Gulmarrad

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

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, the suburb of Gulmarrad's estimated population is around 2,139 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 189 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,950. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 2,007 residents following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and an additional 55 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 69 persons per square kilometer. Gulmarrad's growth of 9.7% since the 2021 census exceeded Rest of NSW's 5.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 72.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to population projections, the suburb is expected to increase by 171 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 1.8% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Gulmarrad recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, shows Gulmarrad experienced around 13 dwellings receiving development approval annually. Approximately 69 homes were approved over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, with an additional 22 approved so far in FY26. This results in an average of about 1.6 people moving to the area per dwelling built over these years.

Supply and demand appear balanced, creating stable market conditions. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $513,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY26, $338,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting minimal commercial development activity compared to residential.

When compared to the Rest of NSW, Gulmarrad shows moderately higher construction activity, around 29.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. This preserves reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand, although recent construction activity has eased. New development consists of approximately 89.0% detached houses and 11.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers with an average of around 189 people per approval. Population forecasts indicate Gulmarrad will gain about 39 residents by 2041, suggesting that current construction levels should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Gulmarrad has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one major project likely affecting this region. Key projects are Maclean Community Precinct, Queensland Regional Road Network Safety Improvements, Pacific Highway Upgrade: Hexham To Brisbane, and Queensland New South Wales Interconnector. The following 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.

AreaSearch analysis indicates Gulmarrad maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Gulmarrad has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs, well-represented essential services sectors. As of December 2025, the unemployment rate is 3.5%, with an estimated employment growth of 2.8% over the past year. This figure is based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data.

The unemployment rate in Gulmarrad is 0.4% lower than Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation lags at 46.9%, compared to Regional NSW's 61.3%. Census responses indicate that only 11.9% of residents work from home, although Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Leading employment industries among residents include retail trade, health care & social assistance, and construction.

Gulmarrad shows strong specialization in retail trade with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level, while health care & social assistance has a limited presence at 14.0% compared to Regional NSW's 16.9%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12-month period ending December 2025, employment increased by 2.8%, while labour force increased by 2.3%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Regional NSW recorded an employment decline of 1.2% and a labour force decline of 0.8%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Gulmarrad's local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections against the local employment mix.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Gulmarrad's median income among taxpayers is $39,139, with an average of $50,643. This is below the national average. Regional NSW has a median income of $52,390 and an average of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Gulmarrad would be approximately $42,607 (median) and $55,130 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data indicates household, family and personal incomes in Gulmarrad fall between the 8th and 20th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 31.0% of Gulmarrad's community earns $800 - 1,499 (663 individuals), differing from regional levels where earnings predominantly fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 category at 29.9%. While housing costs are modest with 86.8% of income retained, Gulmarrad's total disposable income ranks at just the 24th percentile nationally.

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

Dwelling structure in Gulmarrad, as per the latest Census, consisted of 99.4% houses and 0.6% other dwellings. This compares to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Gulmarrad stood at 56.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.8% and rented ones at 5.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,660, lower than Regional NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Gulmarrad was $450, higher than Regional NSW's figure of $330. Nationally, Gulmarrad's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,660 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially higher at $450 versus the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 88.1% of all households, including 31.5% couples with children, 49.0% couples without children, and 6.6% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 11.9%, with lone person households at 10.1% and group households comprising 2.2%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 15.5%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.3%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.2%) and postgraduate qualifications (2.0%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 44.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas comprise 9.2% and certificates make up 35.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 25.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.4% in primary education, 8.5% in secondary education, and 1.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Gulmarrad has six operational public transport stops, all of which offer bus services. These stops are served by eight distinct routes, together facilitating 45 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is deemed limited, with residents typically residing 781 meters from the nearest stop. Predominantly residential, most Gulmarrad residents commute outward, with cars being the primary mode of transportation at 97%. On average, there are 2.0 vehicles per dwelling, exceeding the regional norm. According to the 2021 Census, only 11.9% of residents work from home, which might be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Across all routes, an average of six trips per day is maintained, translating to roughly seven weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Gulmarrad is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Gulmarrad shows better-than-average health outcomes according to AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both younger and older age groups have low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 47% of the total population (around 1,005 people), compared to 51.9% across Regional NSW and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 12.7% and 8.6% of residents respectively. Around 60.8% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. Working-age residents have a higher-than-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. Gulmarrad has 27.8% of residents aged 65 and over (around 594 people), higher than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

The latest Census data sees Gulmarrad placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Gulmarrad had a lower than average cultural diversity with 89.1% of its population born in Australia, 94.3% being citizens, and 97.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Gulmarrad, comprising 57.9% of people, compared to 55.9% across Regional NSW. The top three ancestry groups were English (32.3%), Australian (30.5%), and Scottish (11.8%).

Notably, Welsh (0.9%) was overrepresented in Gulmarrad compared to the regional average (0.5%), as were French (0.6% vs 0.4%) and Samoan (0.3% vs 0.1%).

Gulmarrad hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Gulmarrad's median age of 48 years is notably higher than Regional NSW's 43 and significantly exceeds the Australian median of 38. The age profile indicates that those aged 65-74 are particularly prevalent, making up 19.2% of the population, which is considerably more than the national average of 9.5%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group comprises only 6.2%, lower than in Regional NSW. Post-Census data from 2021 shows that the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 9.1% to 10.7%, while the 35 to 44 cohort has risen from 10.3% to 11.5%. However, the 55 to 64 age group has declined from 16.6% to 14.1%. By 2041, demographic projections suggest that Gulmarrad's age profile will undergo significant changes. The 45 to 54 age cohort is expected to grow steadily, increasing by 24 people (10%) from 250 to 275. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 15 to 24 and 5 to 14 age groups.