Wagga Wagga - West
Statistical Area - sa2

Wagga Wagga - West is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Wagga Wagga - West's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 11,951, a decrease of 11 people since the 2021 Census which reported 11,962 inhabitants. This decline is inferred from ABS estimated resident population data of 11,867 in June 2024 and validated new addresses totalling 108 since the Census date. The population density stands at 217 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed around 81.5% of recent population gains. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for SA2 areas, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for uncovered areas, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the area is projected to expand by 483 persons, representing a 2.2% increase over 17 years.

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

Wagga Wagga - West has recorded approximately 45 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 227 homes were approved, with an additional 20 approved so far in FY-26. The average construction cost value for new homes is around $332,000.

In terms of commercial development, $68.4 million in approvals have been registered this financial year. Compared to the rest of NSW, Wagga Wagga - West records about three-quarters of the building activity per person and ranks among the 58th percentile nationally. New building activity consists of approximately 56% detached houses and 44% medium and high-density housing.

This mix indicates an expanding range of medium-density options, creating opportunities across various price brackets. With around 288 people per dwelling approval, Wagga Wagga - West shows characteristics of a low density area. Population forecasts indicate that Wagga Wagga - West will gain approximately 267 residents by the year 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.

Wagga Wagga - West has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 35thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified 45 infrastructure projects that could impact the area. Key projects include Tolland Renewal Project, Wagga Wagga Arts & Culture Quarter, Inland Rail from Albury to Illabo, and Bunnings Wagga Wagga Relocation. Below is a list detailing 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.

Wagga Wagga - West shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Wagga Wagga - West has a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 6.8% in June 2025, compared to the Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 6.6%. As of June 2025, 5,738 residents were employed, with a workforce participation rate of 58.7%, slightly higher than the Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading industries include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and retail trade. Public administration & safety has notable concentration at 1.6 times the regional average, while agriculture, forestry & fishing is lower at 2.2% compared to the regional average of 5.3%.

The area hosts more jobs than residents, with 1.4 workers per resident as of the Census. Employment levels increased by 6.6% and labour force grew by 8.8% during the year to June 2025, causing unemployment to rise by 1.9 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest potential future demand within Wagga Wagga - West. Over five years, national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6%, and over ten years by 13.7%. Applying these projections to the local employment mix suggests growth of approximately 6.4% over five years and 13.6% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Wagga Wagga - West is below the national average. The median income is $51,049 and the average income stands at $62,270. In comparison, Rest of NSW has a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Wagga Wagga - West would be approximately $57,486 (median) and $70,122 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household incomes in Wagga Wagga - West are at the 19th percentile while personal income is at the 40th percentile. The largest income bracket comprises 28.8% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly, with 3,441 residents falling into this category. This aligns with the surrounding region where this cohort also represents 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Wagga Wagga - West, with only 84.1% of income remaining, ranking at the 20th percentile.

Wagga Wagga - West displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Wagga Wagga - West, as per the latest Census, consisted of 64.3% houses and 35.8% 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 - West was at 27.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 21.5% and rented ones at 51.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,302, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,430. The median weekly rent figure was $270, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $280. Nationally, Wagga Wagga - West's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Wagga Wagga - West features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 54.1% of all households, including 17.6% couples with children, 22.9% couples without children, and 12.2% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 45.9%, with lone person households at 40.6% and group households making up 5.2%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

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

In Wagga Wagga - West, 24.0% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees, compared to NSW's 32.2%. This indicates potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are the most common (15.9%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 34.8% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 8.4% and certificates at 26.4%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.6% in primary, 6.2% in secondary, and 6.0% in tertiary education. Wagga Wagga - West has a robust network of 9 schools educating approximately 1,460 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 977) and balanced educational opportunities. The mix includes 6 primary, 2 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. School places per 100 residents (12.2) are below the regional average (15.3), with some students likely attending schools in adjacent areas. 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

Wagga Wagga - West has 116 active public transport stops. These are a mix of train and bus stations. They are serviced by 116 individual routes.

Together, these provide 1,570 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as good. Residents typically live 210 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 224 trips per day across all routes. This equates to approximately 13 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Wagga Wagga - West faces significant health challenges, as indicated by health data.

Both younger and older age groups have a notable prevalence of common health conditions. The area has approximately 51% private health cover, which is slightly lower than the average SA2 area. Mental health issues affect 11.1% of residents, while asthma impacts 10.0%. About 61.8% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 64.5% in Rest of NSW. The area has 18.0% of residents aged 65 and over (2,153 people), lower than the 19.6% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges similar to those seen in the general population.

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

Wagga Wagga-West had a cultural diversity index below average, with 84.9% of its population being citizens, 86.5% born in Australia, and 89.3% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 57.4%. The category 'Other' showed overrepresentation at 2.4%, compared to Rest of NSW's 1.5%.

In ancestry, the top three groups were English (29.1%), Australian (28.3%), and Irish (10.4%). Notable divergences included Australian Aboriginal at 6.3% (vs regional 4.5%), German at 3.5% (vs 3.9%), and Sri Lankan at 0.2% (vs 0.1%).

Wagga Wagga - West's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Wagga Wagga - West'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. The 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented at 19.8% locally compared to the Rest of NSW average, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 9.0%. This concentration of the 25-34 age group is well above the national average of 14.5%. According to the 2021 Census, younger residents have shifted the median age down by 1.2 years to 35 years. In particular, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 16.8% to 19.8% of the population, while the 0 to 4 cohort increased from 5.9% to 7.2%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 11.4% to 9.7%, and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 10.3% to 8.8%. Demographic modeling suggests that Wagga Wagga - West's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 25-34 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 20%, adding 481 residents to reach 2,843. Conversely, the 5 to 14 and 75 to 84 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.