Gosford flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Gosford
(Central Coast, NSW) - 3.41 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
3.41 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Gosford's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Aircraft noise and flight paths over Gosford
Two different things, kept apart on purpose. The ANEF contour is the planning instrument - a forecast published per airport that planning schemes use to control noise-sensitive development. Observed overflight is what a sampled aircraft-tracking feed actually recorded over the suburb - where aircraft flew, how low and how often.
Observed overflight - sampled 4 Sep to 2 Oct 2026
typical observed square 1 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 500 ft - night is sampled as often as day, but night traffic is light, so this is a floor and no rate can be put on it.
Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously, so every figure is a floor: aircraft not captured between samples are not represented. Rates are per 500 m square - the busiest square in the suburb, not a count of flights over the suburb - and a square is only rated where enough traffic was seen to measure it. Altitudes are above mean sea level. Flight paths change with runway use, weather, season and airspace design. This is a record of observed traffic; it is not a noise contour and not a planning control.
Gosford at a glance
How Gosford is zoned
Buying in Gosford? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.
Across its 3.41 km², Gosford is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 41% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 34% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 41 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Public Recreation. The median lot measures about 701 m² across 901 parcels.
Who lives in Gosford
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Gosford suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.
Socio-economic standing
ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.
Score 988, and decile 5 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Gosford's 4,873 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Gosford - Springfield, the wider ABS statistical area containing Gosford. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Gosford itself.
16,067 in 2001 to 23,282 in 2025, up 45%.
Source: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.
Gosford data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Zoning | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence |
| Observed flight paths | Observed | adsb.lol, under the Open Database License |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 3 October 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.
Check a specific Gosford address
See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.
Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 92% of Gosford. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Gosford lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Gosford planning - frequently asked
Is Gosford flood-prone?
About 41% of Gosford falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 30%.
Is Gosford bushfire-prone?
Around 34% of Gosford is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Central Coast average of 69%.
Is Gosford under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 92% of Gosford, and over about 99% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 2,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 1 aircraft a day were recorded passing over one 500 m square. Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously and flight paths change with runway use, weather and season; the ANEF contour is the planning instrument.
What is the zoning in Gosford?
The dominant planning zone in Gosford is Public Recreation, though the suburb also includes Recreational Waterways and General Residential.
Does Gosford have heritage-listed places?
Gosford has 41 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Gosford?
Across 901 surveyed parcels in Gosford, the median lot size is about 701 m². There are also 25 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Gosford have a train station?
Yes - Gosford has 1 train station: Gosford Station. It is also served by 110 bus stops.
What is the population of Gosford?
At the 2021 Census Gosford had 4,873 usual residents, with a median age of 35 and an average household size of 1.9 people. The wider Gosford - Springfield statistical area, which contains Gosford, went from 16,067 people in 2001 to 23,282 in 2025, up 45%.
Is Gosford an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Gosford scores 988 and sits in decile 6 of 10 nationally and decile 5 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Gosford?
Median household income in Gosford was $1,421 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,735 for the typical suburb in Central Coast. Median rent was $390 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,665 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Gosford | 1.0 km | 12% | 57% |
| East Gosford | 1.5 km | 20% | 33% |
| Point Frederick | 2.1 km | 61% | 1% |
| West Gosford | 2.1 km | 46% | 52% |
| Wyoming | 2.8 km | 11% | 68% |
| Point Clare | 2.8 km | 46% | 54% |
| Springfield | 2.9 km | 25% | 88% |
| Narara | 3.3 km | 20% | 73% |
| Erina | 3.8 km | 24% | 56% |
| Tascott | 3.8 km | 54% | 48% |