Gosford
Almost nine in ten dwellings here are apartments (88.9%), and that single fact explains most of what follows. With separate houses at just 4.1%, the median house price of $600,000 sits well below most of metropolitan Sydney, household income lands in the 41.8th percentile nationally, and two-thirds of residents rent (66.7%). The median age of 35 runs 5.0 years below the national figure, university qualifications reach 42.2% (12.1 points above national), and 37.5% were born overseas, 15.9 points above national. A 12.8% vacancy rate flags real apartment oversupply, even as the wider area population has grown 17.4% over the decade.
Population
4,873
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,421/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
33
Median House
$600K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
At a $600,000 median, Gosford is one of the more affordable entry points into a Central Coast regional hub, and prices rose 6.9% from $580,000 in 2024 to $620,000 in 2025. The catch for buyers wanting a house is supply: only 4.1% of dwellings are separate houses, while apartments make up 88.9%, so a detached purchase competes for very scarce stock. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 66.2% and three-bedroom at 20.1%, with 4-plus bedroom homes barely present at 1.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,665, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.1%, below the 30% stress threshold. Owner occupation is thin, with just 13.9% owning outright and 19.3% holding a mortgage, far below the renter share, so the market is built around investors and tenants rather than resident buyers.
For Buyers
At a $600,000 median, Gosford is one of the more affordable entry points into a Central Coast regional hub, and prices rose 6.9% from $580,000 in 2024 to $620,000 in 2025. The catch for buyers wanting a house is supply: only 4.1% of dwellings are separate houses, while apartments make up 88.9%, so a detached purchase competes for very scarce stock. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 66.2% and three-bedroom at 20.1%, with 4-plus bedroom homes barely present at 1.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,665, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.1%, below the 30% stress threshold. Owner occupation is thin, with just 13.9% owning outright and 19.3% holding a mortgage, far below the renter share, so the market is built around investors and tenants rather than resident buyers.
For Investors
A 66.7% renter share and $390 weekly rent give landlords a deep tenant pool, and against the $600,000 median that rent implies a gross yield near 3.4%, healthier than most of inner Sydney. The risk sits on the supply side: a 12.8% vacancy rate is high and reflects the 88.9% apartment-dominant stock, so new tenants have options and rent pressure can ease. Demand support is real, with net overseas migration adding 260 residents a year and internal migration a further 94, the primary growth driver. Rent has grown 44.4% over the period, and 33 development applications in the past 12 months point to continued, if modest, supply additions. The case rests on yield and migration-led demand rather than scarcity, because vacancy stays elevated.
Development Activity
Total DAs
190
Last 12 Months
33
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-13.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Gosford iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Gosford High School
7-12 · 1067 students
Somersby Public School
K-6 · 56 students
Henry Kendall High School
7-12 · 789 students
Demographics
The median age of 35 is 5.0 years below the national figure, a younger profile than most established suburbs, and it reflects the apartment stock that suits singles and couples rather than large families. Average household size is 1.9, which is 0.6 below national, and couples without children make up 43.3% of families. Overseas-born residents reach 37.5%, 15.9 points above national, and university qualifications at 42.2% run 12.1 points above national. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,472), Irish (483) and Scottish (425), while the top non-English languages are Nepali (92 speakers), Mandarin (76) and Punjabi (45). After Christianity (1,719 residents), Hinduism is the second-largest faith at 348, consistent with the South Asian migration signal in the language data.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
4.1%
Houses
6.8%
Townhouse
88.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure here is unusually skewed toward renting: 66.7% rent, while only 19.3% carry a mortgage and 13.9% own outright. That renter majority follows directly from a stock that is 88.9% apartments and just 4.1% separate houses, with semi-detached at 6.8%. Two-bedroom dwellings account for 66.2% and three-bedroom 20.1%, while 4-plus bedroom homes are only 1.4%. The median house price rose from $580,000 in 2024 to $620,000 in 2025, a 6.9% one-year move, and the current median sits at $600,000. Both stress measures stay manageable, with mortgage-to-income at 27.1% and rent-to-income at 27.4%, each below the 30% threshold, which makes Gosford affordable relative to its 41.8th-percentile household income base.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,665
Rent / wk
$390
HH Size
1.9
Personal Income / wk
$885
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.8%
Unoccupied
353
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.3%
Couples, no children
2,861
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates the local workforce at 27.7% (534 workers), well ahead of Retail at 9.9% (191) and Professional/Tech at 9.3% (179), with Public Admin at 7.7% and Education at 6.8%, a profile shaped by Gosford's role as a regional service and hospital centre. By occupation, Professionals (714) lead, followed by Community/Personal services (376) and Clerical/Admin (333). Unemployment runs at 6.1% and the full-time employment rate is 64.5%, with participation at 57.4%, held down partly by 1,199 residents not in the labour force. The SEIFA scores tell a split story: education and occupation rate decile 7 (IEO), yet economic resources fall to decile 2 (IER), because the 66.7% renter base and modest incomes depress household wealth measures despite a well-qualified population.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
12,894
Unemployed
459
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.5%
Part-time
29.4%
Participation
57.4%
Employed
2,330
Occupations
Top Industries
University
42.2%
Postgraduate
13.0%
Born Overseas
37.5%
Dwellings
2,374
Transport to Work
Car use is the norm, with 72.8% driving to work, while 10.8% take public transport and 10.7% walk or cycle, a higher active-transport share than many car-dependent regional areas given the dense apartment core. Density runs at 1,651 residents per km2 across a compact 2.95 km2 footprint. The suburb scores decile 5 on IRSAD and decile 4 on IRSD, mid-tier on the relative advantage and disadvantage indexes, and only 5.2% of residents (235 people) need daily assistance despite an aging-area trend. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for an apartment-heavy, transport-served town centre. Volunteering sits at 10.5%.
Drive
72.8%
Public Transport
10.8%
Walk / Cycle
10.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.38%/yr
(+321 people/yr)
EstablishedGosford's wider area is growing steadily, with annual population growth of 1.38% (about 321 people a year) and a 17.4% rise over the past decade, classifying it as an established suburb on an upward path. Medium forecasts lift the population from 23,107 in 2026 to 24,712 by 2031. Overseas migration is the primary driver at a net 260 a year, with internal migration adding another 94, so the growth is migration-led rather than natural. The gentrification stage reads Active, scored at 45, with signals including a 24% population gain since 2011 and accelerating internal inflow. Real incomes grew 15.6% over the decade and rent climbed 44.4%, both consistent with a market in early transition rather than a mature, flat one.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+260
Net Internal / yr
+94
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +24% since 2011, Net internal migration +94/yr, Strong overseas inflow +260/yr, Accelerating: 3% → 20%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Gosford compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gosford a good suburb to live in?
Gosford suits renters and younger residents, with a median age of 35, which is 5.0 years below national, and university qualifications at 42.2%, 12.1 points above national. It scores decile 5 on IRSAD, mid-tier nationally. The main trade-offs are an 88.9% apartment stock and a 12.8% vacancy rate.
What is the median house price in Gosford?
The median house price is $600,000, affordable for a Sydney-region hub. Prices rose 6.9% from $580,000 in 2024 to $620,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $390 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,665, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.1%, below the stress threshold.
What schools are in Gosford?
No schools are recorded inside the Gosford boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is well educated, with university qualifications at 42.2%, which is 12.1 points above the national figure.
Is Gosford safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Gosford in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 4 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage and decile 5 on IRSAD, both mid-tier, and 5.2% of residents (235 people) need daily assistance.
Is Gosford good for property investment?
Rent of $390 a week against a $600,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.4%, stronger than most of inner Sydney, and 66.7% of residents rent. The risk is a 12.8% vacancy rate from an 88.9% apartment stock, though net overseas migration of 260 a year supports demand.
How is Gosford's population changing?
The wider area is growing 1.38% a year, about 321 people, and rose 17.4% over the past decade. Medium forecasts lift it from 23,107 in 2026 to 24,712 by 2031. Growth is migration-led, with net overseas migration of 260 a year and internal migration adding 94.
What languages are spoken in Gosford?
About 37.5% of residents were born overseas, 15.9 points above national. English is dominant, while the most common non-English languages are Nepali (92 speakers), Mandarin (76), Punjabi (45) and Cantonese (28), reflecting recent South Asian and Chinese migration.
How much development is happening in Gosford?
There were 33 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including residential flat buildings, commercial alterations and office premises. This activity is consistent with an apartment-dominant town centre at 88.9% apartments and a wider area growing 1.38% a year.
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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