Rutherford (South) - Telarah

Rutherford (South) - Telarah lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Rutherford (South) - Telarah's population is approximately 9,510 as of November 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 1,534 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,976 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,065 in June 2024 and an additional 603 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 242 persons per square kilometer. Rutherford (South) - Telarah's growth rate of 19.2% since the 2021 census exceeded the non-metro area's growth rate of 5.1%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 66.1% of overall population gains.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 uses 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 the years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Rutherford (South) - Telarah is expected to increase its population by 2,200 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 18.4% in total over the 17-year period.

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

Rutherford South-Telarah has seen approximately 161 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 807 homes. As of FY26, 82 approvals have been recorded. On average, two people per year moved to the area for each new home constructed between FY21 and FY25, indicating strong demand that supports property values. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $230,000, below the regional average, offering more affordable housing options.

This financial year has seen $6.6 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to the rest of NSW, Rutherford South-Telarah records 61.0% more building activity per person, indicating robust developer interest. New building activity comprises 37.0% detached houses and 63.0% medium and high-density housing, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With around 54 people per dwelling approval, the area exhibits growth characteristics. Population forecasts suggest Rutherford South-Telarah will gain 1,755 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Population forecasts indicate Rutherford (South) - Telarah will gain 1,755 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Rutherford (South) - Telarah has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Area infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified 24 potential impact projects. Key initiatives include Truegain Site Remediation, Maitland Mental Health Rehabilitation Project, Max McMahon Oval Amenities Redevelopment, and Dalmore Park Employment Hub. Relevant projects are listed below for further detail.

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

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AreaSearch assessment indicates Rutherford (South) - Telarah faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Rutherford South - Telarah has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, predominantly in manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate here is 6.1%.

As of September 2025, 4,155 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.3% higher than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation stands at 60.7%, slightly above Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Notably, mining employment is high, at 2.7 times the regional average, while agriculture, forestry & fishing is lower at 1.3% compared to the regional average of 5.3%.

The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.7, indicating ample local employment opportunities. In the year up to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 2.1%, with a corresponding 2.2% decline in employment, keeping unemployment relatively stable at 6.1%. Meanwhile, Rest of NSW saw a 0.5% employment decline and a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. Statewide, NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs) as of 25-Nov, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Job forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Rutherford South - Telarah's employment mix indicates local job growth of 6.0% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows income in Rutherford (South) - Telarah SA2 is higher than average nationally. The median income is $53,675 and the average income stands at $67,952. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $49,459 and the average income is $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Rutherford (South) - Telarah would be approximately $60,443 (median) and $76,521 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank modestly in Rutherford (South) - Telarah, between the 33rd and 34th percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 36.6% of the community earns $1,500 - 2,999 annually, with 3,480 individuals falling into this category. This is similar to the metropolitan region where this cohort represents 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Rutherford (South) - Telarah, with only 82.1% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 31st percentile.

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

In Rutherford (South) - Telarah, as evaluated at the latest Census, 88.9% of dwellings were houses while 11.1% consisted of other types such as semi-detached and apartments. This is similar to Non-Metro NSW where 87.1% were houses and 13.0% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Rutherford (South) - Telarah was at 26.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 39.4% and rented ones at 34.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,647, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,862. The median weekly rent in the area was $330, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $375. Nationally, Rutherford (South) - Telarah's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,647 than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Rutherford (South) - Telarah has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 70.8% of all households, including 26.8% couples with children, 25.6% couples without children, and 16.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 29.2%, with lone person households at 26.5% and group households comprising 3.0% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.7.

Rutherford (South) - Telarah faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 10.7%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 8.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.1%). Trade and technical skills are prevalent, with 43.7% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (8.4%) and certificates (35.3%).

Educational participation is high, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 10.0% in primary, 7.6% in secondary, and 3.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Rutherford (South) - Telarah has 95 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 71 different routes that together facilitate 889 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents usually located approximately 207 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 127 trips per day across all routes, which amounts to roughly 9 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Rutherford (South) - Telarah faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents.

Approximately 53% (~5,078 people) have private health cover, a rate higher than the Rest of NSW. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent conditions, impacting 13.4 and 10.8% of residents respectively. Conversely, 59.5% report no medical ailments, compared to 63.4% across Rest of NSW. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 14.4% (1,369 people), compared to the 15.4% in Rest of NSW. Senior health outcomes align with the general population's profile, presenting some challenges.

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

Rutherford South-Telarah had a cultural diversity score below average, with 91.7% of residents being citizens, 92.5% born in Australia, and 95.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, making up 53.8% of people, compared to 57.0% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (31.4%), English (30.5%), and Australian Aboriginal (8.1%).

Notably, Samoan representation was higher at 0.2%, Polish was the same at 0.7%, and Maltese was slightly higher at 0.4%.

Rutherford (South) - Telarah hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

The median age in Rutherford (South) - Telarah is 33 years, which is lower than the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and also substantially under the national average of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented at 19.0% locally, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 8.6%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 17.0% to 19.0% of the population. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 11.0% to 9.2%, and the 5 to 14 year-old group has dropped from 13.1% to 11.9%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Rutherford (South) - Telarah, with the 25 to 34 age group projected to grow by 31% (551 people), reaching 2,356 from 1,804. Meanwhile, both the 55 to 64 and 65 to 74 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.