Bulahdelah

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Bulahdelah is around 1,550. This reflects an increase of 12 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,538. The change was inferred from the resident population of 1,521 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS on June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 9.0 persons per square kilometer in Bulahdelah. Over the past decade, from 2015 to 2025, Bulahdelah has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.3%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by interstate migration that contributed approximately 84.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Anticipating future population dynamics, lower quartile growth of Australian non-metropolitan areas is anticipated, with the area expected to grow by 28 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 5.7% in total over the 17 years.

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

Bulahdelah has had minimal residential development activity with less than 1 dwelling approval annually over the five-year period from January 2015 to December 2019, totalling 4 dwellings. This low level of development reflects Bulahdelah's rural nature where housing needs are typically specific and locally driven rather than broad market demand. It is important to note that due to the small number of approvals, individual projects can significantly impact annual growth and relativity statistics in this area.

Compared to Rest of NSW, Bulahdelah has substantially lower development levels. Nationally, development levels are also below average. Recent building activity in Bulahdelah consists entirely of standalone homes, maintaining the rural nature of the area with emphasis on space.

Bulahdelah has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

No infrastructure changes are currently anticipated in the area, as AreaSearch has identified zero projects that could significantly impact it. Notable initiatives include the Newcastle Offshore Wind Project, Draft Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan 2036, Hunter Regional Plan 2041, and Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone.

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

Bulahdelah's workforce is balanced across white and blue collar jobs, with tourism and hospitality sectors prominent. Its unemployment rate was 6.1% as per AreaSearch data aggregation in June 2025.

The area had 611 residents employed while the unemployment rate stood at 2.5% above Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation lagged significantly, at 43.8% compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Dominant employment sectors among residents were accommodation & food, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. The area had notable concentration in accommodation & food, with employment levels at 2.0 times the regional average.

Conversely, public administration & safety had lower representation at 3.0% versus the regional average of 7.5%. Employment opportunities appeared limited locally, indicated by Census working population vs resident population count. Over the 12 months to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.2%, employment declined by 0.7%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW had employment decline of 0.1% and labour force growth of 0.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 offered insights into potential future demand within Bulahdelah. These projections estimated national employment expansion at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with differing growth rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Bulahdelah's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 5.7% over five years and 12.3% over ten years.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's analysis of postcode-level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Bulahdelah had a median income of $36,003 and an average income of $45,774. These figures are lower than the national averages of $49,459 and $62,998 for Rest of NSW respectively. By September 2025, adjusted for Wage Price Index growth of 12.61%, median income is estimated at approximately $40,543 and average income at $51,546. The 2021 Census indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Bulahdelah fall between the 2nd and 4th percentiles nationally. In Bulahdelah, 33.5% of individuals earn within the $400-$799 range, unlike regional trends where 29.9% earn within the $1,500-$2,999 range. The concentration of 41.6% in sub-$800 weekly brackets suggests economic challenges for a significant portion of the community. After housing costs, 86.3% of income remains, ranking at the 4th percentile nationally.

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

In Bulahdelah, as per the latest Census evaluation, 95.8% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 4.1% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Non-Metro NSW's figures of 73.0% houses and 27.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bulahdelah stood at 54.4%, similar to Non-Metro NSW, with mortgaged properties at 25.4% and rented ones at 20.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,236, lower than the Non-Metro NSW average of $1,517. Weekly rent median in Bulahdelah was $295, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Bulahdelah's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,236 versus Australia's $1,863 average, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Bulahdelah has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 67.3% of all households, including 17.0% couples with children, 34.9% couples without children, and 14.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 32.7%, with lone person households at 29.4% and group households comprising 3.5%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.1.

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

The area has lower university qualification rates at 9.5%, compared to NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 7.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 1.8% and graduate diplomas at 0.7%. Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 40.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (8.8%) and certificates (31.5%). A significant 23.2% of the population is actively pursuing education, with 10.9% in primary, 7.1% in secondary, and 1.6% in tertiary education.

The area has two schools serving 358 students: St Joseph's Primary School and Bulahdelah Central School. The ICSEA value for the educational conditions is 935. There is one primary school and one K-12 school. The area functions as an education hub with 23.1 school places per 100 residents, higher than the regional average of 10.4, attracting students from nearby communities.

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

Transport analysis shows 32 active transport stops in Bulahdelah, operated by buses. These stops are served by 22 routes, offering 184 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents on average located 212 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 26 trips per day across all routes, equating to roughly 5 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Bulahdelah is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Bulahdelah faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Private health cover is low, at approximately 45% (around 699 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (14.5%) and mental health issues (10.2%). While 55.5% of residents report no medical ailments, this is slightly lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 56.6%. Bulahdelah has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 32.7% (506 people), compared to 36.0% in Rest of NSW. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are challenging but better than the general population's metrics.

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

Bulahdelah's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 91.2% of its population being citizens, 89.7% born in Australia, and 96.6% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in Bulahdelah is Christianity, accounting for 62.3% of the population, compared to 58.5% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups based on parents' country of birth are Australian (35.2%), English (33.5%), and Irish (8.0%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal is overrepresented at 4.8%, New Zealanders comprise 0.8%, and Maltese make up 0.5% of Bulahdelah's population.

Bulahdelah ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Bulahdelah is 54 years, which is significantly higher than Rest of NSW's average of 43 years and considerably older than the national norm of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented at 19.7% in Bulahdelah, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 4.2%. This concentration of the 65-74 age group is well above the national average of 9.4%. According to the Census conducted on the 28th of August 2021, the 15-24 age group has grown from 8.3% to 10.3% of Bulahdelah's population, while the 35-44 age cohort increased from 8.4% to 9.5%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has declined from 6.4% to 4.2%, and the 45-54 age group dropped from 12.7% to 10.8%. By the year 2041, Bulahdelah is expected to experience notable shifts in its age composition. The 85+ age cohort is projected to expand considerably, increasing by 39 people (61%) from 65 to 105. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 67% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. On the other hand, both the 55-64 and 45-54 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.