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 Aug 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 as of 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 for the area 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 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. Based on the latest population numbers, a significant population increase is forecast for Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah in the top quartile of Australian non-metropolitan areas. The area is expected to expand by 7,211 persons to 2041, recording a gain of 39.6% over the 17 years.

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

Over the past five financial years, from FY20 to FY25, Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah has seen approximately 152 new homes approved annually. The ABS produces development approval data on a financial year basis, with 764 dwellings approved during this period and an additional 14 approved in FY26 so far. On average, about 1.9 people have moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years, indicating balanced supply and demand conditions. However, this has accelerated to 4.6 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting increasing demand and tightening supply. The average construction cost value of new homes is $369,000, reflecting more affordable housing options compared to regional norms.

This year alone, $101.8 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating robust local business investment. Compared to the rest of NSW, Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah shows 140% higher construction activity per person, suggesting ample choice for buyers. However, development activity has moderated in recent periods. New development consists of 70% standalone homes and 30% townhouses or apartments, expanding medium-density options and creating a mix of housing opportunities across price brackets. This marks a significant shift from the current housing pattern, which is predominantly houses (96%). This change may be due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences.

With around 148 people per approval, Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah reflects a developing area. Population forecasts indicate that it will gain approximately 6,765 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

The performance of a region can significantly be influenced by alterations to its local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 30 such projects that could potentially impact this area. Among these key projects are Stockton Rifle Range Development - Fern Bay, Medowie Precinct F Residential Development, The Gardens Medowie, and Tall Trees Estate Medowie. The following list details those projects likely to be 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. Key sectors include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and construction.

Notably, the area specializes in public administration & safety, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is underrepresented at 1.7%. As of June 2025, 7,572 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.4%, which is 0.3% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation stands at 60.7%.

Over the year to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 4.3% and employment declined by 4.5%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National forecasts from May 2025 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but local growth patterns may differ based on the area's specific industry mix.

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

The latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah has a median income of $52,518 and an average income of $64,307. This is similar to national averages but higher than 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, estimated median and average incomes for March 2025 would be approximately $58,085 and $71,124 respectively. Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah rank modestly, between the 39th and 51st percentiles. Income distribution shows that 34.8% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, which is consistent with broader trends across the area at 29.9%. 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 data, 95.9% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 4.1% being semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. This is compared to Non-Metro NSW's 81.1% houses and 18.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah stood at 36.5%, with mortgaged properties 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. The median weekly rent figure was $400, 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%, consisting of 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 NSW's average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 10.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Vocational credentials are prominent, 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, 8.5% in secondary, and 3.3% in tertiary education. There are 7 schools operating within Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah, educating approximately 2,452 students. The area's ICSEA score is 974, indicating typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities. The schools include 5 primary, 1 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. School capacity exceeds residential needs at 14.4 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 11.8, suggesting the area serves as an educational hub for the broader region.

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 the Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah area shows that there are 266 active transport stops operating. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 130 individual routes providing 1,596 weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility to transport is rated as good, with residents typically located 214 meters away from the nearest transport stop.

On average, there are 228 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately six 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

Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah faces significant health challenges. Common health conditions are prevalent across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover stands at approximately 52% of the total population (~8,854 people), compared to 49.3% across Rest of NSW. Mental health issues affect 10.1% of residents, while arthritis impacts 10.0%. Notably, 62.9% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 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 present challenges broadly aligned 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 had a cultural diversity score below average, with 90.3% of its population born in Australia, 93.2% being citizens, and 96.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 55.3% of people in Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah, compared to 57.4% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (33.8%), English (31.1%), and Scottish (7.7%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal, Maltese, and Welsh populations differed from regional averages: Australian Aboriginal was 5.2% vs 4.5%, Maltese was 0.7% vs 0.5%, and Welsh was 0.6% vs 0.7%.

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

The median age in Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah is 40 years, which is slightly below the Rest of NSW average of 43 but above the Australian median of 38. The proportion of individuals aged 5-14 in Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah (13.5%) is notably higher than the Rest of NSW average, while those aged 85 and over are under-represented at 1.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the proportion 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%. Population projections for 2041 suggest significant demographic changes in Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah, with the 25-34 age cohort expected to grow substantially by an additional 1,126 people (a 62% increase) from 1,806 to 2,933.