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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of Mount Ousley is around 1,630 people. This reflects an increase of 19 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,611 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 1,622 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional validated new address since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,037 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed 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 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 from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to demographic trends, the suburb is projected to have an above median population growth of non-metropolitan areas nationally, expanding by 335 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 23.1% 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

Mount Ousley has seen minimal construction activity with an average of 1 new dwelling approved annually over the past five years (2016 to 2020 inclusive), totalling 8 approvals. This low development level reflects the rural nature of the area, where housing needs are typically specific and local rather than driven by broad market demand. Note that with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures can vary considerably based on individual projects.

Mount Ousley has substantially lower development levels compared to Rest of NSW and national averages. The new building activity shows a 50.0% split between detached houses and townhouses or apartments, marking a significant shift from the current housing pattern of 94.0% houses. This skew towards compact living offers affordable entry pathways, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. Mount Ousley has an established population with around 1104 people per approval. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate (released in Q2 2021), the area is expected to grow by 377 residents through to 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Looking ahead, Mount Ousley is expected to grow by 377 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Should current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure can significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects that may affect this region. Notable projects include Mount Ousley Interchange, 68-74 Princes Highway Mixed-Use Development, Balgownie Mountain Bike Trail Infrastructure, and University of Wollongong Campus Master Plan. The following list details those most likely to be 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 reveals Mount Ousley recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Mount Ousley has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate as of September 2025 was 4.8%. Employment stability over the past year was relatively high compared to other areas.

As of September 2025853 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.0% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation in Mount Ousley was notably higher at 66.6%, compared to Rest of NSW's 61.5%. According to Census responses, a high proportion (38.1%) of residents worked from home, possibly influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Dominant employment sectors included health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services.

Notably, education & training had employment levels 1.6 times the regional average, while agriculture, forestry & fishing employed none of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.3%. Limited local employment opportunities were indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 0.2% and labour force by 0.1%, leading to a slight unemployment decrease of 0.1 percentage points. This contrasted with Rest of NSW where employment contracted by 0.5%, labour force fell by 0.1%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mount Ousley's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, although this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only and does not account for localized population projections.

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

AreaSearch reports that Mount Ousley had a median taxpayer income of $60,305 and an average of $81,053 in financial year 2023. Nationally, these figures are high compared to Rest of NSW's $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. By September 2025, estimated median income is approximately $65,648 and average income is around $88,234, based on an 8.86% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. According to Census 2021 data, Mount Ousley's household incomes rank at the 83rd percentile ($2,293 weekly), while personal incomes rank at the 55th percentile. In income distribution, 29.1% of residents (474 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, similar to the regional figure of 29.9%. Mount Ousley shows affluence with 36.0% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and services. After housing costs, residents retain 87.6% of income, indicating strong purchasing power, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places 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 structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 94.4% houses and 5.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% 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 $1,733. The median weekly rent in Mount Ousley was $500, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. 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, consisting of 37.2% couples with children, 29.2% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 22.4%, with lone person households at 18.1% and group households making up 3.3%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

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

Mount Ousley's residents aged 15+ have a higher university qualification rate of 35.4%, compared to the Rest of NSW at 21.3% and the SA4 region at 25.2%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 21.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.2%). Vocational credentials are held by 32.5% of residents, with advanced diplomas at 11.1% and certificates at 21.4%. Educational participation is high, with 30.9% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (8.8%), tertiary (8.5%), and secondary (7.5%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.8% in primary education, 8.5% in tertiary education, and 7.5% pursuing secondary education.

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

Mount Ousley has seven active public transport stops, all of which offer bus services. These stops are served by nine different routes that combine to provide 74 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 172 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential zone, most inhabitants commute outward, with cars being the primary mode of transportation at 93%. On average, there are 1.6 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 38.1% of residents work from home, which may be partly due to COVID-19 conditions.

The service frequency averages ten trips per day across all routes, equating to roughly ten weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Mount Ousley exhibits superior health outcomes according to AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both younger and older age groups display low incidence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is notably high at approximately 59% of the total population (960 people), surpassing Rest of NSW's 51.9%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 8.8 and 6.9% of residents respectively. Notably, 69.3% report being completely free from medical ailments, higher than the 63.3% across Rest of NSW. Under-65 population health outcomes are above average. The area has 18.0% of residents aged 65 and over (293 people), lower than Rest of NSW's 23.4%. Senior health outcomes rank favourably, even exceeding general population rankings nationally.

In terms of cultural diversity, Mount Ousley records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mount Ousley, surveyed in June 2016, had a cultural diversity above the average. It reported 18.6% of its population born overseas and 14.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 53.5%, compared to 55.9% in Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups were Australian (25.2%), English (24.7%), and Other (8.3%). Notably, Spanish (0.9%) and French (0.8%) groups were overrepresented compared to the regional averages of 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively. Italian group was also higher at 6.0%.

Mount Ousley's median age exceeds the national pattern

Mount Ousley's median age in 2021 was 41 years, which is lower than the Rest of NSW average of 43 but higher than the national average of 38. The 15-24 age group constituted 16.7% of Mount Ousley's population compared to the Rest of NSW figure, while the 65-74 cohort made up 8.4%. Post-census data showed a shift in median age from 42 years to 41 years between censuses. The 15-24 age group grew from 13.7% to 16.7%, and the 25-34 cohort increased from 10.0% to 12.6%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort declined from 13.6% to 11.8%, and the 45-54 group dropped from 13.4% to 11.7%. Population forecasts for Mount Ousley in 2041 indicate significant demographic changes, with the 25-34 cohort projected to grow by 48%, adding 98 residents to reach 304. Meanwhile, the 55-64 group is expected to decrease by 12 residents.