Wagga Wagga - South

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 approximately 23,436 as of November 2025. Between the 2021 Census and this date, the population increased by 914 people, a growth rate of 4.1%. This increase was inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 23,196 in June 2024 and validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is around 796 persons per square kilometer, similar to averages seen across other locations assessed by AreaSearch. Wagga Wagga - South's growth exceeded that of its SA3 area (3.5%), making it a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 58.2% of overall population gains during 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 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. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Wagga Wagga - South is expected to increase by 1,685 persons by 2041, reflecting a total gain of 6.2% over the 17-year period.

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

Wagga Wagga - South has averaged approximately 92 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 461 homes. As of FY26, 19 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 people have moved to the area per year for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating a balanced supply and demand creating stable market conditions. New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $280,000, aligning with broader regional development trends.

This financial year has seen $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, placing it among the 50th percentile nationally. New development consists of 51.0% detached houses and 49.0% attached dwellings, indicating an increasing blend of housing types to cater to varying price ranges and lifestyle demands. This shift marks a considerable change from the current housing mix, which is predominantly composed of houses (92.0%).

With around 329 people per dwelling approval, Wagga Wagga - South exhibits characteristics of a low density area. Future projections estimate an addition of 1,445 residents by 2041, suggesting that at current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

Wagga Wagga - South has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 39thth percentile nationally

Thirty-five infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include Wagga Wagga Special Activation Precinct, Gissing Oval Amenities Upgrade, Lake Albert Water Sports and Event Precinct, and Glenfield Road Upgrades in Wagga Wagga. The following list details those likely to be most 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 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. Its unemployment rate was 4.6% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 3.4%.

As of September 2025, there are 11,417 residents employed, and the unemployment rate is 0.7% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. The workforce participation rate is 64.1%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries for employment among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Health care & social assistance has a particularly high employment share at 1.2 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 1.8% compared to the regional average of 5.3%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Over the past year, employment increased by 3.4%, labour force by 5.0%, leading to an unemployment rise of 1.5 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.5%, labour force decline by 0.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest total employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wagga Wagga - South's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, although these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

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

Wagga Wagga - South SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $55,236 and an average income of $67,377 in the financial year 2022. This was higher than the national averages of $49,459 for median income and $62,998 for average income. By September 2025, estimates based on a 12.61% Wage Price Index growth suggest the median income would be approximately $62,201 and the average income $75,873. In 2021 Census figures, Wagga Wagga - South's incomes ranked modestly, between the 41st and 52nd percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. The predominant income cohort was 34.4% (8,061 people) in the $1,500-$2,999 category, similar to the broader area's pattern of 29.9%. After housing costs, 85.6% of income remained for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed 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), compared to Non-Metro NSW's 88.4% houses and 11.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wagga Wagga - South was at 29.1%, with the rest being mortgaged (37.0%) or rented (33.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,430. Median weekly rent was $300, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $280. Nationally, Wagga Wagga - South's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,517 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially lower at $300 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 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 account for 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 Rest of NSW average.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 20.6%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. 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.

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.9% in primary education, 8.7% in secondary education, and 4.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

In Wagga Wagga - South, there are currently 122 active public transport stops in operation. These include a mix of train and bus services. The area is served by 111 individual routes in total, which collectively facilitate 2,266 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically situated approximately 256 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, service frequency stands at 323 trips per day across all routes, equating to roughly 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 South faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across all age groups but slightly higher among older cohorts. Approximately 53% (~12,514 people) have private health cover, compared to 51.4% in Rest of NSW.

The most common medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 10.3 and 9.5% of residents respectively. 65.1% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 64.5% across Rest of NSW. 16.4% (3,831 people) of residents are aged 65 and over, lower than the 19.6% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention due to presenting challenges.

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 the data from 2016 Census, had a cultural diversity index below average. Its population composition was 88.0% Australian citizens, 86.8% born in Australia, and 88.7% spoke English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 62.1%.

The most significant deviation from regional averages was seen in the 'Other' category, which constituted 3.2% of Wagga Wagga-South's population compared to 1.5% across Rest of NSW. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (29.1%), Australian (28.7%), and Irish (9.5%). Notable differences in ethnic group representation included Australian Aboriginal at 5.6% (regional average: 4.5%), German at 3.8% (regional average: 3.9%), and Samoan at 0.2% (regional average: 0.1%).

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

Wagga Wagga - South's median age is 35 years, which is significantly below the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and somewhat younger than the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented at 15.1% locally, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 9.1%. According to the 2021 Census, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 14.1% to 15.1% of the population, while the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 11.7% to 10.7%. Demographic modeling suggests that Wagga Wagga - South's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 25 to 34 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 21%, adding 752 residents to reach 4,301. Conversely, both the 65 to 74 and 55 to 64 age groups will see reduced numbers.