Inverell Surrounds - West
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Inverell Surrounds - West's population is approximately 5,815 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 81 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,734 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,749 in June 2024 and an additional 105 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 0.70 persons per square kilometer. Inverell Surrounds - West's growth rate of 1.4% since the census is within 1.5 percentage points of the SA3 area (2.9%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Interstate migration contributed approximately 82.4% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving population growth in the area.

AreaSearch is utilising 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 uses 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 the years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest population numbers, Inverell Surrounds - West is expected to increase by approximately 663 persons by 2041, reflecting a total increase of 10.1% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Inverell Surrounds - West is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Inverell Surrounds - West has seen approximately nine new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, with 48 homes approved between FY21 and FY25, and three so far in FY26. The population decline in recent years suggests that new supply has likely kept pace with demand, offering good choice to buyers. New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost of $272,000, which is below regional levels, indicating more accessible housing choices for buyers.

This financial year, $3.4 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Inverell Surrounds - West has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 13th percentile nationally, suggesting more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes. This is below average nationally, possibly due to planning constraints or the area's maturity. New building activity shows 78.0% standalone homes and 22.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low density character focused on family homes appealing to those seeking space. This marks a significant shift from existing housing patterns, which are currently 97.0% houses, suggesting diminishing developable land availability or evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 1436 people, reflecting the area's quiet, low activity development environment. Population forecasts indicate Inverell Surrounds - West will gain 587 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Inverell Surrounds - West has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 45thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Bunnings Warehouse Inverell, Main Road Gilgai South Rehabilitation, Inverell Hospital Redevelopment, and Inland Rail - Narrabri to North Star - Phase One. The following details those most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Inverell Surrounds - West ranks among the strongest 15% of areas evaluated nationally

Inverell Surrounds - West has a balanced workforce with diverse sector representation. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 1.6%.

Employment growth over the past year is estimated at 4.3%. There are 2,977 residents in work, with an unemployment rate of 2.0% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation lags significantly at 50.9%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries among residents comprise agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

The area has a particularly notable concentration in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with employment levels at 6.3 times the regional average. Health care & social assistance has limited presence with 12.4% employment compared to 16.9% regionally. Employment opportunities locally appear limited based on Census data comparisons. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.3%, labour force increased by 3.6%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.1%, labour force expand by 0.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Inverell Surrounds - West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.1% over five years and 11.4% over ten years.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Inverell Surrounds - West is lower than average nationally. The median income is $38,769 while the average income stands at $45,056. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where the median income is $49,459 and the average income is $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Inverell Surrounds - West would be approximately $43,658 (median) and $50,738 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes in Inverell Surrounds - West all fall between the 5th and 6th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows that the largest segment comprises 29.1% earning $800 - $1,499 weekly (1,692 residents), differing from the region where the $1,500 - $2,999 category predominates at 29.9%. Housing costs are modest with 90.0% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at just the 9th percentile nationally.

Inverell Surrounds - West is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Inverell Surrounds - West had 97.1% houses and 2.9% other dwellings as of the latest Census, compared to Non-Metro NSW's 93.0% houses and 6.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Inverell Surrounds - West stood at 55.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.2% and rented ones at 18.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,100. The median weekly rent figure was $210, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $240. Nationally, Inverell Surrounds - West's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,083 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Inverell Surrounds - West has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households are 68.9% of all households, consisting of 23.2% couples with children, 34.4% couples without children, and 10.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 31.1%, with lone person households at 28.9% and group households comprising 2.2%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which matches the average for the Rest of NSW.

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

The area has educational challenges with university qualification rates at 13.8%, significantly below 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 10.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.7%) and graduate diplomas (1.2%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 37.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (8.6%) and certificates (29.3%).

Educational participation is high at 29.0%, including 12.4% in primary education, 8.6% in secondary education, and 1.9% pursuing tertiary education. There are seven schools operating within Inverell Surrounds - West educating approximately 659 students. The educational mix includes five primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school.

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

Inverell Surrounds - West has 351 active public transport stops. These are a mix of train and bus services, operated by 26 individual routes. The total weekly passenger trips provided is 260.

Residents' average distance to the nearest stop is 354 meters. Across all routes, there are an average of 37 trips per day, which equates to approximately 0 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Inverell Surrounds - West faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is relatively low, at approximately 49% (around 2,855 people), compared to 46.9% in the Rest of NSW and the national average of 55.3%. The most common conditions are arthritis (11.8%) and asthma (8.3%).

About 61.9% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the 61.0% in the Rest of NSW. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 29.4% (around 1,710 people), compared to 27.4% in the Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

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

Inverell Surrounds-West had low cultural diversity, with 89.6% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (95.5%), speaking English only at home (98.9%). Christianity was the predominant religion, at 72.0%, compared to 64.8% regionally. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (36.7%), English (32.9%), and Scottish (8.6%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation was higher than regional averages, at 4.7% versus 6.4%. Irish and German representations were also notable, at 8.5% (versus 8.7%) and 3.1% (versus 3.9%), respectively.

Inverell Surrounds - West ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Inverell Surrounds - West has a median age of 50, which is higher than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 and also above the national average of 38. The age group of 65-74 represents 15.5% of the population, compared to Rest of NSW's figure, and this is notably higher than the national average of 9.4%. Meanwhile, the 25-34 age cohort makes up 7.8%, which is less prevalent than in Rest of NSW. According to the 2021 Census, the 0-4 age group has increased from 4.3% to 5.3% of the population. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has decreased from 12.9% to 11.3%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 12.9% to 11.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Inverell Surrounds - West's age profile will change significantly. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to grow by 154 people (26%), from 604 to 759. Notably, the combined age groups of 65+ are expected to account for 71% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5-14 and 15-24 age cohorts.