Tamworth - East
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Tamworth - East reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Tamworth - East's population is approximately 22,917 as of August 2025. This represents an increase of 1,557 people (7.3%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 21,360 people. The growth was inferred from the estimated resident population of 22,608 in June 2024 and an additional 250 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of approximately 224 persons per square kilometer. Tamworth - East's growth rate exceeded that of its SA4 region (4.1%) and the non-metro area, making it a notable growth leader. Natural growth contributed about 44.1% of 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 used. These projections anticipate demographic trends that suggest Tamworth - East will grow by approximately 2,690 persons to reach around 25,607 people by 2041, indicating an increase of about 10.4% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Tamworth - East when compared nationally

Tamworth - East has seen approximately 95 new homes approved annually. Development approval data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows 479 homes approved between financial years FY20 and FY25, with 7 more approved in FY26 so far. Each dwelling built over these five years resulted in an average of 2.9 new residents per year, reflecting strong demand that supports property values. The average construction cost value for these new homes was $514,000.

This financial year has seen $13.0 million in commercial approvals, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Tamworth - East has 17.0% less new development per person and ranks among the 38th percentile nationally, offering more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes. New development consists of 63.0% detached dwellings and 37.0% attached dwellings, providing a mix of medium-density options across different price brackets. The current housing mix is 86.0% houses, but the increasing availability of attached dwellings reflects reduced development site availability and shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements.

With an estimated 456 people per dwelling approval, Tamworth - East maintains a quiet, low activity development environment. Looking ahead, it is projected to grow by 2,374 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.

Tamworth - East has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 16thth percentile nationally

Local infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 22 projects potentially impacting the region. Key initiatives include the Goonoo Goonoo Commercial Precinct, Tamworth Sports and Entertainment Precinct, Goonoo Goonoo Commercial Precinct, and Goonoo Goonoo Road Upgrade. The following list details those likely most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Tamworth - East demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Tamworth - East has a balanced workforce with equal representation of white and blue collar jobs. Essential services are well-represented in this area.

The unemployment rate was 2.2% as of June 2025, which is lower than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.1%. As of June 2025, 12,779 residents were employed with a workforce participation rate of 60.0%, slightly higher than the Rest of NSW's rate of 56.4%. The dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training.

Manufacturing stands out with employment levels at 1.8 times the regional average. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence with only 2.3% of residents employed in this sector compared to the regional average of 5.3%. The area may have limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data on working population vs resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.1%, labour force grew by 3.4%, leading to a decrease in unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.1%, labour force expand by 0.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points during the same period. State-level data from Sep-25 shows that NSW's employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Tamworth - East's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.0%% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Tamworth - East had a median taxpayer income of $50,607 and an average of $60,968 in financial year 2022. This is lower than the national average, with Rest of NSW having a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998. By March 2025, estimates suggest the median income will be approximately $55,971 and the average will be around $67,431, based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Tamworth - East ranked modestly, between the 27th and 42nd percentiles. Income distribution shows that 31.7% of locals (7,264 people) fell into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to the surrounding region where 29.9% occupied this bracket. Housing affordability pressures were severe in Tamworth - East, with only 84.7% of income remaining, ranking at the 28th percentile.

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

Tamworth - East's dwellings, as per the latest Census evaluation, consisted of 86.2% houses and 13.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 89.5% houses and 10.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Tamworth - East stood at 33.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.0% and rented ones at 35.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,452, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,500. The median weekly rent in Tamworth - East was $300, matching Non-Metro NSW's figure. Nationally, Tamworth - East's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,452 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Tamworth - East has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households make up 66.9 percent of all households, including 24.3 percent couples with children, 27.4 percent couples without children, and 13.9 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 33.1 percent, with lone person households at 29.6 percent and group households comprising 3.5 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 16.0%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 40.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 9.5% and certificates at 31.0%. Educational participation is high, with 29.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 10.7% in primary, 9.9% in secondary, and 2.5% in tertiary education.

There are 12 schools serving 4,172 students in the area. These include 7 primary, 3 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools.

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

Transport analysis shows 471 active transport stops in Tamworth - East, all buses. These are served by 80 routes offering 830 weekly passenger trips. Residents' average distance to nearest stop is 113 meters, rated excellent accessibility.

Average service frequency is 118 trips per day across all routes, approximately 1 trip per week per stop.

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

Tamworth - East faces significant health challenges, as indicated by its health data. Both younger and older age groups have notable prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is relatively low, at approximately 50% of the total population (~11,458 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (affecting 10.5% of residents) and mental health issues (impacting 10.0%). A higher proportion, 62.1%, reported being completely free from medical ailments than in Rest of NSW (63.4%). As of the latest data, 19.6% of residents are aged 65 and over (4,484 people). Health outcomes among seniors generally align with those of the wider population.

Tamworth - East is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Tamworth-East had a cultural diversity below average, with 88.6% citizens, 91.3% born in Australia, and 93.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 62.7%, compared to 63.6% across Rest of NSW. Top ancestry groups were Australian (33.1%), English (29.5%), and Australian Aboriginal (9.6%).

Notably, Vietnamese were overrepresented at 0.5% (vs regional 0.3%), Irish at 7.9% (vs 8.0%), and German at 3.0% (vs 2.9%).

Tamworth - East's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Tamworth - East has a median age of 38, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 but equivalent to the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group makes up 14.7% of Tamworth-East's population, compared to Rest of NSW, while the 65-74 cohort is less prevalent at 10.2%. According to the 2021 Census, the 25 to 34 age group has increased from 13.4% to 14.7%, and the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 11.4% to 9.9%. Demographic modeling indicates significant changes in Tamworth-East's age profile by 2041. The 25-34 group is projected to grow by 25%, reaching 4,199 people from the current figure of 3,368. Meanwhile, population declines are forecast for the 55-64 and 15-24 age groups.