Shortland - Jesmond
Statistical Area - sa2

Shortland - Jesmond lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Shortland - Jesmond's population is around 14,252 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,659 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 12,593. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,955 in June 2024 and an additional 273 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,121 persons per square kilometer, which is relatively in line with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Shortland - Jesmond's growth of 13.2% since the 2021 census exceeded the non-metro area's 4.8%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 94.8% 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. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, 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. Exceptional growth is predicted over this period, placing Shortland - Jesmond in the top 10 percent of regional areas nationally. The area is expected to increase by 7,725 persons to 2041 based on latest population numbers, with an increase of 52.1% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Shortland - Jesmond among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Shortland - Jesmond has approved approximately 65 new homes each year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Between FY21 and FY25, around 325 homes were approved annually, with another 3 approved in FY26 so far. On average, about 4.5 new residents have been associated with every home built over the past five financial years.

This has led to demand outpacing supply, putting upward pressure on prices and increasing buyer competition. The average construction cost of new homes is $264,000, which is below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers. In FY26, Shortland - Jesmond has recorded $51.2 million in commercial development approvals, indicating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to the rest of NSW, Shortland - Jesmond shows comparable construction activity per person, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area. Recent construction comprises 15% standalone homes and 85% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift from the current housing mix of 66% houses.

This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With around 350 people per approval, Shortland - Jesmond indicates a mature market. Future projections suggest Shortland - Jesmond will add approximately 7,428 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Shortland - Jesmond has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified 22 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects include Shortland Waters Retirement Village, Callaghan Campus Heart, 9 Gothic Street Student Accommodation, and 93 Blue Gum Road Co-Living Development. The following list details those most relevant.

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

AreaSearch assessment indicates Shortland - Jesmond faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Shortland - Jesmond has a skilled workforce with key services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate was 6.0% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.2%.

As of June 2025, 7,445 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 5.8%, which is 2.4% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation in Shortland - Jesmond is similar to Rest of NSW at 56.4%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food. Shortland - Jesmond has a particular specialization in accommodation & food, with an employment share of 1.7 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, comprising only 0.5% of the workforce compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis. In the past year, employment increased by 1.2%, while labour force grew by 2.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.1 percentage points. Comparatively, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.1% and unemployment rise by 0.4%. State-level data for Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, compared to the national rate of 4.5% and national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's projections from May 2025 estimate national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Shortland - Jesmond's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.5% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows Shortland - Jesmond has median income of $46,309 and average income of $55,191. This is below the national averages of $49,459 (median) and $62,998 (average). Rest of NSW's figures are higher than Shortland - Jesmond's. Using Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for March 2025 would be approximately $51,218 (median) and $61,041 (average). Census 2021 data shows Shortland - Jesmond's household, family, and personal incomes fall between the 9th and 22nd percentiles nationally. The predominant income cohort in Shortland - Jesmond is $1,500 - 2,999, with 32.8% of locals (4,674 people) earning within this range, similar to the surrounding region's 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 77.9% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 16th percentile nationally.

Shortland - Jesmond displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Shortland-Jesmond's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 65.8% houses and 34.3% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 70.5% houses and 29.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Shortland-Jesmond was 21.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.3% and rented ones at 54.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,700, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,962. Median weekly rent in Shortland-Jesmond was $365, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, Shortland-Jesmond's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,700 than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less at $365 than the national figure of $375.

Shortland - Jesmond features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 56.8% of all households, including 18.9% couples with children, 23.3% couples without children, and 12.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 43.2%, with lone person households at 30.4% and group households making up 12.7%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

Shortland - Jesmond faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

In Shortland-Jesmond, 24.1% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees, compared to the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 15.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.5%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 32.4% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (7.9%) and certificates (24.5%). Educational participation is high, with 45.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 26.2% in tertiary education, 7.2% in primary education, and 4.7% pursuing secondary education. There are seven schools operating within Shortland-Jesmond, educating approximately 1,524 students. The area has varied educational conditions, with a mix of four primary, two secondary, and one K-12 school. School places per 100 residents (10.7) fall below the regional average (15.6), indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas. Note: if 'n/a' appears for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Transport analysis indicates 107 active public transport stops in Shortland-Jesmond area. These include train and bus services. There are 76 individual routes operating, providing a total of 5,049 weekly passenger trips.

The average distance to the nearest stop for residents is 148 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. Services run at an average frequency of 721 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 47 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Shortland - Jesmond faces significant health challenges with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across all age groups, but notably higher among older cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 48% of the total population (around 6,783 people), compared to 55.6% in the rest of NSW and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues impact 11.9% of residents, while asthma affects 9.4%.

Approximately 66.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 64.9% in the rest of NSW. The area has 11.0% of residents aged 65 and over (around 1,564 people), which is lower than the 16.7% in the rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Shortland - Jesmond was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Shortland-Jesmond has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 25.9% of its population born overseas and 22.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 41.9% of the population. Islam is significantly overrepresented, at 7.5%, compared to the Rest of NSW average of 1.7%.

The top three ancestry groups are Australian (26.4%), English (26.2%), and Other (12.5%), which is higher than the regional average of 6.4%. Notably, Macedonian (0.4% vs 0.8%), Samoan (0.3% vs 0.1%), and Australian Aboriginal (3.8% vs 3.2%) groups are overrepresented in Shortland-Jesmond compared to the region.

Shortland - Jesmond hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Shortland-Jesmond has a median age of 27, which is younger than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 and Australia's national median age of 38. Compared to Rest of NSW, Shortland-Jesmond has a higher proportion of residents aged 15-24 (29.3%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (4.9%). This concentration of 15-24 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 12.5%. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, Shortland-Jesmond's median age decreased by 1.3 years to 27 from 28. Specifically, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 increased from 19.7% to 23.6%, while those aged 35-44 rose from 10.1% to 11.7%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 65-74 decreased from 6.2% to 4.9%, and those aged 5-14 dropped from 8.2% to 7.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Shortland-Jesmond's age profile. The number of residents aged 25-34 is projected to rise substantially by 2,903 people (an increase of 86%) from 3,364 to 6,268. Conversely, the number of residents aged 85 and above is expected to fall by 43.