Cronulla, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Cronulla is a beachside suburb in Sydney's south, about 26 km from the central business district in the Sutherland Shire. It is the only Sydney beach reached directly by train, the rail terminus giving it a steady flow of visitors to a string of surf beaches — North Cronulla, Elouera, Wanda and Shelly — and a long ocean esplanade. Surfing and swimming have shaped its culture, and the offshore Shark Island draws bodyboarders. The name derives from the Gweagal word Kurranulla, said to mean 'place of the small pink seashell'; the Gweagal, a clan of the Dharawal people, are the area's traditional inhabitants.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Cronulla is more socio-economically advantaged than about 94% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1089, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Cronulla at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 17,899
- Median age
- 43
- Median weekly household income
- $2,058
- SEIFA score
- 1089
- Coordinates
- -34.0563, 151.1541
Cronulla demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Cronulla using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 30%, 41% of homes are rented, and 18% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 2,127 | 12% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,733 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 5,405 | 30% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 4,788 | 27% |
| Seniors (65+) | 3,852 | 22% |
Share of the 17,905 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,681 | 33% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,887 | 24% |
| Rented | 3,299 | 41% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,640 | 20% |
| Townhouses & semis | 487 | 6% |
| Flats & apartments | 5,815 | 73% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 8,016 occupied private dwellings in Cronulla.
- Median weekly rent
- $500
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,404
- Average household size
- 2.1 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,719
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,179
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 3,041 (18%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,601 (9%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 264 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 9,761 (64%)
- Labour-force participation
- 65.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.2%
- Employed full-time
- 5,893
- Employed part-time
- 3,013
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Cronulla
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Cronulla is January (average daytime high around 26.6°C) and the coolest is July (around 17.2°C). The area receives roughly 902 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26.6°C | 19.6°C | 80 mm |
| Feb | 25.9°C | 19.2°C | 103 mm |
| Mar | 24.8°C | 18.2°C | 149 mm |
| Apr | 22.6°C | 14.8°C | 82 mm |
| May | 19.9°C | 11.4°C | 46 mm |
| Jun | 17.1°C | 9.5°C | 69 mm |
| Jul | 17.2°C | 8.1°C | 59 mm |
| Aug | 18°C | 8.6°C | 54 mm |
| Sep | 20.4°C | 10.7°C | 44 mm |
| Oct | 22.6°C | 13.6°C | 78 mm |
| Nov | 23.7°C | 15.5°C | 70 mm |
| Dec | 25.6°C | 17.7°C | 68 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Cronulla
Where is Cronulla?
Cronulla is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Cronulla?
At the 2021 Census, Cronulla had a population of about 17,899.
Is Cronulla an advantaged area?
Cronulla has an ABS SEIFA score of 1089, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 94 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 94% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Cronulla?
Cronulla has average daytime highs of about 22°C and overnight lows of about 13.9°C, with roughly 902 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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