Bourke - Brewarrina

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Bourke - Brewarrina's population is around 3,421 as of May 2026. This reflects a decrease of 7 people (0.2%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,428 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,420 from the ABS as of June 2025 and an additional 43 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 0.10 persons per square kilometer, a level providing ample space per person. While Bourke - Brewarrina experienced a 0.2% decline since census, the SA3 area achieved 1.3% growth, highlighting divergent population trends. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth that contributed approximately 74.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

ABS and Geoscience Australia projections published in 2024, utilizing 2022 as the baseline, are adopted for each SA2 region. In instances where these are unavailable, AreaSearch incorporates NSW State Government projections from 2022, which use 2021 as their baseline. The age group expansion rates from these collections are also applied to all localities for the period spanning 2032 to 2041. Looking at these demographic pathways, expectations point to a contraction in the overall population, with a projected reduction of 962 residents by 2041 using this approach. Even so, expansion is predicted within particular age brackets, most notably those aged 85 and over, which is expected to increase by 62 individuals. Refer to the age breakdown for further information.

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

Property development in Bourke - Brewarrina is extremely quiet, showing an average of only 3 approvals annually, which sums to 17 over the course of the last five years. Such minimal building volumes are typical for rural locations where residential requirements remain modest and new construction is constrained by localized demand and infrastructure limits. It is worth noting that due to these tiny approval quantities, year-on-year variations and relative growth rates can shift dramatically based on individual project listings.

Bourke - Brewarrina exhibits a much lower volume of construction and planning approvals when compared to the Rest of NSW, a trend that also falls short of nationwide benchmarks. Current planning activity consists of 67.0% standalone houses and 33.0% multi-unit or semi-detached options, pointing to a growing selection of attached properties designed to offer choices across different price points, ranging from large family spaces to compact, economical alternatives. This represents a clear shift from the historical layout where houses account for 94.0% of existing stock, indicating a drop in the availability of developable land alongside changes in lifestyle choices and accommodation cost pressures.

Faced with projections of flat or shrinking population counts, the Bourke - Brewarrina region will likely experience reduced housing pressure, creating advantageous buying conditions in the local real estate market.

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

Local economic performance and growth are heavily influenced by shifts in regional infrastructure, major works, and municipal planning strategies. In total, AreaSearch has flagged 1 project that is expected to affect this region. The main projects identified include the NSW Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) Program, the Macquarie-Castlereagh Alluvium Water Resource Plan, the Newell Highway Upgrade, and the Castlereagh Country Regional Drought Resilience Plan, with details provided on those of direct local interest.

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

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AreaSearch assessment indicates Bourke - Brewarrina faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Bourke - Brewarrina has a workforce characterized by solid capability, with essential public services well represented, an unemployment rate of 6.9%, and a 1.7% increase in estimated employment over the last year. By March 2026, there are 1,493 working residents, though the jobless rate sits 2.8% higher than the Regional NSW mark of 4.1%, while participation in the labour force matches Regional NSW's 60.6% closely. According to Census records, a modest portion of the workforce, 13.7%, carried out their duties from home, though the influence of pandemic lockdowns should be kept in mind.

The primary job categories for residents are concentrated in agriculture, forestry & fishing, education & training, along with public administration & safety. The local market shows a particularly heavy reliance on agriculture, forestry & fishing, with staffing numbers reaching 3.7 times the regional average. Conversely, manufacturing accounts for only 1.0% of the local workforce, which is lower than the 5.8% seen across Regional NSW. Although local jobs exist, comparison of the Census working population against the local resident population indicates a portion of workers travel outside the immediate area for their jobs.

An examination of SALM and ABS statistics shows that for the 12 months ending March 2026, employment grew by 1.7% while the overall labour force shrank by 2.0%, leading to a decrease in the unemployment rate of 3.4 percentage points. Over the same timeframe, Regional NSW experienced a 0.9% drop in employment, a 0.4% contraction in the labour force, and a 0.5 percentage point rise in unemployment. National forecasts released by Jobs and Skills Australia in May-25 provide a broader view of expected worker demand in Bourke - Brewarrina. These models, spanning five and ten years, are combined with local employment data to estimate future patterns. Nationally, employment is expected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but these rates vary widely by industry. Projecting these industry trends onto the local work profile suggests employment in Bourke - Brewarrina could rise by 5.6% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, representing a basic weighted extrapolation rather than a forecast incorporating local population models.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

ATO records for the 2023 financial year show that incomes in the Bourke - Brewarrina SA2 sit below national benchmarks, reporting a median of $49,707 and an average of $56,296. By comparison, Regional NSW recorded a median of $52,390 and an average of $65,215. Adjusting these figures for a Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since the 2023 financial year yields estimated figures of approximately $54,837 for the median and $62,106 for the average as of March 2026. Census data from 2021 places individual earnings at the 42nd percentile ($770 weekly) and household earnings at the 24th percentile. Income distribution shows the largest group, representing 27.8% of local residents (951 people), falls into the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, similar to the wider region where this segment comprises 29.9% of households. Housing costs are manageable with residents keeping 91.6% of their income, though disposable income levels remain low, ranking 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

Residential property types in Bourke - Brewarrina at the time of the last Census consisted of 94.0% separate houses and 6.0% alternative structures such as semi-detached homes, apartments, or other lodgings, compared to Regional NSW where houses make up 82.6% and other formats represent 17.4%. Home ownership rates in Bourke - Brewarrina trailing Regional NSW at 33.6%, with the remaining properties being mortgaged at 20.4% or rented at 46.0%. The median monthly mortgage payment of $867 was much lower than the Regional NSW average, while the median weekly rent stood at $160, compared to Regional NSW figures of $1,733 and $330. On a national scale, Bourke - Brewarrina's mortgage costs are significantly below the Australian average of $1,863, and weekly rents are well below the national median of $375.

Bourke - Brewarrina features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Families make up the majority of households at 64.3%, which is comprised of 23.9% couples with children, 22.8% couples without children, and 15.3% single parent arrangements. The remaining 35.7% consists of non-family households, where single occupants account for 33.4% and shared group housing accounts for 2.5%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is identical to the average for Regional NSW.

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

The local area presents educational hurdles, with university graduation rates of 19.7% falling well short of the NSW average of 32.2%. This dynamic presents both a difficulty and a clear opening for focused education programs. Bachelor degrees are the most common higher qualification at 14.7%, followed by postgraduate studies at 3.3% and graduate diplomas at 1.7%. Practical and vocational qualifications are common, with 34.4% of citizens aged 15 and over possessing trade credentials, consisting of advanced diplomas at 10.3% and certificates at 24.1%.

Engagement in learning programs is quite high, with 36.7% of the population currently participating in formal study. This student group includes 16.5% enrolled in primary schools, 9.2% in high schools, and 2.8% attending tertiary institutions.

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

Public transport networks in Bourke - Brewarrina feature 110 active transit stops offering a combination of train and bus connections. These stops are served by 17 distinct routes, which provide a total of 165 weekly passenger journeys. Accessibility is classified as limited, with residents living an average of 6653 meters away from their nearest transit stop. Reflecting the residential character of the area, most workers travel outward, with private vehicles serving as the primary commute mode at 76% and walking accounting for 19%. Average vehicle ownership stands at 1.3 cars per home, which is below the regional average, while 13.7% of residents work from home, based on 2021 Census data collected under pandemic conditions.

Transit services average 23 trips daily across the active routes, which translates to roughly 1 weekly trip for each individual stop. The linked map highlights the 100 closest transit stops relative to the center of the area.

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

Local health statistics show considerable challenges in Bourke - Brewarrina, according to AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality patterns and chronic illness rates, with a notable presence of common conditions across younger and older residents alike, and a very low rate of private health insurance covering only about 48% of the population (~1,624 people). This is lower than the 51.9% recorded across Regional NSW and the national average of 55.7%.

Asthma and arthritis were identified as the most prevalent health conditions, affecting 8.6% and 6.7% of the population respectively, while 70.1% of residents reported having no chronic medical conditions, compared to 63.3% in Regional NSW. Working-age individuals experience higher than average rates of chronic health issues. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 17.0% of the local population (582 people), which is lower than the Regional NSW proportion of 23.4%. Health profiles for older residents indicate some difficulties, with national rankings for this group exceeding those of the general local population.

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 displays lower levels of cultural diversity than average, with citizens making up 79.9% of the population, 94.3% of residents born in Australia, and 95.1% speaking only English at home. The predominant religion is Christianity, representing 65.5% of the local population, compared to 55.9% recorded across Regional NSW.

Regarding family backgrounds and parental birthplaces, the three most common ancestries in Bourke - Brewarrina are Australian Aboriginal at 27.9% of the population, which is much higher than the regional average of 4.6%, Australian at 26.2%, and English at 23.7%, which sits below the regional average of 30.5%. There are also distinct variations in other ethnic background representations, with Irish ancestry recorded at 7.7% of the population in Bourke - Brewarrina compared to 8.8% across the region.

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

The median age of 36 years in Bourke - Brewarrina is much lower than the Regional NSW average of 43 and slightly below the Australian median of 38 years. The 0 - 4 age cohort is highly represented at 8.4% compared to Regional NSW, while the 65 - 74 bracket is less common at 9.5%. Post-2021 Census statistics show the 35 to 44 age group increased from 10.8% to 12.6% of the population, and the 75 to 84 cohort rose from 4.2% to 5.7%. Meanwhile, the 45 to 54 cohort fell from 12.7% to 8.8% and the 5 to 14 group decreased from 14.4% to 12.9%. Population projections for 2041 suggest major demographic shifts in Bourke - Brewarrina, with the 85+ cohort expected to grow by 97% (62 people), increasing from 64 to 127 residents. The combined age brackets from 65 and over are projected to account for 100% of all population growth, highlighting the aging profile of the community, while the 45 to 54 and 0 to 4 groups are forecast to contract.