Taree
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Taree's population was 21,467 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 344 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 21,123. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 21,415 in June 2024 and 119 new addresses validated since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 171 persons per square kilometer. Taree's 1.6% population increase since the census is comparable to its SA3 area's growth rate of 3.8%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 57.2% 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 uncovered areas, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends indicate an increase just below the median of non-metropolitan areas nationally, with Taree expected to expand by 1,191 persons to 2041, representing a total increase of 5.3% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Taree according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Taree has averaged approximately 55 new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data, produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, totals 277 approvals over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with 21 approvals recorded so far in FY-26. Over these five years, an average of 0.9 new residents per new home has been observed. This indicates that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts.

The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $452,000. This financial year has seen $47.5 million in commercial development approvals, suggesting robust local business investment. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Taree has significantly less development activity, at 51.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties, which is also under the national average, indicating the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. New development in Taree consists of 61.0% detached houses and 39.0% medium and high-density housing. This shift from the area's existing housing stock (currently 81.0% houses) reflects decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles, with an increasing need for diverse, affordable housing options.

The estimated population density per dwelling approval in Taree is 586 people. Population forecasts indicate that the area will gain approximately 1,139 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.

Taree has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 35thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 18 projects likely influencing the region. Notable ones are Manning Base Hospital Redevelopment Stage 2, Manning Health and Taree CBD Precinct Plan, Taree Station Rail Infrastructure Upgrades, and 121 Wingham Road Integrated Development. The following list details those most relevant.

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

AreaSearch assessment indicates Taree faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Taree's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well represented, with an unemployment rate of 7.4% as of June 2025.

This rate is 3.8% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation in Taree lags at 45.6%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food. The area specializes in health care & social assistance, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level.

Public administration & safety is under-represented, at 4.0% of Taree's workforce compared to Rest of NSW's 7.5%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 0.1%, while the labour force grew by 0.8%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment contract by 0.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Taree's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 indicates Taree had a median income among taxpayers of $41,339 with an average level of $50,366. These figures are lower than national averages and compare to levels of $49,459 and $62,998 across Rest of NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $45,721 (median) and $55,705 (average) as of March 2025. The 2021 Census shows household, family and personal incomes in Taree fall between the 4th and 8th percentiles nationally. The data reveals the $400 - 799 earnings band captures 30.6% of the community (6,568 individuals), differing from metropolitan regions where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Taree, with only 82.7% of income remaining, ranking at the 6th percentile nationally.

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

In Taree, as per the latest Census evaluation, 81.3% of dwellings were houses while 18.7% consisted of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other dwelling types. In contrast, Non-Metro NSW had 87.7% houses and 12.3% other dwellings. Taree's home ownership rate was 39.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.3% and rented ones at 34.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,300, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,430. The median weekly rent figure stood at $290 compared to Non-Metro NSW's $300. Nationally, Taree's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Taree features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households make up 63.5% of all households, including 19.6% couples with children, 27.0% couples without children, and 15.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 36.5%, with lone person households at 33.4% and group households comprising 3.1%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 12.8%, substantially below the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 9.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.5%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 41.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (9.3%) and certificates (31.9%). Educational participation is high at 28.2%, including 11.1% in primary education, 8.1% in secondary education, and 2.0% pursuing tertiary education.

There are 14 schools serving 4,964 students; the educational mix includes 8 primary, 4 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. The area functions as an education hub with 23.1 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 13.3, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments please refer to parent campus.

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

Taree has 434 active public transport stops. These include a mix of train and bus services. There are 62 individual routes operating in total.

Each week, these routes facilitate 1,055 passenger trips. The average distance residents live from the nearest transport stop is 127 meters. Daily service frequency across all routes averages 150 trips. This equates to approximately two weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Taree is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Taree faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Private health cover is low at approximately 46%, covering around 9,917 people, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 11.8% of residents) and mental health issues (impacting 11.2%), while 55.8% report no medical ailments, slightly lower than the 57.7% in Rest of NSW. As of 2021, 25.9% of Taree's population is aged 65 and over (5,553 people), lower than the 30.4% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are broadly aligned with those of the general population.

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

Taree's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 89.2% of its population being citizens, 90.8% born in Australia, and 95.4% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in Taree is Christianity, comprising 57.4% of the population, compared to 57.6% across Rest of NSW. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups are Australian (32.7%), English (31.7%), and Australian Aboriginal (8.5%).

Notably, Lebanese (0.2%) and Filipino (0.8%) ethnic groups are overrepresented in Taree compared to regional averages of 0.1% and 0.5%, respectively.

Taree hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Taree's median age is 46, which is slightly higher than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 and significantly higher than Australia's national norm of 38. The 75-84 age group makes up 9.7% of Taree's population compared to Rest of NSW, while the 35-44 cohort comprises 10.6%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group has increased from 10.8% to 11.8% of Taree's population. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort has decreased from 13.3% to 12.3%. By 2041, Taree is projected to undergo notable changes in its age composition. The 25-34 group is expected to grow by 17%, reaching 2,734 people from the current figure of 2,337. Meanwhile, the 65-74 and 55-64 cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.