Armidale Surrounds - South

Armidale Surrounds - South is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Armidale Surrounds - South's population was around 6,071 as of Nov 2025. This reflected an increase of 177 people from the 2021 Census figure of 5,894. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,983 in June 2024 and an additional 44 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 1.9 persons per square kilometer. Armidale Surrounds - South's growth rate of 3.0% since the census was comparable to its SA3 area, indicating strong fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 76.0% of overall population gains 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 by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. These projections anticipate future population dynamics, expecting an increase just below the median of regional areas nationally to 2041. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Armidale Surrounds - South is expected to increase by 544 persons by 2041, reflecting a total increase of 7.4% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Armidale Surrounds - South, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Armidale Surrounds - South has granted around 19 residential property approvals annually over the past five financial years ending June 2021. This totals 98 homes approved since FY-17. As of July 2026, two approvals have been recorded in this financial year. During this period, population has decreased, yet housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, indicating a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average expected construction cost for new dwellings is $238,000, below regional norms, reflecting more affordable housing options. Additionally, $1.6 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year. Compared to the rest of NSW, Armidale Surrounds - South records 19.0% less building activity per person and ranks among the 34th percentile nationally, suggesting relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing homes. Recent construction comprises 92.0% detached houses and 8.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's low-density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 484 people. AreaSearch forecasts indicate Armidale Surrounds - South will gain 451 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Armidale Surrounds - South has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 30 projects likely to affect the region. Notable projects include New England Solar Farm, Armidale Regional Airport Business Park, Deeargee Solar And Battery Project, and Proposed Solar Farm at 347 Dangarsleigh Road. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The labour market strength in Armidale Surrounds - South positions it well ahead of most Australian regions

Armidale Surrounds - South has a skilled workforce with an unemployment rate of 1.4%, indicating relative employment stability over the past year as of September 2025. The area has 3,360 residents in work, with an unemployment rate of 2.5% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation is at 59.1%, slightly higher than Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries of employment among residents are education & training, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and health care & social assistance. The area specialises in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share 2.8 times the regional level. However, health care & social assistance is under-represented, at 13.5% compared to Rest of NSW's 16.9%.

Employment opportunities locally appear limited based on Census working population vs resident population data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 0.4%, and labour force increased by 0.4%, keeping unemployment broadly flat. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw an employment decline of 0.5% and a rise in unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but local projections suggest Armidale Surrounds - South's employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.7% over ten years based on industry-specific extrapolations.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Armidale Surrounds - South SA2 is below the national average. The median assessed income is $44,920 and the average income stands at $53,704. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $49,459 and the average income is $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $50,584 (median) and $60,476 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Armidale Surrounds - South rank modestly, between the 29th and 31st percentiles. The data shows that the predominant income cohort spans 30.4% of locals (1,845 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, which aligns with the broader area where this cohort likewise represents 29.9%. Housing costs are manageable with 88.1% retained, but disposable income sits below average at the 34th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Armidale Surrounds - South had 95.7% houses and 4.3% other dwellings in the latest Census. Non-Metro NSW had 87.1% houses and 12.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Armidale Surrounds - South was 44.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 37.1% and rented at 18.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,426, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $1,408. Median weekly rent in Armidale Surrounds - South was $250, versus Non-Metro NSW's $280. Nationally, mortgage repayments were lower at $1,863 and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 72.3% of all households, including 26.6% couples with children, 34.4% couples without children, and 10.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 27.7%, with lone person households at 25.7% and group households making up 2.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.3.

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

The area's university qualification rate of 26.0% exceeds the SA4 region average of 19.5%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 16.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational credentials are held by 39.2% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.3% and certificates at 27.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.8% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in primary education, 9.0% in secondary education, and 3.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Armidale Surrounds - South has 370 active public transport stops. These are a mix of train and bus stations. They are serviced by 32 routes that provide 416 weekly passenger trips in total.

The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 213 meters. On average, there are 59 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

Health performance in Armidale Surrounds - South is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Armidale Surrounds - South faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 47%, covering around 2,853 people, which is lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (10.6%) and asthma (9%). Notably, 62.9% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 65.5% in Rest of NSW. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 22.5% or around 1,365 people, compared to the Rest of NSW's 20.2%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are above average, outperforming the general population in various health metrics.

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

Armidale Surrounds-South, as per data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2016, showed cultural diversity below average. Its population was predominantly citizens (92.1%), born in Australia (91.8%), and spoke English only at home (97.4%). Christianity was the main religion, with 58.0% adherents, compared to 55.0% across Rest of NSW.

Ancestry-wise, Australians made up 31.4%, followed by English at 30.9% and Irish at 10.4%. Notably, Australian Aboriginal were overrepresented at 6.2% (vs regional 5.7%), Scottish at 9.1% (vs 8.9%) and German at 3.6% (vs 3.5%).

Armidale Surrounds - South hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Armidale Surrounds - South's median age in 2021 was 47 years, which is significantly higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 and substantially exceeds the national average of 38. The age profile showed that those aged 55-64 were particularly prominent at 15.6%, while the 25-34 group was comparatively smaller at 9.5% compared to the Rest of NSW. Between 2021 and present, the 0-4 age group has grown from 4.9% to 5.7% of the population. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort has declined from 16.3% to 15.6%. By 2041, Armidale Surrounds - South is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. The 35-44 group is projected to grow by 18%, reaching 748 people from 633. Meanwhile, the 15-24 cohort is projected to decline by 50 people.