Young

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

By Nov 2025, Young's population is estimated at around 10,630, reflecting an increase of 20 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 10,610. This change is inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 10,576 as of June 2024, using ABS ERP data and validated new addresses since the Census date. The suburb's population density is approximately 29 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed about 99.0% of recent population gains. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for SA2 areas released in 2024 with a 2022 base year, and NSW State Government projections for other areas released in 2022 with a 2021 base year.

By 2041, the suburb is expected to grow by 533 persons, reflecting an increase of 4.5% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Young according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Young has had around 31 new homes approved each year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 156 homes. As of FY2026, 15 approvals have been recorded. Despite population decline, development activity has been adequate relative to population changes. New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost value of $528,000.

This financial year has seen $39.9 million in commercial approvals, indicating high local commercial activity. Compared to the rest of NSW, Young has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 55th percentile nationally, suggesting established nature with potential planning limitations. Recent construction comprises 83% detached houses and 17% attached dwellings, maintaining low density nature appealing to space-seeking buyers. With approximately 282 people per dwelling approval, it indicates a low density market.

Population forecasts estimate Young will gain 476 residents by 2041. Current construction levels should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth exceeding current forecasts.

Young has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 11 projects likely influencing the region. Notable projects include Young Stormwater Infrastructure Upgrades, Apollo Fabrication Group Expansion, Burrangong Creek Bridge Duplication, and Hill Street Subdivision Young. 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.

The labour market performance in Young lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Young has a balanced workforce with diverse sector representation. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 5.3%.

In Young, 4645 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.7% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation in Young is lower at 53.7%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area has a strong specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share of 1.8 times the regional level.

However, health care & social assistance is under-represented at 14.5% compared to Rest of NSW's 16.9%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by Census data comparing working population and resident population. Over a 12-month period ending Sep-22, labour force decreased by 3.6% while employment declined by 4.8%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.2 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW had an employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and unemployment rising 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. Applying these projections to Young's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.8% over five years and 12.5% over ten years.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released in financial year 2022, Young had a median income among taxpayers of $46,309 and an average income of $55,877. This is lower than the national average, with Rest of NSW having median and average incomes of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated median and average incomes in Young as of September 2025 would be approximately $52,149 and $62,923 respectively. Census 2021 income data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Young fall between the 10th and 20th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that the largest segment comprises 27.1% of residents earning $800 - $1,499 weekly, unlike trends in the region where 29.9% fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 range. After housing costs, 85.6% of income remains, ranking at the 13th percentile nationally for disposable income.

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

Young's dwelling structure, as evaluated in the latest Census, consisted of 87.5% houses and 12.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro NSW had a composition of 93.2% houses and 6.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Young was at 39.4%, similar to Non-Metro NSW's figure. Mortgaged dwellings accounted for 29.7%, and rented dwellings made up 30.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Young was $1,300, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,699. The median weekly rent figure in Young was $250, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $270. Nationally, Young's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Young features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 66.2% of all households, including 24.9% couples with children, 27.3% couples without children, and 12.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 33.8%, with lone person households at 31.3% and group households making up 2.5% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 13.7%, substantially lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 9.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.5%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 9.0% and certificates at 29.7%. Educational participation is high, with 28.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 11.6% in primary, 9.0% in secondary, and 1.6% in tertiary education.

Six schools operate within Young, educating approximately 2,082 students. The area has balanced educational opportunities (ICSEA: 954) with three primary, two secondary, and one K-12 school. It functions as an education hub with 19.6 school places per 100 residents, significantly higher than the regional average of 12.4, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Young has 329 active public transport stops. These include both train and bus services. There are 30 different routes operating in total, providing 324 weekly passenger trips combined.

The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 172 meters. On average, there are 46 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately zero weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health data indicates significant health challenges in Young, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 49% (~5,217 people) have private health cover, lower than Rest of NSW's 53.6% and the national average of 55.3%. The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (11.1%) and asthma (9.4%).

62.3% report no medical ailments, slightly less than Rest of NSW's 63.6%. Young has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 22.8% (2,423 people), compared to Rest of NSW's 21.4%. Senior health outcomes align with the general population's profile.

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

Young was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 90.1% of its population being citizens, 91.1% born in Australia, and 92.4% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Young is Christianity, which makes up 65.1% of people in Young, compared to 61.3% across the Rest of NSW. The top three represented ancestry groups in Young are Australian (34.2%), English (30.6%), and Irish (9.8%).

Notably, Lebanese representation is higher than the regional average at 1.9%, while Australian Aboriginal is at 3.9% compared to the regional 2.9%. Serbian representation is also slightly higher at 0.3% compared to the regional 0.2%.

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

Young's median age is 41 years, which is lower than the Rest of NSW average of 43 but exceeds the national average of 38. The 5-14 age group constitutes 13.7% of Young's population, higher than the Rest of NSW figure, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 10.6%, which is less prevalent compared to the rest of NSW. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 35-44 age group has increased from 11.3% to 11.9%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort has decreased from 12.1% to 11.5%. Demographic modeling indicates that Young's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The 75-84 cohort is projected to grow by 26%, adding 219 residents to reach 1,070. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 65-74 and 55-64 cohorts.