Forster
At a median age of 57, Forster is 17 years above the national age benchmark and reads first as a retiree and coastal lifestyle market. The 14,187 residents sit in a low-density 32.54 sq km setting, while a 19.7% vacancy rate points to holiday homes and seasonal accommodation as well as ordinary rentals. Compared with Tuncurry across the bridge, Forster carries more of the school, retail and visitor-facing role, but its household income is in only the 13th percentile, so local affordability depends heavily on asset ownership rather than wages.
Population
14,187
Median Age
57.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,009/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
165
Median House
$726K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Buyers are paying into a coastal market where the house median is $726,500, with the latest price point at $735,000 in 2025 after a 5.0% lift from 2024. Separate houses still dominate at 64.8%, but 18.0% apartments and 15.1% semi-detached homes give downsizers more options than a typical detached-only suburb. The catch is serviceability: a $1,733 monthly mortgage absorbs 39.7% of household income, above a comfortable repayment level, so outright owners are better placed than new borrowers.
For Buyers
Buyers are paying into a coastal market where the house median is $726,500, with the latest price point at $735,000 in 2025 after a 5.0% lift from 2024. Separate houses still dominate at 64.8%, but 18.0% apartments and 15.1% semi-detached homes give downsizers more options than a typical detached-only suburb. The catch is serviceability: a $1,733 monthly mortgage absorbs 39.7% of household income, above a comfortable repayment level, so outright owners are better placed than new borrowers.
For Investors
Forster has a rental base of 27.8% and a median rent of $340 per week, but the standout number is the 19.7% vacancy rate, far higher than a tight long-term rental market. That can reflect seasonal stock and empty dwellings, so investors need to separate holiday-oriented units from permanent rentals. Development activity is active with 141 applications over 12 months, while average net internal migration of 181 people a year supports demand from sea-change and retiree movers rather than rapid worker-led growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1,016
Last 12 Months
165
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-25.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Forster iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Holy Name Primary School
K-6 · 345 students
Great Lakes College Forster Campus
7-10 · 478 students
Forster Public School
K-6 · 573 students
Demographics
Forster is older, less internationally mixed and less university-qualified than the national profile. The median age is 57, which is 17 years above national, while 19.9% hold a university qualification, 10.2 percentage points below national. Overseas-born residents are 12.3%, also 9.3 points lower, and the average household size is 2.1, down 0.4 from national. English ancestry is the largest recorded group at 6,425 people, followed by Irish at 1,696 and Scottish at 1,528, matching the suburb's Anglo-leaning retiree base.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
64.8%
Houses
15.1%
Townhouse
18.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing tenure explains much of Forster's character: 51.6% of homes are owned outright, compared with only 20.6% under mortgage and 27.8% renting. That high outright ownership cushions older households because weekly household income is $1,009 and sits in the 13th percentile. Prices have moved from $700,000 in 2024 to $735,000 in 2025, with the latest quarter also the peak and no fall from peak to latest. The stock is family-sized but not oversized, with 44.9% being 3-bedroom homes and 27.1% having 4 or more bedrooms.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$340
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$581
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
19.7%
Unoccupied
1,530
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
33.7% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
39.7% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.9%
Couples, no children
10,050
Total families
Economy & Employment
Forster's economy is built around services for residents and visitors rather than high-income office work. Healthcare is the clear leader at 27.6% of jobs, followed by education at 12.4%, construction at 10.4%, retail at 8.5% and hospitality at 8.3%. Participation is low at 38.4% because many residents are retired, while unemployment is 5.3% among the labour force. SEIFA confirms the income constraint: IEO decile 2 and IRSAD decile 2 sit below average, while IER decile 3 is slightly higher because many households own assets despite modest incomes.
Unemployment
4.4%
Labour Force
6,052
Unemployed
265
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.4%
Part-time
41.3%
Participation
38.4%
Employed
4,489
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.9%
Postgraduate
3.7%
Born Overseas
12.3%
Dwellings
6,229
Transport to Work
Daily life in Forster is car-oriented but locally serviced. Public transport use is only 0.6%, well below a transit-led suburb, while 85.9% drive and 6.3% walk or cycle. Education access is compact, with 3 schools spanning Catholic and Government sectors and an ICSEA range from 934 to 1014. Holy Name Primary is the highest ICSEA school at 1014 with 345 enrolments, while Great Lakes College Forster Campus provides the local secondary option with 478 enrolments. IRSAD decile 2 points to lower advantage, so amenity is practical rather than prestige-driven.
Drive
85.9%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
6.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.42%/yr
(+63 people/yr)
EstablishedForster's growth outlook is slow and aging rather than expansionary. The trend forecast is 0.42% a year, equal to about 63 extra residents annually, with the medium scenario rising from 15,074 people in 2026 to 15,387 in 2031. Migration is still positive, led by internal migration at an average net gain of 181 people a year, compared with 45 from overseas. The shift indicators reinforce the age tilt: senior share is up 6.1 points, young share is down 2.2 points, and gentrification is only at score 23 with an Early signs stage.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+45
Net Internal / yr
+181
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Net internal migration +181/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Forster compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Forster a good suburb to live in?
Forster suits buyers who value coastal services, schools and a slower pace, especially older households. The median age is 57 and 51.6% of homes are owned outright, so it feels more settled than fast-growth family suburbs.
What is the median house price in Forster?
The median house price is $726,500, with the latest price point at $735,000 in 2025. Prices rose 5.0% from the 2024 point of $700,000, and the latest reading is also the recorded peak.
What schools are in Forster?
Forster has 3 local schools: Holy Name Primary School, Great Lakes College Forster Campus and Forster Public School. Their ICSEA values range from 934 to 1014, across Catholic and Government sectors.
Is Forster safe?
A suburb-specific crime rate is not available, so safety should be checked street by street and against current police updates. For context, the suburb has 14,187 residents and 3 local schools, which supports regular daily activity.
Is Forster good for property investment?
Forster can work for investors who understand seasonal vacancy. Renting is 27.8% and median rent is $340 per week, but the 19.7% vacancy rate is high, so permanent rental demand should be tested carefully.
How is Forster's population changing?
Forster is forecast to grow slowly at 0.42% a year, or about 63 people annually. The medium scenario reaches 15,387 residents by 2031, with internal migration adding an average net 181 people per year.
What development is happening in Forster?
Development activity is active, with 141 applications over the past 12 months. Recent examples include dwelling houses, additions, decks, patios, driveways and carports, pointing more to renewal than large-scale urban expansion.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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