Dubbo - East

Dubbo - East has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Dubbo - East's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 10,797. This figure represents a growth of 164 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 10,633. The increase is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 10,804 in June 2024 and an additional 106 validated new addresses post-census. This results in a population density ratio of 123 persons per square kilometer. Dubbo - East's growth rate of 1.5% since the census is within 1.9 percentage points of the SA4 region's growth rate of 3.4%, indicating strong growth fundamentals. Natural growth contributed approximately 56.1% to 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 are used, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends suggest lower quartile growth for Australia's regional areas, with Dubbo - East expected to grow by 478 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 4.5% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Dubbo - East according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Dubbo - East has approximately 31 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25158 homes were approved, with a further 36 approved in FY26 so far. On average, 0.5 new residents arrive per new home built over these years, indicating that new supply meets or exceeds demand.

The average construction value of new homes is $241,000, which is below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers. This financial year has seen $106.4 million in commercial approvals, reflecting robust local business investment. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Dubbo - East shows roughly half the construction activity per person and ranks in the 42nd percentile nationally, indicating limited buyer choices and supporting demand for existing homes. The new development consists of 45% standalone homes and 55% attached dwellings, a shift from the current 83% houses in the area. This change reflects decreasing availability of developable sites and evolving lifestyles seeking more diverse, affordable housing options. The area has an estimated 660 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet development environment.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Dubbo - East is expected to grow by 480 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Dubbo - East has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 31stth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 18 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include New Dubbo Bridge, PCYC Western NSW Sports Hub, NSW SES Dubbo Unit Headquarters, and Blueridge Business Park. 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 Dubbo - East exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Dubbo - East has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate here is 2.9%.

As of September 2025, there are 5,199 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 0.9% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation in Dubbo - East is high at 62.9%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Notably, health care & social assistance employs a significant share of local workers, with an employment ratio of 1.2 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 1.9% of local workers, lower than Rest of NSW's 5.3%. The worker-to-resident ratio in Dubbo - East is 0.7, indicating a higher-than-average level of employment opportunities locally. Between June 2024 and July 2025, the labour force in Dubbo - East decreased by 4.1%, while employment decreased by 4.7%. This led to an increase in unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW experienced a 0.5% employment decline, a 0.1% labour force decline, and an unemployment rate rise of 0.4 percentage points during the same period. Providing broader context, state-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows that NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with a state unemployment rate of 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 indicate that national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dubbo - East's current employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 6.5% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, although these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Dubbo - East SA2 has lower income compared to the national average. The median income is $52,660 and the average is $62,191. In contrast, Rest of NSW has a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $59,300 (median) and $70,033 (average). Census 2021 income data indicates that Dubbo - East's household, family, and personal incomes are around the 52nd percentile nationally. Income brackets show that 36.4% of individuals in Dubbo - East earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, mirroring the regional trend where 29.9% fall into this bracket. After housing costs, 86.2% of income remains for other expenses.

Dubbo - East is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in Dubbo - East, as per the latest Census, consisted of 82.7% houses and 17.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro NSW's 88.0% houses and 12.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dubbo - East was at 27.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.0% and rented ones at 37.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,517, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded as $295. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW's averages were $1,450 for mortgage repayments and $280 for rents. Nationally, Dubbo - East's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially below the national figure of $375.

Dubbo - East has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 71.8% of all households, including 29.2% couples with children, 27.4% couples without children, and 13.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for 28.2%, with lone person households at 25.1% and group households comprising 3.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 20.6%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 39.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 30.5%. Educational participation is high, with 32.3% currently enrolled in formal education: 12.8% in primary, 8.5% in secondary, and 2.9% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.8% in primary education, 8.5% in secondary education, and 2.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Dubbo-East has 310 active public transport stops serving a mix of train and bus services. These are covered by 82 individual routes offering 1,319 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 142 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

On average, there are 188 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately four weekly trips per stop.

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

Health data indicates significant health challenges in Dubbo - East, with high prevalence of common conditions across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover stands at approximately 51% (around 5,517 people), slightly below the average SA2 area rate. Asthma and mental health issues are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 10.5% and 10.2% of residents respectively. About 63.8% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 64.1% in Rest of NSW. The area has 16.5% (1,783 people) of residents aged 65 and over, lower than the 19.5% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges broadly aligned with the general population's health profile.

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

Dubbo-East had a cultural diversity score below average, with 85.0% of its population being Australian citizens, 90.3% born in Australia, and 91.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Dubbo-East, making up 63.4% of people, compared to 65.6% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (32.8%), English (26.8%), and Australian Aboriginal (13.3%).

Notably, Lebanese (0.2% vs 0.1%), Samoan (0.1% vs 0%) and Indian (1.1% vs 0.8%) ethnic groups were overrepresented in Dubbo-East compared to regional averages.

Dubbo - East's population is younger than the national pattern

Dubbo - East's median age is 35 years, which is significantly below the Rest of NSW average of 43 and somewhat younger than the Australian median of 38. The 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented at 15.1% locally compared to the Rest of NSW average, while the 75-84 year-olds are under-represented at 4.8%. According to the 2021 Census, the 65 to 74 age group has grown from 8.9% to 9.8%, while the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 12.7% to 10.6%. Demographic modeling suggests Dubbo - East's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 75 to 84 cohort projected to grow by 50%, adding 259 residents to reach 777. Conversely, both the 5-14 and 15-24 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.