Cobar

Cobar has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Cobar's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 4,110, a decrease of 19 people from the 2021 Census figure of 4,129. This change is inferred from ABS estimated resident population data for June 2024 (4,099) and validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 0.10 persons per square kilometer. Natural growth contributed approximately 71.2% of overall population gains recently. 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 necessary, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

Projections indicate an overall population decline by 950 persons by 2041, but the 85 and over age group is expected to grow by 34 people during this period.

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

Cobar has seen limited development activity over the past five years, with an average of three approvals per year totalling 16. This low level reflects Cobar's rural nature where development is driven by local housing needs rather than market demand. The small sample size means individual projects can significantly influence annual growth statistics.

Cobar shows less construction activity than the Rest of NSW and below national averages. Recent building activity consists solely of detached dwellings, maintaining the area's rural character with an emphasis on space. There are approximately 720 people per dwelling approval in Cobar, indicating its quiet development environment. With a stable or declining population expected, housing pressure should remain low, potentially creating buying opportunities.

With population expected to remain stable or decline, Cobar should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Cobar has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 11thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 11 projects likely to affect the area. Notable projects include Grand Central Precinct Planning and Design Project, Federation Mine, Old Hospital Site Residential Estate, Great Cobar Museum Coach House and Underground Mine Experience. The following list details those 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 performance in Cobar exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Cobar has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. Manufacturing and industrial sectors are strongly represented, and the unemployment rate is 2.4%.

As of September 2025, there are 1,994 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.4% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation is similar to Rest of NSW at 56.4%. Employment is concentrated in mining, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and retail trade. Mining employs 12.7 times the regional average while health care & social assistance employs just 6.3% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 16.9%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. From September 2024 to September 2025, Cobar's labour force decreased by 4.7%, employment declined by 5.3%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW recorded an employment decline of 0.5% and a labour force decline of 0.1%. State-level data from 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary between sectors. Applying these projections to Cobar's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 4.4% over five years and 10.6% over ten years.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released on 1 July 2022 for the financial year ending 30 June 2022, Cobar SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $58,089 and an average level of $70,749. This was higher than the national average and compared to $49,459 and $62,998 across Rest of NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% from financial year ending 30 June 2022 to September 2025, estimated median income would be approximately $65,414 and average income $79,670 by then. From the Census conducted on 10 August 2021, personal income ranked at the 64th percentile ($880 weekly) and household income at the 47th percentile. Distribution data showed that the largest segment comprised 31.1% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (1,278 residents), consistent with broader trends across metropolitan regions showing 29.9% in the same category. After housing costs, residents retained 92.0% of their income.

Cobar is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

In Cobar, as recorded in the latest Census, 90.9% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 9.1% comprising semi-detached units, apartments, and other types. This is similar to Non-Metro NSW's dwelling structure of 90.0% houses and 10.0% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Cobar was 37.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.1% and rented dwellings at 34.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cobar was $1,098, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,000. The median weekly rent in Cobar was $190, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $180. Nationally, Cobar's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Cobar features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 64.2% of all households, consisting of 25.7% couples with children, 26.7% couples without children, and 10.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 35.8%, with lone person households at 33.5% and group households comprising 2.3% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 14.0%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This indicates a need for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.2%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 42.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (7.4%) and certificates (35.2%).

Educational participation is high, with 34.2% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (14.3%), secondary education (8.8%), and tertiary education (2.8%).

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

Cobar has 130 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These are served by 15 different routes that together facilitate 227 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of the service is considered good, with residents on average being located just 232 meters from their nearest stop.

Across all routes, there is an average of 32 daily trips, which equates to roughly one weekly trip per individual stop.

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

Cobar faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 55% of the total population (~2,260 people), compared to 50.1% across Rest of NSW.

The most common medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, impacting 8.9 and 8.1% of residents respectively. 67.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 65.9% across Rest of NSW. Cobar has 17.9% of residents aged 65 and over (734 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.

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

Cobar's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 80.9% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (91.3%), and speaking English only at home (94.9%). Christianity is the dominant religion in Cobar, comprising 65.2%, compared to 67.2% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (35.3%), English (27.2%), and Australian Aboriginal (11.3%), which is lower than the regional average of 18.4%.

Notably, Samoan representation in Cobar is higher at 0.4% compared to 0.1% regionally, New Zealand at 0.7% vs 0.3%, and Sri Lankan at 0.2% vs 0%.

Cobar's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Cobar 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 comprises 7.8% of Cobar's population compared to Rest of NSW, while the 65-74 cohort makes up 9.9%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 0-4 age group has increased from 6.8% to 7.8%, the 55-64 cohort has decreased from 13.7% to 11.5%, and the 25-34 group has dropped from 14.6% to 13.5%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Cobar. The 85+ age group is expected to grow by 34 people, reaching 129 from 96. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for all of Cobar's total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 0-4 and 25-34 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.