East Gosford

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

As of Nov 2025, East Gosford's population is estimated at around 4,786, reflecting an increase of 395 people since the 2021 Census. This growth equates to a density ratio of 2,312 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 9.0% population growth from 2021 exceeded regional averages, driven primarily by overseas migration contributing approximately 66.0%. AreaSearch projects East Gosford's population to increase by 2,031 persons by 2041, reflecting a 40.2% total increase over the 17-year period.

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. Moving forward with demographic trends, a significant population increase in the top quartile of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is forecast, with the area expected to increase by 2,031 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting reflecting an increase of 40.2% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within East Gosford when compared nationally

East Gosford experienced approximately 37 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling around 186 homes. As of FY26, three approvals have been recorded. Each new dwelling built between FY21 and FY25 resulted in an average of 2.5 new residents. The average construction cost value for these dwellings was $382,000.

East Gosford has seen $2.0 million in commercial development approvals this financial year. Compared to Greater Sydney, East Gosford records 123.0% more new home approvals per person. Recent construction comprises 5.0% detached dwellings and 95.0% attached dwellings, a shift from the current housing pattern of 38.0% houses. This transition reflects diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. East Gosford has an estimated population growth of 1,925 residents by 2041, which could potentially lead to increased buyer competition and price growth if current construction levels persist.

Future projections show East Gosford adding 1,925 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Should current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

East Gosford has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects that could impact this region. Notable projects include Sapphire Gosford, Residential Towers at Watt Street and Henry Parry Drive, Gosford Alive on the Kibbleplex Site, and Amalfi by ALAND. The following list details those most relevant:.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment performance in East Gosford exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

East Gosford has a well-educated workforce with strong representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 3.0% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.3%.

As of June 2025, 2,296 residents were employed, and the unemployment rate was 1.2% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in East Gosford was 55.9%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction, with a particularly strong specialization in the former (1.5 times the regional level). Professional & technical employment, however, is limited at 7.9% compared to the regional average of 11.5%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data comparisons between working population and local population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.3%, labour force grew by 2.6%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points in East Gosford. These changes mirrored Greater Sydney's trends. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally, with varying growth rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to East Gosford's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.6% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

East Gosford had a median income among taxpayers of $49,252 during financial year 2022. The average income stood at $63,649 in the same period. These figures are slightly lower than national averages, which were $56,994 and $80,856 respectively for Greater Sydney. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates suggest approximately $55,463 (median) and $71,675 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, personal income ranks at the 40th percentile ($759 weekly), while household income sits at the 22nd percentile. In East Gosford, 28.2% of the population (1,349 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, which aligns with the broader area where this cohort represents 30.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in the region, with only 78.8% of income remaining, ranking at the 17th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

East Gosford displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

East Gosford's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 38.0% houses and 62.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 74.2% houses and 25.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Gosford was 31.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.8% and rented ones at 42.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, below Sydney metro's average of $2,150. Median weekly rent in East Gosford was $380, compared to Sydney metro's $400. Nationally, East Gosford's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 57.1% of all households, including 20.9% couples with children, 22.7% couples without children, and 12.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 42.9%, with lone person households at 40.0% and group households comprising 2.6%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

The educational profile of East Gosford exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

East Gosford's residents aged 15+ have a university degree qualification rate of 28.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 18.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials are held by 37.4% of residents, with advanced diplomas at 14.4% and certificates at 23.0%. Current educational participation is high at 27.1%, including primary (9.1%), secondary (6.7%), and tertiary education (4.9%).

East Gosford's five schools have a combined enrollment of 2,504 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1061. Education provision is balanced with three primary and two secondary schools serving distinct age groups. East Gosford functions as an education hub with 52.3 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 15.9, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

East Gosford has 33 active public transport stops, all of which serve buses. These stops are covered by 98 different routes that collectively facilitate 2,280 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's location to the nearest stop is 157 meters.

On average, there are 325 daily trips across all routes, equating to about 69 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

East Gosford faces significant health challenges, as indicated by data from younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 52%, or around 2,494 people, compared to Greater Sydney's 54.7%.

The most prevalent conditions are arthritis (10.2%) and mental health issues (9.7%), with 63.4% reporting no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 64.8%. East Gosford has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 25.7% (1,230 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 24.5%. Health outcomes among seniors largely align with the general population's health profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in East Gosford was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

East Gosford's cultural diversity was above average, with 24.0% of its population born overseas and 14.0% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the main religion in East Gosford, comprising 53.6%, which is similar to Greater Sydney's 53.4%. The top three ancestry groups were English (29.1%), Australian (25.1%), and Irish (9.9%).

Notably, Korean (1.0% vs regional 0.3%) and Spanish (0.7% vs regional 0.4%) were overrepresented, while New Zealand was slightly higher at 0.8% compared to the regional average of 0.7%.

East Gosford hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

East Gosford has a median age of 44, which is higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and significantly exceeds the national norm of 38. The 75-84 age group comprises 9.6% of East Gosford's population, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 11.1%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75-84 age group has increased from 8.5% to 9.6%, and the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 11.4% to 10.6%. Demographic projections indicate that East Gosford's age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the 75-84 group expected to grow by 93%, reaching 886 people from its current total of 459.