Bombala

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Bombala's population as of Nov 2025 is approximately 2,535. This reflects an increase of 81 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,454. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 2,469 as of June 2024 and an additional 44 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 0.60 persons per square kilometer. Bombala's growth of 3.3% since the census positions it within 1.2 percentage points of the SA3 area (4.5%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 80.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Examining future trends, a population increase just below the median of regional areas is expected, with the area projected to expand by 185 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 4.7% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Bombala according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Bombala has seen approximately 9 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 48 homes were approved, with an additional one approved so far in FY26. On average, over these years, about 0.4 new residents arrived per new home built.

This indicates that new construction is keeping pace with or even exceeding demand, offering buyers more options and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections. The average value of new dwellings developed was $414,000, which is moderately higher than regional levels, suggesting an emphasis on quality construction. In the current financial year, there have been $75,000 in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to the rest of NSW, Bombala shows around 75% of the construction activity per person, while it ranks at approximately the 77th percentile nationally for construction activity.

However, recent years have seen an intensification of construction activity. The new development in Bombala consists of about 67.0% detached dwellings and 33.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating a growing range of medium-density options that cater to various price brackets, from traditional family housing to more affordable compact alternatives. This shift marks a notable departure from the area's existing housing stock, which is currently composed of approximately 96.0% houses. The location has around 291 people per dwelling approval, suggesting a low density market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Bombala is projected to gain about 119 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified one major project likely impacting the area: Monaro Highway Safety Upgrades, Snowy 2.0 Pumped Hydro Project, Additional VLocity Trains, and Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy are key projects, with the following list detailing those most relevant.

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

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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.2%, Bombala has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Bombala has a balanced workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate is 3.2%.

As of September 2025, 1,219 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is lower by 0.7% compared to Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation is on par with Rest of NSW at 56.4%. Employment is concentrated in agriculture, forestry & fishing, manufacturing, and health care & social assistance. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has a significant share at 5.8 times the regional level.

Conversely, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 9.8% versus the regional average of 16.9%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, labour force decreased by 5.6% and employment by 5.7%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. Rest of NSW recorded an employment decline of 0.5% and labour force decline of 0.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points during the same period. State-level data shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs) as of 25-Nov-25, with a state unemployment rate of 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bombala's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 4.6% over five years and 10.7% over ten years.

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

The Bombala SA2's median income among taxpayers was $48,015 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $59,312 during the same period. These figures are below those of Rest of NSW, which had a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $54,070 (median) and $66,791 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Bombala fell between the 17th and 29th percentiles nationally. The largest income bracket comprised 27.3% of residents earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (692 residents), similar to the broader area where this cohort represented 29.9%. Housing costs were modest with 91.5% of income retained, but total disposable income ranked at just the 26th percentile nationally.

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

In Bombala, as per the latest Census, 96.4% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 3.5% being semi-detached units, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Non-Metro NSW's dwelling composition of 87.0% houses and 13.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bombala stood at 53.4%, with mortgaged properties making up 27.0% and rented dwellings accounting for 19.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,408. Weekly rent in Bombala averaged $200, compared to $300 in Non-Metro NSW. Nationally, Bombala's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863 and rents were below the national figure of $375.

Bombala features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 63.2% of all households, including 20.2% couples with children, 33.7% couples without children, and 8.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 36.8%, with lone person households at 34.6% and group households making up 2.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.3.

Bombala faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 16.9%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 12.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.1%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 37.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (8.5%) and certificates (28.6%). Educational participation is high, with 27.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 11.8% in primary, 7.9% in secondary, and 2.5% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 27.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.8% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 2.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Bombala has 119 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are served by 11 different routes that collectively facilitate 77 weekly passenger trips. The town's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically residing just 186 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 11 daily trips across all routes, translating to approximately zero weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Bombala faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 49% (~1,244 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis (12.2%) and mental health issues (6.8%), while 65.0% report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.2% in Rest of NSW. 28.3% (~716 people) are aged 65 and over, higher than the 20.6% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Bombala, as per the census conducted on 27 June 2016, showed lower cultural diversity with 88.5% of its population being Australian citizens, 91.0% born in Australia, and 97.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 65.7% of Bombala's population, compared to 51.3% across the rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (34.4%), English (30.9%), and Scottish (9.7%).

Notably, Russian ethnicity was overrepresented at 0.6%, German at 4.1%, and Irish at 9.2%.

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

Bombala's median age is 48 years, which is older than Rest of NSW's median age of 43 and significantly higher than the Australian median of 38. The age profile shows that the 65-74 year-olds are particularly prominent, making up 15.2% of the population, while the 15-24 group is smaller at 9.8%. This concentration of 65-74 year-olds is higher than the national average of 9.4%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 9.6% to 11.0%, and the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 8.1% to 9.5%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 16.1% to 13.9%, and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 12.3% to 10.6%. Demographic modeling suggests that Bombala's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to grow steadily, expanding by 88 people (32%) from 278 to 367. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 54% of population growth, underscoring demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, both the 15 to 24 and 55 to 64 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.