Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds's population is around 7,260 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 272 people (3.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,988 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,219 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 62 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 9.7 persons per square kilometer, providing ample space per person. Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds's 3.9% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (2.8%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, which contributed approximately 69.5% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers, including overseas migration and natural growth, were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Regarding demographic trends, an above-median population growth for national regional areas is projected, with the area expected to grow by 1,269 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 16.9% in total 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 around 54 new dwelling approvals each year, totalling 274 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 17 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 2.1 people per year moving to the area per new home constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), reflecting robust demand that underpins property values, new homes are being built at an average value of $319,000. Additionally, $289,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, demonstrating the area's residential nature.

When measured against the Rest of NSW, Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds has slightly more development (31.0% above regional average per person over the 5 year period), balancing buyer choice with support for current property values, though construction activity has eased recently. New development consists of 95.0% detached houses and 5.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining 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 expected to grow by 1,228 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 15 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Palm Lake Resort Forster Lakes, North Tuncurry Sustainable Community Development, Forster Tuncurry Health Facility (Lower Mid North Coast Health Coast Service Project), and Forster and Old Bar New Ambulance Stations, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

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

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds has a skilled workforce, with the construction sector a particular standout in terms of representation, and an unemployment rate of only 3.8%. As of December 2025, 3,091 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.1% below Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%, and workforce participation lags significantly (51.9% compared to Regional NSW's 61.3%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 20.3% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. The area has a particular employment specialization in construction, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level. In contrast, public administration & safety employs just 4.8% of local workers, below Regional NSW's 7.5%. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, the 12-month period saw the labour force decrease by 1.3% combined with employment decreasing by 2.2%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.9 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional NSW, where employment contracted by 1.2%, the labour force fell by 0.8%, and unemployment rose 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.3% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds SA2 shows a median taxpayer income of $42,385 and an average of $53,532 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. This is below the national average, contrasting with Regional NSW's median income of $52,390 and average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $46,140 (median) and $58,275 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds all fall between the 8th and 9th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows the predominant cohort spans 27.4% of locals (1,989 people) in the $800 - 1,499 category, contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 29.9%. After housing, 86.1% of income remains, though this ranks at only the 12th percentile nationally.

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

Dwelling structure within Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 92.4% houses and 7.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds was well beyond that of Regional NSW, at 54.3%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (31.3%) or rented (14.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well below the Regional NSW average at $1,500, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $350, compared to Regional NSW's $1,733 and $330. Nationally, Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 71.2% of all households, comprising 21.4% couples with children, 38.6% couples without children, and 10.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 28.8%, with lone person households at 25.9% and group households comprising 3.0% of the total. The median household size of 2.3 people is smaller than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

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

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (18.4%) substantially below the NSW average of 32.2%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 13.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.5%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 45.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (34.1%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.6% in primary education, 8.1% in secondary education, and 1.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 242 active transport stops operating within Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 44 individual routes, collectively providing 398 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 239 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 92%, with 6% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 1.6 per dwelling. Some 20.3% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 56 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 1 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds's health metrics sit close to national benchmarks, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. A fairly standard level of common health conditions is seen across both young and old age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is found to be extremely low at approximately 47% of the total population (~3,383 people). This compares to 51.9% across Regional NSW. The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 12.3 and 8.4% of residents, respectively, while 61.5% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 31.1% of residents aged 65 and over (2,259 people), which is higher than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

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 was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 88.1% of its population being citizens, 86.8% born in Australia, and 97.1% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds is Christianity, which makes up 50.3% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.3% of the population, compared to 0.1% across Regional NSW.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds are English, comprising 33.0% of the population, Australian, comprising 31.6% of the population, and Irish, comprising 8.6% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Welsh is notably overrepresented at 0.7% of Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds (vs 0.5% regionally), Maltese at 0.7% (vs 0.4%) and Scottish at 8.6% (vs 8.0%).

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

With a median age of 53, Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds is considerably higher than the Regional NSW figure of 43, and substantially exceeds the national norm of 38. Relative to Regional NSW, Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds has a higher concentration of 65 - 74 residents (19.4%) but fewer 25 - 34 year-olds (6.5%). This 65 - 74 concentration is well above the national 9.5%. Since the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 7.5% to 9.3% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 8.2% to 9.9%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 19.1% to 17.0% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 11.3% to 10.1%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Forster-Tuncurry Surrounds's age structure. Leading the demographic shift, the 45 to 54 group will grow by 27% (228 people), reaching 1,064 from 835. Meanwhile, the 15 to 24 cohort will grow by a modest 6% (38 people).