Colo Vale

Population growth drivers in Colo Vale are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of the Colo Vale statistical area (Lv2) is around 1,835 people. This figure reflects an increase of 60 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,775 people. The change can be inferred from the resident population estimate of 1,787 by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 15 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 27 persons per square kilometer. The Colo Vale (SA2) experienced a growth rate of 3.4% between the 2021 Census and Nov 2025, exceeding the SA3 area's growth rate of 3.3%. Natural growth contributed approximately 81.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. According to population projections, the Colo Vale (SA2) is forecasted to experience significant growth, increasing by 510 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 27.3% over the 17-year period.

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

Colo Vale had an average annual dwelling approval rate of three between 2014 and 2018, totaling 19 approvals over this period. This low level of development reflects the rural nature of the area, where housing needs often dictate development rather than broader market demand. Notably, the small number of approvals can significantly impact annual growth statistics.

Compared to Rest of NSW and national averages, Colo Vale has substantially lower development levels. Recent building activity comprises solely detached dwellings, consistent with the area's rural character favoring larger properties. As of 2018, there were an estimated 405 people per dwelling approval in Colo Vale, indicative of its quiet, low-activity development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Colo Vale is projected to add 501 residents by 2041.

If current development rates persist, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.

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

No infrastructure changes can significantly affect a region's performance. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that could potentially impact this area. Notable projects include Tahmoor South Coal Project, South Pacific Offshore Wind Project, Sydney-Canberra Rail Connectivity And Capacity, and Paling Yards Wind Farm. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Colo Vale performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Colo Vale has a diverse workforce with balanced white and blue collar employment. The construction sector is prominent, with an unemployment rate of 1.3% and estimated employment growth of 3.2% in the past year, according to AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation.

As of September 2025963 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.5%, which is below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. The workforce participation rate is higher at 66.0% compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries include construction, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Construction has particularly high representation, with employment levels at 1.8 times the regional average.

Conversely, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 11.9% versus the regional average of 16.9%. The area may have limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population counts. In the past year, employment increased by 3.2%, while labour force increased by 3.8%, causing a rise in unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment contracted by 0.5%, labour force fell by 0.1%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Colo Vale's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

Colo Vale suburb's income level is among the top percentile nationally according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year ended June 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Colo Vale is $50,430 and average income stands at $109,072. For comparison, Rest of NSW has median and average incomes of $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. By September 2025, estimated median and average incomes in Colo Vale would be approximately $54,898 and $118,736 based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year ended June 2023. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Colo Vale cluster around the 52nd percentile nationally. Income distribution reveals that 37.5% of locals (688 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, similar to the regional figure of 29.9%. High housing costs consume 16.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 58th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the fifth decile.

Colo Vale is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Colo Vale's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 98.5% houses and 1.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro NSW's 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Colo Vale stood at 34.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 46.9% and rented ones at 18.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $2,167. The median weekly rent in Colo Vale was $430, matching Non-Metro NSW's figure. Nationally, Colo Vale's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Colo Vale features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 79.6% of all households, including 39.3% couples with children, 28.0% couples without children, and 11.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 20.4%, with lone person households at 18.7% and group households comprising 2.0%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in Colo Vale fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 15.8%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 11.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.7%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 47.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (35.7%).

Educational participation is high, with 28.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.8% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 2.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Colo Vale has 48 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 17 different routes that collectively facilitate 196 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transport services is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 131 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 28 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 4 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Colo Vale is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Colo Vale faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population (1,282 people), compared to 64.6% across Rest of NSW and the national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, impacting 9.2 and 8.4% of residents respectively, while 68.2% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 64.8% across Rest of NSW.

As of 30 June 20XX, the area has 17.4% of residents aged 65 and over (319 people), which is lower than the 27.7% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Colo Vale had a cultural diversity level below average, with 88.0% of its population born in Australia, 92.7% being citizens, and 95.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Colo Vale, comprising 56.4% of people, compared to 57.0% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were English (31.5%), Australian (28.8%), and Scottish (8.9%).

Notably, French ethnicity had a higher representation at 0.9%, compared to the regional average of 0.6%. Hungarian ethnicity was also overrepresented at 0.4% versus 0.3% regionally, as was Russian ethnicity at 0.5% versus 0.2%.

Colo Vale's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

Colo Vale's median age is 38, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 but matches the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group comprises 13.7% of Colo Vale's population compared to Rest of NSW, while the 75-84 cohort makes up 5.7%. Post the 2021 Census, the 35-44 age group increased from 10.7% to 13.2%, and the 75-84 cohort rose from 4.5% to 5.7%. Conversely, the 45-54 group decreased from 14.5% to 12.0%, and the 5-14 age group fell from 13.0% to 11.9%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Colo Vale's age profile. The 35-44 group is projected to grow by 53% (127 people), reaching 370 from 242. Meanwhile, the 55-64 group will see more modest growth of 6%, adding just 12 residents.