Lithgow Surrounds

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

Lithgow Surrounds' population is approximately 8,698 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 250 people (3.0%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 8,448. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,511 in June 2024 and an additional 199 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 3.5 persons per square kilometer. Lithgow Surrounds' growth of 3.0% since the 2021 census surpassed the SA3 area's growth rate of 2.6%, indicating it as a region leader in population increase. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 69.6% of overall population gains during 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 employs 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 the years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts and latest annual ERP population numbers, Lithgow Surrounds is expected to increase by 1,084 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 10.3% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Lithgow Surrounds according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Over the past five financial years, Lithgow Surrounds has seen approximately 38 new homes approved annually, totalling 193 homes. In FY26 so far, 12 approvals have been recorded. The average number of people moving to the area per year for each dwelling built over these five years is around 0.2. This suggests that supply meets or exceeds demand, offering more buyer choices and potentially supporting population growth beyond projections.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $350,000. In FY26, there have been $5.4 million in commercial approvals, indicating limited focus on commercial development. Compared to the rest of NSW, Lithgow Surrounds has similar levels of development per person, maintaining market equilibrium with surrounding areas.

New development consists predominantly of standalone homes (89.0%) and townhouses or apartments (11.0%), preserving the area's low-density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. The estimated population count per dwelling approval is 366 people, reflecting its quiet and low-activity development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Lithgow Surrounds is expected to grow by 897 residents through to 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Lithgow Surrounds has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Thirty projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to influence the local area's performance, significantly impacted by changes in infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. Key projects include the Wallerawang 9 Battery Energy Storage System, Great Western Battery, Former Wallerawang Power Station Redevelopment, and Sidey Place, Wallerawang. The following list details those most likely to be 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.

The employment landscape in Lithgow Surrounds presents a mixed picture: unemployment remains low at 2.8%, yet recent job losses have affected its comparative national standing

Lithgow Surrounds has a balanced workforce with representation from both white and blue collar jobs. The manufacturing and industrial sectors are strongly represented in the area. As of September 2025, the unemployment rate stands at 2.8%.

In comparison to Rest of NSW's unemployment rate of 3.8%, Lithgow Surrounds has a lower rate by 1.1 percentage points. Workforce participation is similar to that of Rest of NSW, which is 61.5%. According to Census responses, 18.3% of residents work from home. The leading employment industries among residents are health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and construction.

Notably, the area has a high concentration in mining, with employment levels at 3.1 times the regional average. However, health care & social assistance employs only 11.8% of local workers, which is below Rest of NSW's rate of 16.9%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the comparison between the Census working population and resident population. In the 12-month period ending in September 2025, the labour force decreased by 3.4% while employment declined by 4.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment of 1.0 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.5% and a labour force decline of 0.1%, with a rise in unemployment of 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Lithgow Surrounds' employment mix indicates that local employment should increase by 5.7% over five years and 12.4% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and not accounting for localised population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The Lithgow Surrounds SA2's median income among taxpayers in financial year 2023 was $53,147. The average income stood at $64,975 during the same period. These figures compare to Rest of NSW's median and average incomes of $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimates as of September 2025 would be approximately $57,856 for median income and $70,732 for average income. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Lithgow Surrounds rank modestly, between the 22nd and 28th percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 29.3% of individuals (2,548 people) earn within the $1,500 - $2,999 range, which is consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region at 29.9%. Housing costs allow for retention of 87.8% of income, but disposable income ranks below average at the 33rd percentile.

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

Lithgow Surrounds had 97.1% houses and 2.9% other dwellings in its latest Census evaluation, compared to Non-Metro NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lithgow Surrounds was 47.9%, with the rest being mortgaged (36.7%) or rented (15.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733 and Australia's national figure of $1,863. The median weekly rent in Lithgow Surrounds was $270, substantially below the Non-Metro NSW figure of $330 and the national average of $375.

Lithgow Surrounds has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 70.8% of all households, including 27.1% couples with children, 32.4% couples without children, and 10.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 29.2%, with lone person households at 27.4% and group households making up 1.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

Lithgow Surrounds faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 15.7%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This difference presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 10.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.1%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 44.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 10.1% and certificates at 34.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.5% in primary education, 8.4% in secondary education, and 2.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Lithgow Surrounds indicates that there are currently 317 active transport stops operating within the area. These comprise a mix of train and bus services. A total of 62 individual routes service these stops, collectively providing 1,256 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as limited, with residents typically located an average of 1292 meters from their nearest transport stop. As the area is primarily residential, most residents commute outward. The car remains the dominant mode of transport, used by 95% of residents.

Vehicle ownership averages at 1.9 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, some 18.3% of residents work from home, a figure that may reflect the COVID-19 conditions during that period. The service frequency averages at 179 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 3 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map illustrates the locations of the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

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

Lithgow Surrounds faces significant health challenges, as assessed by AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 51% of the total population (~4,453 people). The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 11.5 and 8.1% of residents respectively. Conversely, 62.9% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Rest of NSW. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 25.0% of residents aged 65 and over (2,171 people), which is higher than the 23.0% in Rest of NSW. National rankings for these figures are even higher than those of the general population.

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

Lithgow Surrounds, surveyed in 2016, showed low cultural diversity with 89.3% Australian citizens, 89.7% born in Australia, and 96.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 57.6%. This was slightly higher than the 55.9% regional average (Rest of NSW).

Regarding ancestry, the top groups were English (32.3%), Australian (30.6%), and Irish (9.3%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation was higher at 4.7% compared to 4.6% regionally, Scottish at 8.5% vs 8.0%, and Welsh at 0.6% vs 0.5%.

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

Lithgow Surrounds has a median age of 47 years, which is significantly higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and substantially exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that individuals aged 55-64 years are particularly prominent, making up 16.4% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years comprise only 9.2%. This concentration of individuals aged 55-64 years is well above the national average of 11.2%. Between 2021 and the present time, the percentage of individuals aged 75 to 84 has grown from 6.7% to 8.3%, while the percentage of those aged 5 to 14 has declined from 12.3% to 10.8%. Additionally, the percentage of individuals aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 13.4% to 12.3%. By the year 2041, Lithgow Surrounds is expected to experience notable shifts in its age composition. The demographic shift will be led by the 75 to 84 age group, which is projected to grow by 39%, reaching a total of 1,006 individuals from the current figure of 722. This growth will contribute significantly to the overall increase in the population aged 65 and above, which is projected to comprise 58% of the total population growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the age cohorts of 15 to 24 years and 5 to 14 years.