Forster
NSW 2428 · Mid-Coast
14,187 (2021) → 14,534 est. (2025) · Stable
Part of the Mid-Coast local government area (est. 99,351 residents)
Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.
Forster is a stable suburb in Mid-Coast, NSW 2428, about 221km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $868K is more affordable than the NSW average. The suburb has 3 schools, a transport score of 0/100, and is a short drive from the coast. Forster has an overall score of 35/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 28/100.
Demographics
Age distribution
Housing tenure
- Owned
- Mortgage
- Rented
Commute to work
- Car
- Public transport
- Walk/cycle
- Work from home
Top countries of birth: England (3.19%), New Zealand (1.24%), Philippines (0.51%), Scotland (0.48%), Germany (0.43%)
Top languages: Nepali (0.35%), German (0.27%), Arabic (0.2%), French (0.18%), Italian (0.18%)
Source: ABS Census 2021
Property
Median price history
Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q4 2025
Residential Safety
Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:
Residential incidents over time
Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.
Area crime context
An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.
Source: BOCSAR · Updated 2025
Schools
Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 959 (below the national average of 1000).
In suburb
- Holy Name Primary SchoolPrimary · CatholicICSEA 1022
- Forster Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 929
- Great Lakes College Forster CampusSecondary · GovernmentICSEA 928
Nearby (within 10km)
- Alesco Senior College - Coast CampusSecondary · Independent · 5.6km
- Great Lakes College Senior CampusSecondary · Government · 6.3kmICSEA 991
- Great Lakes College Tuncurry CampusSecondary · Government · 6.3kmICSEA 955
- Tuncurry Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 6.5kmICSEA 930
Source: ACARA 2023
Transport
Source: TfNSW GTFS
Liveability
Amenities within 2–3km
Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.
Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap
Population & Growth
StableSource: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI
Nearby suburbs in Mid-Coast
Compare Forster with another suburb
Compare two suburbs
Frequently asked questions about Forster
Is Forster safe?
Forster has a residential safety score of 28/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 10,679 per 100,000 across all categories.
What are property prices in Forster?
In Forster, the median house price is $868K and the median unit price is $624K. Median weekly house rent is $630.
How far is Forster from Sydney CBD?
Forster is about 221.4 km from Sydney CBD.
What schools are in Forster?
Forster has 3 schools, with an average ICSEA of 960 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.
What is public transport like in Forster?
Forster has a transport score of 0/100.