Bourke - Brewarrina
Statistical Area - sa2

Bourke - Brewarrina has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Bourke-Brewarrina's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 3,562, showing an increase of 134 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3,428. This growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 3,503 in June 2024 and 33 validated new addresses post-Census. The population density is around 0.10 persons per square kilometer. Bourke-Brewarrina's growth rate of 3.9% since the 2021 Census exceeds its SA3 area (2.6%) and SA4 region, positioning it as a growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 68.3% to recent population gains. 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 where applicable, with a base year of 2021.

Projections indicate an overall population decline by 985 persons to 2041, but specific age cohorts are expected to grow, notably the 85 and over group by 68 people.

The level of residential development activity in Bourke - Brewarrina is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Bourke - Brewarrina had minimal residential development activity with 3 dwelling approvals annually on average over the five years from 2015 to 2019 inclusive. This resulted in a total of 17 approvals during this period. The low development levels reflect the rural nature of the area, where residential development is typically driven by specific local housing needs rather than broader market demand.

It should be noted that with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures and relativities can vary considerably based on individual projects. Bourke - Brewarrina shows significantly less construction activity than the rest of NSW. The development pattern in the area is also well below national averages. Recent construction comprised 67.0% standalone homes and 33.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating an increasing blend of attached housing types offering choices across various price ranges, from spacious family homes to more affordable compact options.

This marks a significant departure from existing housing patterns in the area, which currently stand at 94.0% houses. This shift suggests diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. Given stable or declining population forecasts for the area, Bourke - Brewarrina may experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Bourke - Brewarrina has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 14thth percentile nationally

The performance of an area is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. One project has been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting this specific area. Notable projects include the NSW Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) Program, Macquarie-Castlereagh Alluvium Water Resource Plan, Newell Highway Upgrade, and Castlereagh Country Regional Drought Resilience Plan. The following list details those likely to be 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.

Employment conditions in Bourke - Brewarrina face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Bourke-Brewarrina has a skilled workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate here was 9.5% as of June 2025.

At this time, 1,460 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 5.9% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation was somewhat lower at 52.6%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Dominant employment sectors include agriculture, forestry & fishing, education & training, and public administration & safety. Notably, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs 3.7 times the regional average here.

Conversely, manufacturing employed just 1.0% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.8%. Many residents appear to commute elsewhere for work, based on Census data. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, labour force decreased by 1.8%, while employment declined by 5.3%, causing unemployment to rise by 3.3 percentage points. Rest of NSW recorded a 0.1% employment decline and a 0.4 percentage point increase in unemployment during this period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bourke-Brewarrina's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.6% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Bourke - Brewarrina is below the national average. The median income is $51,600 and the average income stands at $60,473. 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 $58,107 (median) and $68,099 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, personal income ranks at the 43rd percentile ($770 weekly), while household income sits at the 25th percentile. Distribution data shows that 27.8% of locals (990 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, which is similar to the surrounding region where this cohort represents 29.9%. Housing costs are manageable with 91.6% retained, but disposable income sits below average at the 35th percentile.

Bourke - Brewarrina is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Bourke-Brewarrina, as recorded in the latest Census, 94.0% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 6.0% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This compares to Non-Metro NSW where 90.0% of dwellings are houses and 10.0% are other types. Home ownership in Bourke-Brewarrina stood at 33.6%, with mortgaged properties at 20.4% and rented dwellings at 46.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $867, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,000. The median weekly rent in Bourke-Brewarrina was $160, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $180. Nationally, Bourke-Brewarrina's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $867 than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Bourke - Brewarrina features high concentrations of lone person households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 64.3% of all households, including 23.9% couples with children, 22.8% couples without children, and 15.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 35.7%, with lone person households at 33.4% and group households at 2.5%. The median household size is 2.4 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.3.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 19.7%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 14.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.3%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 34.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 10.3% and certificates at 24.1%. Educational participation is high, with 36.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 16.5% in primary, 9.2% in secondary, and 2.8% in tertiary education.

Twelve schools serve 640 students across the area, which has varied educational conditions between Bourke and Brewarrina. The educational mix includes eight primary, one secondary, and three K-12 schools.

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

Bourke-Brewarrina has 106 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are served by 15 routes that facilitate 105 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is limited, with residents being an average of 6653 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 15 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 0 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Bourke-Brewarrina faces significant health challenges. Common health conditions are prevalent across younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~1,781 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and arthritis, impacting 8.6 and 6.7% of residents respectively. 70.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 65.9% across Rest of NSW. The area has 16.5% of residents aged 65 and over (587 people), which is lower than the 20.2% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Bourke - Brewarrina is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Bourke-Brewarrina had a cultural diversity index below average, with 79.9% being Australian citizens, 94.3% born in Australia, and 95.1% speaking English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, at 65.5%, compared to 67.2% regionally. The top ancestral groups were Australian Aboriginal (27.9%, regional average: 18.4%), Australian (26.2%, regional average: 31.2%), and English (23.7%).

Irish ancestry was notably higher at 7.7%.

Bourke - Brewarrina's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Bourke - Brewarrina is 36 years, which is significantly lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 years and somewhat younger than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 0-4 age group has a strong representation at 7.9% compared to Rest of NSW, while the 65-74 cohort is less prevalent at 9.0%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 35-44 age group grew from 10.8% to 12.4%, and the 75-84 cohort increased from 4.2% to 5.6%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort declined from 12.7% to 9.0%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Bourke - Brewarrina. Leading this shift is the 85+ age group, which will grow by 91%, reaching 130 people from 68. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for all of the total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 0-4 and 45-54 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.