Bourke - Brewarrina

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

As of May 2026, Bourke - Brewarrina's population is approximately 3421, a decrease of 7 people from the 2021 Census figure of 3428. This decline represents a 0.2% change since the census date. The estimated resident population was 3420 in June 2025, with an additional 43 validated new addresses contributing to this decrease. The population density is around 0.10 persons per square kilometer. In contrast, the SA3 area experienced a 1.3% growth since the census. Natural growth contributed approximately 74.5% 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 by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are utilized. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to these projections, the area's population is expected to decline by 962 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts like the 85 and over group are projected to grow by 62 people during this period.

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

Bourke-Brewarrina has seen minimal residential development activity, with an average of 3 dwelling approvals per year over the past five years (totalling 17). This low level of development reflects the rural nature of the area, where housing is typically driven by local needs rather than broader market demand. It's important to note that due to the small number of approvals, individual projects can significantly impact annual growth and relativity statistics.

Compared to Rest of NSW and national patterns, Bourke-Brewarrina shows significantly less construction activity. Recent construction comprises 67.0% detached houses and 33.0% attached dwellings, marking a shift from the current pattern of 94.0% houses. This change suggests diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. With population expected to remain stable or decline, Bourke-Brewarrina is likely to see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

With population expected to remain stable or decline, Bourke - Brewarrina should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities 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. AreaSearch has identified one project that is expected to impact this particular 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 provides details on those projects deemed 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 had an unemployment rate of 7.7% as of December 2025, with 1,465 residents employed. This rate was 3.8% higher than Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation in Bourke-Brewarrina was similar to Regional NSW's 60.5%.

According to Census responses, 13.7% of residents worked from home. Dominant employment sectors were agriculture, forestry & fishing, education & training, and public administration & safety. Agriculture, forestry & fishing had notably high concentration with employment levels at 3.7 times the regional average. Manufacturing employed only 1.0% of local workers, below Regional NSW's 5.8%.

Many residents appeared to commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the year to December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 5.0%, employment declined by 3.4%, causing unemployment to fall by 1.5 percentage points. In comparison, Regional NSW recorded an employment decline of 1.2%, labour force decline of 0.8%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years for national employment. Applying these projections to Bourke-Brewarrina's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.6% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2023 shows that income in Bourke - Brewarrina SA2 is below the national average. The median assessed income is $49,707 and the average income stands at $56,296. This contrasts with Regional NSW's figures of a median income of $52,390 and an average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year ending June 2023, current estimates would be approximately $54,837 (median) and $62,106 (average) as of March 2026. According to the 2021 Census data, personal income ranks at the 42nd percentile ($770 weekly), while household income sits at the 24th percentile. Income distribution shows that the predominant cohort spans 27.8% of locals (951 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, which aligns with the surrounding region where this cohort likewise 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

The dwelling structure in Bourke-Brewarrina, as per the latest Census, comprised 94.0% houses and 6.0% other dwellings. This contrasts with Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bourke-Brewarrina was 33.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 20.4% and rented ones at 46.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $867, lower than Regional NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent in Bourke-Brewarrina was $160, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Bourke-Brewarrina's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents substantially below the national figure of $375.

Bourke - Brewarrina features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical 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 making up 2.5%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the Regional NSW average.

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 the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both challenges and opportunities for targeted educational initiatives. 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, including advanced diplomas (10.3%) and certificates (24.1%).

Educational participation is high, with 36.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 16.5% in primary, 9.2% in secondary, and 2.8% in tertiary education.

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

Bourke-Brewarrina has 110 operational public transport stops offering a combination of train and bus services. These stops are served by 17 different routes, facilitating 165 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport access is considered limited, with residents on average situated 6653 meters from the nearest stop. Predominantly residential, most inhabitants commute outward using cars as the primary mode (76%), followed by walking (19%). Vehicle ownership stands at an average of 1.3 per dwelling, lower than the regional norm. According to the 2021 Census, 13.7% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Daily service frequency averages 23 trips across all routes, equating to roughly one weekly trip per stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops relative to the area's central point.

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

Bourke - Brewarrina faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The prevalence of common health conditions is notable across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover in the area is very low at approximately 48% of the total population (~1,624 people), compared to 51.9% across Regional NSW and the national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, impacting 8.6 and 6.7% of residents respectively, while 70.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. Working-age residents show above average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 17.0% of residents aged 65 and over (582 people), which is lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings even higher than the general 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 had a cultural diversity index below average, with 79.9% citizens and 94.3% born in Australia as of the 2016 Census. English was spoken at home by 95.1%. Christianity was the dominant religion at 65.5%, compared to 55.9% regionally.

The top three ancestry groups were Australian Aboriginal (27.9%), Australian (26.2%), and English (23.7%). Irish ancestry was notably higher than regional averages, 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 Regional NSW's average of 43 years. It is also somewhat younger than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 0-4 age group has a strong representation at 8.4%, compared to Regional NSW. However, the 65-74 age cohort is less prevalent at 9.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 35-44 age group grew from 10.8% to 12.6% of the population, while the 75-84 cohort increased from 4.2% to 5.7%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort declined from 12.7% to 8.8%, and the 5-14 age group dropped from 14.4% to 12.9%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Bourke-Brewarrina. The 85+ age group is expected to grow by 97% (62 people), reaching 127 from 64. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 100% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 45-54 and 0-4 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.