Albury Surrounds
Statistical Area - sa2

Albury Surrounds lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Albury Surrounds' population is around 13,350 as of Aug 2025. This shows an increase of 843 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,507. The change is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 13,174 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since then. This results in a density ratio of 2.5 persons per square kilometer. Albury Surrounds' growth of 6.7% since the 2021 Census exceeds the non-metro area's 4.8%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 73.2% during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. A significant population increase is forecasted, with the area expected to increase by 3,269 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, indicating a total increase of 22.9% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Albury Surrounds among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Albury Surrounds has recorded approximately 82 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis: 410 dwellings approved over the past five financial years, from FY-20 to FY-25, with 15 already recorded in FY-26. On average, 2.0 new residents per year are associated with each dwelling over these five years, indicating solid demand that supports property values. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $596,000, which is somewhat higher than regional norms, reflecting quality-focused development.

This financial year has seen $30.2 million in commercial approvals, suggesting robust local business investment. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Albury Surrounds shows comparable construction activity per person, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area, although building activity has slowed in recent years. New development consists of 97.0% standalone homes and 3.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's low density nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers.

The location has approximately 185 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. Population forecasts indicate Albury Surrounds will gain 3,052 residents by 2041. Construction is maintaining a reasonable pace with projected growth, although buyers could encounter growing competition as population increases.

Albury Surrounds has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 46thth percentile nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified 72 projects potentially impacting the area. Notable ones include Walla Walla Supermarket, Walla Walla Residential Lands Planning Proposal, Walla Walla Solar Farm, and Culcairn Solar Farm. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Albury Surrounds significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Albury Surrounds has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 2.1% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 4.4%.

As of June 2025, 7,465 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.6% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%, and workforce participation at 59.6%. Key industries include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and construction. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is particularly specialized, with an employment share 3.6 times the regional level. However, health care & social assistance is under-represented, at 12.7% compared to Rest of NSW's 16.9%.

Employment opportunities may be limited locally, as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.4%, labour force grew by 4.5%, with unemployment remaining unchanged. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw an employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and a rise in unemployment of 0.4 percentage points. State-wide, NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs) to Sep-25, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National unemployment was 4.5%, with national employment growth at 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts from May 2025 project national employment expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary by industry sector. Applying these projections to Albury Surrounds' employment mix suggests local growth could be approximately 5.5% over five years and 12.0% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Income data from AreaSearch for financial year 2022 indicates that Albury Surrounds had median assessed income of $49,522 and average income of $61,600. This is below the national averages of $49,459 (median) and $62,998 (average) for Rest of NSW. Based on a 10.6% growth in Wage Price Index since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes are approximately $54,771 (median) and $68,130 (average) as of March 2025. Census data from 2021 ranks household, family and personal incomes modestly in Albury Surrounds, between the 37th to 39th percentiles. The predominant income cohort spans 31.3% of locals (4,178 people) with incomes between $1,500 - 2,999, similar to the broader area at 29.9%. Housing costs are manageable with 89.4% retained, but disposable income is below average at the 43rd percentile. The SEIFA income ranking places Albury Surrounds in the 5th decile.

Albury Surrounds is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

As of the most recent Census, Albury Surrounds had a dwelling structure composed of 97.8% houses and 2.2% other dwellings, compared to Non-Metro NSW's 83.2% houses and 16.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Albury Surrounds stood at 45.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 40.0% and rented dwellings at 14.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,387, below the Non-Metro NSW average of $1,430. The median weekly rent figure was recorded as $222, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $265. Nationally, Albury Surrounds' mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially below the national figure of $375.

Albury Surrounds has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 74.5% of all households, including 31.9% couples with children, 32.6% couples without children, and 9.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 25.5%, with lone person households at 23.8% and group households comprising 1.7%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Albury Surrounds shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

The area's university qualification rate is 18.5%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 13.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 40.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.6%) and certificates (30.1%).

Educational participation is high, with 31.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (12.0%), secondary education (11.0%), and tertiary education (2.6%). Nineteen schools serve 1,854 students in the area, which demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 992) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 14 primary, 4 secondary, and 1 K-12 school.

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

The analysis of public transport in Albury Surrounds indicates that there are 608 active transport stops currently operating, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 75 individual routes, collectively facilitating 1,320 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as good, with residents typically located approximately 314 meters from the nearest transport stop.

On average, service frequency across all routes amounts to 188 trips per day, equating to roughly 2 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Albury Surrounds is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Albury Surrounds faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

As of 2021, the rate of private health cover was relatively low at approximately 51% of the total population (~6,755 people). The most common medical conditions in the area were arthritis and asthma, impacting 9.4 and 9.1% of residents respectively, while 66.2% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 64.2% across Rest of NSW. As of June 30th, 2020, the area had 20.9% of residents aged 65 and over (2,790 people). Health outcomes among seniors in Albury Surrounds are above average, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

The latest Census data sees Albury Surrounds placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Albury Surrounds showed low cultural diversity, with 90.4% citizens, 93.2% born in Australia, and 97.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated at 64.7%, compared to 53.9% in Rest of NSW. Top ancestral groups were Australian (32.8%), English (30.2%), and Irish (9.5%).

Notably, German ancestry was higher at 7.5% than the regional average of 5.9%. Scottish ancestry was also higher at 9.0%, compared to 8.2% regionally, and Dutch ancestry was slightly higher at 1.4%, versus 1.3%.

Albury Surrounds hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Albury Surrounds' median age is 44 years, similar to Rest of NSW's 43 and above the national average of 38. Compared to Rest of NSW, Albury Surrounds has a higher percentage of 5-14 year-olds (14.3%) but fewer 25-34 year-olds (8.9%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the 25 to 34 age group has increased from 7.9% to 8.9%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has decreased from 15.2% to 14.2%. By 2041, Albury Surrounds is projected to experience significant changes in its age composition. The 25 to 34 group is expected to grow by 46%, adding 545 people and reaching a total of 1,736 from the current 1,190. The 15 to 24 group is projected to grow by 3%, adding 41 residents.