Young Surrounds
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Young Surrounds' population is approximately 7,862 as of Aug 2025. This figure represents a growth of 185 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,677. The increase is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 7,775 in June 2024 and an additional 44 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1.3 persons per square kilometer. Young Surrounds' growth rate of 2.4% positions it close to the SA3 area's growth of 3.2%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 51.4% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022, using 2021 as the base year, are employed. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future projections anticipate a population increase close to Australia's regional median, with Young Surrounds expected to grow by 866 persons to 2041, marking a total gain of 9.8% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Young Surrounds recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Young Surrounds has averaged around 16 new dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 82 homes were approved, with an additional 6 approved so far in FY-26. On average, each dwelling has added approximately 2.8 new residents per year over these years, indicating healthy demand that supports property values.

The average construction cost value for new homes is $351,000, which is under regional levels, suggesting more affordable housing choices for buyers. This financial year has seen $14.7 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Young Surrounds exhibits approximately half the construction activity per person and ranks among the 45th percentile nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing homes. However, there has been an increase in development activity in recent periods.

Recent construction comprises 93.0% detached dwellings and 7.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 391 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. Population forecasts indicate Young Surrounds will gain 773 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.

Young Surrounds has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 0thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 28 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones include Harden to Boorowa Pipeline, Smart Water Meter Replacement Program, Burrangong Creek Bridge Duplication, and Hill Street Subdivision Young. The following list details those most relevant:.

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

Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.2%, Young Surrounds has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Young Surrounds has a balanced workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate is 3.2%.

As of June 2025, there are 3617 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.4% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation in Young Surrounds is somewhat below the standard at 53.3%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Major employment sectors include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area has a strong specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share 6.2 times the regional level.

Conversely, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 11.0% compared to the regional average of 16.9%. Over the year to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 3.6%, while employment declined by 3.7%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.1% and labour force growth of 0.3%, with a rise in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest an expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Young Surrounds' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.1% over five years and 11.3% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Young Surrounds had a median taxpayer income of $46,362 and an average of $56,462. This is lower than the national average. Rest of NSW had a median income of $49,459 and an average of $62,998 in the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, estimated median and average incomes for Young Surrounds would be approximately $51,276 and $62,447 respectively. The 2021 Census data indicates household, family, and personal incomes in Young Surrounds fall between the 11th and 19th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile shows 26.9% of locals (2,114 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999, similar to metropolitan regions where 29.9% fall within this range. Housing costs are modest, with 90.3% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at the 18th percentile nationally.

Young Surrounds is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in Young Surrounds, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 95.6% houses and 4.4% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 93.2% houses and 6.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Young Surrounds was 52.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.1% and rented at 18.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,699. Median weekly rent in Young Surrounds was $220, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $270. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,863 and rents substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 66.6% of all households, including 23.8% couples with children, 33.7% couples without children, and 8.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 33.4%, with lone person households at 31.2% and group households comprising 2.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 16.0%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 12.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.3%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 39.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (10.0%) and certificates (29.0%).

Educational participation is high, with 27.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 11.3% in primary, 7.6% in secondary, and 2.1% in tertiary education. Eleven schools serve 836 students, reflecting typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 952) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes nine primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Transport analysis indicates 415 active stops operating within Young Surrounds. These include a mix of train and bus services. Sixty-four individual routes serve these stops, collectively offering 686 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents typically located 257 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 98 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately one weekly trip per stop.

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

Health data shows significant challenges in Young Shire with high prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover rate is very low at approximately 48% (around 3,773 people), compared to 53.6% in Rest of NSW and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (12.4%) and asthma (9.0%), while 61.4% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 63.6% in Rest of NSW.

The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 26.3% (around 2,069 people), compared to 21.4% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

The latest Census data sees Young Surrounds placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Young Surrounds showed lower cultural diversity, with 89.2% citizens, 92.6% born in Australia, and 96.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 71.6%, compared to 61.3% across Rest of NSW. Top ancestry groups were Australian (33.2%), English (32.9%), and Irish (12.1%).

Notable differences included higher representation of Australian Aboriginal (3.6% vs regional 2.9%), Serbian (0.3% vs 0.2%), and Lebanese (0.3% vs 0.7%) groups.

Young Surrounds hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Young Surrounds has a median age of 49, which is higher than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and Australia's figure of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 55-64 cohort is notably over-represented in Young Surrounds at 15.7%, while those aged 15-24 are under-represented at 9.2%. Between 2021 and the present day, the population share of the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 9.0% to 9.8%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 12.7% to 11.9%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Young Surrounds' age structure. The 85+ age cohort is projected to increase markedly by 138 people (70%), growing from 196 to 335. Meanwhile, numbers in the 55 to 64 age range are expected to fall by 25.