Invest in Sutherland Shire

We are committed to supporting local business and a strong local economy.

Find out why Sutherland Shire is a great place to start or grow your business.

Snapshot of Sutherland Shire

People

• 231,273 people called Sutherland Shire home in 2022, and the population is expected to grow to 257,531 by 2036.
• We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in Australia.
• 61.7% of Sutherland Shire residents hold a formal qualification and 21.7% have a trade qualification or certificate.
• More than 19.1% of the population earns over $2,000 or more per week.

Learn more about the population of Sutherland Shire.

Statistics and demographics

Statistical and demographic information on the Shire is available from several sources.

• The Sutherland Shire Community Profile provides statistics and results from the Censuses of Population and Housing, information about the SEIFA index of disadvantage, migration and employment data, and Estimated Resident Population (ERP) figures for each year.
• South Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) regional profile
• The Sutherland Shire Community Atlas feature 64 maps sourced from data from the 2021 Census. Maps are interactive and all text tables and maps can be copied.
• The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) conducts a census for the whole of Australia every five years. A Sutherland Shire community profile is available from the last census in 2021. The ABS also has a Local Government Portal.

If you have trouble accessing any of these statistics online you can view them for free at any of our libraries.

Lifestyle and location

• We’re only 26 km from the Sydney CBD, 12 km from Sydney International and Domestic Airport and 20 km to Port Botany.
• More than 94% of residents recently surveyed rated their quality of life as good or excellent. In 2020, Sutherland Shire was rated by IPSOS as the second most liveable city in Australia.
• In 2017, 1.4 million visitors and tourists to Sutherland Shire supported 2,500 tourism-related local businesses, contributing $252 million to the local economy.

Business and economy

• Sutherland Shire is home to 22,779  businesses.
• Top industries are retail, health care and construction.
• $12.73 billion Gross Regional Product in financial year ending June 2022.
• Health Care and Social Assistance industry generated $1,100 million in 2021/22.
• 10,897 jobs in local retail in 2021/22.
• Home to infrastructure of regional significance, including the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), and Nandin.
• Construction is the fastest-growing industry in Sutherland Shire.
• Miranda, Sutherland/Kirrawee, Kurnell and ANSTO are locations for future investment and growth.

Key industries

• retail trade
• healthcare and social assistance
• tourism and hospitality
• professional scientific and technical services
• construction
• advanced manufacturing.