Wagga Wagga - West

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 Nov 2025, is approximately 11,951, a decrease of 11 people from the 2021 Census figure of 11,962. This decrease, representing a 0.1% change, is inferred from an estimated resident population of 11,867 in June 2024 and an additional 108 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is around 217 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 81.5% of overall population gains in 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 from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the area is projected to expand by 483 persons based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 2.2% over the 17-year period.

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 28 approved so far in FY-26. The average construction cost value for new homes is $332,000.

In terms of commercial development, $68.4 million in approvals have been registered this financial year, indicating strong momentum. Compared to the rest of NSW, Wagga Wagga - West records about three-quarters the building activity per person and places among the 58th percentile nationally when assessed against other areas. The new building activity shows a mix of detached houses (56.0%) and medium to high-density housing (44.0%), indicating an expanding range of medium-density options across various price brackets.

With around 288 people per dwelling approval, Wagga Wagga - West demonstrates characteristics of a low density area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the population is forecasted to gain 267 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.

Wagga Wagga - West has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 38thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified 45 projects that may impact the area, with key ones being Tolland Renewal Project, Wagga Wagga Arts & Culture Quarter, Inland Rail - Albury to Illabo, and Bunnings Wagga Wagga Relocation. The following list details those expected 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 labour market performance in Wagga Wagga - West lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Wagga Wagga - West has a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. The unemployment rate as of September 2025 was 6.4%, with an estimated employment growth of 2.8% over the past year.

As of that date, 5,603 residents were in work, while the unemployment rate was 2.6% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation was 58.7%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries among residents included health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and retail trade. The area had a particularly notable concentration in public administration & safety, with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing showed lower representation at 2.2% versus the regional average of 5.3%. There were 1.4 workers for every resident as at the Census, indicating the area functioned as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.8% and labour force increased by 4.6%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 1.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.5% and a labour force decline of 0.1%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment rate during the same period. State-level data up to 25-Nov-25 showed NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compared favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 estimated that national employment would expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wagga Wagga - West's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2022 shows that Wagga Wagga - West SA2 has an income below the national average. The median income is $51,049 and the average income is $62,270. In contrast, Rest of NSW's figures show 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 ending June 2022, current estimates for Wagga Wagga - West SA2 would be approximately $57,486 (median) and $70,122 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household incomes in Wagga Wagga - West SA2 are at the 18th percentile, while personal income is at the 39th percentile. Income brackets indicate that the largest segment comprises 28.8% of residents earning $1,500 to $2,999 weekly (3,441 residents), which aligns with the surrounding region where this cohort likewise represents 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Wagga Wagga - West SA2, with only 84.1% of income remaining, ranking at the 19th percentile.

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

Dwelling structure in Wagga Wagga - West, as per the latest Census, had 64.3% houses and 35.8% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 88.4% houses and 11.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wagga Wagga - West was 27.0%, with the rest either mortgaged (21.5%) or rented (51.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,302, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,430 and Australia's average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in the area was $270, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $280 and Australia's 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 account for 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 constitute the remaining 45.9%, with lone person households at 40.6% and group households comprising 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

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

Educational participation is high at 28.1%, including primary education (8.6%), secondary education (6.2%), and tertiary education (6.0%).

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 services. There are 116 individual routes operating from these stops, collectively providing 1570 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 210 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 224 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 13 weekly trips per 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 its health data.

Both younger and older age groups have notable prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover stands at approximately 51% of the total population (~6,106 people), slightly lower than the average SA2 area's rate. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 11.1 and 10.0% of residents respectively. Only 61.8% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 64.5% across 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 broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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 Australian citizens, 86.5% born in Australia, and 89.3% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 57.4% of the population. However, there was an overrepresentation in the 'Other' category, comprising 2.4% compared to 1.5% across Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups were English (29.1%), Australian (28.3%), and Irish (10.4%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal (6.3%) was overrepresented compared to the regional average of 4.5%, as were German (3.5% vs 3.9%) and Sri Lankan (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 lower than the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and slightly younger than the Australian median of 38 years. The 25-34 age cohort is notably over-represented in Wagga Wagga - West at 19.8%, compared to the Rest of NSW average, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 9.0%. This concentration of young residents 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. The 25-34 age group has grown from 16.8% to 19.8%, and the 0-4 cohort increased from 5.9% to 7.2%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort declined from 11.4% to 9.7%, and the 45-54 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 is projected to grow by 20%, adding 481 residents to reach a total of 2,843. Conversely, the 5-14 and 75-84 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.