Dubbo - East

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

Dubbo - East's population was around 10,749 as of May 2026, showing an increase of 116 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 10,633. This growth is inferred from ABS data: 10,736 in June 2025 plus 118 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density was 122 persons per square kilometer. Dubbo - East's 1.1% growth since census compares to the SA4 region's 2.8%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 50.1% of overall population gains recently. 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 years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends suggest lower quartile growth for Australia's regional areas; Dubbo - East is expected to grow by 392 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 3.5% over the 16 years.

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

Dubbo - East has recorded approximately 31 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25158 homes were approved, with a further 46 approved so far in FY26. On average, over these five years, 0.5 new residents arrived per new home.

The average construction value of new homes was $241,000, below the regional average. This financial year has seen $106.4 million in commercial approvals registered. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Dubbo - East shows about half the construction activity per person and ranks among the 42nd percentile nationally. New development consists of 45% standalone homes and 55% attached dwellings, a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 83% houses. The estimated population density is 660 people per dwelling approval. Looking ahead, Dubbo - East is projected to grow by 379 residents by 2041.

Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth.

Dubbo - East has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 34thth percentile nationally

Area infrastructure performance is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 18 such projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include PCYC Western NSW Sports Hub, New Dubbo Bridge, NSW SES Western Zone Headquarters Dubbo, 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 an unemployment rate of 2.6% as of December 2025, with 5,203 residents employed. This is 1.4% lower than Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation stands at 64.0%, slightly higher than Regional NSW's 60.5%.

According to Census data, 7.9% of residents work from home. The dominant employment sectors are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Health care & social assistance is particularly specialized, employing 1.2 times more residents than the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 1.9% of local workers, below Regional NSW's 5.3%.

The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.7, indicating a higher-than-average level of employment opportunities. Between December 2024 and 2025, the labour force decreased by 5.1%, while employment fell by 5.0%, causing the unemployment rate to drop by 0.1 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, released in May-25, project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dubbo East's employment mix suggests local employment should grow by 6.5% over five years and 13.8% over ten years.

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 2023 shows that Dubbo - East SA2 has a median income of $55,984 and an average income of $65,374. This is slightly lower than the national averages. Regional NSW has a median income of $52,390 and an average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Dubbo - East would be approximately $61,762 (median) and $72,121 (average) as of March 2026. Census 2021 income data indicates that Dubbo - East's household, family, and personal incomes cluster around the 52nd percentile nationally. The $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 36.4% of the community (3,912 individuals) in Dubbo - East, similar to Regional NSW where 29.9% occupy 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 evaluated at the latest Census (2016), comprised 82.7% houses and 17.3% other dwellings. In comparison, Regional NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dubbo - East was 27.9%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (35.0%) or rented (37.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, below Regional NSW's average at $1,733. Median weekly rent in Dubbo - East was $295, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Dubbo - East's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 71.8% of all households, consisting of 29.2% couples with children, 27.4% couples without children, and 13.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 28.2%, with lone person households at 25.1% and group households comprising 3.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

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 the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 14.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.4%) and certificates (30.5%). Educational participation is high at 32.3%, with 12.8% in primary education, 8.5% in secondary education, and 2.9% pursuing 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 327 active public transport stops serving a mix of train and bus routes. These are covered by 82 individual routes, offering 1,185 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 142 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily, with cars being the dominant mode of transport at 95%. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, only 7.9% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

The service frequency averages 169 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 3 weekly trips per stop. A map accompanies the data, displaying the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

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, as assessed by AreaSearch using mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

Notably, both younger and older age groups experience high prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is slightly lower than average at approximately 52% of the total population (~5,578 people). Asthma and mental health issues are most prevalent, affecting 10.5% and 10.2% of residents respectively. However, 63.8% report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. Working-age individuals face significant health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 17.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1,825 people), lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings generally aligned with the broader population.

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 below average, with 85.0% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (90.3%), and speaking English only at home (91.9%). Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 63.4%, compared to 55.9% across Regional NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (32.8%), English (26.8%), and Australian Aboriginal (13.3%), which was significantly higher than the regional average of 4.6%.

Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Lebanese at 0.2% in Dubbo-East vs 0.2% regionally, Samoan at 0.1% vs 0.1%, and Indian at 1.1% vs 0.6%.

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

Dubbo - East's median age is 35, which is significantly lower than Regional NSW's average of 43 and somewhat younger than Australia's median of 38. The 5-14 age cohort is notably over-represented in Dubbo - East at 14.9%, compared to the Regional NSW average. Conversely, the 75-84 year-olds are under-represented at 4.9%. According to the 2021 Census, the 65 to 74 age group has increased from 8.9% to 10.1% of the population, while the 55 to 64 cohort has decreased from 12.7% to 10.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Dubbo - East's age profile will change significantly. The 75 to 84 age group is projected to grow by 45%, adding 236 residents to reach 761. Meanwhile, both the 15 to 24 and 55 to 64 age groups are expected to decrease in number.