Mullumbimby
Statistical Area - sa2

Mullumbimby lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Mullumbimby's population is approximately 9,548 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 652 people, or 7.3%, since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,896 people. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,418 in June 2024 and an additional 208 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 35 persons per square kilometer. Mullumbimby's growth exceeded the SA4 region (3.2%) and the non-metro area, indicating it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 47.3% of overall population gains recently, with all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth being positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, 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 population dynamics anticipate an above median growth for national non-metropolitan areas, with Mullumbimby expected to increase by 1,829 persons to 2041, recording a total gain of 17.8% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Mullumbimby among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Mullumbimby averaged around 53 new dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25267 homes were approved, with an additional 10 approved in FY26 so far. On average, each dwelling has added approximately 2.6 new residents per year over these years, indicating healthy demand that supports property values.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $506,000. This financial year, Mullumbimby recorded $12.0 million in commercial development approvals, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Mullumbimby has similar development levels per person, contributing to market stability aligned with regional patterns. New developments consist of 74.0% standalone homes and 26.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving Mullumbimby's low density nature while offering more diverse housing options.

This shift represents decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles. With around 233 people per dwelling approval, Mullumbimby shows a developing market. Population forecasts indicate Mullumbimby will gain 1,695 residents by 2041. Development is keeping pace with projected growth, but buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

Mullumbimby has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 30thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 13 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Mullumbimby Road Upgrade, Station Street Affordable Housing, Mullumbimby Hospital Redevelopment, and Mullumbimby Rail Corridor Housing. Below is a list of most relevant projects.

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

Employment drivers in Mullumbimby are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Mullumbimby has a well-educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate as of June 2025 was 6.0%.

In that month, 4,205 residents were employed, which is 2.4% higher than the Rest of NSW's unemployment rate of 3.7%. The workforce participation rate was lower at 53.4%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Employment in Mullumbimby is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training. Notably, professional & technical services have a strong presence, with an employment share 1.7 times the regional level.

Conversely, public administration & safety has lower representation at 3.5%, compared to the regional average of 7.5%. While local employment opportunities exist, many residents commute elsewhere for work. Over the year to June 2025, labour force levels in Mullumbimby decreased by 4.8% and employment declined by the same percentage, with unemployment remaining largely unchanged. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced a slight employment decline of 0.1% and labour force growth of 0.3%, with a rise in unemployment of 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows that NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5% but lags behind the national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest that Mullumbimby's employment could grow by approximately 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections against the local employment mix.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Mullumbimby's median income among taxpayers was $34,796. The average income was $63,500. This is slightly below the national average. In comparison, Rest of NSW had a median income of $49,459 and an average of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for March 2025 would be approximately $38,484 (median) and $70,231 (average). The 2021 Census data indicates household, family, and personal incomes in Mullumbimby fall between the 20th and 25th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile shows that 28.3% of locals (2,702 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, similar to metropolitan regions where 29.9% fall into this category. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Mullumbimby, with only 81.2% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 22nd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Mullumbimby's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.7% houses and 7.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasted with Non-Metro NSW's breakdown of 75.1% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mullumbimby stood at 43.0%, mirroring Non-Metro NSW's rate, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.9% and rented ones at 28.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,950, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,980. Median weekly rent in Mullumbimby was recorded as $450, aligning with the Non-Metro NSW figure. Nationally, Mullumbimby's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,950 compared to Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Mullumbimby features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 65.1% of all households, including 25.3% couples with children, 25.5% couples without children, and 13.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 34.9%, with lone person households at 27.5% and group households comprising 7.3%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Mullumbimby shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Mullumbimby has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 years and above. 35.5% hold university qualifications, which is significantly higher than the broader benchmarks of 21.3% in Rest of NSW and 24.3% in the SA4 region. This advantage positions Mullumbimby favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 24.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%).

Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 35.6% of residents holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 13.5% while certificates make up 22.1%. Educational participation is high in Mullumbimby, with 32.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.7% in primary education, 9.5% in secondary education, and 4.0% pursuing tertiary education. As of a certain date (not specified), there are 11 schools serving 1,805 students in the area. The educational mix consists of 8 primary, 1 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs with 18.9 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 13.2, indicating that Mullumbimby serves as an educational center for the broader region. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Mullumbimby has 242 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 59 different routes that together offer 618 weekly passenger trips. The town's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents on average located 202 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, there are an average of 88 trips per day, which works out to approximately two weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Mullumbimby shows superior health outcomes for both young and elderly residents, with low prevalence rates for common conditions.

It has a private health cover rate of approximately 51%, slightly below the average SA2 area's rate (~4,888 people). Mental health issues affect 7.7% of residents, while arthritis impacts 7.0%. A total of 73.1% report no medical ailments, compared to 68.0% in Rest of NSW. The area has 20.7% of residents aged 65 and over (1,973 people), lower than the 23.6% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, outperforming general population metrics.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Mullumbimby was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mullumbimby's cultural diversity was found to be above average, with 9.8% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of the latest data (2016). This figure is higher than the Rest of NSW average of 7%. Additionally, 23.2% of Mullumbimby's population were born overseas, compared to 25.9% in the Rest of NSW (as of 2016).

Christianity was found to be the main religion in Mullumbimby, comprising 24.1% of its population as per the 2016 Census. However, Judaism was notably overrepresented in Mullumbimby at 2.1%, compared to just 0.6% across the Rest of NSW. In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Mullumbimby were English at 30.1%, Australian at 22.8%, and Irish at 11.2%. Notably, French ancestry was overrepresented in Mullumbimby at 1.3% compared to 0.9% regionally, Russian at 0.6% (vs 0.3%), and German at 5.3% (vs 3.8%).

Mullumbimby hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Mullumbimby's median age is 45 years, which is slightly higher than Rest of NSW's median age of 43 and considerably older than the national norm of 38. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, Mullumbimby has a notably over-represented age group of 45-54 year-olds (14.0%) and an under-represented age group of 15-24 year-olds (8.7%). Between 2021 and present, the population aged 35 to 44 has grown from 12.7% to 14.3%, while those aged 25 to 34 have increased from 10.1% to 11.4%. Conversely, the age group of 55 to 64 has declined from 15.6% to 13.8%, and the 45 to 54 age group has dropped from 15.4% to 14.0%. Demographic modeling suggests that Mullumbimby's age profile will significantly change by 2041. The 35 to 44 age cohort is projected to expand notably, with an increase of 426 people (31%), from 1,368 to 1,795. Meanwhile, the number of individuals in the 65 to 74 age range is expected to decrease by 10.