined. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located just 155 meters from the nearest transport stop.

Service frequency averages 178 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 18 weekly trips per individual stop.

Wamberal's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis shows strong health performance across Wamberal. Both younger and older age groups have low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is high at approximately 61% of the total population (4,352 people), compared to 55.3% in Greater Sydney and 55.7% nationally.

Asthma and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 7.3% and 7.0% of residents respectively. 72.4% of residents report no medical ailments, higher than the 64.8% average in Greater Sydney. The area has 19.7% of residents aged 65 and over (1,402 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 24.5%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, mirroring the general population's health profile.

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

Wamberal had a lower than average cultural diversity, with 84.1% of its population born in Australia, 92.2% being citizens, and 94.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Wamberal, comprising 52.8% of its population. Judaism, however, was overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, with 0.1% of Wamberal's population identifying as such, versus a regional average of 0.2%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (31.6%), Australian (30.1%), and Irish (9.2%). Notably, Welsh (1.0%) South African (0.6%) and Lebanese (0.4%) ethnicities had higher representations in Wamberal compared to the Greater Sydney region.

Wamberal's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Wamberal has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's median age of 38. The 55-64 age group is notably over-represented in Wamberal at 12.7%, compared to the Greater Sydney average. Conversely, the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 7.6%. Between 2021 and present, the 75-84 age group has grown from 5.1% to 6.5% of the population, while the 85+ cohort has increased from 1.9% to 3.1%. During this period, the 25-34 age group has declined from 8.9% to 7.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Wamberal's age profile. The 85+ age cohort is projected to increase by 304 people (138%), rising from 220 to 525. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 76% of total population growth, reflecting Wamberal's aging demographic trend. Meanwhile, the 25-34 and 5-14 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.