Wagga Wagga - South
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Wagga Wagga - South's population is around 23,401 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 879 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 22,522 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 23,196 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 206 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 794 persons per square kilometer. Wagga Wagga - South's growth rate of 3.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (3.3%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 58.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest population numbers, Wagga Wagga - South is expected to increase by 1,685 persons to 2041, recording a gain of 6.3% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Wagga Wagga - South when compared nationally

Wagga Wagga - South averaged approximately 92 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, with 461 dwellings approved over the past five financial years between FY-21 and FY-25, including five approvals so far in FY-26. On average, 1.9 people moved to the area annually for each dwelling built during these five financial years. This indicates a balanced supply and demand creating stable market conditions.

The average construction cost value of new properties was $393,000, below regional norms, offering more affordable housing options. In FY-26, there have been $5.9 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Rest of NSW, Wagga Wagga - South records 18.0% less building activity per person and ranks among the national 50th percentile of areas assessed. New development consists of 51.0% detached houses and 49.0% attached dwellings, demonstrating an increasing blend of attached housing types to cater to diverse price ranges and lifestyle demands.

This shift is notable compared to the current housing mix of 92.0% houses, likely due to reduced availability of development sites. Wagga Wagga - South has a population density of around 329 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density area. Future projections suggest an addition of 1,480 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, potentially supporting further growth beyond current population projections.

Wagga Wagga - South has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 40thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 37 projects likely to impact this region. Notable initiatives include Lake Albert Water Sports and Event Precinct, Wagga Wagga Special Activation Precinct, Gissing Oval Amenities Upgrade, and Tolland Renewal Project. The following list details those most relevant.

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

The employment landscape in Wagga Wagga - South shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Wagga Wagga - South has a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. The unemployment rate in June 2025 was 4.9%, with estimated employment growth of 6.8% over the past year.

There were 11,479 residents employed, with an unemployment rate 1.3% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation was at 64.1%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Health care & social assistance is particularly specialized, with an employment share 1.2 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 1.8% versus the regional average of 5.3%.

Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 6.8%, while labour force grew by 9.0%, resulting in an unemployment rise of 1.9 percentage points. Comparatively, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data for NSW to Sep-25 shows employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wagga Wagga - South's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.6%% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

Wagga Wagga - South had a median taxpayer income of $55,236 and an average income of $67,377 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is higher than the national averages, which were $49,459 for median income and $62,998 for average income at that time. Based on a 10.6% growth in wages since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $61,091 (median) and $74,519 (average). The 2021 Census figures rank household, family, and personal incomes in Wagga Wagga - South between the 42nd and 52nd percentiles. Income distribution data shows that 34.4% of locals (8,049 people) fall into the $1,500 to $2,999 category, which is similar to the broader area where 29.9% occupy this range. After housing expenses, 85.6% of income remains for other expenditures. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Wagga Wagga - South, as per the latest Census, consisted of 91.6% houses and 8.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 88.4% houses and 11.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wagga Wagga - South stood at 29.1%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (37.0%) or rented (33.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, exceeding Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,430. Median weekly rent in the area was $300, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $280. Nationally, Wagga Wagga - South's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Wagga Wagga - South has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 69.5% of all households, including 29.9% couples with children, 25.2% couples without children, and 13.4% single parent families. Non-family households consist of the remaining 30.5%, with lone person households at 27.1% and group households comprising 3.4%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

Educational outcomes in Wagga Wagga - South fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area has university qualification rates of 20.6%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 14.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 37.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.5%) and certificates (28.4%).

Educational participation is high at 32.0%, with 10.9% in primary education, 8.7% in secondary education, and 4.1% pursuing tertiary education. Twelve schools serve 4,115 students in the area. Wagga Wagga - South has varied educational conditions. The educational mix includes four primary, four secondary, and four K-12 schools.

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

Wagga Wagga - South has 122 active public transport stops. These comprise a mix of train and bus services. A total of 111 routes operate from these stops, facilitating 2,266 weekly passenger trips in aggregate.

The accessibility of transport is rated as good, with residents on average being located 256 metres from the nearest stop. The service frequency averages 323 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 18 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Wagga Wagga - South is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a slightly higher degree among older age cohorts

Wagga Wagga's southern region faces notable health challenges, with common health conditions being relatively prevalent across all age groups but slightly more so among older cohorts. Approximately 53% of its total population (~12,496 people) has private health cover, compared to 51.4% in the rest of NSW.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 10.3 and 9.5% of residents respectively. Conversely, 65.1% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 64.5% across the rest of NSW. The area has 16.4% of its population aged 65 and over (3,826 people), lower than the 19.6% in the rest of NSW. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention due to presenting some challenges compared to the broader population.

Wagga Wagga - South ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Wagga Wagga-South, as per data from the 2016 Census, had a lower than average cultural diversity level. The majority of its residents are Australian citizens born in Australia speaking English at home: 88.0%, 86.8%, and 88.7% respectively. Christianity is the predominant religion, with 62.1% adherents.

Notably, the 'Other' religious category is overrepresented compared to Rest of NSW (3.2% vs 1.5%). Regarding ancestry, English (29.1%) and Australian (28.7%) are the most represented groups, followed by Irish at 9.5%. Some ethnic groups show notable divergences: Australian Aboriginal (5.6% vs regional 4.5%), Samoan (0.2% vs 0.1%), and German (3.8% vs 3.9%).

Wagga Wagga - South's population is younger than the national pattern

Wagga Wagga - South has a median age of 35 years, which is significantly lower than the Rest of NSW average of 43 and slightly younger than the Australian median of 38. The 25-34 age cohort is notably over-represented in Wagga Wagga - South at 15.1%, compared to the Rest of NSW average, while those aged 65-74 are under-represented at 9.1%. According to the 2021 Census, the percentage of residents aged 25 to 34 has increased from 14.1% to 15.1%, while the 45 to 54 age group has decreased from 11.7% to 10.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Wagga Wagga - South's age profile. The 25-34 cohort is projected to grow by 21%, adding 758 residents to reach a total of 4,301. Conversely, both the 65-74 and 55-64 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.