Mount Ousley

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Mount Ousley is around 1,655. This reflects an increase of 44 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,611. The change is inferred from the resident population of 1,651, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and an additional validated new address since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,068 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Mount Ousley's growth rate of 2.7% since census positions it within 1.3 percentage points of the SA3 area (4.0%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 87.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth of Australia's regional areas is projected. The suburb is expected to grow by 305 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 19.0% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Mount Ousley has received approximately 4 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling around 20 homes. As of FY-26, 1 approval has been recorded. On average, about 0.8 new residents have arrived annually for each new home built between FY-21 and FY-25.

The average construction cost value of new homes is $555,000. Mount Ousley's development activity is significantly lower than the Rest of NSW regional average, with approximately 58.0% fewer approvals per person. New development consists of 40.0% detached houses and 60.0% attached dwellings, a shift from the current housing mix of predominantly houses (94.0%). Mount Ousley has around 331 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. Population forecasts suggest Mount Ousley will gain approximately 315 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth.

Population forecasts indicate Mount Ousley will gain 315 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Mount Ousley 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 identified four projects likely affecting this region. Key projects are Mount Ousley Interchange, 68-74 Princes Highway Mixed-Use Development, Balgownie Mountain Bike Trail Infrastructure, and University of Wollongong Campus Master Plan. 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.

Mount Ousley has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Mount Ousley has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 4.2% as of June 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 0.6% over the past year, according to AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation.

In June 2025837 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.6% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation was 62.2%, exceeding Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries included health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Education & training had an employment share 1.6 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing employed none of local workers, compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%.

Over a 12-month period ending in Sep-22, employment increased by 0.6% and labour force by 0.2%, reducing unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. This contrasted with Rest of NSW where employment contracted by 0.1%, labour force grew by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Mount Ousley's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, assuming illustrative weighting extrapolations without considering localised population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Mount Ousley's median income among taxpayers was $60,305 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $81,053 during the same period. This compares to figures for Rest of NSW which were $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. By September 2025, based on a Wage Price Index growth of 12.61%, current estimates suggest Mount Ousley's median income would be approximately $67,909 and the average income around $91,274. According to Census 2021 data, household incomes ranked at the 83rd percentile ($2,293 weekly), while personal incomes ranked lower at the 55th percentile. The data showed that 29.1% of Mount Ousley's population (481 individuals) fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range. Higher earners made up a substantial portion with 36.0% exceeding $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retained 87.6% of their income. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

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

Mount Ousley's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 94.4% houses and 5.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 58.9% houses and 41.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Ousley was at 48.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 36.9% and rented ones at 15.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,450, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $2,189. The median weekly rent in Mount Ousley was $500, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, Mount Ousley's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,450 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 77.6% of all households, including 37.2% couples with children, 29.2% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. The remaining 22.4% are non-family households, composed of 18.1% lone person households and 3.3% group households. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

Mount Ousley shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Mount Ousley's educational attainment exceeds broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 35.4% have university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in Rest of NSW and 25.2% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 21.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.2%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 32.5% of residents holding them - advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (21.4%).

Educational participation is high, at 30.9%. This includes primary education (8.8%), tertiary education (8.5%), and secondary education (7.5%). Elonera Montessori School serves Mount Ousley with an enrollment of 179 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1104. All schools offer integrated K-12 education for continuity. School places per 100 residents are lower than the regional average (10.8 vs 14.9), suggesting some students may attend adjacent areas' schools.

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

Mount Ousley has seven operational public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by nine different routes that together facilitate 74 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as excellent, with residents situated an average of 172 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are ten trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately ten weekly trips per individual stop.

Mount Ousley's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Mount Ousley's health data shows positive results with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover is high at approximately 59% compared to 56.6% in Rest of NSW.

The most common conditions are arthritis (8.8%) and asthma (6.9%), while 69.3% report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the 68.6% across Rest of NSW. Seniors aged 65+ make up 17.9% of residents. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Mount Ousley was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mount Ousley, surveyed in June 2016, showed cultural diversity with 18.6% of its residents born overseas and 14.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 53.5%, compared to 51.0% in Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (25.2%), English (24.7%), and Other (8.3%).

Notable differences included Spanish representation at 0.9% (regional average: 0.5%), French at 0.8% (regional average: 0.5%), and Italian at 6.0% (regional average: 4.5%).

Mount Ousley hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Mount Ousley's median age is 41 years, lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 but higher than Australia's national average of 38. The 15-24 age group comprises 16.3%, compared to Rest of NSW, while the 65-74 cohort represents 8.4%. Post-2021 Census data shows Mount Ousley's median age has decreased by 1 year to 41. Notable shifts include the 15-24 age group growing from 13.7% to 16.3%, and the 25-34 cohort increasing from 10.0% to 12.1%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort has declined from 13.6% to 12.1%, and the 45-54 group has dropped from 13.4% to 12.1%. Population forecasts for Mount Ousley by 2041 indicate significant demographic changes. The 25-34 cohort is projected to grow by 48%, adding 95 residents to reach 296. Meanwhile, the 55-64 group is forecasted to decrease by 25 residents.