Narrabri

Narrabri has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Narrabri's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 6,974. This figure represents an increase of 76 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 6,898. The estimated resident population in June 2024 was 6,965, indicating a growth of 67 people from the census date. This results in a population density of 38 persons per square kilometer. Narrabri's growth rate of 1.1% since the 2021 Census exceeds that of its SA3 area (0.8%). Natural growth contributed approximately 64.6% to overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses 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 from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are utilized. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Narrabri's population is expected to increase by 39 persons based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 0.4% over the 17-year period.

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

Narrabri has received approximately 10 dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 50 homes were approved, with an additional three approved in FY26 so far. Despite a population decline during this period, housing supply has been adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average construction cost of new properties is $358,000. This year, commercial approvals totaling $15.1 million have been registered, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Narrabri has 83.0% higher new home approvals per capita, offering greater choice for buyers. However, building activity has slowed in recent years. The dwelling approval rate is lower than the national average, suggesting market maturity and possible development constraints.

Recent construction consists of 75.0% detached houses and 25.0% medium to high-density housing, maintaining Narrabri's traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes. With an estimated 1045 people per dwelling approval, the area has a quiet, low-activity development environment. Future projections indicate Narrabri adding 30 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

Narrabri has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 26thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified four projects likely influencing this region: Narrabri Place Strategy, Newell Highway Upgrade - Heavy Duty Pavement Upgrades (Narrabri to Moree), Stoney Creek Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), and Narrabri Solar Farm and BESS. 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 conditions in Narrabri demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Narrabri has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs, diverse sectors represented. Unemployment rate is 2.3%, with an estimated employment growth of 0.5% over the past year as of September 2025. There are 4,046 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 1.5% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Narrabri is 73.5%, higher than Rest of NSW's 61.5%. According to Census responses, only 8.6% of residents work from home. Dominant employment sectors are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and mining. Mining has a strong presence with an employment share 3.6 times the regional level.

Health care & social assistance has limited presence at 13.0%, compared to 16.9% regionally. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census working population count. In the year to September 2025, employment levels increased by 0.5% and labour force increased by 0.8%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points. Rest of NSW recorded employment decline of 0.5%, labour force decline of 0.1%, with unemployment rising 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Narrabri's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.8% over five years and 12.5% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

The Narrabri SA2's income level aligns with national averages per latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Its median income among taxpayers is $55,981 and average income stands at $67,264, compared to Rest of NSW's figures of $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $60,941 (median) and $73,224 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes rank modestly in Narrabri, between the 38th and 52nd percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 31.5% of individuals earn between $1,500 - $2,999, consistent with broader metropolitan trends showing 29.9% in the same category. Housing costs allow for retention of 87.5%, but disposable income ranks below average at the 43rd percentile.

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

Narrabri's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 86.7% houses and 13.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Narrabri was at 34.0%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (32.3%) or rented (33.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Narrabri was $1,443, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure in Narrabri was recorded at $260, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Narrabri's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Narrabri has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 67.3% of all households, including 25.6% couples with children, 28.8% couples without children, and 11.8% single parent families. Non-family households consist of the remaining 32.7%, with lone person households at 29.8% and group households comprising 2.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the Rest of NSW average.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 15.2%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common among qualifications, at 11.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.7%) and graduate diplomas (1.2%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.0% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (8.0%) and certificates (31.0%). Educational participation is high, with 29.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 13.0% in primary, 7.7% in secondary, and 2.3% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.0% in primary education, 7.7% in secondary education, and 2.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Narrabri has 142 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are covered by 33 individual routes providing 362 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated good with residents typically located 237 meters from the nearest stop. Most commuting is outward-bound, with cars being the dominant mode at 91%. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, only 8.6% of residents work from home, which might be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 51 trips per day across all routes, equating to about two weekly trips per stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

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

Narrabri faces significant health challenges, according to AreaSearch's assessment.

Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are notable across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover is at approximately 53% of the total population (~3,668 people), slightly higher than the average SA2 area. The most common medical conditions are asthma (9.8%) and arthritis (9.5%). Conversely, 63.3% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, similar to Rest of NSW. Working-age residents have a higher prevalence of chronic health conditions than average. Narrabri has 21.1% of residents aged 65 and over (1,475 people), lower than the 23.0% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Narrabri had a cultural diversity level below the average, with 90.1% of its population being citizens, 94.5% born in Australia, and 96.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Narrabri, comprising 64.7% of the population, compared to 55.9% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (37.8%), English (28.4%), and Australian Aboriginal (10.6%), with Australians being substantially higher than the regional average of 30.0%.

Samoan ethnicity was notably overrepresented in Narrabri at 0.1%, compared to the regional average of 0.1%.

Narrabri's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Narrabri is 39 years, which is significantly lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 but essentially aligned with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, Narrabri has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (14.0%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (10.8%). According to the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group increased from 6.4% to 7.7% of Narrabri's population. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age group declined from 14.5% to 12.8%, and the 55 to 64 age group decreased from 13.4% to 12.1%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Narrabri's age structure. The 75 to 84 age group is projected to grow by 34%, reaching 720 people from the current 537. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 58% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 65 to 74 and 15 to 24 age groups are projected to have reduced numbers.