Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds
Statistical Area - sa2

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds' population was 6,988 in the 2021 Census. By Aug 2025, it is around 7,223, an increase of 235 people (3.4%). This growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 7,219 in June 2024 and 49 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is 9.6 persons per square kilometer. Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds' growth of 3.4% exceeded its SA3 area's 1.9%, making it a regional growth leader. Interstate migration contributed approximately 69.5% of recent population gains, with all drivers being positive factors.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 (base year 2022), and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by ABS data (released in 2022 with base year 2021). Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from 2032 to 2041. Based on latest numbers, Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds is projected to grow by 1,269 persons to 2041, a total gain of 17.5% over the 17 years.

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

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds has averaged approximately 33 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, totalling 169 approvals across the past five financial years from FY-20 to FY-25, with 5 approvals so far in FY-26. On average, each dwelling has accommodated around 2.1 new residents per year over the past five financial years, indicating strong demand that supports property values. New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $604,000, slightly above the regional average, suggesting a focus on quality developments.

This financial year, there have been $289,000 in commercial approvals, predominantly residential-focused. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds records elevated construction activity, 36.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years, maintaining reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. New development consists of 95.0% detached houses and 5.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

The location has approximately 168 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Looking ahead, Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds is projected to grow by 1,265 residents through to 2041, with building activity keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may experience increased competition as the population grows.

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 36thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 15 projects likely to impact the region. Key initiatives include Palm Lake Resort Forster Lakes, North Tuncurry Sustainable Community Development, Forster Tuncurry Public Hospital, and Forster and Old Bar New Ambulance Stations. The following list details those most relevant.

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

While Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.8%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds had a skilled workforce as of June 2025. The construction sector was particularly well-represented among its residents.

The area's unemployment rate was 3.8%, slightly higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation in Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds lagged behind Rest of NSW, with 45.8% compared to 56.4%. Health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade were the dominant employment sectors among residents. Notably, construction employed a larger share of local workers than the regional level, at 1.6 times.

In contrast, public administration & safety employed only 4.8% of local workers, lower than Rest of NSW's 7.5%. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the Census working population versus resident population count. Between June 2024 and June 2025, labour force increased by 0.8%, while employment decreased by 0.0%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.8 percentage points. This contrasted with Rest of NSW, where employment contracted by 0.1%, labour force grew by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 showed that NSW employment had contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. Nationally, employment growth was 0.26%, and the unemployment rate was 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 projected a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds' employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 6.5%% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not account for localised population projections.

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

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds had a median taxpayer income of $39,905 and an average of $51,621 in the financial year 2022, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of postcode level ATO data. This is lower than the national averages of $49,459 for median income and $62,998 for average income. Based on a 10.6% growth from the Wage Price Index since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $44,135 (median) and $57,093 (average). The 2021 Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds fell between the 9th and 10th percentiles nationally. Income distribution data indicates that 27.4% of locals (1,979 people) earned between $800 - 1,499 annually, contrasting with metropolitan regions where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket led at 29.9%. After housing costs, 86.1% of income remained, ranking at the 13th percentile nationally.

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds, houses accounted for 92.4% of dwellings in the latest Census, with other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments making up the remaining 7.7%. This is higher than Non-Metro NSW's house proportion of 73.0%, where other dwellings comprised 27.0%. Home ownership in Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds stood at 54.3%, similar to Non-Metro NSW, with mortgaged properties at 31.3% and rented ones at 14.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,500, lower than the Non-Metro NSW average of $1,517. The median weekly rent figure in Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds was recorded as $350, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,863 and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 71.2% of all households, including 21.4% couples with children, 38.6% couples without children, and 10.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 28.8%, with lone person households at 25.9% and group households comprising 3.0%. The median household size is 2.3 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.1.

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

The area has university qualification rates of 18.4%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.5%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 45.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (34.1%).

Educational participation is high, with 25.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (10.6%), secondary education (8.1%), and tertiary education (1.5%). Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds has 4 schools with a combined enrollment of 455 students as of the latest data, demonstrating typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 964) with balanced educational opportunities. The 4 schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas. School places per 100 residents stand at 6.3, below the regional average of 10.4, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

The analysis of public transport within Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds indicates that there are 232 active transport stops currently operating. These stops facilitate a mix of bus services. The region is served by 48 individual routes in total, which collectively offer 427 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically residing within 235 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, service frequency across all routes stands at 61 trips per day, equating to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

Health performance in Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds faces significant health challenges, as indicated by its health data. Both younger and older age groups show high prevalence of common health conditions.

Only approximately 46% (~3,351 people) have private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 12.3% of residents) and mental health issues (8.4%). Notably, 61.5% of residents report no medical ailments, higher than Rest of NSW's 56.6%. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 30.9% (2,233 people), compared to Rest of NSW's 36.0%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds are above average and outperform the general population in health metrics.

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

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds, as per the census conducted on the 29th of August, 2016, showed lower than average cultural diversity. The population was predominantly Australian citizens, with 88.1% holding citizenship and 86.8% being born in Australia. English was spoken at home by 97.1% of residents.

Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 50.3%. Judaism, while still a minority, was overrepresented compared to the rest of NSW, making up 0.3% versus 0.1%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (33.0%), Australian (31.6%), and Irish (8.6%). Notable differences in ethnic group representation included Welsh at 0.7%, Maltese at 0.7%, and Scottish at 8.6%, all higher than their respective regional percentages of 0.4%, 0.5%, and 8.0%.

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds has a median age of 53, which is higher than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and substantially exceeds the national norm of 38. Compared to Rest of NSW, Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds has a higher concentration of residents aged 65-74 (19.3%), but fewer residents aged 25-34 (6.4%). This concentration of residents aged 65-74 is well above the national figure of 9.4%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the age group 15 to 24 has grown from 7.5% to 9.2%, while the age group 75 to 84 has increased from 8.2% to 9.8%. Conversely, the age group 55 to 64 has declined from 19.1% to 17.2%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds's age structure. Notably, the age group 65 to 74 is projected to grow by 15%, adding 213 people and reaching a total of 1,606 from the current figure of 1,392. Meanwhile, the age group 5 to 14 grows by a modest 4%, with an increase of 27 people.