Walcha
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Walcha's population is approximately 3,179 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 35 people from the 2021 Census count of 3,144. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,140 in June 2024 and the addition of 17 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 0.50 persons per square kilometer. Walcha's 1.1% growth since the census is within 2.2 percentage points of the SA3 area's 3.3%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver of recent population gains.

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 utilized. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Walcha's population is projected to decrease by 164 persons overall, but specific age cohorts like the 5-14 age group are expected to grow by 65 people.

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 five financial years ending June 2021, totalling 41 homes. As of July 2026, 1 approval has been recorded in Walcha for FY-26. The population decline in recent years suggests that new supply has likely been keeping pace with demand, providing good choice for buyers. The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $471,000.

In the current financial year, there have been $1.3 million in commercial approvals, indicating Walcha's predominantly 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 30th percentile 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% standalone homes and 14% townhouses or apartments, maintaining Walcha's traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 718 people, indicating a quiet, low-activity development environment. With the population expected to remain stable or decline, Walcha should see reduced pressure on housing in the future, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Walcha has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 23rdth percentile nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 13 projects potentially impacting the region. Notable ones are Skye Ridge Wind Farm, Walcha Drought Security Project, 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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Walcha performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Walcha has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation and an unemployment rate of 1.2%. Over the past year, there was an estimated employment growth of 4.5%.

As of June 2025, 1,820 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.4%, below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation is on par with Rest of NSW at 56.4%. Key industries employing Walcha residents include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area has a notable concentration in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with employment levels at 7.9 times the regional average.

In contrast, health care & social assistance employs only 9.3% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 16.9%. While there are local employment opportunities, many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 4.5%, labour force grew by 3.9%, leading to a fall in unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. Meanwhile, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.1% with a rise in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Walcha's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 4.8%% over five years and 10.9% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

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

Walcha's median income among taxpayers was $43,135 in financial year 2022, according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. The average income stood at $54,430 during the same period. These figures compare to $49,459 and $62,998 respectively for Rest of NSW. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Walcha's median income are approximately $47,707 as of March 2025, with the average estimated at around $60,200 during the same period. The 2021 Census data shows that household, family and personal incomes in Walcha fall between the 14th and 25th percentiles nationally. In Walcha, 28.6% of individuals earn within the $1,500 - $2,999 band (909 individuals), similar to metropolitan regions where this cohort represents 29.9%. Housing costs are modest in Walcha, with 91.4% of income retained. However, total disposable income ranks at just the 22nd percentile nationally, and the area'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

Dwelling structure in Walcha, as evaluated at the latest Census, consisted of 95.7% houses and 4.2% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 87.1% houses and 12.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Walcha was 53.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.1% and rented dwellings at 21.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,056, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,408. Median weekly rent in Walcha was recorded at $200, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $280. Nationally, Walcha's median monthly mortgage repayment is significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents are 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's university qualification rate is 16.8%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 12.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 41.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.8%) and certificates (30.6%). Educational participation is high at 27.2%, comprising primary education (10.9%), secondary education (7.8%), and tertiary education (2.7%).

Walcha's five schools have a combined enrollment of 373 students, with four primary and one K-12 school. School places per 100 residents are lower at 11.7 compared to the regional average of 15.7, indicating some students may attend schools in nearby areas.

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 are served by 22 different routes that together facilitate 872 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 143 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency is 124 trips per day across all routes, translating to roughly 3 weekly trips per individual 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. Only approximately 47% of Walcha's total population (~1,500 people) has private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 12.0% of residents) and asthma (7.9%). A majority of residents (63.3%) report being free from medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 65.5%. Walcha has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over (30.5%, or 969 people), compared to the Rest of NSW average of 20.2%. Despite this, health outcomes among Walcha's senior population are above average and better than those in 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, surveyed in 2016, had low cultural diversity with 88.6% citizens, 93.9% born in Australia, and 98.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion at 69.6%, compared to 55.0% in Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (34.3%), English (31.4%), and Scottish (9.7%).

Notably, New Zealanders were overrepresented at 1.0%, Australian Aboriginal at 4.6%, and Irish at 9.4%.

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 average of 38 years. The 65-74 cohort is notably over-represented in Walcha at 16.1%, compared to the Rest of NSW average, while those aged 25-34 are under-represented at 8.0%. This concentration of the 65-74 age group is significantly higher than the national average of 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 0-4 age group has increased from 5.5% to 6.9% of Walcha's population, while the 35-44 cohort grew from 8.5% to 9.5%. Conversely, the 55-64 age group declined from 15.6% to 13.7%, and the 45-54 group decreased from 11.9% to 10.4%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Walcha's age structure. The 5-14 cohort is projected to grow by 61 people (17%), from 355 to 417. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 25-34 cohorts.