Stockton - Fullerton Cove
Statistical Area - sa2

Stockton - Fullerton Cove lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Stockton-Fullerton Cove's population, according to AreaSearch's analysis, was approximately 9,578 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 754 people, an 8.5% rise since the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 8,824. The growth is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 9,542 in June 2024 and an additional 70 validated new addresses post-census. This results in a population density ratio of 313 persons per square kilometer. Stockton-Fullerton Cove's growth since the 2021 Census outperformed non-metro areas (4.8%) and its SA4 region, indicating it as a growth leader. Interstate migration contributed approximately 79.7% to overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, 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. Future population dynamics predict exceptional growth, placing Stockton-Fullerton Cove among Australia's top 10 percent regional areas. The area is expected to grow by 5,175 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, indicating a total gain of 53.6% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Stockton - Fullerton Cove was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Stockton-Fullerton Cove has recorded approximately 51 residential properties granted approval each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, a total of 255 homes have been approved, with an additional 9 approved so far in FY26. On average, over these five years, around 4.5 new residents arrived per dwelling constructed annually.

This indicates that supply is substantially lagging demand, leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. The average construction value of new homes was $551,000, which is moderately above regional levels, suggesting an emphasis on quality construction. In FY26 alone, there have been $7.9 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature.

Compared to the Rest of NSW, Stockton-Fullerton Cove has similar development levels per person, maintaining market equilibrium consistent with surrounding areas. The new development consists of 83% detached dwellings and 17% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's low density nature while attracting space-seeking buyers. With around 263 people per dwelling approval, Stockton-Fullerton Cove indicates a developing market. Looking ahead to 2041, Stockton-Fullerton Cove is expected to grow by approximately 5,139 residents. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Stockton - Fullerton Cove 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 36 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones include Rifle Range, Fern Bay, Fullerton Cove Shopping Centre, Bayway Village, and Fern Bay and North Stockton Strategy.

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

The labour market in Stockton - Fullerton Cove demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Stockton-Fullerton Cove has a skilled workforce with 2.8% unemployment rate as of June 2025, below Rest of NSW's 3.7%. Employment growth over the past year was 2.2%, with 4,337 residents employed.

Dominant sectors include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and education & training, with notable concentration in public administration & safety at 1.6 times regional average. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, at 0.7% compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%. Workforce participation lags at 50.2%, below Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 2.2%, labour force by 2.5%, raising unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points.

In comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.1%, labour force growth by 0.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National unemployment rate is 4.5%, with national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Stockton-Fullerton Cove's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.6%% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, using simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

Stockton-Fullerton Cove has a median taxpayer income of $57,005 and an average of $69,166 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This is higher than the national average, which contrasts with Rest of NSW's median income of $49,459 and average income of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $63,048 (median) and $76,498 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes in Stockton-Fullerton Cove rank modestly, between the 30th and 32nd percentiles. Income brackets indicate that the $1,500 - $2,999 earnings band captures 27.2% of the community (2,605 individuals), which is consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 29.9% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.4% of income remaining, ranking at the 28th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Stockton - Fullerton Cove is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Stockton - Fullerton Cove, as per the latest Census evaluation, 89.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 10.9% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This differed from Non-Metro NSW's dwelling structure, which was 70.5% houses and 29.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Stockton - Fullerton Cove stood at 46.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.2% and rented ones at 25.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,167, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,962. The median weekly rent figure in Stockton - Fullerton Cove was recorded as $430, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, mortgage repayments in Stockton - Fullerton Cove were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Stockton - Fullerton Cove has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 68.0% of all households, including 25.1% couples with children, 32.8% couples without children, and 9.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 32.0%, with lone person households at 29.5% and group households comprising 2.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Educational attainment in Stockton - Fullerton Cove aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

Stockton-Fullerton Cove has 22.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees, compared to NSW's 32.2%. This indicates potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 40.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.6%) and certificates (28.8%).

Educational participation is high at 26.5%, with 10.1% in primary education, 6.8% in secondary education, and 3.8% pursuing tertiary education. The area's three schools have a combined enrollment of 587 students, serving typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1008) with balanced educational opportunities. All three schools focus on primary education; secondary options are available nearby but limited local capacity (6.1 places per 100 residents vs regional average of 15.6) means many families travel for schooling.

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

Stockton-Fullerton Cove has 81 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry and bus services. These stops are served by 39 individual routes that facilitate 1,541 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 181 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency stands at 220 trips per day across all routes, translating to roughly 19 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Stockton - Fullerton Cove is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Stockton - Fullerton Cove faces significant health challenges, as indicated by its health data.

Both younger and older age groups exhibit high prevalence rates for common health conditions. Approximately 54% (~5,143 people) of the total population has private health cover, which is relatively high. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are arthritis (affecting 11.9% of residents) and mental health issues (8.6%). Conversely, 60.3% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 64.9% across Rest of NSW. In terms of demographics, 28.2% (2,700 people) of Stockton - Fullerton Cove's population is aged 65 and over, higher than the 16.7% figure for Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors in the area present certain challenges, largely mirroring those of the general population's health profile.

Stockton - Fullerton Cove is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Stockton-Fullerton Cove showed lower cultural diversity, with 88.6% of residents born in Australia, 91.4% being citizens, and 95.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, at 56.5%, compared to 47.7% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestral groups were English (32.9%), Australian (29.5%), and Irish (9.2%).

Notably, Welsh (1.1%) and Scottish (8.6%) groups were proportionally higher than the regional averages of 0.8% and 8.4%, respectively. The Australian Aboriginal population was also slightly higher at 3.4%.

Stockton - Fullerton Cove hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Stockton-Fullerton Cove has a median age of 47 years, which is higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 and the national average of 38. The age profile shows that individuals aged 65-74 are particularly prevalent, making up 15.1% of the population, compared to 10.7% for those aged 55-64. This concentration of 65-74 year-olds is higher than the national average of 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, there has been a decrease in median age from 48 to 47 years, indicating population rejuvenation. During this period, the proportion of individuals aged 15-24 increased from 8.6% to 10.8%, while those aged 35-44 rose from 11.7% to 12.8%. Conversely, the share of individuals aged 55-64 decreased from 12.9% to 10.7%, and those aged 65-74 fell from 17.3% to 15.1%. By 2041, it is projected that the age cohort of 25-34 will expand significantly, with an increase of 704 people (74%) from 953 to 1,658.