Bombala
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Bombala's population is approximately 2,515 as of August 2025. This figure indicates a rise of 61 individuals (2.5%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,454 people. The increase is inferred from an estimated resident population of 2,469 in June 2024 and an additional 35 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 0.60 persons per square kilometer. Bombala's growth rate of 2.5% since the census is within 1.9 percentage points of the SA3 area (4.4%). Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 80.0% 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, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, 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. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median of regional areas nationwide, with Bombala expected to expand by 185 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of approximately 5.5% 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 nine new homes approved annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis. There were 48 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, with one approval so far in FY26. On average, 0.4 new residents per year per dwelling constructed have been recorded over these five years.

This suggests that new construction is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current expectations. The average expected construction cost value of new properties is $490,000. There has also been $75,000 in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating the area's residential nature. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Bombala shows around 75% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 78th percentile nationally, although construction activity has recently intensified.

New development consists of 67.0% detached dwellings and 33.0% townhouses or apartments, expanding medium-density options and creating a mix of opportunities across price brackets. This represents a shift from the area's existing housing, which is currently 96.0% houses, indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and demand for diverse, affordable housing options. The location has approximately 291 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Population forecasts indicate Bombala will gain 139 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Bombala has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 17thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified two major infrastructure projects that could impact the area: Monaro Highway Safety Upgrades in NSW (scheduled for completion by December 2021) and Snowy 2.0 Pumped Storage Power Station (expected to start generating power in late 2024). Additionally, plans for Additional VLocity Trains are under consideration.

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

Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.6%, Bombala has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Bombala's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 3.6% as of June 2025.

During this period, 1,238 residents were employed, matching Rest of NSW's unemployment rate of 3.7%, and workforce participation was on par with Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Employment is concentrated in agriculture, forestry & fishing, manufacturing, and health care & social assistance. The area specialises in agriculture, forestry & fishing, which has an employment share 5.8 times the regional level. However, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 9.8% compared to the regional average of 16.9%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In a 12-month period ending June 2025, labour force decreased by 3.6%, employment fell by 4.8%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 1.2 percentage points. Rest of NSW recorded employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, with unemployment rising 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National unemployment rate was 4.5%, and national employment growth was 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's May 2025 forecasts suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary between sectors. Applying these projections to Bombala's employment mix indicates local growth of approximately 4.6%% over five years and 10.7% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

Bombala's median income among taxpayers in financial year 2022 was $48,015. The average income stood at $59,312 during the same period. For comparison, the median and average incomes for Rest of NSW were $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates project Bombala's median income to be approximately $53,105 and the average income to be around $65,599 as of March 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, incomes in Bombala fall between the 17th and 29th percentiles nationally for households, families, and individuals. The largest income bracket comprises 27.3% of residents earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (686 residents), similar to the broader area where this cohort represents 29.9%. Despite modest housing costs allowing retention of 91.5% of income, Bombala's total disposable income ranks 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 evaluation, 96.4% of dwellings were houses while 3.5% comprised semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 87.0% houses and 13.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bombala stood at 53.4%, with mortgaged properties accounting for 27.0% and rented dwellings at 19.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,408. The median weekly rent in Bombala was recorded as $200, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $300. Nationally, Bombala's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 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 account for the remaining 36.8%, with lone person households at 34.6% and group households comprising 2.7%. 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 faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 16.9%, substantially below the NSW average of 32.2%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 12.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 2.2% and graduate diplomas at 2.1%. Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 37.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas at 8.5% and certificates at 28.6%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 27.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 11.8% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 2.5% pursuing tertiary education. Bombala's four schools have a combined enrollment reaching 351 students while serving distinct age groups with three primary and one secondary school.

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. These are served by a mix of trains and buses, with 11 different routes providing a total of 77 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically living 186 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 11 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 0 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. The rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 49% of the total population (~1,234 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 12.2% and 6.8% of residents respectively. Meanwhile, 65.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW figure at 67.2%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 28.3% (710 people), compared to the Rest of NSW average of 20.6%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Bombala 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's population showed low cultural diversity, with 88.5% being Australian citizens, 91.0% born in Australia, and 97.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Bombala, practiced by 65.7%, compared to 51.3% across Rest of NSW. The top ancestral groups were Australian (34.4%), English (30.9%), and Scottish (9.7%).

Notably, Russian ancestry was higher at 0.6% than the regional average of 0.3%. German ancestry stood at 4.1%, slightly above the regional rate of 4.0%. Irish ancestry was present at 9.2%, close to the regional figure of 9.5%.

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 age of 38. The age profile shows that the 65-74 year-olds are particularly prominent at 15.2%, while the 15-24 group is smaller at 9.8% compared to Rest of NSW. This concentration of 65-74 year-olds is well above 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%, while 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 90 people (33%) from 276 to 367. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 53% of population growth, underscoring demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, both the 55 to 64 and 15 to 24 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.