Forestville (NSW)

An assessment of population growth drivers in Forestville reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Forestville's population is estimated at 8,731 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 72 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,659. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 8,686 residents following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and validation of additional 24 new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,889 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Forestville's growth rate of 0.8% since census positions it within 2.5 percentage points of the SA3 area (3.3%). Overseas migration was primarily responsible for population gains in recent periods.

For projections until 2041, AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. Lower quartile growth is anticipated, with the suburb expected to increase by 356 persons by 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an overall increase of 3.5%.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Forestville, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Forestville has received approximately 12 dwelling approvals per year on average over the past five financial years, totalling around 61 homes. In FY-26 so far, there have been 9 recorded approvals. The average number of new residents arriving per new home over these years is about 0.2. The average construction value of these new homes is approximately $866,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment.

This financial year has seen around $90,000 in commercial approvals registered, reflecting Forestville's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Forestville has significantly less development activity, with 52.0% below the regional average per person. However, building activity has accelerated in recent years. The area's established nature is also indicated by its level being under the national average, potentially suggesting planning limitations. Recent construction in Forestville comprises approximately 88.0% detached houses and 12.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes.

This results in around 368 people per dwelling approval, indicating a developed market. Population forecasts estimate that Forestville will gain about 302 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 20 projects likely impacting the region. Notable initiatives include Forestway Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Forestville RSL Club Redevelopment, Angel Place Seniors Living, and Forest High School Science and Technology Centre. 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 Forestville exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Forestville has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.9%, as per AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation. As of September 2025, 4,449 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.3% lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Workforce participation stands at 65.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. Census responses reveal that 54.3% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Dominant employment sectors include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Forestville has a notable concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

However, transport, postal & warehousing is under-represented, with only 2.7% of Forestville's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 5.3%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Forestville's labour force decreased by 0.5%, while employment declined by 1.2%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with a 0.2 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Forestville's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, though these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localised population projections.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

The median taxpayer income in Forestville is $58,481, with an average of $98,558, according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This places Forestville among the top percentile nationally, contrasting with Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. By September 2025, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% suggest a median income of approximately $63,662 and an average income of around $107,290. According to the 2021 Census, Forestville's household incomes rank at the 90th percentile with $2,507 weekly. Income analysis shows that 32.1% of locals (2,802 people) earn over $4,000 per week, differing from the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. Forestville demonstrates affluence with 43.4% earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 89th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Forestville is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Forestville's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 80.4% houses and 19.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Forestville's home ownership rate was 41.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.3% and rented ones at 20.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,250, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure in Forestville was $650, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Forestville's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 78.1% of all households, including 46.2% couples with children, 21.4% couples without children, and 9.6% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 21.9%, with lone person households at 21.0% and group households making up 1.1%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Forestville's educational attainment exceeds national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 43.2% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. This high level of education is beneficial for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most common at 28.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.6%).

Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 25.8% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas (11.2%) and certificates (14.6%). Educational participation is notably high, with 33.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.7% in primary education, 11.1% in secondary education, and 5.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Forestville has 41 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 53 different routes that together facilitate 3,802 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 298 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation at 85%, while buses account for 7%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling, exceeding the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 54.3% of residents work from home, which may be due to COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 543 trips per day, translating to approximately 92 weekly trips per stop.

Forestville's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Forestville. AreaSearch's assessment found low prevalence of common health conditions across both young and old age cohorts. The rate of private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 66% of the total population (5,743 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions were arthritis and asthma, impacting 7.1 and 6.2% of residents respectively. A total of 73.2% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Forestville has 19.8% of residents aged 65 and over (1,728 people), which is higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Forestville was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Forestville's population was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 33.2% born overseas and 25.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Forestville, accounting for 54.1% of its people. However, Judaism is notably overrepresented, comprising 0.8% compared to Greater Sydney's 0.6%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (25.4%), Australian (21.8%), and Other (13.6%). Some ethnic groups show notable divergences: French (1.9% vs regional 0.5%), Serbian (0.6% vs 0.5%), and Croatian (1.0% vs 0.7%) are overrepresented in Forestville.

Forestville hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Forestville is 43 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and exceeding the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that individuals aged 5-14 years make up 15.3% of the population, while those aged 25-34 are less prominent at 5.7%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of individuals aged 15-24 has increased from 12.2% to 15.8%, while the percentage of those aged 45-54 has decreased from 16.3% to 15.1%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Forestville's age structure. The number of individuals aged 65-74 is expected to increase by 279 people (40%), from 707 to 987. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 92% of total population growth, reflecting Forestville's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the populations aged 15-24 and 0-4 are projected to decline.