Blayney
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Blayney reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Blayney's population is approximately 7,822 as of August 2025. This figure represents a growth of 305 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,517. The estimated resident population of 7,792 from the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 136 validated new addresses since the Census date suggest this increase. This results in a density ratio of 4.8 persons per square kilometer. Blayney's growth rate of 4.1% since the 2021 census exceeds that of its SA4 region (2.7%) and SA3 area, indicating it as a growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 62.6% to overall population gains recently, with all migration drivers also positive factors.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, Blayney is expected to increase by 1,244 persons to 2041, representing a total increase of 15.4% over the seventeen-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Blayney when compared nationally

Blayney has recorded approximately 31 residential properties granted approval each year over the past five financial years, totalling 156 homes. In FY26 so far, 18 approvals have been recorded. On average, 2 people per year moved to the area for each new home constructed between FY21 and FY25, reflecting strong demand that supports property values. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $409,000, aligning with regional trends.

This financial year has seen $1.5 million in commercial approvals, indicating the area's residential focus. Compared to Rest of NSW, Blayney shows similar development activity per person, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area. New development consists of 93.0% detached dwellings and 7.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's traditional low-density character focused on family homes.

The location has approximately 232 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. Population forecasts suggest Blayney will gain 1,206 residents by 2041. Construction is keeping pace with projected growth, but buyers may face increasing competition as the population grows.

Blayney has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 24thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects likely affecting the region. Notable projects include Blayney Multipurpose Service Redevelopment, Masterplan & Detailed Designs for Blayney Shire, Evans Park Estate, and Flyers Creek Wind Farm. The following list details those most relevant:.

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

The labour market in Blayney shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Blayney has a skilled workforce with strong manufacturing and industrial sectors, unemployment rate of 2.0% as of June 2025. It has 4,202 residents employed, with an unemployment rate 1.7% lower than Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Workforce participation is 61.3%, similar to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Dominant employment sectors are health care & social assistance, agriculture, forestry & fishing, retail trade. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is particularly strong with an employment share 2.3 times the regional level. Accommodation & food services have a lower representation at 4.6% compared to Rest of NSW's 7.8%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis. In the year to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 2.4%, employment fell by 3.3%, increasing unemployment rate by 0.9 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment fell by 0.1% and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, unemployment rate at 4.3%. National unemployment is 4.5%, national employment growth is 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years, 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Blayney's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.6% over five years, 12.4% over ten years.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 indicates that income in Blayney is slightly above average nationally. The median assessed income is $53,595, while the average income stands at $66,003. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures, which show a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $59,276 (median) and $72,999 (average) as of March 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank modestly in Blayney, between the 38th and 42nd percentiles. The largest segment comprises 32.5% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (2,542 residents), consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 29.9% in the same category. Housing costs are manageable with 88.0% retained, though disposable income sits below average at the 44th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

In Blayney, as per the latest Census evaluation, 95.7% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 4.3% consisting of semi-detached homes, apartments and other dwelling types. This compares to Non-Metro NSW where 88.7% of dwellings are houses and 11.4% are other dwelling types. Home ownership in Blayney stood at 41.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.7% and rented dwellings at 22.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,700. Median weekly rent in Blayney was $270 compared to Non-Metro NSW's $315. Nationally, Blayney's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,517 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Blayney has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 72.7% of all households, including 30.3% couples with children, 30.2% couples without children, and 10.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 27.3%, with lone person households at 25.6% and group households comprising 1.7%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with the average in the Rest of NSW.

Educational outcomes in Blayney fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 18.5%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This indicates a need for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 13.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 41.6% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 32.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.9% in primary, 9.0% in secondary, and 2.6% in tertiary education. Blayney has a network of 7 schools educating approximately 990 students. The area has varied educational conditions, with 6 primary and 1 secondary school serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents are lower than the regional average (12.7 vs. 16.9), suggesting some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Blayney has 339 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 45 individual routes that collectively provide 928 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 168 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 132 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately two weekly trips per stop.

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

Blayney faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover in Blayney is approximately 52%, leading that of the average SA2 area (~4098 people). The most common medical conditions are arthritis, impacting 9.5% of residents, and asthma, affecting 9.3%. A total of 64.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 65.4% across Rest of NSW. Blayney has 20.6% of residents aged 65 and over (1612 people), higher than the 18.7% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Blayney's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 91.7% of its population being citizens, 93.3% born in Australia, and 98.3% speaking English only at home. The dominant religion in Blayney is Christianity, comprising 63.6% of the population, compared to 63.1% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups in Blayney are Australian (34.5%), English (32.6%), and Irish (10.4%).

Notably, certain ethnic groups have different representations: Australian Aboriginal is higher at 4.2% in Blayney compared to the regional average of 4.9%, Scottish is also higher at 8.1% versus 7.6%, and Maltese is slightly higher at 0.4% compared to 0.3%.

Blayney hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Blayney's median age is 42 years, similar to Rest of NSW's average of 43 but considerably older than Australia's 38 years. The age profile shows that 5-14 year-olds are particularly prominent at 13.6%, while the 75-84 group is comparatively smaller at 6.1% than in Rest of NSW. Since 2021, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 10.3% to 11.8% of the population, while the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 13.4% to 11.5%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Blayney. The 35 to 44 age group shows the strongest projected growth at 49%, adding 452 residents to reach 1,377. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 15 to 24 and 55 to 64 cohorts.