Moree

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Moree's population is around 8012 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 167 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7845 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7993 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 16 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 115 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person. Moree's growth of 2.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 0.3%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 74.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, 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. Examining future trends, a significant population increase is forecast in the top quartile of non-metropolitan areas nationally. The area is expected to expand by 2508 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 31.1% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Moree is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Moree averaged approximately four new dwelling approvals per year between FY-21 and FY-25, with a total of 23 homes approved during this period. In FY-26, five dwellings have been approved so far. The average construction cost value for new dwellings is $397,000.

A total of $10.1 million in commercial approvals were registered in FY-26. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Moree has about three-quarters the building activity per person and ranks around the 11th percentile nationally for building activity. New construction consists entirely of detached houses, with an estimated 1504 people per dwelling approval. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Moree is expected to grow by 2,489 residents by 2041.

If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth.

Moree has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 45thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified nine projects likely affecting the region. Notable ones are Moree Hospital Redevelopment, Moree Special Activation Precinct (SAP), Moree Water Treatment Plant Upgrades, and Inland Rail - Narrabri to North Star - Phase Two. Below is a list of those most relevant.

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

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Moree has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Moree has a skilled workforce with an unemployment rate of 4.1% as of September 2025. This is 0.3% higher than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Moree is 53.8%, somewhat below the Rest of NSW average of 56.4%. Key employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and education & training. Moree has a particular specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share 2.1 times the regional level. However, health care & social assistance is under-represented, with only 11.9% of Moree's workforce compared to 16.9% in Rest of NSW.

Labour force levels in Moree increased by 0.5% over the 12 months to September 2025, while employment declined by 0.2%, leading to a rise in unemployment of 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.5% and a labour force decline of 0.1%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data as of 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 12.4% over ten years. Applying these projections to Moree's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.9% over five years and 12.4% over ten years, although this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Moree SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $54,510 and an average income of $65,981. These figures are slightly above the national averages of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively for Rest of NSW. Based on Wage Price Index growth from financial year 2022 to September 2025 (an increase of 12.61%), estimated median income is approximately $61,384 and average income is around $74,301. According to Census 2021 data, personal income ranks at the 54th percentile ($828 weekly), with household income at the 35th percentile. The largest income bracket comprises 32.6% of residents earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (2,611 residents). Housing costs are manageable, with 88.1% retained, but disposable income is below average at the 40th percentile.

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

In Moree, as per the latest Census evaluation, 82.8% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 17.2% being semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This compares to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 87.8% houses and 12.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Moree stood at 31.8%, with mortgaged properties at 27.5% and rented ones at 40.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,336, above Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,300. Median weekly rent in Moree was $230 compared to Non-Metro NSW's $220. Nationally, Moree's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,336 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially lower at $230 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 65.8% of all households, including 23.5% couples with children, 26.7% couples without children, and 13.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 34.2%, with lone person households at 30.8% and group households comprising 3.4%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 19.5%, 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 most common (15.1%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.7%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Trade and technical skills are prevalent, with 39.6% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (10.1%) and certificates (29.5%).

Educational participation is high, with 36.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 15.6% in primary, 9.0% in secondary, and 3.0% in tertiary education.

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

The analysis shows that Moree has 61 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 14 different routes, together providing 213 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as moderate, with residents typically located around 506 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are approximately 30 trips per day across all routes, which equates to about 3 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Moree is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Moree faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent among both younger and older age cohorts.

Private health cover is held by approximately 52% of Moree's total population (~4,198 people), slightly higher than the average SA2 area. The most frequent medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 9.3% and 7.7% of residents respectively. A total of 67.1% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 66.7% across Rest of NSW. The area has 18.4% of residents aged 65 and over (1,476 people).

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

Moree's population showed lower cultural diversity, with 78.8% being Australian citizens, 92.0% born in Australia, and 94.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 70.1%, compared to 68.1% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (31.6%), English (25.7%), and Australian Aboriginal (17.8%).

Notably, Lebanese (0.4%) and Serbian (0.3%) populations in Moree exceeded regional averages (Lebanese 0.2%, Serbian 0.1%).

Moree's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Moree has a median age of 38, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 but equal to the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group constitutes 15.2% of Moree's population, higher than the Rest of NSW percentage. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort makes up 10.0%, lower than the Rest of NSW figure. According to the 2021 Census, the 25-34 age group has increased from 13.9% to 15.2% of Moree's population, while the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 13.7% to 12.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Moree's age profile. The 25-34 group is expected to grow by 47%, adding 575 people and reaching a total of 1,797 from the current 1,221. The 55-64 group will grow more modestly at 7%, with an increase of 65 residents.