Median house price
$1.39M
+2.7% change
NSW · Shoalhaven Council
Back Forest, 2535
Est. population · Jun 2025
91
Growth (1 yr)
+1.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+2.3%
Median age
56
Median income
$1,374/wk
Employment rate
59.5%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,390,000
Languages at home
6.6%non-English
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
- Excellent transport
Suburb profile
Back Forest offers a slower smaller community life in Shoalhaven Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. Distance from the metro area around Sydney is part of the appeal, with regional hubs closer to hand than the city. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood.
Everyday basics may be close by, but bigger shopping and services typically require a trip to a nearby centre. Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here, with buses covering longer trips across the wider area.
Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
At a glance
Back Forest snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$720/wk
Population (ERP)
91
+1.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
0.0%
Census unoccupied dwellings
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Safety
3rd
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
70th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
9/10
national SEIFA decile
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Housing
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $750
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 33
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,390,000
- Median price change
- +2.7%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
91(June 2025)
+1.1% annual · +2.3% over 5 years · 70th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.1%
- 5-year growth
- +2.3%
- Change in 1 year
- +1
- Change in 5 years
- +2
- Growth rank in NSW
- 70th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~100), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 91
- Median age
- 56
- Median household income / week
- $1,374
- Dwelling vacancy
- 0%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 0 of 36
- Median monthly mortgage
- $4,768
- Employment rate
- 59.5%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 30 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences are unchanged compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 2
- Against the person
- 1
- Against property
- 1
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 22
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 91 residents
- State safety percentile
- 3.1th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +0.3%
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault18
- Fraud21
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment22
- Malicious Damage To Property31
- Steal From Motor Vehicle19
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Public transport
5 public transport stops in this suburb
- Back Forest Rd At Bolong Rd
- Back Forest Rd At Bolong Rd
- Back Forest Rd At Bolong Rd
- Back Forest Rd At Lidbetter Rd
- Back Forest Rd At Lidbetter Rd
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- David Berry Hospital (7.7 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 1
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 11.0
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 24° / 17°
- Rainfall
- 301 mm · ~38 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 15°
- Rainfall
- 396 mm · ~50 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 16° / 10°
- Rainfall
- 292 mm · ~36 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 20° / 13°
- Rainfall
- 274 mm · ~34 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
3 planning-related records
2025· 1 proposal
March 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Swimming pool10B BACK FOREST ROAD BACK FOREST 2535Determined
2021· 1 proposal
November 2021
- Pools / decks / fencing; Alterations and additions to residential development50 LIDBETTER ROAD BACK FOREST 2535Determined
2020· 1 proposal
September 2020
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs270 BACK FOREST ROAD BACK FOREST 2535Withdrawn
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2020–2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Gilmore
- Member of Parliament
- Fiona PHILLIPS (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 128,995
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.5%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +5.0 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 44.9%Labor 55.1%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 8.5 km away).
Coalition 42.1%Labor 57.9%
2.8 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +6.9 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- TeraraLabor 54.3% · Coalition 45.7% TPP (2025)5.4 km away
- Shoalhaven HeadsLabor 60.5% · Coalition 39.5% TPP (2025)5.5 km away
- BomaderryLabor 58.4% · Coalition 41.6% TPP (2025)6.8 km away
- BerryLabor 56.9% · Coalition 43.1% TPP (2025)7.4 km away
- Nowra EastLabor 63.8% · Coalition 36.2% TPP (2025)8.1 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Shoalhaven Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.