Walcha

Walcha has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Walcha's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 3,177 people. This figure represents a growth of 33 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,144. The increase is inferred from ABS estimates showing an resident population of 3,140 as of June 2024 and an additional 16 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 0.50 persons per square kilometer. Walcha's 1.0% growth rate positions it close to the SA3 area's 3.3%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver of this growth.

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. These projections indicate a decline in overall population to 3,013 people by 2041, a decrease of 164 persons. However, specific age cohorts like the 5-14 age group are projected to grow by 65 individuals over this period.

The level of residential development activity in Walcha is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Walcha has averaged approximately 8 new dwelling approvals annually over the past 5 financial years ending June 2021, totalling 41 homes. As of July 2026, 1 approval has been recorded in FY-26. The population decline in recent years suggests that new supply has likely kept pace with demand, offering good choice to buyers. The average expected construction cost value for new dwellings is $366,000.

In the current financial year, there have also been $1.3 million in commercial approvals, indicating Walcha's residential nature. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Walcha has approximately two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 29th percentile of areas assessed nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing homes. This level is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and suggesting possible planning constraints. New building activity shows 86.0% standalone homes and 14.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining Walcha's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

The estimated count of 718 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment. With population expected to remain stable or decline, Walcha should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Walcha has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 32ndth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 13 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Skye Ridge Wind Farm, Walcha Drought Security Project and Sewerage Network Upgrade, Winterbourne Wind Farm, and Thunderbolt Energy Hub (Thunderbolt Wind Farm). The following list details those 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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Walcha performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Walcha has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 1.5% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.0%.

As of September 2025, 1,806 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.3%, below Rest of NSW's 3.8%. Workforce participation was on par with Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries for employment among residents were agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Agriculture, forestry & fishing had notably high concentration, employing 7.9 times the regional average.

In contrast, health care & social assistance employed only 9.3% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 16.9%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 1.0%, labour force by 1.2%, raising unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. Rest of NSW experienced employment decline of 0.5% and labour force decline of 0.1%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 showed NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. National unemployment rate was 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Walcha's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 4.8% over five years and 10.9% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

Walcha SA2 has a lower income level than the national average, according to AreaSearch aggregated ATO data for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers in Walcha is $43,135, with an average income of $54,430. This compares to Rest of NSW's median and average incomes of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. Using Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes as of September 2025 are approximately $48,574 (median) and $61,294 (average). The 2021 Census shows Walcha's household, family, and personal incomes fall between the 14th and 25th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile indicates that 28.6% of the community earns between $1,500 - 2,999 (908 individuals), similar to metropolitan regions where this cohort represents 29.9%. Despite modest housing costs allowing for 91.4% income retention, total disposable income ranks at the 22nd percentile nationally, and Walcha's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

Walcha is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Walcha, as per the latest Census, 95.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 4.2% being semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. This compares to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 87.1% houses and 12.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Walcha stood at 53.1%, with mortgaged properties at 25.1% and rented dwellings at 21.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,056, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,408. The median weekly rent in Walcha was $200, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $280. Nationally, Walcha's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Walcha features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 68.6% of all households, including 22.9% couples with children, 38.7% couples without children, and 5.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 31.4%, with lone person households at 30.2% and group households making up 1.5%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.3.

Walcha faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area has university qualification rates of 16.8%, 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 12.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 41.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (10.8%) and certificates (30.6%).

Educational participation is high, with 27.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.9% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 2.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Walcha has 244 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 22 individual routes, providing a total of 872 weekly passenger trips. The average distance residents live from the nearest stop is 143 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility.

On average, there are 124 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately three weekly trips per stop.

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

Walcha faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, at approximately 47% (around 1,499 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 12.0% of residents) and asthma (7.9%). A total of 63.3% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 65.5%. Walcha has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 30.5% (969 people), compared to the Rest of NSW average of 20.2%. Health outcomes among seniors in Walcha are above average and better than those of the general population.

The latest Census data sees Walcha placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Walcha's population showed lower cultural diversity, with 88.6% being citizens, 93.9% born in Australia, and 98.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 69.6%, compared to 55.0% across Rest of NSW. The top ancestral groups were Australian (34.3%), English (31.4%), and Scottish (9.7%).

Notably, New Zealanders made up 1.0% in Walcha versus 0.4% regionally, Australian Aboriginals were at 4.6% compared to 5.7%, and Irish ancestry was at 9.4% versus 9.5%.

Walcha ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Walcha's median age is 49, surpassing the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, Walcha has a notably higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (16.1%) while those aged 25-34 are under-represented (8.0%). This concentration of the 65-74 age group is well above the national average of 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, Walcha's population has seen an increase in the proportion of residents aged 0 to 4 from 5.5% to 6.9%, and those aged 35 to 44 have increased from 8.5% to 9.5%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 55 to 64 has declined from 15.6% to 13.7%, and the 45 to 54 age group has dropped from 11.9% to 10.4%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Walcha's age structure, with the 5 to 14 age cohort projected to grow by 62 people (an 18% increase) from 354 to 417 residents. In contrast, population declines are projected for both the 0 to 4 and 25 to 34 age cohorts.