Forster
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Forster reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Forster's population, as of August 2025, is approximately 14,905. This figure represents an increase of 196 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 14,709. The estimated resident population of Forster was 14,915 as of June 2024, with an additional 535 validated new addresses since the Census date contributing to this increase. This results in a population density ratio of 440 persons per square kilometer. Forster's growth rate of 1.3% since the census is within 0.6 percentage points of the SA3 area's growth rate of 1.9%. Interstate migration accounted for approximately 68.6% of overall population gains in recent periods.

AreaSearch uses 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 utilizes 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 projected demographic shifts, Forster is expected to increase by approximately 1,832 persons by 2041, reflecting a total increase of 12.2% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Forster among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Forster has recorded approximately 117 residential properties granted approval each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, a total of 588 homes were approved, with an additional 13 approved so far in FY26. The average number of new residents per year per dwelling constructed over these five years was 0.2.

This supply meets or exceeds demand, offering greater buyer choice and supporting potential population growth above projections. New properties are constructed at an average value of $781,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY26, Forster has recorded $21.4 million in commercial development approvals, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development.

Compared to the rest of NSW, Forster shows moderately higher new home approvals, at 31.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. This maintains good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. New building activity in Forster consists of 60.0% detached houses and 40.0% townhouses or apartments, offering a blend of attached housing types across various price ranges from spacious family homes to more accessible compact options. The location has approximately 99 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Population forecasts indicate Forster will gain 1,826 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Forster has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 29thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified ten projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Forster Tuncurry Public Hospital, Forster and Old Bar New Ambulance Stations, North Tuncurry Sustainable Community Development, and Forster Main Beach Masterplan. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Forster shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Forster's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs. Key sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food services.

As of June 2025, Forster has an unemployment rate of 4.3%, with an estimated employment growth of 0.5% over the past year. There are 5,846 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.7% higher than Rest of NSW's 3.7%. Workforce participation is lower at 41.7%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Health care & social assistance has notable concentration, being 1.3 times the regional average.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 1.6% of Forster's workforce. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 0.5%, while labour force grew by 0.9%, leading to a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National forecasts project employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Forster's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.3% over ten years.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Forster's median income among taxpayers is $42,100, with an average of $55,644. This is below the national average, compared to Rest of NSW's median of $49,459 and average of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates as of March 2025 would be approximately $46,563 (median) and $61,542 (average). According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Forster all fall between the 4th and 10th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows the $400 - 799 earnings band captures 30.7% of the community (4,575 individuals), unlike trends in the surrounding region where 29.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.7% of income remaining, ranking at the 5th percentile.

Forster displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The latest Census data shows that in Forster, 65.9% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 34.1% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This differs slightly from Non-Metro NSW's composition, which was 73.0% houses and 27.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Forster stood at 51.7%, with mortgaged properties making up 21.1% and rented dwellings accounting for 27.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Forster was $1,712, higher than the Non-Metro NSW average of $1,517. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent in Forster was $340, compared to $330 in Non-Metro NSW. Nationally, Forster's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were also below the national figure of $375.

Forster features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 62.2% of all households, including 16.0% composed of couples with children, 35.0% consisting of couples without children, and 10.4% being single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 37.8%, with lone person households at 34.7% and group households comprising 3.1% of the total. The median household size is 2.1 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

Educational outcomes in Forster fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 16.9%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 12.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.8%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 42.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 10.7% and certificates at 31.4%.

A total of 23.1% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 8.8% in primary, 7.1% in secondary, and 1.6% in tertiary education. Forster's three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,411 students as of the latest available data. The area exhibits typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 963) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with two primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups.

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

Transport analysis shows 226 active public transport stops in Forster. These are mixed bus services. There are 34 routes serving these stops, offering a total of 627 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 118 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 89 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately two weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Forster is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Forster faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Private health cover is low at approximately 48%, covering about 7,094 people, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (13.7%) and mental health issues (9.4%). However, 55.7% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW's 56.6%. Residents aged 65 and over make up 38.7%, or about 5,769 people, which is higher than the Rest of NSW average of 36.0%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Forster are generally positive, performing well on health metrics compared to the overall population.

Forster is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Forster had a cultural diversity below average, with 87.6% of its population born in Australia and 90.9% being citizens. English was spoken as the only language at home by 96.0%. Christianity was the predominant religion in Forster, comprising 59.9%, compared to 58.5% across Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups were English (34.2%), Australian (30.6%), and Irish (8.9%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation was higher at 4.5% than the regional average of 4.3%. Maltese and Scottish populations were also notably present at 0.5% each, mirroring their respective regional percentages.

Forster ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Forster is 57 years, which is notably higher than Rest of NSW's average of 43 and substantially exceeds the Australian median of 38. Compared to Rest of NSW, Forster has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (19.1%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (7.3%). This concentration of 65-74 year-olds is significantly above the national average of 9.4%. According to data from the 2021 Census, Forster's population aged 75 to 84 has grown from 13.1% to 14.3%, while the proportion of residents aged 55 to 64 has declined from 14.5% to 13.2%. Looking forward to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Forster's age structure. The population aged 85 and above is projected to increase markedly by 506 people (64%), rising from 788 to 1,295. Conversely, the number of residents aged 55 to 64 is expected to decrease by 25 individuals.