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- Little Forest
New South Wales · Postcode 2538
Little Forest postcode and suburb data
New South Wales · Phone area code 02 · 177 km from Sydney
Suburb snapshot
Little Forest 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.
Detailed comparison table
Little Forest vs the NSW average and the national average, using population-weighted 2021 Census data.
| Metric | Little Forest | NSW avg | AU avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Household income/wk | $1,218 -NSW | $1,931 | $1,836 |
| Rent/wk | $350 -NSW | $445 | $390 |
| Mortgage/month | $1,434 -NSW | $2,247 | $1,958 |
| Median age | 59 | 45.0 | 45.0 |
| SEIFA decile | 8/10 +NSW | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Unemployment | 0.0% -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.
Little Forest is a locality 177 km from Sydney in New South Wales, classified as inner regional by the ABS. The postcode is 2538. It falls within the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven region. The local government area is Shoalhaven.
According to the 2021 Census, Little Forest has a population of 185 with a median age of 59. The median weekly household income is $1,218, below the NSW average.
Housing in Little Forest includes a median weekly rent of $350, median monthly mortgage repayment of $1,434, with 64 total dwellings. Housing costs in the area sit below the NSW average. Owner-occupied dwellings (owned or mortgaged) make up 89.2% of housing.
On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Little Forest scores in decile 8 out of 10, which is above the national average.
Little Forest is part of the Shoalhaven statistical area in New South Wales.
Little Forest details
Location, Census, housing, SEIFA and geography fields used across this profile.
| Postcode | 2538 |
| State | New South Wales (NSW) |
| Phone Area Code | 02 |
| Population (2021) | 185 |
| Median Age | 59 years |
| Median Household Income (Census 2021) | $1,218/week |
| Median Personal Income (Census 2021) | $619/week |
| Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021) | $350 |
| Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021) | $1,434 |
| Average Household Size | 2.6 persons |
| Area | 24.8 km² |
| Population Density | 7/km² |
| Total Dwellings | 64 |
| Australian Citizens | 93.0% |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.0% |
| SEIFA IRSAD Decile | 8/10 (above average) |
| Latitude | -35.2978715 |
| Longitude | 150.361674 |
| Distance from Sydney | 177 km |
| Region (SA4) | Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven |
| Area (SA3) | Shoalhaven |
| Local Government | Shoalhaven |
| Federal Electorate | Gilmore |
| State Electorate | South Coast |
| Time Zone | AEST (UTC+10), Australia/Sydney (standard time) |
Age Profile
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 25 (13.5%) |
| 15–24 years | 13 (7.0%) |
| 25–44 years | 22 (11.9%) |
| 45–64 years | 58 (31.4%) |
| 65+ years | 66 (35.7%) |
Housing Tenure
SEIFA socio-economic index
Health Conditions (2021 Census)
| Arthritis | 33 (17.8%) |
| Asthma | 13 (7.0%) |
| Heart Disease | 11 (5.9%) |
| Diabetes | 5 (2.7%) |
| Cancer | 5 (2.7%) |
| Lung Condition | 3 (1.6%) |
Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.
Motor Vehicles per Dwelling
| No vehicle | 0 (0.0%) |
| 1 vehicle | 15 (21.7%) |
| 2 vehicles | 31 (44.9%) |
| 3+ vehicles | 23 (33.3%) |
Suburbs Near Little Forest
Same Postcode (2538)
More Little Forest 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.