Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah
Statistical Area - sa2

Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah 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, Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah's population is around 17,061 as of August 2025. This reflects an increase of 2,041 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,020 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 16,616 from the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 724 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 46 persons per square kilometer. Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah's growth of 13.6% since the 2021 Census exceeded the non-metro area's growth rate of 4.8%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 73.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to demographic trends, the area is forecasted to have a significant population increase, expanding by 7,211 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of 39.6% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah has seen approximately 224 new home approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 1,120 homes. As of FY-26, 40 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 new residents arrive per new home annually between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating balanced supply and demand. However, this has intensified to 4.6 people per dwelling over the past two years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply. The average construction value of development projects is $369,000, lower than regional levels, offering more affordable housing options.

This financial year has seen $101.8 million in commercial approvals, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to the rest of NSW, Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah has 136.0% more new home approvals per person, providing ample choice for buyers despite recent easing in construction activity. This area shows strong developer confidence, with new development consisting of 70.0% detached dwellings and 30.0% attached dwellings, expanding medium-density options. This change from the current housing mix (96.0% houses) reflects reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands. With around 148 people per dwelling approval, Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah exhibits growth area characteristics. Future projections estimate an addition of 6,765 residents by 2041, with current development well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Future projections show Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah adding 6,765 residents by 2041. Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 43rdth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 31 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Stockton Rifle Range Development - Fern Bay, Medowie Precinct F Residential Development, The Gardens Medowie, and Tall Trees Estate Medowie. Below is a list detailing those most relevant.

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

Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.4%, Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well represented, and the unemployment rate is 3.4%.

As of June 2025, there are 7,572 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.3% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation is similar to the regional average at 60.7%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and construction. The area specializes in public administration & safety with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence, representing only 1.7% of employment compared to 5.3% regionally. Many residents commute elsewhere for work, based on Census data analysis. Between June 2024 and July 2025, labour force decreased by 4.3%, employment declined by 4.5%, leading to an unemployment rate increase of 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment contract by 0.1%, labour force grow by 0.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.5%, with employment growth at 0.26%. According to Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025, national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.1% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2022 indicates that median income in Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah is $52,518 and average income is $64,307. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's median income of $49,459 and average income of $62,998 for the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% from financial year ending June 2022 to March 2025, estimated median income is approximately $58,085 and average income is around $71,124. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah rank modestly, between the 39th and 51st percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 34.8% of the population (5,937 individuals) fall within the $1,500 to $2,999 income range, mirroring the region where 29.9% occupy this bracket. High housing costs consume 15.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 53rd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

In Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah, as per the latest Census, 95.9% of dwellings were houses while 4.1% comprised semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This differs from Non-Metro NSW's dwelling structure of 81.1% houses and 18.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah stood at 36.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 42.6% and rented ones at 20.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,900, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. Weekly rent was recorded at $400 in the area, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $360. Nationally, Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 79.4% of all households, including 36.1% couples with children, 30.8% couples without children, and 11.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 20.6%, with lone person households at 18.9% and group households comprising 1.7%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 14.4%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 46.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.3%) and certificates (35.1%). Educational participation is high at 29.9%, comprising 11.4% in primary education, 8.5% in secondary education, and 3.3% pursuing tertiary education.

Seven schools operate within Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah, educating approximately 2,452 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 974). The educational mix includes five primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. School capacity exceeds residential needs at 14.4 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 11.8, indicating the area serves as an educational hub for the broader region. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Transport analysis indicates 266 active transport stops in the Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah area, serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are covered by 130 individual routes, facilitating 1,596 weekly passenger trips collectively. Transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents on average situated 214 meters from their nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 228 trips daily across all routes, equating to roughly 6 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data for Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah shows significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is higher than average at approximately 52% (~8,854 people), compared to 49.3% in Rest of NSW.

Mental health issues affect 10.1% of residents, while arthritis impacts 10.0%. A total of 62.9% report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the 59.3% in Rest of NSW. The area has 19.8% of residents aged 65 and over (3,379 people), lower than the 28.1% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are challenging but broadly align with the general population's health profile.

Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah, surveyed in August 2016, had low cultural diversity with 90.3% of its population born in Australia, 93.2% being citizens, and 96.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 55.3%, slightly lower than the regional average of 57.4%. Ancestry-wise, Australians made up 33.8%, followed by English (31.1%) and Scottish (7.7%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginals were overrepresented at 5.2% compared to 4.5% regionally, while Maltese (0.7% vs 0.5%) and Welsh (0.6% vs 0.7%) also showed slight increases.

Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in the area of Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah is 40 years, which is slightly below Rest of NSW's average of 43 but above Australia's median of 38. The percentage of individuals aged 5-14 in this area is notably higher at 13.5% compared to the Rest of NSW average, while those aged 85 and above are under-represented at 1.5%. According to the 2021 Census, the population of individuals aged 75 to 84 has increased from 5.7% to 6.7%, while the percentage of those aged 5-14 has decreased from 14.9% to 13.5%. By 2041, significant demographic changes are projected for Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah, with the 25 to 34 age cohort expected to grow by 62%, from 1,806 to 2,933 people.