Young

An assessment of population growth drivers in Young reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Young's population was around 11,026 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 22 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,004 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,971 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 37 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 21 persons per square kilometer. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 98.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 utilised NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations were applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Demographic trends indicated a population increase just below the median of national non-metropolitan areas, with an expected growth of 552 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 4.5% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Young according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Young has seen approximately 32 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 160 homes. As of FY-26, 20 approvals have been recorded so far. Young's population has declined in recent years, but development activity has remained adequate relative to its size, benefiting buyers. New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $429,000, which is moderately above regional levels, indicating a focus on quality construction.

In the current financial year, $39.9 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Young records about three-quarters the building activity per person and ranks among the 54th percentile nationally, although construction activity has intensified recently. This level is below the national average, reflecting the area's established nature and potentially indicating planning limitations. Recent construction comprises 83.0% detached dwellings and 17.0% attached dwellings, maintaining Young's low density character with a focus on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers.

The location has approximately 285 people per dwelling approval, confirming its low density market status. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Young is forecasted to gain 497 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Young has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Area infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified 12 projects potentially impacting the area. Key projects include Young Stormwater Infrastructure Upgrades, Apollo Fabrication Group Expansion, Hill Street Subdivision Young, and Burrangong Creek Bridge Duplication. The following details projects likely most relevant.

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The labour market performance in Young lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Young has a balanced workforce with diverse sector representation and an unemployment rate of 4.4% as of September 2025. In this period, 4,802 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.6% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Young stands at 54.1%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries for employment among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area shows strong specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level. However, health care & social assistance is under-represented, with only 14.5% of Young's workforce compared to Rest of NSW's 16.9%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work, indicated by Census data on working population and local population counts. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, labour force decreased by 5.5% and employment decreased by 5.2%, leading to a fall in unemployment rate of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.5% and labour force decline of 0.1%, with a rise in unemployment rate of 0.4 percentage points. State-level data up to 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 12.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Young's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by approximately 5.8% over five years and 12.5% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Young SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $46,662 and an average income of $56,303. These figures are below the national averages of $49,459 (median) and $62,998 (average). Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, estimated median and average incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $52,546 and $63,403 respectively. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Young fall between the 11th and 21st percentiles nationally. Income distribution data shows 27.1% of Young's population earns between $800 and $1,499 annually, compared to regional levels where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket leads at 29.9%. After housing costs, 85.9% of income remains in Young, ranking at the 14th percentile nationally.

Young is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Young's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 87.9% houses and 12.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 93.2% houses and 6.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Young was at 39.9%, aligning with Non-Metro NSW, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (30.0%) or rented (30.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Young was $1,300, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,699. Weekly rent median was recorded at $250, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $270. Nationally, Young's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Young features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 66.5% of all households, including 25.1% couples with children, 27.6% couples without children, and 12.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 33.5%, with lone person households at 31.0% and group households comprising 2.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

Young faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 14.1%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.5%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 38.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (9.0%) and certificates (29.5%).

Educational participation is high, with 28.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 11.7% in primary, 9.0% in secondary, and 1.6% in tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Young shows that there are 370 active transport stops currently operating. These include a mix of train and bus services. There are 30 individual routes servicing these stops, collectively providing 324 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 178 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are 46 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately zero weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health data indicates significant health challenges in Young, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 48%, or around 5,292 people, which is lower than Rest of NSW's 53.6% and the national average of 55.3%. The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (11.0%) and asthma (9.4%), with 62.5% reporting no medical ailments, compared to 63.6% in Rest of NSW.

Young has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 22.7%, or 2,504 people, compared to Rest of NSW's 21.4%. Health outcomes among seniors face challenges broadly aligned with the general population's health profile.

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

Young's population was found to be predominantly culturally homogeneous, with 90.1% being citizens, 91.2% born in Australia, and 92.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion in Young, accounting for 65.4% of its population, compared to 61.3% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (34.2%), English (30.4%), and Irish (9.9%).

Notably, Lebanese (1.9%) and Australian Aboriginal (3.9%) populations were higher in Young than the regional average (Lebanese 0.7%, Aboriginal 2.9%). Additionally, Serbians made up 0.3% of Young's population, slightly higher than the regional average of 0.2%.

Young's median age exceeds the national pattern

Young's median age is 42 years, similar to Rest of NSW's average of 43 but considerably older than Australia's 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 5-14 are particularly prominent at 13.8%, while the 25-34 group is comparatively smaller at 10.6% compared to Rest of NSW. Between 2021 and present, the 35-44 age group has grown from 11.2% to 11.9%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort has declined from 12.1% to 11.4%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Young. The 75-84 cohort is projected to grow by 26%, adding 229 residents to reach 1,117. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 65-74 and 55-64 cohorts.