Forest Hill (NSW)

Forest Hill lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of Nov 2025, Forest Hill's population is estimated at around 3,289 people. This reflects an increase of 208 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,081. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of 3,206 residents following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and validation of 110 new addresses post-Census date. This results in a density ratio of 95 persons per square kilometer. Forest Hill's growth rate of 6.8% since the 2021 Census exceeded that of its SA3 area (3.5%) and SA4 region, indicating it as a growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 56.00000000000001% to overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses 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 are applied to all areas from 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to grow by 1,053 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 28.8% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Forest Hill when compared nationally

Forest Hill has received approximately 33 dwelling approvals per year based on AreaSearch analysis. From FY-21 to FY-25, around 167 homes were approved, with an additional 8 approved in FY-26. Each new dwelling brings about 2.1 new residents annually over the past five financial years.

The average construction cost for these dwellings is $451,000. In FY-26, commercial approvals totaled $12.6 million, indicating moderate commercial development activity. Compared to Rest of NSW, Forest Hill has seen 127.0% more development activity per person. This higher level of development should offer buyers ample choice, although recent construction activity has slowed somewhat. The area's high developer confidence is reflected in its substantially higher development levels compared to the national average.

Recent construction consists mostly of detached dwellings (81.0%) with a smaller proportion of medium and high-density housing (19.0%), preserving Forest Hill's traditional low-density character and family home focus. There are approximately 166 people per dwelling approval in the area, suggesting an expanding market. By 2041, Forest Hill is projected to grow by 946 residents according to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects expected to impact the region: Brunslea Park Estate, Riverina Redevelopment Program, Wagga Wagga Airport Infrastructure Upgrades, and Regional Express (Rex) Pilot Academy. The following list details these key projects in order of relevance.

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 conditions in Forest Hill rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Forest Hill has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs well represented. Key sectors include public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and retail trade.

Notably, employment in public administration & safety is 5.1 times the regional average. Conversely, education & training shows lower representation at 4.5% compared to the regional average of 9.6%. As of June 2025, 1,925 residents are employed with an unemployment rate of 1.9%, which is below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation in Forest Hill is high at 70.8% compared to the regional average of 56.4%.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 8.4% while labour force grew by 9.1%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw an employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and a 0.4 percentage point increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Forest Hill's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.4% over five years and 11.8% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

AreaSearch released postcode-level ATO data for financial year 2022 on Forest Hill's median income among taxpayers is $57,154 with an average of $67,222. This is slightly above national averages and compares to Rest of NSW's median of $49,459 and average of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $64,361 (median) and $75,699 (average). According to the 2021 Census, Forest Hill's personal income ranks at the 71st percentile ($932 weekly), while household income sits at the 52nd percentile. Income distribution shows that 42.5% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, consistent with broader metropolitan trends (29.9%). After housing expenses, 86.0% of income remains for other expenses.

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

Forest Hill's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, was 89.9% houses and 10.1% other dwellings. Non-Metro NSW had 88.4% houses and 11.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Forest Hill was 18.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 46.0% and rented ones at 35.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, below Non-Metro NSW's $1,430 average. Median weekly rent in Forest Hill was $310, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $280. Nationally, Forest Hill's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,300 versus Australia's $1,863 average, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 77.7% of all households, including 39.6% couples with children, 22.6% couples without children, and 14.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 22.3%, with lone person households at 19.3% and group households comprising 1.8%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 15.0%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.5%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 45.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 11.4% and certificates at 34.5%. Educational participation is high, with 38.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 12.8% in primary, 8.8% in secondary, and 2.6% in tertiary education.

Forest Hill Public School serves the area, with an enrollment of 150 students and an ICSEA score of 944. The school caters exclusively to primary education; secondary options are available nearby. Local school capacity is limited (4.6 places per 100 residents vs regional average of 15.3), leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

Forest Hill has 25 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 13 different routes that together facilitate 180 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average being located 162 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 25 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 7 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Forest Hill is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Forest Hill shows better-than-average health outcomes with a low prevalence of common conditions among its general population. However, among older and at-risk groups, these rates are higher than the national average.

Approximately 54% (~1760 people) have private health cover, compared to 51.4% in Rest of NSW. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (10.9%) and mental health issues (9.3%). 71.4% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 64.5% across Rest of NSW. Only 6.8% (~223 people) are aged 65 or over, lower than the 19.6% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those of the broader population.

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

Forest Hill had a cultural diversity below average, with 86.4% citizens, 88.2% born in Australia, and 89.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 49.1%. The 'Other' category showed overrepresentation at 1.0%, compared to 1.5% regionally.

Top ancestry groups were Australian (32.0%), English (27.6%), and Scottish (7.0%). Notable divergences included Australian Aboriginal (6.2% vs regional 4.5%), Welsh (0.7% vs 0.3%), and South African (0.6% vs 0.2%).

Forest Hill hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Forest Hill has a median age of 25 years, which is lower than the Rest of NSW average of 43 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to Rest of NSW, Forest Hill has a higher percentage of residents aged 15-24 (26.2%), but fewer residents aged 65-74 (4.2%). This concentration of 15-24 year-olds is higher than the national average of 12.5%. Between 2021 and present, the percentage of residents aged 25-34 has increased from 15.6% to 17.2%, while the percentage of those aged 15-24 has decreased from 27.5% to 26.2%, and the percentage of those aged 55-64 has dropped from 6.5% to 5.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Forest Hill's age profile will change significantly. The number of residents aged 25-34 is projected to grow steadily, increasing by 279 people (49%) from 565 to 844.