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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Rutherford (South) - Telarah's population is around 9,527 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,551 people (19.4%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,976 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,065 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 615 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 242 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Rutherford (South) - Telarah's 19.4% growth 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 for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, which contributed approximately 66.1% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth and overseas migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering the projected demographic shifts, a significant population increase in the top quartile of non-metropolitan areas nationally is forecast, with the area expected to increase by 2,200 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 18.2% in total 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 experienced around 161 dwellings receiving development approval each year, totalling 807 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 94 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 2 people per year moving to the area per new home constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), indicating healthy demand that should support property values, new homes are being built at an average value of $230,000—below the regional average—suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers. Additionally, $6.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, demonstrating the area's primarily residential nature.

Relative to the Rest of NSW, Rutherford (South) - Telarah records 61.0% more building activity (per person), offering buyers greater choice. This activity is significantly above the national average, indicating robust developer interest in the area. New building activity shows 37.0% detached houses and 63.0% medium and high-density housing. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This represents a notable shift from the area's existing housing (currently 89.0% houses), indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and the need for more diverse, affordable housing options. With around 54 people per dwelling approval, Rutherford (South) - Telarah shows characteristics of a growth area.

Population forecasts indicate Rutherford (South) - Telarah will gain 1,738 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 40% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 24 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Truegain Site Remediation, Maitland Mental Health Rehabilitation Project, Max McMahon Oval Amenities Redevelopment, and Dalmore Park Employment Hub, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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 features a balanced workforce spanning white and blue collar employment, with manufacturing and industrial sectors strongly represented, and an unemployment rate of 6.5%. As of December 2025, 4,160 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 2.5% above Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%, and workforce participation is on par with Regional NSW's 61.3%. Based on Census responses, a moderate 13.9% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area has a particular employment specialization in mining, with an employment share of 2.7 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 1.3% versus the regional average of 5.3%. The ratio of 0.7 workers for each resident, as at the Census, indicates a level of local employment opportunities above the norm.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.6% alongside a 0.8% employment decline, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Regional NSW experienced an employment decline of 1.2% and a labour force decline of 0.8%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Rutherford (South) - Telarah. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Rutherford (South) - Telarah's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 13.0% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for FY-23 reveals that income in the Rutherford (South) - Telarah SA2 is higher than average nationally, with the median assessed at $57,766 while the average income stands at $72,137. This contrasts with Regional NSW's figures of a median income of $52,390 and an average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $62,884 (median) and $78,528 (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 the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 36.6% of the community (3,486 individuals), aligning with the metropolitan region where this cohort likewise represents 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.1% of income remaining, 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

Dwelling structure within Rutherford (South) - Telarah, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 88.9% houses and 11.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Rutherford (South) - Telarah lagged that of Regional NSW, at 26.2%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (39.4%) or rented (34.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Regional NSW average at $1,647, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $330, compared to Regional NSW's $1,733 and $330. Nationally, Rutherford (South) - Telarah's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 70.8% of all households, comprising 26.8% couples with children, 25.6% couples without children, and 16.6% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 29.2%, with lone person households at 26.5% and group households comprising 3.0% of the total. The median household size of 2.5 people is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

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

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (10.7%) substantially below the NSW average of 32.2%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 8.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.1%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 43.7% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (8.4%) and certificates (35.3%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, 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

Public transport analysis reveals 99 active transport stops operating within Rutherford (South) - Telarah, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 69 individual routes, collectively providing 829 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 207 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 94%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling. Some 13.9% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 118 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 8 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Rutherford (South) - Telarah is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts

Rutherford (South) - Telarah faces significant health challenges, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is fairly high at approximately 55% of the total population (~5,230 people). This compares to 51.9% across Regional NSW.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be mental health issues and asthma, impacting 13.4 and 10.8% of residents, respectively, while 59.5% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 14.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,383 people), which is lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, though ranking lower nationally than the broader 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 was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 91.7% of its population being citizens, 92.5% born in Australia, and 95.6% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Rutherford (South) - Telarah is Christianity, which makes up 53.8% of the population. This compares to 55.9% across Regional NSW.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Rutherford (South) - Telarah are Australian, comprising 31.4% of the population, English, comprising 30.5% of the population, and Australian Aboriginal, comprising 8.1% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Samoan is notably overrepresented at 0.2% of Rutherford (South) - Telarah (vs 0.1% regionally), Polish at 0.7% (vs 0.5%) and Maltese at 0.4% (vs 0.4%).

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

The 33-year median age in Rutherford (South) - Telarah is considerably lower than Regional NSW's average of 43 and similarly substantially under the 38-year national average. Compared to the Regional NSW average, the 25 - 34 cohort is notably over-represented (19.2% locally), while 65 - 74 year-olds are under-represented (8.6%). Post-2021 Census data shows the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 17.0% to 19.2% of the population, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 13.0% to 14.2%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 11.0% to 8.9% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 13.1% to 11.4%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Rutherford (South) - Telarah. Leading the demographic shift, the 25 to 34 group will grow by 29% (528 people), reaching 2,356 from 1,827. On the other hand, the 65 to 74 group will contract by 63 residents.