Cronulla
NSWCronulla is a growing suburb in NSW with 17,899 residents.
- SAL code
- 11120
- SA2
- 128011604
- Population
- 17,899
- LGA
- Sutherland
Cronulla, NSW had 17,899 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 3.8% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 43. Households are most often couples without children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,404 a month. Around 56.9% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 41.1%. Most dwellings are flats or apartments, making up 73.2% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 17 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Cronulla, NSW at a glance
Cronulla is the Sutherland Shire's beachside town centre, ~26 km south of the Sydney CBD and the only Sydney suburb with a train station that walks straight to the surf. Housing splits between a tight peninsula of detached homes and a deep apartment market clustered around the mall and esplanade. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Cronulla suits people who want a coastal lifestyle without giving up the train. The peninsula carries detached homes on tight blocks alongside a deep stock of apartments around the mall and esplanade — the only suburb in Sydney where the station walks straight to the beach. Cronulla Beach, North Cronulla and the Esplanade walk anchor the weekend rhythm; Cronulla Mall along Cronulla Street holds the cafes, restaurants and grocers. The T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra line runs to Central in ~50 minutes, and Westfield Miranda is ~6 km north for full-line shopping. Cronulla Public, Cronulla South Public and Cronulla High cover the local catchment, with St Aloysius College adding a Catholic option. In short: a beachside town centre with rare train access and a working high street, priced like the scarce coastal real estate it is.
For investors
Cronulla is a unit-led market with house pricing well into Sydney's premium tier. Median house $3.43M against $750/week rent is a ~2.05% gross yield; units sit at $695/week on a ~3.14% yield (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month growth +7.9% houses, +13.5% units. 99 house and 447 unit sales over the past year — the unit market is genuinely deep. Days-on-market 51 (houses) and 25 (units) per htag (2026).
Strengths
- Deep unit market — 447 sales in 12 months gives genuine entry/exit liquidity (htag 2026).
- Strong recent unit growth (+13.5% YoY) outpacing the house segment.
- Beach + train + walkable town centre is a scarce Sydney combination — supports long-run rental demand.
- Sydney-wide vacancy ~1.5% (April 2026, PIPA) keeps leasing conditions tight in coastal pockets.
Trade-offs
- House yield ~2.05% — negative-gearing territory at current rates; this is a capital-growth play, not cashflow.
- Median house $3.43M is a high entry point that narrows the buyer pool on resale.
- Houses sit ~51 days on market — slower turnover than the unit segment (~25 days).
- Peninsula geography caps new supply, but apartment approvals around the centre can still pressure unit yields short-term.
What's coming
Sutherland Shire Council's Cronulla Town Centre Stage 2C – Town Square upgrade started June 2025 and is due to complete June 2026, adding a performance area, new amenities, paving, lighting and mature plantings. The North Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club redevelopment cleared its heritage hurdle and is moving toward construction in 2026. A formal Cronulla Place Plan goes to community across 2026–2027.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a rare beach + train + town-centre combination at premium pricing. For investors: a low-yield, growth-led market where the unit segment carries the depth and the recent momentum.
Population
?17,899
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+3.8%
3yr: +4.0% · 10yr: +5.2%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,058/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
43
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?9/10
SA2 · least disadvantaged
Unemployment
?2.6%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
5
4 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?10
5 long day, 4 OSHC
Parks & green space
?17
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?46
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?69
Sutherland · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Cronulla suburb alone is ~17,899 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 22,018 to 25,614 over 24 years, averaging 0.6% per year.
Schools
2 in suburbSector
2 public
Type
2 primary
Total enrolment
777
Avg per school
389
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Cronulla SPS38.8%
- Cronulla PS 32.9%
- Woolooware PS 26.6%
- Kurnell PS 0.0%
Secondary
Cronulla HS90.7%
- Woolooware HS 8.7%
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 0.8%Predominantly apartments (73.2%), mixed tenure (56.9% own or mortgage), built for families (47% are 2 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
NSW 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
This suburb falls outside every bushfire polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Flood risk
This suburb falls outside every flood polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
14 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 22.3% | 0.86 km² |
| R4 | ZoneResidential | 21.1% | 0.82 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 13.3% | 0.52 km² |
| C4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 12.0% | 0.47 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 11.8% | 0.46 km² |
| RE2 | ZoneRecreation | 8.9% | 0.34 km² |
| E2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 5.9% | 0.23 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 2.6% | 0.10 km² |
| SP1 | ZoneSpecial use | 0.6% | 0.02 km² |
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.4% | 0.01 km² |
| W2 | ZoneWaterway | 0.4% | 0.01 km² |
| SP3 | ZoneSpecial use | 0.3% | 0.01 km² |
| UL | ZoneOther | 0.2% | 8,684 m² |
| W1 | ZoneWaterway | 0.1% | 4,928 m² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.