Urban Area · Area profile
Forster - Tuncurry
50 km²
Far older than the state or national average, Forster - Tuncurry is a retirement-heavy community where the typical resident is 59. This aging profile is clear in the numbers, with 40.4% of people aged 65 and over and a very low proportion of children. The area is largely residential and stable, with nearly half of all homes owned outright. This creates a quiet character where many residents live alone and few commute by public transport.
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The population has grown by 8.1% since 2011 to 21,087 people. It is a senior-heavy area, with 40.4% of residents aged 65 and over, a figure far above the national average of 17.2%.
Most residents were born in Australia (82.1%), and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents (11.3%) than the New South Wales average of 29.3%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 90.3% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home is 3.6%, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
Christianity is the most common religion at 56.8%. While the number of people with no religion rose 19 points since 2011 to 34.2%, this is still well below the national figure of 38.9%.
Formal qualifications are much lower than in most areas, with only 11.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Just 33.0% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the state average of 58.9%.
Typical incomes are among the lowest at this level, with the typical household earning $960 a week, far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 7.4% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly.
Long-term health issues are common, with 42.4% of people reporting a condition, which is far above the national average. Around 11.1% of residents need help with daily activities, a figure well above the state average.
The area has a high rate of unpaid care, with 13.5% of people providing support, though child care is well below the state average. A higher than usual 4.3% of residents served in the Defence Force.
Homes are smaller than usual, with only 2.0 people per home. This is consistent with the older population, as 36.5% of people live alone, which is far above the national figure of 25.6%.
Home ownership is very strong, with 49.5% of homes owned outright, far above the national average of 31.0%. Renting is much less common here than in other areas, at 26.3%.
Most people rely on cars, with 64.1% driving to work and only 0.4% using public transport. About 7.1% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is much higher than most areas.
The community is fairly stable, though 38.8% of people moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 8.6% of the population, which is well below the national average.
Only 39.9% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national figure of 61.1%. The most common industry is health care and social assistance, employing 21.0% of the workforce.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 96.7% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. However, fewer people can walk to schools (61.4%) or health services (50.0%) compared to the state average.