Lambton - New Lambton
Statistical Area - sa2

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

As of August 2025, Lambton - New Lambton's population is approximately 17,730. This represents an increase of 387 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,343. The change is inferred from ABS estimated resident population data of 17,694 as of June 2024 and an additional 91 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,680 persons per square kilometer, which is higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Lambton - New Lambton's growth rate of 2.2% since the census places it within 2.6 percentage points of the non-metro area (4.8%), indicating strong growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 71.4% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary population growth in the area.

AreaSearch adopts 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 utilises 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. Looking ahead, lower quartile growth is anticipated for Australia's regional areas, with the area expected to increase by 390 persons to 2041 based on latest population numbers, representing a total increase of 2.0% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Lambton - New Lambton when compared nationally

Lambton - New Lambton has seen approximately 63 dwellings receive development approval each year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces this data on a financial year basis, showing 316 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-20 to FY-25, with 24 approvals recorded so far in FY-26. On average, these new dwellings have added about 1.9 residents annually since FY-20. This balance between supply and demand supports stable market conditions, with new homes being constructed at an average cost of $533,000.

In the current financial year, there have been $7.2 million in commercial approvals, indicating limited focus on commercial development compared to residential. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Lambton - New Lambton exhibits around 57% of construction activity per person and ranks among the 50th percentile nationally, suggesting an established area with potential planning constraints. Recent construction comprises 57.0% standalone homes and 43.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift from the existing housing stock (currently 79.0% houses) towards more medium-density options. This change may indicate decreasing developable sites and evolving lifestyles seeking diverse, affordable housing choices. The area has approximately 325 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market.

Population forecasts project Lambton - New Lambton to gain 353 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth beyond current projections.

Lambton - New Lambton has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 28 projects likely affecting this region. Notable ones are John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct, Newcastle Inner City Bypass from Rankin Park to Jesmond, and Lambton Park Master Plan. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Lambton - New Lambton ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Lambton - New Lambton has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 2.2%, lower than the Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.3%. As of June 2025, 10,120 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.4% below the regional average and workforce participation at 65.3%, significantly higher than the Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. The area specializes in health care & social assistance with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 0.3% compared to the regional 5.3%.

The ratio of 0.7 workers per resident indicates higher-than-average local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.3%, labour force grew by 2.5%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and an increase in unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 4.3%, compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's projections from May 2025 indicate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Lambton - New Lambton's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localized population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Lambton - New Lambton's median income among taxpayers was $56,681 and average income stood at $75,394 in financial year 2022, according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. These figures compare to Rest of NSW's median income of $49,459 and average income of $62,998 for the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $62,689 (median) and $83,386 (average). Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Lambton - New Lambton cluster around the 62nd percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate that 28.3% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999, consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region where 29.9% fall within this category. High housing costs consume 15.5% of income in Lambton - New Lambton, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 58th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Lambton - New Lambton is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Lambton - New Lambton, as per the latest Census, 78.9% of dwellings were houses with 21.2% being other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, or 'other' dwellings. This is in contrast to Non-Metro NSW where 70.5% of dwellings are houses and 29.5% are other types. Home ownership in Lambton - New Lambton stood at 34.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.1% and rented ones at 31.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,119, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,962. The median weekly rent figure for Lambton - New Lambton was $390, compared to $400 in Non-Metro NSW. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,119 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were exceeding the national figure of $375.

Lambton - New Lambton features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 67.2% of all households, including 30.6% composed of couples with children, 23.0% consisting of couples without children, and 12.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 32.8%, with lone person households accounting for 28.6% and group households making up 4.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, aligning with the average in the Rest of NSW.

Lambton - New Lambton shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

In Lambton - New Lambton, a significant proportion of residents aged 15 and above have achieved university qualifications. Specifically, 34.8% of residents have such credentials, compared to the broader benchmarks of 21.3% in the rest of NSW and 26.1% in the SA4 region. This educational attainment is notably higher than the regional average, indicating a strong position for knowledge-based opportunities. Among these university-qualified residents, bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 23.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%).

Vocational credentials are also prominent in Lambton - New Lambton, with 32.6% of residents aged 15 and above holding such credentials. This includes advanced diplomas (10.6%) and certificates (22.0%). Educational participation is high, with 31.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (10.1%), secondary education (8.6%), and tertiary education (6.5%). The area has a robust network of schools, with approximately 7 schools educating around 3,288 students. Lambton - New Lambton demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1080. The educational mix includes five primary schools, one secondary school, and one K-12 school.

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

The analysis of public transport in Lambton - New Lambton shows that there are 162 active transport stops operating in the area. These stops offer a mix of train and bus services, with a total of 82 individual routes providing 3,916 weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents located an average of 139 meters from their nearest transport stop.

On average, there are 559 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 24 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Lambton - New Lambton is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Lambton-New Lambton faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population (around 10,123 people). Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 10.5 and 8.7% of residents respectively. Approximately 65.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 64.9% across the Rest of NSW. As of August 2021, 17.6% of residents are aged 65 and over (around 3,124 people). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Lambton - New Lambton ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Lambton-New Lambton showed lower cultural diversity with 87.0% of its population born in Australia, 91.9% being citizens, and 91.3% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion at 51.4%, compared to 47.7% regionally. Top ancestry groups were English (30.2%), Australian (28.1%), and Irish (9.8%).

Notable differences included Macedonian at 1.2% (regional: 0.8%), Welsh at 0.8% (same as regional), and Polish at 0.9% (regional: 0.8%).

Lambton - New Lambton's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Lambton - New Lambton is 40 years, which is slightly below Rest of NSW's average of 43 but above Australia's median age of 38. The proportion of people aged 15-24 in Lambton - New Lambton is notably higher at 13.8% compared to the Rest of NSW average, while those aged 65-74 are under-represented at 9.6%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population of people aged 25 to 34 has increased from 11.3% to 12.6%, and the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 12.7% to 13.8%. Conversely, the proportion of people aged 5 to 14 has declined from 13.4% to 12.1%, and those aged 45 to 54 have decreased from 14.5% to 13.3%. Population forecasts for Lambton - New Lambton indicate significant demographic changes by 2041. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to expand by 504 people (23%) from 2,241 to 2,746. Meanwhile, the 5 to 14 and 45 to 54 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.