Located in New South Wales within the Mid-Coast local government area, Forster is a settled mid-to-large suburb (postcode 2428). With a population of 14,187, the suburb has a predominantly older resident base with a median age of 57. Households earn a median income of $52K per year, with an average household size of 2.1 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +0.7% year-on-year at the LGA level. NSW employment has moved +0.3% year-on-year in the official Jobs and Skills Australia NERO series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 37 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 5 underway, and 75 in planning as at 2 October 2024, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are professionals, community & personal service, technicians & trades. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and retail trade. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Irish.
Median house prices in Forster sit at $858,000, little changed on a year ago. Units have a median price of $797,000 (+25.5% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $528. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 3.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,733.
Forster is served by 3 schools, including 2 primary, 1 secondary. The average ICSEA score is 961, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 196 bus stops. Healthcare facilities include 1 private hospital. The crime rate in the Mid-Coast LGA is below average at 3,779 incidents per 100,000 population.
On the investment side, Gross rental yield sits at around 3.2% (moderate yield). Property prices sit below the state median ($858K/$1.5M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 16.3x is considered stretched. House prices have moved -0.3% year-on-year. Population growth of +0.7% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.