Dorrigo

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

Dorrigo's population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, stood at around 3,232 as of November 2025. This figure represents a decrease of 18 people from the 2021 Census count of 3,250, indicating a 0.6% drop. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,228 in June 2024 and an additional 43 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1.6 persons per square kilometer, providing ample space per person. Overseas migration primarily drove recent population growth in the area.

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 employed. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Projections indicate an overall population decline of 124 persons by 2041, but specific age cohorts like the 35 to 44 group are expected to grow by 88 people during this period.

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

Dorrigo has received approximately 7 dwelling approvals annually. Between financial years FY21 and FY25, 37 homes were approved, with an additional 2 approved in FY26 to date. Despite population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, creating a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average expected construction cost of new homes is $308,000. This financial year, $2.7 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Rest of NSW, Dorrigo records roughly half the building activity per person and ranks at the 36th percentile nationally, indicating relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing properties. Recent development has consisted entirely of detached houses, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 470 people. With stable or declining population forecasts, Dorrigo may experience less housing pressure, presenting favourable conditions for buyers.

Dorrigo has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 24thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one major project likely affecting this region. Key projects are 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 with diverse sector representation and an unemployment rate of 5.6%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 0.9%.

As of June 2025, 1,308 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 7.6% compared to Rest of NSW's 3.7%. Workforce participation is lower at 47.2%, against Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Dominant sectors include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and construction. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has notable concentration with employment levels at 4.6 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance is under-represented at 11.9% compared to Rest of NSW's 16.9%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by Census data comparison. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 0.9%, labour force grew by 3.2%, resulting in unemployment rising by 2.1 percentage points. Rest of NSW saw employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, varying significantly between sectors. Applying these projections to Dorrigo's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.5% over five years and 11.9% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Dorrigo had a median taxpayer income of $37,073 and an average income of $47,870. This is lower than the national average, which was $49,459 in Rest of NSW. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Dorrigo would be approximately $41,748 (median) and $53,906 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Dorrigo all fall between the 2nd and 5th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows 30.1% of Dorrigo's population earning within the $400 - $799 range, differing from the regional norm where the $1,500 - $2,999 category is predominant at 29.9%. With 42.4% earning under $800 per week, Dorrigo faces income constraints impacting local spending patterns. Despite modest housing costs allowing for 87.2% income retention, total disposable income ranks at the 5th 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, comprised 95.5% houses and 4.4% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 78.4% houses and 21.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dorrigo was 56.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.5% and rented ones at 19.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,200, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Dorrigo was $280, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $370. Nationally, Dorrigo's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,200 than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were 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 compose 61.5% of all households, including 17.8% couples with children, 33.5% couples without children, and 9.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 38.5%, with lone person households at 35.7% and group households comprising 3.3% 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 faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 20.1%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 40.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (10.6%) and certificates (29.6%).

Educational participation is 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. There are eight schools operating within Dorrigo, educating approximately 306 students. The educational mix includes six primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. School places per 100 residents stand at 9.5, below the regional average of 15.6, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

The analysis of public transport in Dorrigo shows that there are currently 159 active transport stops operating. These stops offer a variety of bus services, which are serviced by 10 individual routes. Together, these routes provide a total of 110 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of the transport system is rated as good, with residents typically located around 201 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are approximately 15 trips per day across all routes, which equates to roughly 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

Health data indicates significant challenges in Dorrigo regarding common health conditions, affecting both younger and older age groups. The rate of private health cover is notably low at approximately 46%, covering around 1,486 people. This figure is lower than the Rest of NSW average of 48% and the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions in Dorrigo are arthritis (affecting 10.2% of residents) and mental health issues (8.8%). Conversely, 62.9% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 63.9% in the Rest of NSW. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 33.2% (1,074 people), than the Rest of NSW average of 23.9%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Dorrigo are strong, even outperforming general population metrics.

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

Dorrigo's population showed low cultural diversity, with 87.9% being citizens born in Australia speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion at 45.7%. While Judaism was similarly represented at 0.1%, it was higher than the regional average of 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (32.5%), Australian (30.4%), and Irish (10.1%). Notably, Scottish ancestry was overrepresented at 9.5% compared to 8.3% regionally, Welsh at 0.8% versus 0.5%, and Australian Aboriginal at 3.1% compared to 4.0%.

Dorrigo ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Dorrigo is 54 years, which is significantly higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and considerably older than the national norm of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented in Dorrigo at 19.2%, while the 15-24 age group is 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 the latest data, the 65 to 74 age group has grown from 17.1% to 19.2% of Dorrigo's population, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 8.8% to 10.4%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 19.8% to 17.2%, and the 45 to 54 age group dropped from 12.4% to 10.3%. By 2041, Dorrigo is projected to see notable shifts in its age composition. The 35 to 44 age cohort is expected to grow steadily, expanding by 71 people (21%) from 337 to 409. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 25 to 34 and 5 to 14 age cohorts.