Scone
Statistical Area - sa2

Scone is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Scone's population was around 6,082 as of August 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 47 people from the 2021 Census total of 6,035. The growth is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 6,030 in June 2024 and validated new addresses since then. This results in a density ratio of 51 persons per square kilometer. Scone's 0.8% growth since the Census puts it within 2.2 percentage points of its SA3 area's growth rate of 3.0%. The primary driver for this growth was overseas migration, contributing approximately 98.1% of overall population gains.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by these data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 were used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics anticipate lower quartile growth for regional areas nationally, with Scone expected to increase by 198 persons to 2041 based on the latest numbers, recording a gain of 2.4% over those 17 years.

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

Scone has averaged approximately 12 new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, with 60 dwellings approved over the past five financial years from FY-20 to FY-25, and seven so far in FY-26. On average, over these five years, there have been approximately 0.3 new residents per year per dwelling constructed. This suggests that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts.

The average construction cost value of new homes being built is $487,000. Additionally, $8.6 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, indicating the area's residential character. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Scone has similar development levels per person, supporting market stability in line with regional patterns. However, this activity is below average nationally, which reflects the area's maturity and may suggest possible planning constraints.

New development consists of 86.0% standalone homes and 14.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With approximately 294 people per dwelling approval, Scone exhibits characteristics of a low density area. Population forecasts indicate that Scone will gain 146 residents by 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.

Scone has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one major project expected to influence the region: Upper Hunter Energy Park, Aberdeen Valley Fair Commercial Development, AGL Pumped Hydro Projects at Glenbawn and Glennies Creek, and Upper Hunter Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) are key initiatives.

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

The employment environment in Scone shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Scone has a balanced workforce comprising white and blue collar jobs, with prominent manufacturing and industrial sectors. Its unemployment rate is 2.2%.

As of June 2025, 3,026 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.5% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation in Scone is higher at 62.2%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key employment sectors include mining, health care & social assistance, and manufacturing. Mining stands out with an employment share five times the regional average.

Conversely, health care & social assistance has a lower representation at 10.3% versus the regional average of 16.9%. While local jobs exist, many residents commute elsewhere for work. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Scone's labour force decreased by 4.3%, with employment declining by 4.1%, leading to a fall in unemployment rate of 0.2 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment fell by 0.1%, labour force expanded by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 4.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.5%, with national employment growth at 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts from May 2025 project national employment to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Scone's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.1% over five years and 11.6% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for the financial year ending June 2022, Scone's median income among taxpayers is $51,552. The average income in Scone was $97,090 during this period. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to other regions. For instance, the Rest of NSW had a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998 for the same financial year. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since June 2022, current estimates for Scone would be approximately $57,017 (median) and $107,382 (average) as of March 2025. According to the Census conducted in August 2021, household, family, and personal incomes in Scone rank modestly, between the 37th and 50th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 29.4% of locals (1,788 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income category. This pattern is similar to metropolitan regions where 29.9% of residents occupy this income range. After housing expenses, 85.3% of income remains for other expenses in Scone.

Scone is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Scone's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 85.2% houses and 14.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 89.7% houses and 10.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Scone was at 33.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.7% and rented ones at 31.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,625, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,538. The median weekly rent figure for Scone was $290, which is also the same as Non-Metro NSW's figure but significantly lower than the national average of $375. Nationally, Scone's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,625 compared to Australia's average of $1,863.

Scone has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 67.8% of all households, including 28.6% couples with children, 27.8% couples without children, and 10.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 32.2%, with lone person households at 28.8% and group households making up 3.2%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the Rest of NSW average.

Educational outcomes in Scone fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 15.9%, significantly below the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 12.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.5%) and graduate diplomas (1.4%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 40.8% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas at 9.2% and certificates at 31.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 11.3% in primary, 8.9% in secondary, and 2.0% in tertiary education. Scone's 4 schools have a combined enrollment of 1,489 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 966) offering balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 2 primary, 1 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. As an education hub, Scone has 24.5 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 15.9, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

The analysis of public transport in Scone indicates that there are 156 active transport stops currently operating. These stops offer a mix of train and bus services, with a total of 23 individual routes providing 872 weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility of these transport services is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 166 meters away from the nearest stop on average.

Across all routes, service frequency averages out to approximately 124 trips per day, which translates to about five weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Scone is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Scone faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population, which comprises 4245 people. This compares to a rate of 57.5% across the Rest of NSW, while the national average stands at 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 8.4% and 8.4% of residents respectively. Meanwhile, 67.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 65.4% across the Rest of NSW. As of a certain date, 21.1% of Scone's residents are aged 65 and over, totaling 1280 people, which is higher than the 18.9% figure in the Rest of NSW. This aligns broadly with the general population's health profile.

Scone ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Scone has a lower than average cultural diversity, with 87.8% of its population being citizens, 88.0% born in Australia, and 93.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Scone, making up 65.7% of the population, compared to 63.9% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups in Scone are Australian (32.4%), English (32.0%), and Irish (8.6%).

Notably, some ethnic groups have different representations: Australian Aboriginal is higher at 4.8% in Scone compared to 6.6% regionally, Scottish is also slightly higher at 7.9% versus 7.3%, and Filipino is higher at 1.0% compared to 0.7%.

Scone's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Scone is 39 years, which is significantly lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 but essentially aligned with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, Scone has a higher proportion of residents aged 35-44 (14.7%) but fewer residents aged 55-64 (10.8%). According to the Census conducted on August 2021, the proportion of residents aged 35-44 increased from 12.8% to 14.7%, while the proportion of those aged 65-74 grew from 9.5% to 10.6%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 45-54 decreased from 12.2% to 10.5%, and the proportion of those aged 5-14 dropped from 14.3% to 13.2%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Scone's age structure. The number of residents aged 75-84 is projected to grow by 29%, reaching 565 from 438. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 62% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both age groups of 45-54 and 5-14 are projected to decrease in number.