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 around 23,306 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 784 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 22,522 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 23,259 from the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 233 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 791 persons per square kilometer. Wagga Wagga - South's growth of 3.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (2.2%) and the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 50.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest annual ERP population numbers, Wagga Wagga - South is expected to increase by 1,476 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 6.1% in total over the 16 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 over the past five financial years, totalling 461 homes. As of FY-26, 33 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 people moved to the area per year for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating a balanced supply and demand, with stable market conditions. The average construction cost value of new properties was $280,000, aligning with broader regional development.

This financial year has seen $5.9 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's predominantly residential nature. Compared to Rest of NSW, Wagga Wagga - South shows 19.0% less building activity per person, placing it among the national median areas assessed. New developments consist of 51.0% detached houses and 49.0% attached dwellings, offering a range of housing types from spacious family homes to more affordable compact options. This shift reflects reduced development site availability and evolving lifestyle demands.

With around 329 people per dwelling approval, Wagga Wagga - South exhibits characteristics of a low-density area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Wagga Wagga - South is projected to add 1,429 residents by 2041. 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 moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 43rdth percentile nationally

A total of 35 projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key among these are the 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 projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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

Wagga Wagga - South has an unemployment rate of 4.2% as of December 2025. It has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. There are 11,080 residents in work, which is 0.3% above Regional NSW's unemployment rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation stands at 62.9%, slightly higher than Regional NSW's 60.5%. According to Census responses, 7.5% of residents work from home. The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Health care & social assistance is particularly specialized with an employment share of 1.2 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 1.8% compared to Regional NSW's average of 5.3%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the 12-month period ending in May-25, labour force decreased by 3.1% and employment declined by 3.4%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.3 percentage points. By comparison, Regional NSW recorded an employment decline of 1.2%, labour force decline of 0.8%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase in national employment over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wagga Wagga - South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account 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 has a median taxpayer income of $57,731 and an average income of $69,984 based on the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is slightly above the national average, which contrasts with Regional NSW's median income of $52,390 and average income of $65,215. According to Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $63,689 (median) and $77,206 (average). In Wagga Wagga - South, household, family, and personal incomes ranked modestly between the 41st and 52nd percentiles according to 2021 Census figures. Income distribution data shows that 34.4% of locals (8,017 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, reflecting broader area patterns where 29.9% occupy this range. After housing costs, 85.6% of income remains for other expenses. 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

In Wagga Wagga - South's dwelling structures, as recorded in the latest Census, 91.6% were houses with the remaining 8.4% comprising semi-detached dwellings, apartments and other types. This contrasts with Regional NSW where 82.6% of dwellings are houses and 17.4% are other dwellings. Home ownership in Wagga Wagga - South stood at 29.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 37.0% and rented ones at 33.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, below Regional NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Wagga Wagga - South was $300, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Wagga Wagga - South's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,517 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were also lower at $300 compared to the national figure of $375.

Wagga Wagga - South has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average 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 make up 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, larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

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

Wagga Wagga - South has 157 active public transport stops serving a mix of train and bus services. These stops are covered by 111 individual routes, collectively facilitating 2,893 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 254 metres from the nearest stop. As predominantly residential, most commuters travel outward, with cars being the primary mode at 96%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, only 7.5% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 413 trips daily across all routes, translating to roughly 18 weekly trips per stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

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

Wagga Wagga - South faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The prevalence of common health conditions is notable across both younger and older age cohorts.

Approximately 54% of the total population (~12,561 people) has private health cover, compared to Regional NSW's average of 51.9%. Asthma and mental health issues are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 10.3 and 9.5% of residents respectively. However, 65.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 16.8% of residents aged 65 and over (3,908 people), lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general 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's cultural diversity is below average, with 88.0% of its population being citizens, 86.8% born in Australia, and 88.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, accounting for 62.1%. The most significant overrepresentation is seen in the 'Other' category, which comprises 3.2%, compared to Regional NSW's 0.8%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (29.1%), Australian (28.7%), and Irish (9.5%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal people are overrepresented at 5.6% (vs regional 4.6%), Germans at 3.8% (vs 3.1%), and Samoans at 0.2% (vs 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 Regional NSW's average of 43 years and somewhat younger than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Regional NSW average, Wagga Wagga - South has a notably higher proportion of people aged 25-34 (15.1% locally) but a lower proportion of those aged 65-74 (9.3%). According to the 2021 Census, the age group 25 to 34 grew from 14.1% to 15.1%, while the groups 45 to 54 and 5 to 14 decreased from 11.7% to 10.3% and 14.4% to 13.4%, respectively. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, Wagga Wagga - South's age profile will change significantly. The 25 to 34 cohort is projected to grow the strongest at 18%, adding 639 residents to reach a total of 4,152. Conversely, both the 55 to 64 and 65 to 74 age groups are expected to have reduced numbers.