Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah

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

Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah's population is approximately 17,013 as of February 2026. This figure reflects an increase of 1,993 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,020. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 16,616 in June 2024 and an additional 752 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 46 persons per square kilometer. Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah's growth rate of 13.3% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (5.5%) and the Rest of NSW, indicating it as a region with significant growth. Interstate migration contributed approximately 73.4% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth and overseas migration were positive factors.

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. Based on demographic trends and the latest annual ERP population numbers, Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah is forecast to increase its population by 7,211 persons to reach approximately 24,224 by 2041, reflecting a total gain of 40.0% over the 17-year period.

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, 83 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 new residents arrive per new home annually between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating stable market conditions. However, this figure has increased to 4.6 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply. The average construction value of development projects is $239,000, lower than regional levels, offering more affordable housing choices for buyers.

In FY-26, commercial approvals have totalled $101.8 million, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah has 136.0% more new home approvals per capita, providing ample choice for buyers despite recent easing in construction activity. This area shows strong developer confidence, with development consisting of 70.0% detached dwellings and 30.0% attached dwellings, expanding medium-density options across various price brackets. This marks a significant shift from the current housing mix of 96.0% houses. With around 148 people per dwelling approval, Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah exhibits growth area characteristics. Future projections estimate an addition of 6,813 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 top 50% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 31 projects that could impact the region. Notable ones include Stockton Rifle Range Development - Fern Bay, The Gardens Medowie, Medowie Precinct F Residential Development, and Medowie New High School. Below is a list of those most likely to be relevant.

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

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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.1%, 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 here, with an unemployment rate of 3.1% as of September 2025. In this period, 7,825 residents were employed, which is 0.7% lower than the Rest of NSW's unemployment rate of 3.8%.

The workforce participation rate was similar to the regional average at 61.5%. According to Census responses, 23.7% of residents worked from home. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and construction sectors. There is a particular specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

However, agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence here, with only 1.7% of residents employed in this sector compared to the regional average of 5.3%. While local employment opportunities exist, many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the 12-month period ending in September 2025, labour force decreased by 2.2%, and employment declined by 1.8% in Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah. This resulted in a decrease of 0.4 percentage points in unemployment rate. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment contract by 0.5%, labour force fall by 0.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project that national employment will 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 employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, according to a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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 2023 indicates that Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah SA2 has median income of $55,985 and average income of $67,828. This is comparable to national averages but higher than Rest of NSW's median income of $52,390 and average income of $65,215. Assuming an 8.86% growth based on Wage Price Index from financial year ending June 2023 to September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $60,945 (median) and $73,838 (average). Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah rank modestly, between 39th and 51st percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 34.8% of the population, equating to 5,920 individuals, fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, which is similar to the regional average of 29.9%. High housing costs consume 15.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 52nd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th 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, with the remaining 4.1% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This differs from Non-Metro NSW's dwelling structure, which was 82.6% houses and 17.4% 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. Weekly rent in the area averaged $400, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah's median mortgage repayment exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while weekly 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 constitute 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 account for 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%. This indicates both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives in the region. Bachelor degrees are the most common, with 10.3% of residents holding such qualifications, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 2.4% and graduate diplomas at 1.7%. Vocational credentials are prominent among residents aged 15+, with 46.4% having them - advanced diplomas account for 11.3% and certificates for 35.1%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.4% in primary education, 8.5% in secondary education, and 3.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis indicates 287 active transport stops operating within Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah, consisting of buses. These stops are served by 130 individual routes, collectively offering 1,507 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents typically located 214 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; car remains the dominant mode at 96%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.9 per dwelling, exceeding the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, some 23.7% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 215 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately five weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with the level of common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical, though higher than the nation's average among older cohorts

Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah's health metrics are close to national benchmarks.

AreaSearch assessed mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, finding common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical but higher than the nation's average among older cohorts. Private health cover is at approximately 53% of the total population (~8,948 people), leading that of the average SA2 area. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 10.1 and 10.0% of residents respectively. 62.9% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% across Rest of NSW. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 20.1% of residents aged 65 and over (3,416 people), which is lower than the 23.4% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but rank lower nationally than the broader population.

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 showed low cultural diversity, with 90.3% born in Australia, 93.2% citizens, and 96.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated at 55.3%, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW's 55.9%. Top ancestry groups were Australian (33.8%), English (31.1%), and Scottish (7.7%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal (5.2%) was higher than regional average (4.6%), as were Maltese (0.7% vs 0.4%) and Welsh (0.6% vs 0.5%).

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

The median age in Williamtown-Medowie-Karuah is 40 years, slightly below Rest of NSW's average of 43 but above Australia's median of 38. The percentage of residents aged 5-14 is notably higher at 13.4% compared to the Rest of NSW average, while those aged 85 and over are underrepresented at 1.6%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 75 to 84 has increased from 5.7% to 6.9%, while the 5-14 age group has decreased from 14.9% to 13.4% and the 45-54 group has dropped from 13.4% to 12.1%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant growth in the 25-34 age cohort, with an increase of 1,081 people (58%) from 1,851 to 2,933.