Narrabri
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Narrabri's population was around 6,953 as of August 2025. This figure reflected an increase of 55 people from the 2021 Census total of 6,898, representing a growth rate of 0.8%. The change was inferred from the ABS estimated resident population of 6,965 in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 38 persons per square kilometer. Narrabri's growth exceeded that of its SA3 area by 0.1%, though overall growth remained modest. Natural growth contributed approximately 64.6% of total population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 were used. Growth rates by age group were applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics anticipate lower quartile growth in Australia's regional areas, with Narrabri expected to increase by 39 persons to 2041 based on the latest numbers, representing 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 received approximately 10 dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 50 homes were approved, with none yet in FY26. Despite population decline during this period, housing supply has been adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average expected construction cost of new properties is $702,000, indicating developers target the premium market segment. This year has seen $15.1 million in commercial approvals, suggesting steady commercial investment activity. Compared to Rest of NSW, Narrabri shows 83.0% higher new home approvals per person, offering greater buyer choice, although building activity has slowed recently. This level is lower than the national average, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. Recent construction comprises 75.0% detached houses and 25.0% medium to high-density housing, maintaining Narrabri's traditional low density character focused on family homes.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 1045 people, indicating a quiet, low activity development environment. Future projections anticipate Narrabri adding 51 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, 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

Four projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area: Newell Highway Upgrade - Heavy Duty Pavement Upgrades from Narrabri to Moree, Narrabri Place Strategy, Stoney Creek Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), and Narrabri Solar Farm and BESS.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Narrabri performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Narrabri has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. Its unemployment rate was 1.8% as of June 2025, lower than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%.

Employment in Narrabri grew by 4.3% over the past year, compared to a decline of 0.1% in the Rest of NSW. The dominant employment sectors are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and mining. Mining is particularly strong with an employment share 3.6 times higher than the regional level. However, health care & social assistance has limited presence at 13.0%, compared to 16.9% regionally.

Many Narrabri residents commute elsewhere for work. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.3%, labour force grew by 3.6%, and unemployment fell by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, the Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Narrabri's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.8% over five years and 12.5% over ten years.

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. The average income stood at $62,145 during the same period. This compares to the Rest of NSW's figures of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. Based on a Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates suggest approximately $58,955 for median income and $69,981 for average income by September 2025. Census data shows household incomes rank at the 43rd percentile, family incomes at the 47th percentile, and personal incomes at the 53rd percentile in Narrabri. Income brackets indicate that 31.5% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, consistent with broader trends across metropolitan regions where 29.9% fall into this category. Housing costs allow for retention of 87.5% of income, but disposable income ranks 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). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 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 was $1,443, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,300. Median weekly rent in Narrabri was $260, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $220. Nationally, Narrabri's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,443 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and 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 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 make up 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, 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 has lower university qualification rates (15.2%) compared to NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are 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 such qualifications - advanced diplomas (8.0%) and certificates (31.0%). Educational participation is high at 29.8%, including primary education (13.0%), secondary education (7.7%), and tertiary education (2.3%).

Narrabri's four schools have a combined enrollment of 1,256 students. The area has three primary schools and one secondary school serving different age groups. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs with 18.1 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 14.6, indicating that Narrabri serves as an educational hub 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. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents located an average of 239 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 53 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 2 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%, covering around 3,518 people. The most common medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 9.8% and 9.5% of residents respectively. Conversely, 63.3% reported being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 66.7% in the Rest of NSW. In Narrabri, 21.1% of residents are aged 65 and over (1,470 people), higher than the 18.8% in the Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly aligning 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 found to be below average. Its population comprised 90.1% citizens, with 94.5% born in Australia and 96.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Narrabri, accounting for 64.7%, compared to 68.1% across Rest of NSW.

In terms of ancestry, Australians made up 37.8%, English 28.4%, and Australian Aboriginal 10.6%. Notably, Samoans were overrepresented at 0.1% in Narrabri, whereas they were not represented 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 years 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 population aged 75 to 84 grew 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 those aged 55 to 64 dropped from 13.4% to 12.1%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Narrabri's age structure. The population aged 75 to 84 is projected to grow by 34%, reaching 720 people from the current 536. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 57% of total population growth, reflecting Narrabri's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 65-74 and 15-24 age groups are projected to have reduced numbers by 2041.