Estella

Estella lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

As of Feb 2026, Estella's population is estimated at around 2,750. This reflects an increase of 209 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,541. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 2,651 following examination of ABS data released in June 2024, along with an additional 11 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 1,381 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Estella's growth of 8.2% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area (4.2%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 36.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including natural growth and overseas migration being positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking forward, exceptional growth is predicted over the period with the suburb expected to increase by 1,750 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 64.8% in total over the 17 years.

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

Estella averaged one approval per year for residential developments between 2016 and 2020, totaling five dwellings over this period. This low level of development activity is typical of rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It should be noted that the small sample size can significantly influence annual growth statistics.

Estella's construction activity is notably lower than the Rest of NSW and below national averages. Recent developments in Estella have been exclusively detached houses, maintaining its rural character with an emphasis on space. This trend reflects a strong demand for family homes despite densification trends, with developers constructing more detached housing than the existing pattern suggests (82.0% at Census). Estella's population density is approximately 2750 people per approval, indicating a mature and established area.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Estella's population is forecasted to increase by 1,781 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Estella has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects that may affect this region: Boorooma Neighbourhood Shopping Centre, Northern Growth Area Sewer Upgrades, Mount Austin Manor Houses - Social Housing, and Charles Sturt University Innovation Campus Expansion. The following details those most likely to be 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.

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

Estella has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate is 0.6%, with an estimated employment growth of 5.4% over the past year, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, there are 1,543 residents employed, and the unemployment rate is 3.3% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Estella is high at 73.0%, compared to Rest of NSW's 61.5%. Census responses indicate that only 9.1% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Key industries employing residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Estella specializes in education & training with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 3.0% compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%.

The area appears to have limited local employment opportunities based on Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 5.4%, while labour force also increased by 5.4%, keeping unemployment relatively stable. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.5% and labour force decline by 0.1%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Estella's employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to Estella's employment mix.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 indicates that income in Estella is above average nationally. The median income stands at $61,853 and the average income is $75,448. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $52,390 and the average income is $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Estella would be approximately $67,333 (median) and $82,133 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Estella cluster around the 64th percentile nationally. The earnings profile shows that 39.0% of locals (1,072 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category. After housing costs, 85.7% of income remains for other expenses and Estella's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

Estella's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 82.5% houses and 17.5% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Estella was 28.4%, with the rest being mortgaged (37.3%) or rented (34.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Estella was $1,667, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure in Estella was $380, higher than Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Estella's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Estella features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 69.5% of all households, including 33.0% couples with children, 25.2% couples without children, and 10.0% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 30.5%, with lone person households at 23.8% and group households making up 6.7%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Estella demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Estella is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 30.8% hold university qualifications, compared to 18.7% in the SA4 region and 20.4% in the SA3 area. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 20.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 35.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them.

This includes advanced diplomas (9.7%) and certificates (25.4%). Educational participation is high, with 37.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (10.8%), tertiary education (9.9%), and secondary education (8.8%).

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

Estella has 18 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 14 different routes that together facilitate 349 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these stops is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 147 meters away from the nearest one. Most residents commute outwards from Estella, which is primarily a residential area. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport, used by 96% of residents. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, only 9.1% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency across all routes averages 49 trips per day, equating to approximately 19 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Estella faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment conducted in June 2021. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were found to be somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

Private health cover was found to be very high at approximately 57% of the total population, which is around 1,560 people, compared to 51.9% across Rest of NSW. The most common medical conditions in the area were asthma and arthritis, impacting 9.1 and 7.5% of residents respectively, while 69.7% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% across Rest of NSW. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 19.3% of residents aged 65 and over, which is around 530 people, lower than the 23.4% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Estella ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Estella's population shows limited cultural diversity, with 86.1% being citizens, 84.6% born in Australia, and 86.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, practiced by 58.5%, compared to 55.9% regionally. The top three ancestral groups are English (29.8%), Australian (28.4%), and Irish (9.3%).

Notably, Samoan, Scottish, and Indian ancestry are overrepresented in Estella at 0.4%, 8.6%, and 2.5% respectively, compared to regional averages of 0.1%, 8.0%, and 0.6%.

Estella hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Estella has a median age of 34, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and Australia's median age of 38. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, Estella has an over-representation of the 15-24 cohort at 15.5% locally, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 6.0%. Between 2021 and present, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 11.7% to 14.1% of Estella's population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 9.8% to 8.2%, and the 75 to 84 group has dropped from 8.1% to 6.8%. Demographic modeling indicates that Estella's age profile will significantly evolve by 2041, with the 25 to 34 age cohort projected to grow by 355 people (an increase of 89%) from 401 to 757.