Moree Surrounds
Statistical Area - sa2

Moree Surrounds 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 Surrounds' population is around 5,320 as of Aug 2025. This reflects a decrease of 36 people (0.7%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,356 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,263 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 0.30 persons per square kilometer. While Moree Surrounds experienced a 0.7% decline since census, the SA3 area achieved 0.7% growth, highlighting divergent population trends. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth that contributed approximately 90.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Examining future population trends, a population increase just below the median of Australia's non-metropolitan areas is expected, with the area expected to increase by 519 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, reflecting an increase of 8.7% in total over the 17 years.

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

Moree Surrounds has received approximately 4 dwelling approvals per year. Development approval data is provided by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 21 approvals from FY-20 to FY-25, with 2 so far in FY-26. The population has decreased during this period, suggesting new supply has kept pace with demand, offering buyers good choice. The average construction cost value of new dwellings is $542,000.

Additionally, $1.7 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, indicating the area's residential nature. Compared to Rest of NSW, Moree Surrounds experiences about 61% of building activity per person and ranks among the 9th percentile nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing homes. This activity is below the national average, suggesting the area is established with potential planning limitations. New building activity consists of 50.0% standalone homes and 50.0% medium to high-density housing, providing accessible entry options for downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This shift reflects reduced development site availability and addresses changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The area has an estimated population of 3301 people per dwelling approval, indicating a quiet, low activity development environment.

Future projections suggest Moree Surrounds will add 462 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Moree Surrounds has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 38thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 16 projects likely affecting the region. Notable ones include Moree Secondary College Campus Consolidation, Moree Hospital Redevelopment, Inland Rail - Narrabri to North Star - Phase Two, and Moree Water Treatment Plant Upgrades. The following list details those most relevant.

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

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Moree Surrounds performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Moree Surrounds has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation, an unemployment rate of 1.7% as of June 2025, and estimated employment growth of 4.4% over the past year. This is lower than Rest of NSW's unemployment rate of 3.7%.

Workforce participation in Moree Surrounds is 53.7%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Employment among residents is concentrated in agriculture, forestry & fishing (9.5 times the regional average), education & training, and health care & social assistance (6.8% of workforce). The area offers limited local employment opportunities, with a Census working population vs resident population count indicating this. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 4.4%, labour force by 3.7%, and unemployment fell by 0.7 percentage points.

In comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.1%, labour force expand by 0.3%, and unemployment rise 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%. 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. Applying these projections to Moree Surrounds's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 4.4% over five years and 10.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Moree Surrounds had a median income among taxpayers of $49,134 and an average income of $59,163. These figures were lower than the national averages of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively for Rest of NSW. By March 2025, estimates suggest median income will be approximately $54,342 and average income will be around $65,434, based on a 10.6% growth in wages since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Moree Surrounds ranked modestly between the 43rd and 53rd percentiles. The earnings profile showed that 32.2% of residents (1,713 individuals) earned between $1,500 and $2,999 annually. After housing costs, residents retained 93.5% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power in the area, which had a SEIFA income ranking in the 5th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Moree Surrounds, as recorded at the Census in 2016, consisted of 93.0% houses and 7.0% other dwellings (including semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had a structure of 87.8% houses and 12.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Moree Surrounds was at 42.9%, with mortgaged properties at 25.9% and rented dwellings at 31.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area, as of September 2021, was $867, significantly lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,300 and the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure for Moree Surrounds, recorded on the same date, was $175, substantially below Non-Metro NSW's $220 and the national figure of $375.

Moree Surrounds has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 71.7% of all households, including 31.1% couples with children, 28.4% couples without children, and 10.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 28.3%, with lone person households at 26.0% and group households comprising 2.1%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 19.6%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 15.7%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.5%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.4%). Vocational credentials are held by 41.9% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 12.5% and certificates at 29.4%. Educational participation is high, with 42.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 18.8% in primary education, 11.1% in secondary education, and 4.7% pursuing tertiary education. As of 2021, 12 schools serve 351 students in the area. The educational mix includes 10 primary schools and 2 K-12 schools. Local school capacity is limited at 6.6 places per 100 residents, compared to the regional average of 14.6, leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

The analysis of public transportation in Moree Surrounds shows that there are currently 254 active transport stops operating. These include a mix of train and bus services. A total of 27 individual routes service these stops, collectively providing 281 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility to these transport services is rated as limited, with residents typically located approximately 2841 meters from the nearest stop. On average, across all routes, there are about 40 trips per day, which equates to roughly one weekly trip per individual stop.

The level of general health in Moree Surrounds is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Moree Surrounds shows higher-than-average health outcomes for both younger and older residents. The prevalence of common health conditions is low in this area.

Approximately 49% of the total population (around 2,612 people) has private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 8.5% and 6.8% of residents respectively. About 72.9% of residents report having no medical ailments, higher than the Rest of NSW's figure of 66.7%. In Moree Surrounds, 15.7% of residents are aged 65 or over (835 people), lower than the Rest of NSW's figure of 18.8%. Health outcomes among seniors in this area are particularly strong and outperform those of the general population in health metrics.

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

Moree Surrounds had a cultural diversity index below the average, with 72.9% of its population being Australian citizens, 94.6% born in Australia, and 96.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Moree Surrounds, accounting for 68.2% of the population, comparable to the 68.1% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (29.9%), English (29.4%), and Australian Aboriginal (12.3%).

Notably, Irish ancestry was overrepresented at 9.9%, compared to 8.1% regionally, Scottish at 8.5% vs 6.8%, and German at 3.9% vs 2.8%.

Moree Surrounds's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Moree Surrounds is 39 years, which is significantly lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 but aligns with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, Moree Surrounds has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (15.1%) but fewer residents aged 75-84 (4.8%). According to the 2021 Census, the 25 to 34 age group increased from 12.5% to 15.1%, while the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 14.1% to 11.6% and the 35 to 44 group decreased from 11.6% to 10.6%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Moree Surrounds' age structure. The 25 to 34 age group is expected to grow by 32%, reaching 1,064 people from the current 803. Conversely, the 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.