Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn

Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn's population is around 20,522 as of February 2026. This reflects an increase of 2,792 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,730 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 19,284 in June 2024 and an additional 1,304 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 150 persons per square kilometer. Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn's growth rate of 15.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the Rest of NSW (5.9%) and the state, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 68.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. A significant population increase is forecast for the top quartile of non-metropolitan areas nationally, with Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn expected to increase by 9,220 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 38.9% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Rutherford North-Aberglasslyn has seen approximately 333 dwelling approvals annually. Between FY21 and FY25, 1665 homes were approved, with a further 221 approved in FY26 to date. Over these five years, an average of 1.3 new residents arrived per new home.

The average construction value was $289,000, aligning with regional trends. In FY26, commercial approvals totalled $658,000, indicating limited commercial development activity. Compared to the rest of NSW, Rutherford North-Aberglasslyn had 48.0% higher new home approvals per person over this period, offering reasonable buyer options while sustaining demand. This activity is significantly above the national average, reflecting strong developer interest. Recent construction comprised 66.0% standalone homes and 34.0% townhouses or apartments, expanding medium-density options and providing varied housing alternatives.

This shift from the area's existing 90.0% houses indicates decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyle needs. The location has approximately 43 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market. Population forecasts indicate Rutherford North-Aberglasslyn will gain 7981 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand, creating favourable buyer conditions while potentially enabling growth beyond current projections.

Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

The performance of a region is significantly impacted by changes in local infrastructure. AreaSearch has identified 42 projects that could affect this area. Notable ones include Truegain Site Remediation, Max McMahon Oval Amenities Redevelopment, Melville Ford Bridge Replacement (Milton Morris Bridge), and Dalmore Park Employment Hub. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.4%, Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Rutherford North - Aberglasslyn has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, prominent manufacturing and industrial sectors, and an unemployment rate of 3.4%. As of September 2025, 9,060 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.4% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation is similar to Rest of NSW at 61.5%.

According to Census responses, 17.7% of residents work from home. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and mining. Mining is particularly strong with an employment share 4.1 times the regional level. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 1.5% compared to 5.3% regionally.

The area may offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census working population vs resident population data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force decreased by 2.3% while employment declined by 2.3%, leaving unemployment relatively stable. In comparison, Rest of NSW had an employment decline of 0.5% and a labour force decline of 0.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly between sectors. Applying these projections to Rutherford North - Aberglasslyn's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

The Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn SA2 had a higher than average national income level according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Its median income among taxpayers was $58,237 and the average income stood at $74,140. This compares with figures for Rest of NSW of $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $63,397 (median) and $80,709 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows household, family and personal incomes in Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn cluster around the 50th percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate that 36.3% of the community earn between $1,500 and $2,999 (7,449 individuals), consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 29.9% in the same category. High housing costs consume 16.7% of income, placing disposable income at the 55th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 89.7% houses and 10.3% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Non-Metro NSW which had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn stood at 26.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 42.0% and rented ones at 31.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,869, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $400, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 77.9% of all households, including 36.4% couples with children, 26.7% couples without children, and 13.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 22.1%, with lone person households at 19.8% and group households comprising 2.3%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area has lower university qualification rates at 13.4%, compared to the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both challenges and opportunities for targeted educational programs. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 9.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 2.3% and graduate diplomas at 1.6%. Trade and technical skills are prevalent, with 44.7% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas at 10.2% and certificates at 34.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 31.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.3% in primary education, 8.0% in secondary education, and 3.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn has 198 active public transport stops offering train and bus services. These are covered by 92 routes serving 2,139 weekly passenger trips. Residents' average distance to the nearest stop is 180 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. Most residents commute outward daily, with cars being the primary mode at 96%. The area has an average of 1.7 vehicles per dwelling, higher than the regional norm. According to the 2021 Census, 17.7% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions.

Daily service frequency averages 305 trips across all routes, translating to around 10 weekly trips per stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centerpoint.

Health performance in Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Rutherford North - Aberglasslyn faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high across various health conditions, affecting both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover is prevalent, with approximately 56% of the total population (~11,512 people) having it, compared to 51.9% in Rest of NSW. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, impacting 10.6 and 9.3% of residents respectively. However, 64.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, similar to the 63.3% across Rest of NSW. Working-age residents face notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 14.9% of residents aged 65 and over (3,053 people), lower than the 23.4% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly inline with the general population.

Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Rutherford North-Aberglasslyn, surveyed in June 2016, had low cultural diversity with 90.4% of its population born in Australia, 92.6% being citizens, and 94.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 59.2%, compared to 55.9% regionally. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (33.3%), English (30.6%), and Scottish (7.4%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation was higher at 5.5% versus 4.6% regionally, while Polish stood at 0.8% versus 0.5%, and Welsh at 0.6% versus 0.5%.

Rutherford (North) - Aberglasslyn's population is younger than the national pattern

Rutherford North-Aberglasslyn has a median age of 35 years, which is notably lower than both the Rest of NSW average of 43 and the Australian median of 38. The 25-34 age group makes up 15.6% of the local population, significantly higher than the Rest of NSW average, while those aged 65-74 constitute only 7.8%, lower than the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, Rutherford North-Aberglasslyn's 25-34 age group grew from 14.3% to 15.6%, and the 15-24 cohort increased from 12.0% to 13.1%. Conversely, the 65-74 age group decreased from 8.9% to 7.8%, and the 5-14 group dropped from 15.7% to 14.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant changes in Rutherford North-Aberglasslyn's age profile, with the strongest growth expected in the 25-34 cohort, which is projected to increase by 48%, adding 1,547 residents to reach a total of 4,751.