Oberon
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Oberon's population is around 5,012 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 178 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,834 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,923 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 61 validated new addresses since the Census date. Oberon's population equates to a density ratio of 1.7 persons per square kilometer. Oberon's growth of 3.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's growth of 2.7%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest population numbers, Oberon is expected to expand by 248 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 1.6% over the 17 years.

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

Oberon has seen approximately 20 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 102 homes were approved, with another 8 approved so far in FY-26. On average, about 0.4 people per year moved to the area for each dwelling built during these five years.

This indicates that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings in Oberon is $601,000, which is moderately above regional levels, suggesting an emphasis on quality construction. In FY-26, approximately $4.7 million worth of commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature.

Compared to the Rest of NSW, Oberon maintains similar development levels per person, indicating a balanced market consistent with the broader region. The new development in Oberon consists of 89.0% detached dwellings and 11.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes that appeal to those seeking space. With approximately 258 people per dwelling approval, Oberon indicates a low density market. Looking ahead, Oberon is projected to grow by around 80 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Oberon has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 29thth percentile nationally

Eleven projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area's performance. These include major initiatives such as Bracken Estate, Oberon, Yetholme Village Plan, Mount Lambie Wind Farm, and McKanes Bridge Upgrade. The following list details those considered most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis places Oberon well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Oberon's workforce is skilled with manufacturing and industrial sectors well-represented. Unemployment rate was 1.3% as of June 2025.

There were 2,581 employed residents then, with unemployment 2.3% below Rest of NSW's 3.7%. Workforce participation was lower at 53.4%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key employment industries include manufacturing, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and health care & social assistance. Manufacturing is notably concentrated with levels at 3.4 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance has limited presence at 10.2% compared to regional 16.9%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data comparison of working population to local population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, labour force decreased by 2.7%, employment declined by 3.1%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In Rest of NSW, employment fell by 0.1%, labour force expanded by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest potential future demand in Oberon. Over five years, national employment is projected to grow by 6.6% and over ten years by 13.7%. Applying these projections to Oberon's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 4.7% over five years and 11.1% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Oberon is lower than average nationally. The median income was $50,854 and the average was $60,246. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where the median income was $49,459 and the average was $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Oberon would be approximately $57,267 (median) and $67,843 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes in Oberon rank modestly, between the 27th and 35th percentiles. Distribution data shows that the largest segment comprises 31.4% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (1,573 residents), reflecting patterns seen in the region where 29.9% similarly occupy this range. Housing costs are manageable with 87.2% retained, though disposable income sits below average at the 31st percentile.

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

Dwelling structure in Oberon, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 93.5% houses and 6.6% other dwellings. In Non-Metro NSW, this was 86.1% houses and 13.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Oberon was 44.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.6% and rented ones at 23.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Oberon was $280, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $315. Nationally, Oberon's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,517 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Oberon features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 67.0% of all households, including 21.9% couples with children, 33.1% couples without children, and 11.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 33.0%, with lone person households at 30.7% and group households making up 2.5% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

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

The area has university qualification rates of 16.6%, 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 12.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.4%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 42.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (9.3%) and certificates (33.6%).

Educational participation is high at 30.4%, including 12.6% in primary education, 8.6% in secondary education, and 2.5% pursuing tertiary education. Oberon's 4 schools have a combined enrollment of 530 students as of the given date, serving typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities (ICSEA: 951). Education provision is balanced with 3 primary and 1 secondary school serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents are lower than the regional average at 10.6, 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

Oberon has 170 active public transport stops. These are served by a mix of buses operating along 21 different routes. Together, these routes facilitate 235 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of the service is rated as good, with residents on average being located 307 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are 33 daily trips across all routes, which translates to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

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

Oberon faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Approximately half (50%) of Oberon's total population (~2,480 people) has private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (10.6% of residents) and asthma (8.5%), while 62.8% report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Rest of NSW's 63.5%. Oberon has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 26.9% (1,347 people), compared to Rest of NSW's 19.4%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Oberon are notably strong, outperforming the general population in various health metrics.

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

Oberon's population shows limited cultural diversity, with 82.4% being citizens, 87.4% born in Australia, and 94.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, practiced by 65.8%, compared to 61.6% regionally. The top three ancestry groups are English (31.5%), Australian (30.4%), and Irish (11.7%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal people make up 3.5% of Oberon's population, higher than the regional average of 4.6%. Maltese and Hungarian populations also show slight increases, at 0.5% and 0.3%, respectively, compared to regional averages of 0.4% and 0.2%.

Oberon hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Oberon's median age in 2021 was 48 years, which is older than Rest of NSW's median age of 43 and significantly higher than Australia's median age of 38. The age profile showed that the 75-84 year-olds made up 9.9% of Oberon's population, while the 25-34 group constituted only 9.8%. Post-Census data from 2021 revealed that the 75 to 84 age group had grown from 8.4% to 9.9%, while the 65 to 74 cohort had declined from 15.7% to 13.9% and the 5 to 14 group had dropped from 12.0% to 10.9%. Demographic modeling suggests that Oberon's age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the 85+ age cohort projected to increase by 86 people (from 153 to 240), while population declines are expected for the 15-24 and 55-64 cohorts.