Dorrigo

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Dorrigo's population was around 3,232 as of November 2025. This reflected a decrease of 18 people (0.6%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,250 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,228 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 43 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 1.6 persons per square kilometer. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilised NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations were applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Projections indicated an overall population decline over this period, with Dorrigo's population expected to shrink by 124 persons by 2041. However, growth across specific age cohorts was anticipated, led by the 35 to 44 age group, projected to expand by 88 people.

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

Dorrigo has seen approximately 7 dwellings granted development approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 37 homes were approved. In FY26, so far, 2 have been approved.

Despite population decline in the area, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice. The average value of new homes being built is $308,000. This financial year, $2.7 million worth of commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating Dorrigo's primarily residential nature. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Dorrigo records roughly half the building activity per person and ranks among the 36th percentile nationally, leading to relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing properties.

This lower-than-average activity suggests the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. Recent development has solely comprised detached houses, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 470, reflecting Dorrigo's quiet, low activity development environment. Given stable or declining population forecasts, housing pressure may remain relatively low in Dorrigo, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Dorrigo has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 25thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one major project likely impacting the region. Key projects include Waterfall Way Corridor Strategy, Doughboy Wind Farm, New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), and Pacific Highway Upgrade: Hexham To Brisbane. The following 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.

The labour market performance in Dorrigo lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Dorrigo's workforce is skilled and diverse. The unemployment rate was 5.4% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 0.8%.

As of September 2025, 1,301 residents were employed, while the unemployment rate was 1.6% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation in Dorrigo was significantly lower at 47.2%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. The dominant employment sectors among residents included agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and construction. Agriculture, forestry & fishing had particularly notable concentration, with employment levels at 4.6 times the regional average.

However, health care & social assistance was under-represented, with only 11.9% of Dorrigo's workforce compared to 16.9% in Rest of NSW. Employment opportunities locally appeared limited, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. During the year to September 2025, employment levels increased by 0.8%, and labour force increased by 2.7%, resulting in an unemployment rise of 1.8 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW recorded an employment decline of 0.5%, labour force decline of 0.1%, with unemployment rising 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov showed NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggested national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Dorrigo's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 5.5% over five years and 11.9% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not take into account localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Dorrigo SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $37,073 and an average income of $47,870. Nationally, the averages were $49,459 and $62,998 respectively in Rest of NSW. By September 2025, estimates suggest median and average incomes will be approximately $41,748 and $53,906 respectively, based on a 12.61% Wage Price Index growth since 2022. Census 2021 data indicates Dorrigo's household, family, and personal incomes fall between the 1st and 5th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows 30.1% of Dorrigo's population earn $400-$799 weekly, differing from the region where the $1,500-$2,999 category is predominant at 29.9%. With 42.4% earning under $800 weekly, income constraints impact local spending patterns. Despite modest housing costs allowing for 87.2% income retention, total disposable income ranks at the 4th percentile nationally.

Dorrigo is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in Dorrigo, as evaluated at the latest Census, consisted of 95.5% houses and 4.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro NSW's 78.4% houses and 21.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dorrigo stood at 56.9%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (23.5%) or rented (19.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,200, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $280. Nationally, Dorrigo's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 61.5 percent of all households, including 17.8 percent that are couples with children, 33.5 percent that are couples without children, and 9.2 percent that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 38.5 percent, with lone person households at 35.7 percent and group households comprising 3.3 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in Dorrigo fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 20.1%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 13.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 40.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.6%) and certificates (29.6%). Educational participation is high at 25.9%, with 10.2% in primary education, 7.0% in secondary education, and 2.3% pursuing tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.2% in primary education, 7.0% in secondary education, and 2.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Dorrigo has 159 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 10 different routes that together offer 110 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents on average located 201 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 15 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 0 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Dorrigo faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, at approximately 46% (1,486 people), compared to 48.0% in Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent conditions are arthritis (10.2%) and mental health issues (8.8%).

About 62.9% reported no medical ailments, similar to the 63.9% in Rest of NSW. Dorrigo has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 33.2% (1,074 people), compared to 23.9% in Rest of NSW. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are strong, outperforming the general population in key metrics.

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

Dorrigo, as per the census data from June 2016, had a population with 87.9% being Australian citizens and 87.9% born in Australia. The majority of residents spoke English only at home, comprising 96.7%. Christianity was the predominant religion, practiced by 45.7% of the population.

While Judaism was present in both Dorrigo (0.1%) and Rest of NSW (0.1%), it showed no significant difference between the two areas. The top three ancestry groups were English (32.5%), Australian (30.4%), and Irish (10.1%). Notable differences existed for Scottish (9.5% in Dorrigo vs 8.3% regionally), Welsh (0.8% vs 0.5%) and Australian Aboriginal (3.1% vs 4.0%).

Dorrigo ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Dorrigo is 54 years, significantly higher than Rest of NSW's average of 43 years and considerably older than Australia's national norm of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented at 19.2% in Dorrigo, while the 15-24 year-olds are under-represented at 6.8%. This concentration of the 65-74 age group is well above the national average of 9.4%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the 65 to 74 age group has grown from 17.1% to 19.2%, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 8.8% to 10.4%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort declined from 19.8% to 17.2%, and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 12.4% to 10.3%. By 2041, Dorrigo's age composition is expected to shift notably. The 35 to 44 age cohort is projected to grow steadily, increasing by 71 people (21%) from 337 to 409. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 25 to 34 and 5 to 14 age cohorts.