New South Wales · Postcode 2428
Forster postcode and suburb data
New South Wales · Phone area code 02 · 224 km from Sydney
Suburb snapshot
Forster at a glance vs NSW
Fast facts and benchmark bars show the suburb's key postcode, Census, SEIFA, school and LGA signals in context.
Quick facts
Benchmarks against NSW
Income, rent and SEIFA figures are from the ABS 2021 Census and are reported in 2021 dollars, not adjusted for subsequent inflation.
Where Forster ranks: household income sits in the bottom 25% of NSW suburbs; SEIFA decile 2 places it in the bottom 20% of Australia for socio-economic advantage.
ABS Census 2021 · SEIFA 2021Detailed comparison table
Forster vs the NSW average and the national average, using population-weighted 2021 Census data.
| Metric | Forster | NSW avg | AU avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Household income/wk | $1,009 -NSW | $1,931 | $1,836 |
| Rent/wk | $340 -NSW | $445 | $390 |
| Mortgage/month | $1,733 -NSW | $2,247 | $1,958 |
| Median age | 57 | 45.0 | 45.0 |
| SEIFA decile | 2/10 -NSW | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Unemployment | 4.9% ≈NSW | 5.0% | 5.0% |
Green pill = at least 10% above the NSW average; red = at least 10% below; grey = within 10%. For unemployment, colour polarity is inverted: lower is better.
Forster is a locality 224 km from Sydney in New South Wales, classified as inner regional by the ABS. The postcode is 2428. It falls within the Mid North Coast region. The local government area is Mid-Coast.
According to the 2021 Census, Forster has a population of 14,187 with a median age of 57. The median weekly household income is $1,009, below the NSW average. The unemployment rate is 4.9%. The Indigenous population is 890 (6.3% of residents).
Housing in Forster includes a median weekly rent of $340, median monthly mortgage repayment of $1,733, with 6,253 total dwellings. Housing costs in the area sit below the NSW average. Owner-occupied dwellings (owned or mortgaged) make up 72.2% of housing.
On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Forster scores in decile 2 out of 10, which is well below the national average.
Schools in Forster include Forster Public School, Great Lakes College Forster Campus and Holy Name Primary School.
Forster is part of the Great Lakes statistical area in New South Wales.
Forster details
Location, Census, housing, SEIFA and geography fields used across this profile.
| Postcode | 2428 |
| State | New South Wales (NSW) |
| Phone Area Code | 02 |
| Population (2021) | 14,187 |
| Median Age | 57 years |
| Median Household Income (Census 2021) | $1,009/week |
| Median Personal Income (Census 2021) | $581/week |
| Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021) | $340 |
| Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021) | $1,733 |
| Average Household Size | 2.1 persons |
| Area | 32.5 km² |
| Population Density | 436/km² |
| Total Dwellings | 6,253 |
| Australian Citizens | 90.9% |
| Indigenous Population | 890 (6.3%) |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.9% |
| SEIFA IRSAD Decile | 2/10 (well below average) |
| Latitude | -32.180556 |
| Longitude | 152.511667 |
| Distance from Sydney | 224 km |
| Region (SA4) | Mid North Coast |
| Area (SA3) | Great Lakes |
| Local Government | Mid-Coast |
| Federal Electorate | Lyne |
| State Electorate | Myall Lakes |
| Time Zone | AEST (UTC+10), Australia/Sydney (standard time) |
Age Profile
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 1,849 (13.0%) |
| 15–24 years | 1,096 (7.7%) |
| 25–44 years | 2,275 (16.0%) |
| 45–64 years | 3,532 (24.9%) |
| 65+ years | 5,440 (38.3%) |
Housing Tenure
SEIFA socio-economic index
Health Conditions (2021 Census)
| Arthritis | 2,428 (17.1%) |
| Asthma | 1,342 (9.5%) |
| Heart Disease | 1,111 (7.8%) |
| Diabetes | 917 (6.5%) |
| Cancer | 800 (5.6%) |
| Lung Condition | 514 (3.6%) |
| Dementia | 315 (2.2%) |
Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.
Motor Vehicles per Dwelling
| No vehicle | 424 (6.9%) |
| 1 vehicle | 2,913 (47.3%) |
| 2 vehicles | 2,046 (33.3%) |
| 3+ vehicles | 770 (12.5%) |
Schools in Forster
ACARA 2025 school profiles for schools located in Forster. ICSEA is shown where ACARA publishes it.
Suburbs Near Forster
Same Postcode (2428)
More Forster Data
Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, ACARA school profiles 2025. How this data is sourced.