Parkes Surrounds

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

Parkes Surrounds' population was around 3,262 as of the 2021 Census. As of June 2024, it is estimated to be 3,092, reflecting a decrease of 170 people (5.2%) since the census. This change is inferred from ABS data and address validation since the Census date. The population density is 0.60 persons per square kilometer. Natural growth contributed approximately 52.8% of overall population gains in recent periods.

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 released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Parkes Surrounds is expected to increase by 265 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 8.6% over the 17-year period.

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

Parkes Surrounds had minimal residential development activity with 2 dwelling approvals annually on average over the five years from 2016 to 2020, totalling 11 approvals. This low level of development is typical in rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It's important to note that with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures can vary significantly based on individual projects.

Parkes Surrounds had significantly less construction activity than the Rest of NSW during this period, and development levels were also below national averages. All new constructions in the area were detached dwellings, aligning with rural living preferences for space and privacy. The estimated population per dwelling approval was 2326 people, reflecting the quiet, low activity development environment. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Parkes Surrounds is expected to grow by 265 residents by 2041.

At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match this population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Parkes Surrounds has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 36thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 26 projects that could affect this region. Notable projects include Ridgey Creek Battery Energy Storage System, Stevens Group BP Highway Service Centre - Northern Gateway, Parkes Hospital (Lachlan Health Service), and Parkes National Logistics Hub Infrastructure Extension. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The labour market performance in Parkes Surrounds lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Parkes Surrounds has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation and an unemployment rate of 4.9% as of September 2025. In this period, 1,522 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.1% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Parkes Surrounds is broadly similar to Rest of NSW at 56.4%. Employment among residents is concentrated in agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Notably, employment in agriculture, forestry & fishing is 6.6 times the regional average. Conversely, construction is under-represented with only 3.7% of Parkes Surrounds' workforce compared to 9.7% in Rest of NSW.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force decreased by 4.0% while employment declined by 5.6%, leading to a 1.7 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.5%, labour force contract by 0.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs) with a state unemployment rate of 3.9%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Parkes Surrounds' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 4.9% over five years and 11.4% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

The Parkes Surrounds SA2's median income among taxpayers was $41,721 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $50,962 during the same period. This compares to figures for Rest of NSW which were $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $46,982 (median) and $57,388 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household incomes in Parkes Surrounds fell between the 13th and 14th percentiles nationally. Family incomes also fell within this range. Personal incomes were similarly ranked. The income distribution showed that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominated with 27.3% of residents (844 people). This aligns with the metropolitan region where this cohort represented 29.9%. Housing costs were modest with 91.1% of income retained. However, total disposable income ranked at just the 21st percentile nationally.

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

Parkes Surrounds' dwellings, as per the latest Census, were 95.5% houses and 4.5% other types (semi-detached, apartments, others). Non-Metro NSW had 92.0% houses and 8.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Parkes Surrounds was 50.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.9% and rented ones at 22.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, lower than Non-Metro NSW's $1,200. Median weekly rent in Parkes Surrounds was $180, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $220. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,863 and rents substantially below the average of $375.

Parkes Surrounds features high concentrations of lone person households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 66.8% of all households, including 25.2% couples with children, 28.6% couples without children, and 12.2% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 33.2%, with lone person households at 31.0% and group households making up 2.3%. The median household size is 2.4 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.3.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 16.1%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 12.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.6%) and graduate diplomas (0.9%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them. Advanced diplomas account for 8.0% and certificates for 31.8%.

Educational participation is high at 30.6%, including 13.1% in primary education, 9.4% in secondary education, and 2.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Parkes Surrounds has 309 active public transport stops, served by a mix of trains and buses along 34 routes. These routes facilitate 342 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 190 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility.

On average, there are 48 trips per day across all routes, which equates to roughly one weekly trip per individual stop.

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

Parkes Surrounds faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent among both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, at approximately 46% of the total population (~1,434 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis (11.0%) and asthma (9.3%). Notably, 63.4% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the Rest of NSW's 62.4%. The area has a senior population of 22.9%, comprising 708 people aged 65 and over. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are challenging but still perform better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Parkes Surrounds had a cultural diversity index below average, with 88.7% of its population being citizens, 95.1% born in Australia, and 97.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 72.2% of Parkes Surrounds' population, compared to 70.4% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (34.2%), English (30.2%), and Australian Aboriginal (10.8%).

Notably, German ancestry was overrepresented at 3.6%, while Lebanese was at 0.2%, and Irish was slightly underrepresented at 7.8%.

Parkes Surrounds hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Parkes Surrounds' median age of 44 years is similar to Rest of NSW's 43, and both are above the national average of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, Parkes Surrounds has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (14.6%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (7.6%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 35-44 has grown from 10.1% to 12.3%, while the 75-84 age group has increased from 6.4% to 7.9%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has declined from 9.4% to 7.6%, and the 65-74 group has dropped from 13.4% to 11.9%. By 2041, Parkes Surrounds is expected to see notable changes in its age composition, with the 75-84 age group projected to grow by 29%, reaching 315 people from 243. Meanwhile, the 65-74 and 55-64 age groups are expected to experience population declines.