Goulburn

Population growth drivers in Goulburn are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Goulburn's population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, was approximately 26,264 by November 2025. This figure represents a growth of 1,699 people (6.9%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 24,565. The increase is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 25,308 in June 2024 and an additional 764 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 405 persons per square kilometer. Goulburn's growth rate exceeded the SA4 region (5.1%) and non-metro areas, indicating it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 87.6% to recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For unsupported areas, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections (released in 2022, based on 2021) are applied. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are used for years 2032 to 2041. Demographic trends project an above median population growth for Australian non-metropolitan areas. By 2041, the area is expected to increase by 5,661 persons, reflecting a total gain of 17.9% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Goulburn when compared nationally

Goulburn averaged approximately 182 new dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25912 homes were approved, with an additional 102 approved so far in FY-26. This results in an average of 1.1 people moving to the area per year for each dwelling built during this period.

The market demonstrates a good balance between supply and demand, contributing to stable conditions. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $254,000, which is lower than regional levels, indicating more affordable housing options for buyers. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $190.2 million, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Goulburn shows comparable building activity per person, supporting market stability in line with regional patterns, although construction activity has recently eased.

Recent construction consists of 61.0% detached dwellings and 39.0% medium and high-density housing, offering a blend of attached housing types across various price ranges. The current housing stock is predominantly houses (85.0%), indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and demand for diverse, affordable housing options. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 348 people, reflecting Goulburn's quiet development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Goulburn is expected to grow by 4,701 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Goulburn has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

AreaSearch has identified 17 infrastructure projects that may impact the area. Key projects include: Goulburn Water and Sewer Infrastructure Upgrades, Waterway Improvement Strategy and River Walkway Development, Goulburn Rail Trail, and CBD & Surrounds Transformation Project. The following list details 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.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Goulburn recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Goulburn has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate is 4.1%.

As of September 2025, there are 11,820 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 0.3% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation in Goulburn matches Rest of NSW's level at 56.4%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and retail trade. Notably, public administration & safety shows a high representation with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 1.8% compared to the regional average of 5.3%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Goulburn's labour force decreased by 5.3%, while employment declined by 5.6%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.5% and labour force contract by 0.1%. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 3.9%, lower than the national rate of 4.3%. 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 Goulburn's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The Goulburn SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $52,173 and an average income of $63,157 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is slightly lower than the national average, with Rest of NSW having a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998. By September 2025, estimates suggest the median income would be approximately $58,752 and the average income around $71,121, based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022. Census 2021 data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Goulburn rank modestly, between the 30th and 38th percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 31.5% of residents (8,273 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, consistent with broader trends across the area showing 29.9% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 83.8% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 30th percentile.

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

In Goulburn, as per the latest Census evaluation, 84.6% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 15.5% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types of dwellings. This is compared to Non-Metro NSW where 89.3% of dwellings are houses and 10.7% are other types. Home ownership in Goulburn was at 34.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.5% and rented ones at 34.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Goulburn was $1,636, lower than the Non-Metro NSW average of $1,694. Median weekly rent in Goulburn was $320 compared to Non-Metro NSW's $310. Nationally, Goulburn's median monthly mortgage repayment is significantly lower at $1,636 compared to Australia's average of $1,863, while the median weekly rent figure is substantially below the national average of $375.

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

Family households constitute 64.6% of all households, including 24.7% couples with children, 26.1% couples without children, and 12.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 35.4%, with lone person households at 32.7% and group households comprising 2.8% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in Goulburn fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 17.5%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This indicates both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives in the region. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Trade and technical skills are prevalent, with 41.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (30.3%).

Educational participation is high, with 29.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.8% in primary education, 7.5% in secondary education, and 3.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Goulburn has 291 active public transport stops. These include train and bus services. There are 96 different routes operating in total, which provide a combined weekly passenger trip count of 1,635.

The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 152 meters. On average, there are 233 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately five weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Goulburn faces significant health challenges, as indicated by health data.

Both younger and older age groups have notable prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is approximately 51% of the total population (~13,447 people), slightly lower than the average SA2 area. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.1%) and mental health issues (9.6%). In comparison, 60.5% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 61.3% in Rest of NSW. As of 2021, 20.4% of Goulburn's population is aged 65 and over (5,368 people), lower than the 21.7% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges broadly aligned with the general population's health profile.

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

Goulburn's population showed low cultural diversity, with 87.9% being Australian citizens, 88.5% born in Australia, and 92.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Goulburn, accounting for 62.5%, compared to 64.0% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (31.7%), English (31.5%), and Irish (10.0%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation was higher at 3.5% in Goulburn versus 3.2% regionally, Maltese was slightly lower at 0.4% compared to 0.5%, and Korean was marginally higher at 0.2% versus 0.1%.

Goulburn's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Goulburn is 40 years, which is slightly below the Rest of NSW average of 43 but above the Australian median of 38. In comparison with the Rest of NSW average, the 25-34 age group is notably higher at 14.8% locally, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 10.6%. According to the 2021 Census data, the proportion of people aged 25 to 34 has increased from 13.8% to 14.8%, while those aged 45 to 54 have decreased from 11.8% to 11.1%. Population projections for the year 2041 indicate significant demographic shifts in Goulburn. The 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 1,049 people (27%), reaching a total of 4,937 from its current figure of 3,887. Meanwhile, the 15-24 age group is projected to have more modest growth of 4%, adding only 129 residents.