Rutherford (South) - Telarah
Statistical Area - sa2

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 around 9,457 as of August 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,481 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 7,976. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,065 in June 2024 and an additional 582 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 240 persons per square kilometer. Rutherford South-Telarah's growth of 18.6% since the 2021 Census exceeded the non-metro area's growth of 4.8%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 66.1% of overall population gains, although natural growth and overseas migration also played positive roles.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Considering these projections, the area is forecast to increase its population by 2,200 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 19.1% over the 17 years.

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 around 161 dwellings granted development approval annually. Development approval data is provided by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 807 approvals from FY21 to FY25, with 46 approvals recorded so far in FY26. Each dwelling built over these years has attracted an average of 2 new residents per year, indicating strong demand that supports property values. New homes are being constructed at an average cost of $315,000, which is below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers.

This financial year has seen $6.6 million in commercial approvals, indicating limited focus on commercial development. Compared to the rest of NSW, Rutherford South-Telarah records 61.0% more construction activity per person. New building activity comprises 37.0% detached houses and 63.0% medium and high-density housing, offering affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This shift from the area's existing housing (currently 89.0% houses) indicates decreasing developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles' need for diverse housing options. With around 54 people per dwelling approval, Rutherford South-Telarah shows characteristics of a growth area. Projections suggest it will grow by 1,808 residents by 2041, with current development patterns expected to readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Looking ahead, Rutherford (South) - Telarah is expected to grow by 1,808 residents through to 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 24 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Truegain Site Remediation, Kurri Kurri Lateral Pipeline Project, Maitland Mental Health Rehabilitation Project, and Max McMahon Oval Amenities Redevelopment, with subsequent details focusing on those most relevant.

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

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. Manufacturing and industrial sectors are prominent, with an unemployment rate of 6.3%.

As of June 2025, 4,028 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.7% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. 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. The area specialises in mining, with an employment share 2.7 times the regional average, but agriculture, forestry & fishing is relatively low at 1.3% compared to the regional average of 5.3%.

There are 0.7 workers for each resident, indicating above-average local employment opportunities. Over the year to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 4.3%, with a 5.1% decline in employment leading to an unemployment rate increase of 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced a 0.1% employment decline and 0.3% labour force growth, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.5% and employment growth is 0.26%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Rutherford South - Telarah's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.0% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, though these are simplified extrapolations 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 that income in Rutherford (South) - Telarah is higher than average nationally. The median income is $53,675 while the average stands at $67,952. In contrast, Rest of NSW has a median income of $49,459 and an average of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Rutherford (South) - Telarah would be approximately $59,365 median and $75,155 average as of March 2025. Census 2021 income data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Rutherford (South) - Telarah rank modestly, between the 33rd and 34th percentiles. The $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 36.6% of the community (3,461 individuals), aligning with metropolitan regions 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 32nd percentile.

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

Rutherford (South) - Telarah dwelling structure, as assessed in the latest Census, consisted of 88.9% houses and 11.1% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 87.1% houses and 13.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Rutherford (South) - Telarah stood at 26.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 39.4% and rented ones at 34.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,647, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,862. Median weekly rent in the area was $330, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $375. Nationally, Rutherford (South) - Telarah's median monthly mortgage repayment was lower than Australia's average of $1,863, and its median weekly rent figure was 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 constitute 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 comprise the remaining 29.2%, with lone person households at 26.5% and group households making up 3.0%. 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 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 prominent, with 43.7% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (8.4%) and certificates (35.3%).

Educational participation is high at 29.7%, including 10.0% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 3.7% pursuing tertiary education. Rutherford (South) - Telarah's 3 schools have a combined enrollment of 1,106 students as of the latest data. The area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities, having an ICSEA score of 951. Education provision is balanced with 2 primary and 1 secondary school serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents are 11.7, below the regional average of 17.7, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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 serving buses. These stops are covered by 71 different routes, offering a total of 889 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is considered good, with residents usually located about 207 meters from the nearest stop.

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

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

Rutherford South - Telarah faces significant health challenges, as indicated by its health data.

The area has a substantial private health cover rate of approximately 53%, covering around 5,050 people. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 13.4% and 10.8% of residents respectively. Conversely, 59.5% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 63.4% in the Rest of NSW. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 14.4% (1,361 people), than the Rest of NSW's 15.4%. Senior health outcomes largely align with those of the general population.

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 its population being Australian citizens, 92.5% born in Australia, and 95.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Rutherford South-Telarah, accounting for 53.8% of the population, compared to 57.0% across the 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% compared to regional averages of 0.1%, 0.7%, and 0.3% respectively.

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. The 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented locally at 19.0%, compared to the Rest of NSW average, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 8.6%. According to data from the post-2021 Census, 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 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 expected to grow by 31%, reaching 2,356 people from 1,793. Meanwhile, both the 55 to 64 and 65 to 74 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.