Dubbo - West
Statistical Area - sa2

Dubbo - West lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Dubbo - West's population, as of Aug 2025, is around 11,071. This figure reflects an increase of 754 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,317. The change is inferred from ABS data: an estimated resident population of 10,902 in June 2024 and 315 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 159 persons per square kilometer. Dubbo - West's growth rate of 7.3% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (3.2%) and SA3 area, indicating it as a growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 51.3% to overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, based on latest population numbers, Dubbo - West's population is forecasted to increase by 2,798 persons, recording a gain of 23.7% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Dubbo - West among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Dubbo-West granted around 74 residential approvals annually. Over the past five financial years (FY21-FY25), 373 homes were approved, with another 50 approved in FY26 so far. Each dwelling built since FY21 has attracted an average of 2.4 new residents per year, reflecting strong demand that supports property values.

New homes are being constructed at an average cost of $496,000. This financial year has seen $31.8 million in commercial approvals, indicating robust commercial development momentum. Compared to the rest of NSW, Dubbo-West has slightly higher development activity (29% above regional average per person over five years), maintaining good buyer choice while supporting existing property values.

Recent periods have seen a moderation in development activity. New building activity consists mainly of detached dwellings (83%), with medium and high-density housing making up the remainder, reflecting Dubbo-West's traditional low-density character focused on family homes. With around 232 people per dwelling approval, Dubbo-West shows a developing market. Population forecasts indicate Dubbo-West will gain 2628 residents by 2041. Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may face increased competition as the population grows.

Dubbo - West has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 41stth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 18 projects that could affect the region. Notable ones include Dubbo Residential Rehabilitation Centre, Bunglegumbie Road Residential Estate, Dubbo Firming Power Station, and Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone. The following details those most relevant.

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

The employment landscape in Dubbo - West presents a mixed picture: unemployment remains low at 3.6%, yet recent job losses have affected its comparative national standing

Dubbo-West has an unemployment rate of 3.6% as of June 2025, with 5,047 residents employed. The unemployment rate aligns with the Rest of NSW's 3.7%, and workforce participation is 60.5%.

Key employment industries are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training, while agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 2.4% compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%. In the year ending June 2025, Dubbo-West's labour force decreased by 1.8% alongside a 3.1% employment decline, raising unemployment by 1.3 percentage points. By comparison, Rest of NSW had an employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and unemployment rose 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 forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dubbo-West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.5% over five years and 13.7% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows median income in Dubbo - West is $52,660 and average income is $62,191. This is lower than national averages. In contrast, Rest of NSW has median income of $49,459 and average income of $62,998. By March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $58,242 (median) and $68,783 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022. Census 2021 data shows personal income ranks at the 59th percentile ($850 weekly) and household income at the 43rd percentile. Income band $1,500 - 2,999 captures 33.2% of Dubbo - West's community (3,675 individuals), similar to regional levels where 29.9% occupy this bracket. After housing costs, 85.4% of income remains for other expenses. Area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Dubbo - West, as per the latest Census evaluation, comprised 86.3% houses and 13.8% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 88.0% houses and 12.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dubbo - West was at 29.2%, with the rest mortgaged (38.1%) or rented (32.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,450. The median weekly rent figure was $320, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $280. Nationally, Dubbo - West's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,517 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 71.4% of all households, including couples with children at 29.4%, couples without children at 26.2%, and single parent families at 14.3%. Non-family households account for the remaining 28.6%, with lone person households at 25.2% and group households comprising 3.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

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

The area has lower university qualification rates at 20.5%, compared to 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 14.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.1%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 37.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 9.3% and certificates at 28.0%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.6% in primary, 8.8% in secondary, and 2.6% in tertiary education. Dubbo - West operates a network of 7 schools educating approximately 1,681 students. The area has varied educational conditions, with the mix including 2 primary, 2 secondary, and 3 K-12 schools. Note: for schools showing 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

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

Analysis of public transport in Dubbo-West shows 162 active transport stops, all served by buses. There are 35 unique routes operating weekly, offering a total of 558 passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 146 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 79 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 3 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Dubbo - West is well below average with considerably higher than average prevalence of common health conditions and to an even higher degree among older age cohorts

Dubbo - West faces significant health challenges with higher prevalence of common conditions compared to average SA2 areas, particularly amongst older age groups.

Approximately 51% (~5,657 people) have private health cover, slightly lower than the average. Asthma and arthritis are most prevalent at 9.8 and 9.1%, respectively, while 64.8% report no medical ailments, similar to Rest of NSW's 64.1%. The area has 16.8% (1,859 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Rest of NSW's 19.5%. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention due to these higher prevalence rates.

Dubbo - West ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Dubbo-West, in its cultural diversity, is below average. Its population composition shows that 85.4% are citizens, 89.0% were born in Australia, and 91.5% speak English only at home. Christianity is the dominant religion here, with 62.5%, compared to 65.6% across Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups based on parents' country of birth are Australian (29.5%), English (28.1%), and Australian Aboriginal (14.1%). Notably, Korean (0.2%) and Lebanese (0.2%) ethnicities are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.1% each. Irish ethnicity is slightly underrepresented at 7.7%, versus the regional average of 8.2%.

Dubbo - West hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Dubbo - West has a median age of 34, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and significantly lower than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, Dubbo - West has an over-representation of the 25-34 cohort (17.1% locally) and an under-representation of those aged 65-74 (7.8%). From 2021 to present, the population aged 25-34 has grown from 15.2% to 17.1%, while the 15-24 cohort increased from 12.3% to 13.5%. Conversely, the 5-14 cohort declined from 15.2% to 13.3% and the 45-54 group dropped from 10.8% to 9.7%. Demographic modeling suggests that Dubbo - West's age profile will significantly evolve by 2041. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to expand notably, with an increase of 591 people (31%) from 1,889 to 2,481. Meanwhile, the 5-14 cohort grows by a modest 5% (69 people).