Dubbo - East

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

Dubbo - East's population was around 10,797 as of November 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 164 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,633. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 10,804 in June 2024 and an additional 106 validated new addresses since the Census date. 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 competitive growth fundamentals. Natural growth contributed approximately 56.1% of 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, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections 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, with Dubbo - East expected to grow by 478 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 4.5% over the 17 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 FY2021 to FY2025, around 158 homes were approved, with an additional 34 approved in FY2026 so far. This results in an average of about 0.5 new residents per year arriving for each new home over the past five financial years.

The average construction cost value of these new homes is approximately $586,000, slightly above the regional average. In terms of commercial approvals, $106.4 million has been registered in FY2026. Comparatively, Dubbo - East shows about half the construction activity per person compared to the rest of NSW and ranks among the 42nd percentile nationally for areas assessed, indicating more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes. The new development consists of 45% standalone homes and 55% attached dwellings, a notable shift from the area's current housing composition of 83% houses. This reflects decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles. The estimated population density in Dubbo - East is approximately 660 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet development environment.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is expected to grow by around 480 residents through to 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 affect an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 18 projects likely impacting the region. Notable initiatives 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 has been broadly consistent with national averages

Dubbo - East has a skilled workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.0%.

As of June 2025, 5,224 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.6% lower than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation stands at 62.9%, exceeding the Rest of NSW average of 56.4%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area specializes in health care & social assistance, with an employment share 1.2 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 1.9% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.3%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.7, indicating ample local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 1.8%, while employment fell by 3.0%, leading to a 1.2 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw an employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and a 0.4 percentage point increase in unemployment. Statewide, NSW's employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs) as of Nov-25, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dubbo - East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for local population changes.

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

The latest AreaSearch postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2022 shows that Dubbo - East SA2 had a lower median income of $52,660 compared to the national average. The average income in this area was $62,191. In contrast, Rest of NSW had a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year ending June 2022, estimated current incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $59,300 (median) and $70,033 (average). According to Census 2021 income data, Dubbo - East's household, family, and personal incomes are around the 52nd percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate that 36.4% of individuals in Dubbo - East earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, which mirrors the regional trend where 29.9% fall into this bracket. After accounting for 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). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 88.0% houses and 12.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dubbo - East was at 27.9%, with the rest either mortgaged (35.0%) or rented (37.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,517, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,450. The median weekly rent figure was $295, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $280. Nationally, Dubbo - East's median monthly mortgage repayment is lower at $1,517 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and median weekly rent is substantially lower at $295 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 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 comprise the remaining 28.2%, with lone person households at 25.1% and group households making up 3.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is 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 the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the 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, 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, served by 82 routes. These provide 1,319 weekly passenger trips. Residents are typically 142 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 188 trips per day across all routes, or approximately 4 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

Dubbo - East faces significant health challenges, as indicated by data showing high prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover is slightly lower than average at approximately 51% of the total population (~5,517 people). The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (affecting 10.5% of residents) and mental health issues (10.2%). However, 63.8% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 64.1% in Rest of NSW. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 16.5%, with 1,783 people falling into this age group, compared to 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 below average, with 85.0% of its population being citizens, 90.3% born in Australia, and 91.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 63.4% of people in Dubbo-East, 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 were overrepresented at 0.2%, Samoan at 0.1%, and Indian at 1.1%.

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