Dorrigo
Statistical Area - sa2

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

As of August 2025, Dorrigo's population is approximately 3,229, marking a decrease of 21 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3,250. This decline was inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,227 in June 2024 and an additional 42 validated new addresses post-Census date. The population density is around 1.6 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth during recent periods. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for SA2 areas released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for uncovered areas released in 2022 with a base year of 2021, extending growth rates by age group to years 2032 to 2041.

By 2041, Dorrigo's population is projected to shrink by 124 persons overall, but the 35 to 44 age group is expected to grow 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 received approximately 8 dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides this data on a financial year basis: 40 homes approved between July 2019 to June 2025, with no approvals recorded so far in the current financial year ending June 2026. Despite population decline, new supply has likely met demand, offering buyers good choice. New properties' expected construction cost averages $402,000, aligning with regional trends.

Commercial approvals totalled $2.7 million this financial year, indicating limited commercial development focus. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Dorrigo records roughly half the building activity per person and ranks in the 36th percentile nationally, leading to relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing properties. This activity is below the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. All new construction has been detached dwellings, preserving Dorrigo's low-density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.

With approximately 470 people per dwelling approval, the development environment is quiet and low-activity. Given expected population stability or decline, housing pressure should remain reduced, potentially offering buyer opportunities.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one project likely affecting the region. Key projects are Waterfall Way Corridor Strategy, Doughboy Wind Farm, Pacific Highway Upgrade: Hexham To Brisbane, and Regional NSW Road Network Safety Improvements. The following details those most relevant.

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

Employment drivers in Dorrigo are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Dorrigo has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. The unemployment rate was 5.6% as of June 2024.

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 8.7%, which is 5.0 percentage points higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation in Dorrigo lags at 47.2%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries for employment among residents are agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and construction.

Dorrigo has a strong specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share 4.6 times the regional level. However, health care & social assistance is under-represented, with only 11.9% of Dorrigo's workforce compared to 16.9% in Rest of NSW. Employment opportunities locally appear limited, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. During the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 0.9%, and labour force increased by 3.2%, causing unemployment to rise by 2.1 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.1%, labour force expand by 0.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National unemployment is at 4.5%, with national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dorrigo's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.5%% over five years and 11.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

Dorrigo's median income among taxpayers was $37,073 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $47,870 during the same period. In comparison, Rest of NSW had a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998. By March 2025, estimates suggest Dorrigo's median income would be approximately $41,003 and the average income around $52,944, assuming a Wage Price Index growth of 10.6%. Census data from 2021 indicates that incomes in Dorrigo fall between the 2nd and 5th percentiles nationally. The income bracket of $400 - 799 dominated with 30.1% of residents, unlike regional trends where the $1,500 - 2,999 range was more prevalent at 29.9%. Economic conditions showed widespread financial pressure, with 42.4% of households having modest weekly budgets below $800. Despite modest housing costs, allowing for 87.2% income retention, Dorrigo's total disposable income ranked 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 on 28 August 2016, 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 at 56.9%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (23.5%) or rented (19.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Dorrigo was $1,200, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $1,733 and Australia's $1,863. The median weekly rent figure for Dorrigo was recorded at $280, while Non-Metro NSW had $370 and Australia had $375.

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

Family households constitute 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 comprise the remaining 38.5%, with lone person households at 35.7% and group households at 3.3%. The median household size is 2.1 people, 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 represents 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, including 10.2% in primary, 7.0% in secondary, and 2.3% pursuing tertiary education. Dorrigo has a network of 8 schools educating approximately 306 students, comprising 6 primary, 1 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. School places per 100 residents (9.5) are below the regional average (15.7), with some students likely attending schools in adjacent areas.

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 provide 110 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents typically living within 201 meters of 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% (1,485 people), compared to 48.0% in Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.3%. The most common conditions are arthritis (10.2%) and mental health issues (8.8%).

62.9% report 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% (1,073 people), compared to 23.9% in Rest of NSW. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are strong, even better than the general population in certain metrics.

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

Dorrigo had a cultural diversity index below the average, with 87.9% of its population being citizens and 87.9% born in Australia. The majority spoke English only at home, comprising 96.7%. Christianity was the primary religion, practiced by 45.7% of Dorrigo's residents.

While Judaism had a similar representation nationally (0.1%), it was notable that 32.5% of Dorrigo's population claimed English ancestry, with Australian at 30.4%, and Irish at 10.1%. Among other ethnic groups, Scottish were overrepresented at 9.5%, Welsh at 0.8%, and Australian Aboriginal at 3.1%.

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 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 the present, the percentage of the population in the 65 to 74 age group has grown from 17.1% to 19.2%, while the 35 to 44 cohort has increased from 8.8% to 10.4%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 age group has declined from 19.8% to 17.2%, and the 45 to 54 group has dropped from 12.4% to 10.3%. By 2041, Dorrigo is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. 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.