Narrabri
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Narrabri's population is approximately 6,953 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 55 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 6,898. The estimated resident population of 6,965 from the ABS in June 2024 and address validation support this change. Narrabri's population density is about 38 persons per square kilometer. Since the 2021 Census, Narrabri has experienced a growth rate of 0.8%, outperforming the SA3 area's growth rate of 0.7%. Natural growth accounts for approximately 64.6% of recent population gains in Narrabri.

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, AreaSearch employs the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. These projections extend to years 2032 to 2041, indicating lower quartile growth for regional areas like Narrabri. By 2041, the area is expected to increase by 39 persons, reflecting an overall increase of 0.7% 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 approved approximately 10 dwellings annually. Between financial years FY21 and FY25, around 50 homes were approved. No approvals have been recorded so far in FY26.

Despite a declining population, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, indicating a balanced market with good buyer choice. The average construction cost of new properties is $702,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment. This year, Narrabri has seen $15.1 million in commercial approvals, reflecting steady investment activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Narrabri shows 83.0% higher new home approvals per person, offering greater choice for buyers. However, building activity has slowed recently.

This level is lower than nationally, possibly due to market maturity and development constraints. Recent construction consists of 75.0% detached houses and 25.0% medium-high density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character focused on family homes. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 1045 people, reflecting a quiet development environment. Future projections indicate Narrabri adding 51 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Narrabri has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 27thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects that may affect this region. Notable projects include Newell Highway Upgrade - Heavy Duty Pavement Upgrades (Narrabri to Moree), Narrabri Place Strategy, Stoney Creek Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), and Narrabri Solar Farm and BESS. 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 Narrabri performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Narrabri has a diverse workforce with equal representation of white and blue collar jobs across various sectors. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 1.8%, lower than Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Employment growth in the past year was estimated at 4.3%. There are 4,097 residents employed with a workforce participation rate of 61.1%. The dominant sectors include health care & social assistance (13.0%), retail trade, and mining (with an employment share 3.6 times the regional level). Many residents commute elsewhere for work.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.3% while labour force grew by 3.6%, decreasing unemployment rate by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.1%. Statewide in NSW, employment contracted by 0.41% between Sep-24 and Sep-25, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National forecasts from May 2025 project total employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Narrabri's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.8%% over five years and 12.5% over ten years, though these are illustrative extrapolations.

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

Narrabri's median income among taxpayers was $52,353 in financial year 2022, according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. The average income stood at $62,145 during the same period. For comparison, Rest of NSW's median and average incomes were $49,459 and $62,998 respectively in financial year 2022. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since then, current estimates for Narrabri would be approximately $57,902 (median) and $68,732 (average) as of March 2025. Census data shows that household, family and personal incomes in Narrabri rank modestly, between the 39th and 53rd percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 31.5% of Narrabri's community earns $1,500 - 2,999 annually (2,190 individuals), which is consistent with metropolitan trends showing 29.9% in the same category. Housing costs leave 87.5% of income disposable, but disposable income levels are below average at the 44th percentile.

Narrabri is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Narrabri's dwelling structure, 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 87.8% houses and 12.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Narrabri was at 34.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.3% and rented ones at 33.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,443, while the median weekly rent was $260. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had average mortgage repayments of $1,300 and rents of $220. Nationally, Narrabri's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Narrabri has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 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 account for 32.7%, with lone person households at 29.8% and group households making up 2.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

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 NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.7%) and graduate diplomas (1.2%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 39.0% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 8.0% and certificates at 31.0%. Educational participation is high, with 29.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 13.0% in primary, 7.7% in secondary, and 2.3% in tertiary education.

Narrabri's four schools have a combined enrollment of 1,256 students. The area has varied educational conditions across its schools, with three primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs (18.1 places per 100 residents vs 14.6 regionally), indicating the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Narrabri has 125 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 35 individual routes, collectively providing 372 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 239 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 53 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately two weekly trips per stop.

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

Narrabri faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 51% of the total population (~3,518 people). The most common medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, impacting 9.8% and 9.5% of residents respectively. 63.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 66.7% across Rest of NSW. The area has 21.1% of residents aged 65 and over (1,470 people), which is higher than the 18.8% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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's cultural diversity was below average, with 90.1% citizens and 94.5% born in Australia. English was spoken exclusively at home by 96.5%. Christianity dominated religiously, at 64.7%, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW's 68.1%.

Ancestrally, Australian (37.8%), English (28.4%), and Australian Aboriginal (10.6%) were the top three groups. Notably, Samoan ethnicity was overrepresented in Narrabri at 0.1%, compared to 0% regionally.

Narrabri's population is slightly older than the national pattern

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 percentage of residents aged 25-34 (14.0%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (10.8%). According to the 2021 Census, the percentage of residents aged 75 to 84 increased from 6.4% to 7.7%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 5 to 14 decreased from 14.5% to 12.8%, and the percentage of residents aged 55 to 64 dropped 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 536. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 57% 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 see reduced numbers.