Wallsend - Elermore Vale

Wallsend - Elermore Vale has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Wallsend - Elermore Vale's population is around 22,022 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,064 people (5.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 20,958 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,691 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 265 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 1,023 persons per square kilometer, which is relatively in line with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Wallsend - Elermore Vale's 5.1% growth since the census positions it within 0.8 percentage points of the Rest of NSW (5.9%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 62.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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. Moving forward with demographic trends, a population increase just below the median of non-metropolitan areas nationally is expected, with the area expected to expand by 3,041 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 12.3% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Wallsend - Elermore Vale among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Wallsend - Elermore Vale has seen around 91 new homes approved per year, with 456 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 48 so far in FY-26. With an average of 2.2 new residents per year gained for each dwelling built 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 construction cost of $225,000—below the regional average—suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers. Additionally, $10.4 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development.

When measured against the Rest of NSW, Wallsend - Elermore Vale has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person while it places among the 55th percentile of areas assessed nationally. New development consists of 30.0% detached dwellings and 70.0% attached dwellings. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 80.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With around 337 people per dwelling approval, Wallsend - Elermore Vale shows characteristics of a low density area.

Looking ahead, Wallsend - Elermore Vale is expected to grow by 2,710 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Wallsend - Elermore Vale has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 38 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Western Corridor Road Upgrades - Longworth Avenue and Minmi Road, 6-10 Council Street Apartments, Duncan Close Residential Development, and Infinite Early Learning Elermore Vale, 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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The labour market performance in Wallsend - Elermore Vale lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Wallsend - Elermore Vale features a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, and an unemployment rate of 5.8%. As of December 2025, 10,879 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 1.8% above Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (63.3% compared to Regional NSW's 61.3%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 22.7% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in health care & social assistance, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. Meanwhile, agriculture, forestry & fishing has a limited presence with 0.5% employment compared to 5.3% regionally. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, the labour force increased by 1.5% combined with employment decreasing by 0.5%, resulting in the unemployment rate rising by 1.9 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional NSW, where employment contracted by 1.2%, the labour force fell by 0.8%, and unemployment rose 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Wallsend - Elermore Vale. 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 Wallsend - Elermore Vale's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.5% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

The Wallsend - Elermore Vale SA2 shows a median taxpayer income of $56,533 and an average of $66,010 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. This is slightly lower than average on a national basis, contrasting with Regional NSW's median income of $52,390 and average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $61,542 (median) and $71,858 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes all rank modestly in Wallsend - Elermore Vale, between the 31st and 34th percentiles. Distribution data shows the predominant cohort spans 31.5% of locals (6,936 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, mirroring the surrounding region where 29.9% occupy this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.0% of income remaining, ranking at the 31st percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

Wallsend - Elermore Vale is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure within Wallsend - Elermore Vale, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 79.6% houses and 20.4% 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 Wallsend - Elermore Vale lagged that of Regional NSW, at 33.1%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (33.8%) or rented (33.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was above the Regional NSW average at $1,777, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $380, compared to Regional NSW's $1,733 and $330. Nationally, Wallsend - Elermore Vale's mortgage repayments are lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceed the national figure of $375.

Wallsend - Elermore Vale features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households dominate at 66.3% of all households, comprising 26.5% couples with children, 25.7% couples without children, and 12.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 33.7%, with lone person households at 28.9% and group households comprising 4.8% of the total. The median household size of 2.4 people matches the Regional NSW average.

Educational outcomes in Wallsend - Elermore Vale fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Educational qualifications in Wallsend - Elermore Vale trail regional benchmarks, with 23.8% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 32.2% in NSW. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 16.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.3%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 36.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (9.6%) and certificates (26.6%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 27.5% of residents aged 15+ currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.3% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 6.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 239 active transport stops operating within Wallsend - Elermore Vale, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 104 individual routes, collectively providing 2,584 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 136 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 1.3 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. Some 22.7% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 369 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 10 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Health performance in Wallsend - Elermore Vale is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Critical health challenges are evident across Wallsend - Elermore Vale, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. A range of health conditions have marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover slightly lags the average SA2 area at approximately 52% of the total population (~11,429 people).

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 11.5% and 10.1% of residents, respectively, while 59.9% 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 19.7% of residents aged 65 and over (4,329 people), which is lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Wallsend - Elermore Vale was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 84.6% of its population born in Australia, 89.6% being citizens, and 87.8% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Wallsend - Elermore Vale is Christianity, which makes up 51.8% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Islam, which comprises 2.5% of the population, compared to 0.8% across Regional NSW.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Wallsend - Elermore Vale are English, comprising 29.0% of the population, Australian, comprising 28.4% of the population, and Scottish, comprising 8.3% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Macedonian is notably overrepresented at 1.2% of Wallsend - Elermore Vale (vs 0.4% regionally), Polish at 1.1% (vs 0.5%) and Welsh at 0.8% (vs 0.5%).

Wallsend - Elermore Vale's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The 39-year median age in Wallsend - Elermore Vale is significantly below Regional NSW's average of 43 while essentially aligned with Australia's 38 years. Relative to Regional NSW, Wallsend - Elermore Vale has a higher concentration of 25 - 34 residents (17.8%) but fewer 65 - 74 year-olds (9.3%). Following the 2021 Census, the median age has decreased by 1.1 years from 40 to 39, indicating a younger demographic shift. Key changes show the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 14.7% to 17.8% of the population, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 12.2% to 13.3%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 11.2% to 9.7% and the 65 to 74 group dropped from 10.7% to 9.3%. Demographic modeling suggests Wallsend - Elermore Vale's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to experience strong growth, expanding by 981 people (25%) from 3,917 to 4,899. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 65 to 74 and 55 to 64 cohorts.