See how our community and our economy are changing. Have more confidence in your business decisions or make your next school or research project stand out! 

Insights from Statistics

Profile ID provide us with up-to-date snapshots presented in easy-to-use, interactive formats using the latest data sources including Census, Journey to Work and National Institute of Economy and Industry Research (NIEIR). 

• Northern Beaches Economic Profile gives you a rundown of things like Gross Regional Product, local jobs, local businesses, employment, unemployment, population, building approvals, industry structure, and even journey to work time.
• Northern Beaches Community Profile provides a demographic breakdown including age, gender, ancestry, education, employment and housing information.
• Population Forecast estimates our growing population so we can predict impacts it might have, such as demand for services and housing.
• Social Atlas presents key Northern Beaches socio-demographic characteristics as interactive maps.

Destination NSW has a range of tourism data to help visitor economy businesses strengthen their marketing and business decisions.

Northern Beaches Visitor Survey Infographic (Conducted in January & March 2020, Manly & Palm Beach)

Manly Visitor Profile 2024 source through the International Visitors Survey and National Visitors Survey, supplied by Tourism Research Australia

Small business survey snapshot

Northern Beaches Council runs a yearly business survey, below are the results from 2025:

Key summary of findings: 

• Local businesses are under pressure from rising costs. Rent, insurance, energy and supplies are the biggest concerns. Many businesses are also facing lower customer demand and challenges with cash flow or access to finance. These issues are raised far more often than any others.
• More than half of businesses report lower revenue and profitability compared to 12 months ago. Only a small number are seeing improvement, pointing to tough trading conditions across the Northern Beaches.
• Businesses are asking Council for practical support. The top priority is help attracting more customers to local centres, followed by clearer information on grants and funding, and simpler, faster Council processes and approvals.
• Overall, the results highlight a clear need for targeted Council action to help ease cost pressures, stimulate customer demand, and reduce red tape for small businesses.
• These findings align with the NSW Small Business Commissioner’s Momentum Survey. They show Northern Beaches businesses are experiencing the same pressures as small businesses across NSW, confirming these challenges reflect broader economic conditions, not just local issues.  

Latest Business Survey 240 responses – LGA wide

Businesses surveyed represent a diverse mix, with retail making up 30%, hospitality 27%, and health and wellness 26%. The majority operate from bricks-and-mortar locations (83%), while 17% are home-based. In terms of performance, more than half of businesses (55%) reported a decrease in profitability, with 29% staying the same and only 13% experiencing growth. Revenue trends were slightly more balanced, with 46% reporting a decrease, 31% no change, and 19% an increase.

Confidence levels are mixed. When it comes to business prospects, 27% feel fairly confident, 25% are fairly worried, and 24% remain neutral. Concerns about the broader economy are more pronounced, with 31% fairly worried, another 31% neutral, and 19% very worried. Looking ahead, nearly half of businesses (47%) are planning to grow, change, or expand within the next 12 months, while 30% are not and 23% remain unsure. Planned initiatives include improving products or services (27%), hiring more staff (21%), and investing in new equipment (20%).

The biggest challenges facing businesses are rising costs—such as rent, insurance, and energy—identified by 32% of respondents, followed by a lack of customer demand (18%) and government red tape (12%). To support businesses, respondents indicated that Council could play a key role in attracting more customers (32%), providing grants and funding opportunities (20%), and simplifying Council processes (17%).
 

Anything else you’d like to share?
In order of popular themes:

• Reduce business costs and Council fees
• Simplify Council processes and approvals
• Drive customer demand and foot traffic
• Improve parking, access and movement
• Ensure fair rules and consistent enforcement
• Improve streetscape, lighting and amenity
• Support local and independent businesses
• Strengthen business engagement and communication
• Support workforce attraction and skills
• Address planning, housing and long-term viability
   

Download the snapshot here