East Lismore

East Lismore has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

As of November 2025, East Lismore's population is estimated at around 4,606 people, reflecting a decrease of 374 individuals since the 2021 Census. The ABS ERP estimate for surrounding areas applied to East Lismore by AreaSearch in June 2024 indicated a resident population of 4,599, with an additional 22 validated new addresses contributing to this figure. This results in a population density ratio of approximately 704 persons per square kilometer. The primary driver for the area's population growth has been overseas migration, accounting for around 87% of overall population gains. AreaSearch's projections for East Lismore are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia figures released in 2024 with a base year of 2022.

For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government SA2 level projections from 2022 using a 2021 base year are applied. These projections indicate an overall population decline for East Lismore by 2041, with the area's population expected to shrink by 471 persons over this period. However, specific age cohorts like the 25-34 group are projected to grow, with an increase of 43 people anticipated in this age bracket.

The level of residential development activity in East Lismore is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, East Lismore averaged around 6 new dwelling approvals per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 34 homes were approved, with no approvals recorded so far in FY-26. The population decline over recent years suggests that new supply has likely been keeping up with demand, offering good choice to buyers.

New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $522,000. In FY-26, $14.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Rest of NSW, East Lismore shows substantially reduced construction activity, with 51.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties, though recent construction activity has intensified. Nationally, this is also lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New development consists of 33.0% detached dwellings and 67.0% attached dwellings, marking a significant departure from the current housing pattern of 79.0% houses. This trend suggests diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs.

The estimated count of 515 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment. With population expected to remain stable or decline, East Lismore should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

East Lismore has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects that may impact the area. Notable ones include the Lismore Flood Recovery and Resilience Program, Wade Park Masterplan, Eastwood Estate Precinct 2 Subdivision, and East Lismore Build-to-Rent Apartments. 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.

East Lismore shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

East Lismore's workforce is skilled with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 4.5% as of June 2025.

This rate was 0.9% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation was at par with Rest of NSW's 56.4%. The dominant employment sectors were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training. East Lismore had a particular specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction was under-represented at 6.3% compared to Rest of NSW's 9.7%. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census working population vs resident population data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 4.5%, while employment declined by 3.2%, causing unemployment to fall by 1.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.1% and labour force growth of 0.3%, with a rise in unemployment of 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest potential future demand within East Lismore. These projections indicate national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to East Lismore's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, although this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in East Lismore is below the national average. The median income is $43,946 and the average income stands at $56,251. In contrast, Rest of NSW has a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for East Lismore would be approximately $49,488 (median) and $63,344 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes in East Lismore all fall between the 15th and 22nd percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the predominant cohort spans 30.2% of locals (1,391 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, aligning with the metropolitan region where this cohort likewise represents 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.6% of income remaining, ranking at the 15th percentile.

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

East Lismore's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, was 79.0% houses and 21.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro NSW had 86.8% houses and 13.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Lismore stood at 32.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.8% and rented ones at 38.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,430, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,452. Median weekly rent in East Lismore was $310, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $300. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,863 and rents substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 60.1% of all households, including 20.9% couples with children, 21.8% couples without children, and 16.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 39.9%, with lone person households at 34.5% and group households comprising 5.7%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

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

East Lismore has 23.6% of residents aged 15+ with university degrees, compared to NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 16.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are held by 37.7% of residents, including advanced diplomas (9.2%) and certificates (28.5%). Current educational participation is high at 32.4%, with 9.7% in primary, 7.9% in secondary, and 7.4% in tertiary education.

There are seven schools educating approximately 2,045 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 968). The educational mix includes three primary, two secondary, and two K-12 schools. East Lismore functions as an education hub with 44.4 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 15.3, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments please refer to parent campus.

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

Transport analysis shows 109 active public transport stops in East Lismore. These are served by a mix of buses along 65 different routes. Together, these routes facilitate 878 weekly passenger trips.

The average distance residents live from the nearest stop is 99 meters. On average, there are 125 trips per day across all routes, which translates to about 8 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

East Lismore faces significant health challenges, as indicated by its health data. Both younger and older age groups experience high rates of common health conditions.

Only approximately 49% of East Lismore's total population (~2,267 people) has private health cover, which is lower than the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 11.8% and 9.3% of residents respectively. Conversely, 61.3% of East Lismore residents report having no medical ailments, slightly lower than the 61.9% reported across Rest of NSW. The percentage of seniors aged 65 and over in East Lismore is 19.7% (907 people), compared to 22.9% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present similar challenges to those faced by the general population.

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

East Lismore showed lower cultural diversity with 89.1% of its population being citizens, 89.8% born in Australia, and 93.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 49.4%. Judaism was slightly overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to 0.1% regionally.

The top ancestry groups were English (29.5%), Australian (28.7%), and Irish (10.8%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Australian Aboriginal was higher at 5.1% (vs regional 4.6%), Scottish at 8.9% (vs 8.5%), and French at 0.5% (vs 0.4%).

East Lismore's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in East Lismore is 39 years, which is significantly lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 but essentially aligned with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, East Lismore has a higher proportion of residents aged 15-24 (14.8%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (9.7%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 25-34 grew from 13.1% to 14.0%, while the 45-54 age group declined from 11.5% to 10.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in East Lismore's age structure. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 16 people, reaching 176 from 151. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 68% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 0-4 and 35-44 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.