Metford

Metford is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of November 2025, the estimated population for the Metford statistical area (Lv2) is around 4,730. This figure reflects an increase of 23 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,707. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 4,728 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 6 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,954 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Natural growth primarily drove population growth for the area, contributing approximately 57% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Looking ahead, population projections indicate an increase just below the median for Australian non-metropolitan areas. By 2041, the Metford (SA2) is expected to increase by 594 persons, reflecting a total increase of 13.4% over the 17 years.

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

Metford experienced limited development activity between 2016 and 2020, with an average of two approvals per year resulting in eleven dwellings over the five-year period. This low level of development is typical of rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is constrained by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It should be noted that the small sample size can significantly influence annual growth and relativity statistics.

Metford had considerably less construction activity than the Rest of NSW during this time, and its development pattern was also below national averages. The new developments in Metford consisted of 67.0% detached houses and 33.0% townhouses or apartments. This marks a shift from the existing housing patterns, which were predominantly houses at 84.0%. This change suggests diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. Metford had approximately 1058 people per dwelling approval during this period, indicating an established market.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Metford is forecasted to gain 634 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects likely to impact this region. Notable projects are Stony Pinch Urban Development, Sophia Waters Sportsground, Ashtonfield Public School Upgrade, and Sophia Waters Estate.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Employment drivers in Metford are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Metford's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs, with manufacturing and industrial sectors prominent. Its unemployment rate was 6.0% in an unspecified past period, according to AreaSearch data aggregation.

As of September 2025, Metford had 2,181 employed residents, with an unemployment rate of 2.2% higher than Rest of NSW's 3.8%. Workforce participation was 61.7%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing. Manufacturing employment share was 1.6 times the regional level.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing had a lower representation at 1.1% compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%. Limited local employment opportunities were indicated by Census working population vs resident population counts. In the year ending September 2025, Metford's labour force decreased by 3.4%, while employment declined by 3.5%, keeping unemployment stable. Meanwhile, 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. State-level data up to 25-Nov-25 showed NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National unemployment was 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's May-25 national employment forecasts project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Metford's industry mix suggests local employment could grow by 6.2% in five years and 13.3% in ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that in Metford, median income is $50,329 and average income is $61,852. This is lower than national averages of $52,390 (median) and $65,215 (average) for Rest of NSW. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes in Metford as of September 2025 would be approximately $54,788 (median) and $67,332 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Metford rank modestly, between the 34th and 34th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 37.4% of locals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, reflecting surrounding region patterns where 29.9% fall into this category. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Metford, with only 81.6% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 32nd percentile.

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

Metford's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 84.2% houses and 15.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 87.1% houses and 13.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Metford stood at 24.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 37.3% and rented ones at 38.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,625, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,862. Median weekly rent in Metford was $350, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $375. Nationally, Metford's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,625 than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were also lower at $350 compared to the national figure of $375.

Metford features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 71.5% of all households, including 27.3% couples with children, 26.3% couples without children, and 16.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 28.5%, with lone person households at 24.3% and group households comprising 4.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.7.

Metford faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 11.5%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This indicates a need for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 8.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 43.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 8.9% and certificates at 34.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.2% in primary education, 7.2% in secondary education, and 3.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Metford has 36 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 56 routes, collectively facilitating 4,459 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 168 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency stands at 637 trips daily across all routes, equating to around 123 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Metford faces significant health challenges, as indicated by health data. Both younger and older age groups have high prevalence rates for common health conditions.

Private health cover is relatively low at approximately 51% (around 2,432 people), compared to 54.8% across the rest of NSW. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions in Metford, affecting 14.4 and 10.4% of residents respectively. Conversely, 58.2% of residents report having no medical ailments, slightly lower than the 63.4% reported across the rest of NSW. As of 2021 data, approximately 13.8% (652 people) of Metford's population is aged 65 and over, compared to 15.4% in the rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors align with those of the general population.

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

Metford has a low cultural diversity, with 89.9% born in Australia, 91.6% being citizens, and 92.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, practiced by 54.7%, compared to 57.0% regionally. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (30.8%), English (30.4%), and Australian Aboriginal (7.1%).

Notably, Polish (0.9%) and Samoan (0.5%) groups are overrepresented in Metford compared to the regional averages of 0.7% and 0.1%, respectively. Maori representation is also higher at 0.8%.

Metford's population is younger than the national pattern

Metford's median age is 35 years, which is significantly below the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and somewhat younger than the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, Metford has a notably over-represented cohort of 25-34 year-olds at 17.2%, while those aged 75-84 are under-represented at 4.0%. According to the 2021 Census, Metford's population aged 25 to 34 grew from 15.7% to 17.2%, while the 5 to 14 age group declined from 14.2% to 12.8%. Demographic modeling suggests that Metford's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 25 to 34 cohort projected to grow by 31%, adding 251 residents to reach a total of 1,065. Conversely, both the 55 to 64 and 15 to 24 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.