Glen Innes

Glen Innes is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Glen Innes's population is approximately 9,075 as of February 2026. This figure represents a 144-person increase (1.6%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 8,931 people. The growth is inferred from an estimated resident population of 8,978 in June 2024 and an additional 61 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 1.7 persons per square kilometer. Glen Innes's 1.6% population growth since the census is comparable to its SA3 area (3.1%), indicating strong growth fundamentals. Interstate migration contributed approximately 66.0% 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 employs 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 demographic trends suggest regional areas may experience lower quartile growth nationally, with Glen Innes projected to increase by 61 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total decrease of 0.4% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Glen Innes, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Glen Innes has recorded approximately 15 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, 78 homes were approved, with a further 4 approved so far in FY26. On average, around 0.4 new residents per year arrived for each new home over these five years, indicating that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand.

The average construction cost value of new dwellings was $297,000 during this period. In the current financial year, $7.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Glen Innes records about 62% of the building activity per person. Nationally, it places among the 27th percentile of areas assessed, suggesting more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes.

This level is below average nationally, which may reflect the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent construction in Glen Innes comprises 83.0% standalone homes and 17.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining its traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The estimated count of people per dwelling approval is 645, reflecting the area's quiet, low activity development environment. Given stable or declining population forecasts, Glen Innes may experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Glen Innes has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

AreaSearch has identified 21 projects that could impact the area. Key projects include Glen Innes Battery Energy Storage System, New England Highway Safety Upgrades, Glen Innes Hospital Redevelopment, and St Joseph's Convent Function Centre (Glen Innes). Below is a list detailing those likely to be 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 conditions in Glen Innes remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Glen Innes has a balanced workforce comprising both white and blue-collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well represented, with an unemployment rate of 3.6% as of September 2025. This rate is 0.2% lower than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation stands at 58.4%, slightly below the Rest of NSW average of 61.5%. According to Census data, 16.5% of residents work from home. Key industries include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is particularly prominent, with an employment share 3.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction has a limited presence at 6.2%, compared to the regional average of 9.7%. The area may offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Over the 12 months prior to September 2025, employment remained steady at 0.0% growth while labour force increased by 0.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.6 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.5%, labour force contract by 0.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Glen Innes's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.6% over five years and 12.1% 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

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Glen Innes SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $39,405 and an average of $45,435. This was below the national average. Rest of NSW had a median income of $52,390 and an average of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Glen Innes would be approximately $42,896 (median) and $49,461 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Glen Innes all fall between the 1st and 5th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that 32.3% of the population (2,931 individuals) fall within the $400 - $799 income range, differing from metropolitan regions where the $1,500 - $2,999 category predominates at 29.9%. The concentration of 43.7% in sub-$800 weekly brackets highlights economic challenges faced by a significant portion of the community. While housing costs are modest with 87.0% of income retained, total disposable income ranks at just the 4th percentile nationally.

Glen Innes is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Glen Innes' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.6% houses and 7.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Glen Innes stood at 48.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.7% and rented ones at 25.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Glen Innes was $220, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Glen Innes' mortgage repayments were lower at $1,083 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 61.8 percent of all households, including 18.2 percent couples with children, 31.8 percent couples without children, and 10.8 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 38.2 percent, with lone person households at 35.6 percent and group households comprising 2.7 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Glen Innes faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 15.2%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.3%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.0%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.9%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 41.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.7%) and certificates (31.7%). Educational participation is high at 28.9%, comprising primary education (11.5%), secondary education (8.8%), and tertiary education (2.3%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.5% in primary education, 8.8% in secondary education, and 2.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The Glen Innes area has 464 operational public transport stops, offering a combination of train and bus services. These stops are supported by 37 different routes, collectively facilitating 1,483 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents on average situated 271 meters from the nearest stop. Predominantly residential, most Glen Innes residents commute outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport, used by 89% of residents, while walking accounts for 8%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 16.5% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Daily service frequency averages 211 trips across all routes, translating to roughly 3 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centerpoint.

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

Glen Innes faces significant health challenges according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are notable across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover is extremely low, at approximately 46% of the total population (~4,210 people), compared to 51.9% in Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis (12.1%) and mental health issues (9.7%), while 58.6% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Rest of NSW. Working-age population health challenges include elevated chronic condition rates. Glen Innes has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over, at 30.6% (2,773 people), compared to 23.4% in Rest of NSW. National rankings for this age group are even higher than the general population.

The latest Census data sees Glen Innes placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Glen Innes, as per the 2016 Census, had a cultural diversity below average. Its population was predominantly Australian citizens (86.7%), born in Australia (91.6%), and spoke English only at home (97.4%). Christianity was the prevalent religion, with 64.4% of Glen Innes residents identifying as such, compared to 55.9% across the Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups were English (32.9%), Australian (31.9%), and Scottish (9.3%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation was higher in Glen Innes at 5.2%, compared to 4.6% regionally. Irish descent was also more prevalent at 9.1%, versus 8.8%. German ancestry stood out at 3.9%, surpassing the regional average of 3.1%.

Glen Innes ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Glen Innes has a median age of 50, which is higher than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and well above the national average of 38. The percentage of people aged 65-74 in Glen Innes is 15.8%, compared to 9.5% nationally and 12.5% in the Rest of NSW. Meanwhile, the percentage of people aged 35-44 in Glen Innes is 8.5%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 75-84 increased from 9.6% to 10.9%, while those aged 25-34 increased from 9.5% to 10.5%. Conversely, the percentage of people aged 45-54 decreased from 12.0% to 10.6%, and those aged 55-64 decreased from 15.9% to 14.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Glen Innes's age profile. The number of people aged 85 and above is projected to increase by 245 (from 350 to 596), a growth of 70%. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 84% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic. Conversely, population declines are projected for the age groups 5-14 and 45-54.