Forestville, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Forestville NSW is 8,659 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Forestville is $936 per week ($48,672 per year). Median rent in Forestville is $650 per week ($2,817 per month). Forestville has a median age of 43 years, older than the national median of 38. Forestville has a population density of 1,847 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Forestville is England. The most common religion is No religion (38.5% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Cantonese. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Forestville is $3,250.

There were 39 recorded offences in Forestville in 2025-26, a rate of 5 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (18 offences).

Population
8,659
Census 2021
Median income
$936/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$650/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
43years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Forestville vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Forestville is $936 a week, 22% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 504th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $650 a week, $265 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 25.9% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 43, the same age as in the typical NSW suburb.

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureForestvilleTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$936/wk$765/wk +22%$766/wk
Household income$2,507/wk$1,704/wk +47%$1,637/wk
Rent$650/wk$385/wk +69%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$3,250/mo$1,965/mo +65%$1,733/mo
Median age4343 0 yrs42
Rent share of household income25.9%22.6% +3.3 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Forestville, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Forestville Population

8,659 residents at the 2021 Census.

Forestville Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$936/wk
$48,672 per year
Ranked 1,760 of 14,663
Median Rent
$650/wk
$2,817 per month
Ranked 121 of 14,663
Median Age
43years
5 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$3,250/mo
Avg household size: 2.9 · 0.9 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Forestville Rent Prices & Affordability

26% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: moderate.

Household income $2,507/wk
Median rent $650/wk
Rent to income 25.9%

Rent is between 25% and 35% of household income: moderate housing costs.

Median rent in Forestville against your income

About $10,864 a month
Median rent $650/wk
Left after rent $1,857/wk
Rent share 25.9%

Forestville Schools

20
schools nearby
12
government
1128
avg ICSEA score
7,233
total students
Roseville Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 520 students
1172
ICSEA
Forestville Montessori School Independent
Primary · K-6 · 49 students
1171
ICSEA
Lindfield East Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 531 students
1167
ICSEA
Castle Cove Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 273 students
1167
ICSEA
Killarney Heights Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 661 students
1150
ICSEA
Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 405 students
1148
ICSEA
Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 282 students
1145
ICSEA
Forestville Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 462 students
1141
ICSEA
Killarney Heights High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 969 students
1132
ICSEA
St Martin's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 136 students
1131
ICSEA
Wakehurst Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 407 students
1126
ICSEA
Frenchs Forest Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 218 students
1123
ICSEA
Mimosa Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 562 students
1119
ICSEA
Aspect Vern Barnett School Independent
Combined · U · 97 students
1107
ICSEA
Kambora Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 32 students
1101
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 20 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Forestville, with a map

Forestville Map

Forestville, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Forestville, New South Wales: 33.7617°S, 151.2104°E

Forestville Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (20)

People in Forestville

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.5% (4,198) Female 51.5% (4,465)

Population Density

1,847
people per km²
8,659 people · 4.7 km²

Households

2.9
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$3,125
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
5.3%
China
3.0%
New Zealand
2.0%
Hong Kong
1.5%
South Africa
1.5%
Japan
1.1%
France
1.1%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Cantonese
3.2%
Mandarin
2.8%
French
2.2%
Japanese
1.6%
Spanish
1.0%
Italian
0.7%
German
0.6%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
34.8%
Australian
29.9%
Irish
10.2%
Scottish
9.0%
Chinese
8.8%
Italian
3.5%
German
3.3%
French
2.6%
Dutch
1.7%
Croatian
1.3%
Greek
1.3%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
38.5%
Catholic
21.7%
Anglican
13.5%
Not stated
5.7%
Christian (other)
3.0%
Uniting Church
2.8%
Orintal Orthdx
2.4%
Eastern Orthodox
1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.4%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
56.3% 3,853
Separated
2.1% 142
Divorced
7.0% 477
Widowed
6.6% 453
Never married
28.0% 1,915

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
48.6%
Couple: no children under 15
23.4%
Couple: no children
18.3%
One parent: no children under 15
5.8%
One parent: children under 15
3.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
21.0%
2 persons
24.8%
3 persons
16.1%
4 persons
25.0%
5 persons
10.2%
6+ persons
2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Forestville

Housing Tenure

Of the 2,898 occupied private dwellings in Forestville at the 2021 Census, 19.5% were rented, 39.3% owned outright and 36.8% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
3.3% 96 dwellings
Owned outright
39.3% 1,140 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
36.8% 1,067 dwellings
Rented
19.5% 566 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.9% 27 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
86.1%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
9.2%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
4.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
9.5%
2 bedrooms
9.9%
3 bedrooms
31.9%
4 bedrooms
33.4%
5 bedrooms
12.2%
6+ bedrooms
3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
7.9%
$300-$449/mo
1.3%
$450-$599/mo
1.5%
$600-$799/mo
1.1%
$800-$999/mo
3.7%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.7%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
10.3%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
17.6%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
16.0%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
30.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
6.9%
1 vehicle
34.1%
2 vehicles
40.0%
3 vehicles
11.5%
4+ vehicles
7.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Forestville

Employment

Employed full-time
36.6% 2,258 people
Employed part-time
21.9% 1,353 people
Unemployed
2.1% 128 people
Not in labour force
39.4% 2,432 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
39.2%
Managers
24.5%
Clerical & Administrative
11.9%
Technicians & Trade Workers
8.5%
Community & Personal Service
7.4%
Sales Workers
4.6%
Labourers
2.1%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.4%
$1-$149/wk
0.6%
$150-$299/wk
1.1%
$300-$399/wk
2.1%
$400-$499/wk
5.5%
$500-$649/wk
4.4%
$650-$799/wk
5.0%
$800-$999/wk
3.9%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
5.1%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
4.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
3.9%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.5%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
8.2%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
6.3%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
6.5%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.9%
$4,000+/wk
32.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
10.9%
$1-$149/wk
5.1%
$150-$299/wk
5.6%
$300-$399/wk
3.2%
$400-$499/wk
2.5%
$500-$649/wk
2.9%
$650-$799/wk
7.8%
$800-$999/wk
7.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
8.2%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.4%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.7%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
11.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
4.5%
$3,500+/wk
11.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
61.4%
Did not go to work
24.1%
Car (passenger)
4.5%
Bus
4.3%
Walked only
2.8%
Motorbike/Scooter
1.1%
Truck
0.7%
Train
0.5%
Bicycle
0.3%
Other
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
79.1%
Year 10 or equivalent
14.6%
Year 11 or equivalent
3.3%
Year 9 or equivalent
2.9%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
43.4%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
17.1%
Postgraduate Degree
16.7%
Certificate III/IV
16.1%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
5.4%
Certificate I/II
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
30.0%
Society & Culture
15.5%
Engineering
11.1%
Health
8.6%
Education
8.2%
Creative Arts
6.1%
Information Technology
5.9%
Architecture & Building
5.7%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.8%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
2.5%
Agriculture & Environment
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
30.7%
Secondary: Government
20.8%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
10.4%
Secondary: Catholic
9.4%
Pre-school
9.3%
Vocational Education
7.4%
Primary: Catholic
6.8%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
5.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
91.5%
Has need for assistance
4.4%
Need for assistance not stated
4.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
538
Asthma
253
Arthritis
223
Heart disease
219
Diabetes
173
Cancer
127
Lung condition
102
Kidney disease
75
Stroke
58
Dementia
29

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
12.6% 827
Did not provide
87.4% 5,711

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
20.0% 1,308
Not a volunteer
80.0% 5,242

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 7
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 5
Previously served
2.1% 137
Never served
97.7% 6,414

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
29.0%
1 child
12.1%
2 children
37.5%
3 children
17.1%
4 children
3.3%
5+ children
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
41
1951: 1960
95
1961: 1970
262
1971: 1980
348
1981: 1990
441
1991: 2000
439
2001: 2010
596
2011: 2015
257
2016
63
2017
38
2018
47
2019
71
2020
21

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

10.0%
moved in the last year
29.4%
moved in the last 5 years
3.2%
unemployment rate (Census)
60.2%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
7,434
Moved from NSW
637
Moved: same area (SA2)
127
Moved from overseas
39
Moved from QLD
9
Moved from WA
8
Moved from ACT
3

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
22.9%
5: 14 hours
31.0%
15: 29 hours
16.1%
30+ hours
9.8%
Did not do domestic work
20.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
93.0%
Step family: no other children
5.8%
Blended family: no other children
1.0%
Intact family: other children present
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Forestville Crime Statistics

39 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
18
Property Damage
6
Sexual Offences
5
Other Against Person
4
Other Against Property
4
Assault
2

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Coleambally
Income: $841/wk Rent: $180/wk $470/wk less rent
Millthorpe
Income: $942/wk Rent: $325/wk $325/wk less rent
Holgate
Income: $976/wk Rent: $335/wk $315/wk less rent
Lake Albert (NSW)
Income: $907/wk Rent: $340/wk $310/wk less rent
North Casino
Income: $793/wk Rent: $350/wk $300/wk less rent
Lorn
Income: $895/wk Rent: $378/wk $272/wk less rent
Woonona
Income: $788/wk Rent: $395/wk $255/wk less rent
Camden
Income: $865/wk Rent: $400/wk $250/wk less rent

Suburbs near Forestville

The closest suburb to Forestville is Killarney Heights, 1.6 km away.

Killarney Heights
1.6 km away · income $1,063/wk · rent $923/wk
Frenchs Forest
1.6 km away · income $1,038/wk · rent $800/wk
Roseville Chase
1.7 km away · income $1,197/wk · rent $925/wk
East Lindfield
2.1 km away · income $1,132/wk · rent $990/wk
East Killara
2.7 km away · income $905/wk · rent $1,000/wk
Castle Cove
2.7 km away · income $1,219/wk · rent $1,000/wk

Compare Forestville (NSW)

Frequently Asked Questions About Forestville

What is the population of Forestville NSW?

The population of Forestville NSW is 8,659 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 1,847 people per km². Forestville is ranked #813 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Forestville?

The median personal income in Forestville NSW is $936 per week, or $48,672 per year. The median household income is $2,507 per week. Family income is $3,125 per week. Forestville is ranked #1,760 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Forestville?

Median rent in Forestville NSW is $650 per week ($2,817 per month). Rent represents 25.9% of household income, which is considered moderate. Forestville ranks #121 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Forestville?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Forestville NSW is $3,250. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Forestville?

The median age in Forestville NSW is 43 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Forestville a good suburb to live in?

Forestville is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 8,659. The median income is $936/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as moderate (25.9% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Sydney Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 11551. All dollar figures in AUD.