Lismore Surrounds

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

Lismore Surrounds' population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, was approximately 16,188 by November 2025. This figure represents a growth of 402 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 15,786. The increase is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 16,091 in June 2024 and an additional 130 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 13.1 persons per square kilometer. Lismore Surrounds' growth rate of 2.5% since the 2021 Census surpassed the SA3 area's 0.5%, indicating it as a region leader in population growth. Overseas migration drove this growth, contributing approximately 55.6% of overall population gains recently.

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, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 (base year: 2021) are utilized. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population projections indicate above median growth in regional areas nationally, with Lismore Surrounds expected to increase by 2,179 persons to 2041. This reflects a total increase of 12.9% over the 17-year period, based on latest annual ERP population numbers.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Lismore Surrounds recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Lismore Surrounds has received approximately 51 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 258 homes. In FY-26 to date, 12 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 new residents per year per dwelling were added between FY-21 and FY-25. The average construction cost of new properties is $285,000.

This financial year has seen $2.3 million in commercial approvals, indicating limited commercial development activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Lismore Surrounds has experienced 15.0% higher construction per person over the past five years. New developments consist of 95.0% standalone homes and 5.0% townhouses or apartments. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 564 people.

By 2041, Lismore Surrounds is projected to gain 2,082 residents. Construction pace is maintaining with projected growth, but buyers may face increasing competition as population grows.

Lismore Surrounds has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 50 such projects that could potentially impact the area. Notable among these are North Lismore Plateau Urban Subdivision (Allura Parklands), Northern Rivers Rail Trail - Lismore to Bentley, Goonellabah Affordable Housing Project - Bristol Circuit & Cynthia Wilson Drive, and Pineapple Road Sewerage Scheme. The following list provides details on those projects likely to be most relevant.

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 Lismore Surrounds retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.5%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Lismore Surrounds has an educated workforce with prominent essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.5%.

As of September 2025, 8,239 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.4%, below Rest of NSW's 3.8%. Workforce participation is 59.4%, slightly higher than Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and education & training. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has notable concentration, at 2.3 times the regional average.

Public administration & safety shows lower representation, at 4.2% versus the regional average of 7.5%. Labour force decreased by 2.4% over a year, with employment down 1.8%, reducing unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment contract by 0.5%, labour force fall by 0.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Lismore Surrounds' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.5% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Lismore Surrounds SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $44,275 and an average of $56,482. This is lower than the national average. Rest of NSW had a median income of $49,459 and an average of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $49,858 (median) and $63,604 (average). Census data reveals household, family, and personal incomes rank modestly in Lismore Surrounds, between the 29th and 34th percentiles. The earnings profile shows the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket dominates with 31.3% of residents (5,066 people). Housing costs are manageable with 86.8% retained. Disposable income is below average at the 38th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

In Lismore Surrounds, as per the latest Census evaluation, 96.9% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 3.1% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This differs from Non-Metro NSW's dwelling structure, which was 86.8% houses and 13.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lismore Surrounds stood at 48.7%, with mortgaged properties at 36.3% and rented dwellings at 15.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,733, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,452. Weekly rent in Lismore Surrounds was recorded at $334, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $300. Nationally, Lismore Surrounds' median monthly mortgage repayment was lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and weekly rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Lismore Surrounds features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 73.2% of all households, including 28.8% couples with children, 33.0% couples without children, and 10.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 26.8%, with lone person households at 22.7% and group households comprising 4.1%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Lismore Surrounds exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 28.9% of residents aged 15+, surpassing the SA3 area average of 20.9% and that of Rest of NSW (21.3%). Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 19.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 39.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.9%) and certificates (27.4%).

Educational participation is high, with 30.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (10.9%), secondary education (9.2%), and tertiary education (3.6%).

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

Lismore Surrounds has 945 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 98 individual routes that together facilitate 1,088 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 175 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

On average, there are 155 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

Lismore Surrounds's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Lismore Surrounds residents show positive health outcomes with common conditions seen across age groups. Private health cover is low at 48%, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are most common, affecting 8.6% and 8.5% respectively. 68.4% report no medical ailments, higher than Rest of NSW's 61.9%. The area has 22.5% residents aged 65 and over (3,639 people). Health outcomes among seniors are strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

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

Lismore Surrounds had a cultural diversity level below average, with 87.8% of its population being citizens, 87.3% born in Australia, and 95.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 44.6% of people in Lismore Surrounds. Judaism showed significant overrepresentation with 0.2%, compared to 0.1% across Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups were English (30.6%), Australian (28.7%), and Irish (11.1%). Notable divergences existed for Scottish (9.7% vs regional 8.5%), French (0.6% vs 0.4%), and German (3.7% vs 3.4%) ethnic groups.

Lismore Surrounds hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Lismore Surrounds has a median age of 47 years, which is significantly higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 and substantially exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 45-54 are particularly prominent at 15.2%, while the 25-34 age group is comparatively smaller at 7.8% compared to the Rest of NSW. Between 2021 and now, the population aged 75 to 84 has grown from 4.8% to 6.1%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 age group has declined from 18.0% to 15.9%. By 2041, Lismore Surrounds is expected to experience notable shifts in its age composition. The 75 to 84 age group is projected to grow by 49%, adding 480 people and reaching a total of 1,461 from the current figure of 980. Meanwhile, the 65 to 74 age group is expected to decline by 26 people.