Wellington
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Wellington's population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, was approximately 9,182 by August 2025. This figure represents a growth of 413 people, a 4.7% increase from the 2021 Census which reported a population of 8,769. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,122 in June 2024 and an additional 48 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2.5 persons per square kilometer. Wellington's growth rate exceeded that of its SA4 region (3.2%) and SA3 area, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 43.1% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth being positive factors.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year are utilised. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, Wellington is expected to experience a population increase just below Australia's non-metropolitan median by 2041. The area is projected to grow by 631 persons over the 17-year period, resulting in a total increase of 6.2%.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Wellington, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Wellington has averaged approximately 26 new dwelling approvals per year. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis. Between FY-20 to FY-25131 dwellings were approved, with 12 approvals so far in FY-26. Over these past five years, an average of 1.1 people moved to the area for each dwelling built. However, this figure has increased to 10.7 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, reflecting Wellington's growing popularity and potential supply constraints.

New properties are constructed at an average value of $475,000. In FY-26, $5.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Rest of NSW, Wellington records markedly lower building activity, with 65.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Recent construction comprises 83.0% detached dwellings and 17.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining Wellington's traditional low density character focused on family homes.

The estimated count of 1074 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet development environment. Population forecasts indicate Wellington will gain 571 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.

Wellington has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 35thth percentile nationally

Area performance is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 35 such projects that could impact the area. Notable ones include Wellington Roads To Home Project Nanima Village, Wellington Battery Energy Storage System, Orana Battery Energy Storage System, and Wellington North Solar Farm. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

AreaSearch assessment indicates Wellington faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Wellington has a balanced workforce consisting of both white and blue collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well represented in the city with an unemployment rate of 4.6%.

As of June 2025, 3,352 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.0% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation in Wellington lags behind Rest of NSW at 46.0%, compared to 56.4%. The dominant employment sectors among Wellington residents include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and public administration & safety. Wellington shows strong specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing with an employment share of 2.9 times the regional level.

Conversely, manufacturing employs only 2.7% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.8%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population figures. In the 12-month period preceding June 2025, Wellington's labour force decreased by 1.9% while employment decreased by 3.3%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 1.4 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment contracted by 0.1%, labour force grew by 0.3%, and unemployment rose 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%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, but lags behind the national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest that while national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Wellington's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.9%% over five years and 12.5% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2022 shows that median income in Wellington is $44,471 and average income stands at $50,647. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where the median income is $49,459 and average income is $62,998. Based on a 10.6% growth rate from March 2022 to March 2025, estimated current incomes would be approximately $49,185 (median) and $56,016 (average). According to the Census conducted in August 2021, household, family, and personal incomes in Wellington all fall between the 10th and 14th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile shows that 27.3% of locals earn between $800 - 1,499 per week, differing from metropolitan regions where the predominant earning bracket is $1,500 - 2,999. Despite modest housing costs allowing for 87.9% income retention, Wellington's total disposable income ranks at just the 15th percentile nationally.

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

Wellington's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 93.5% houses and 6.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro NSW had 88.0% houses and 12.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wellington was at 42.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.1% and rented ones at 27.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,100, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,450. Median weekly rent in Wellington was $230, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $280. Nationally, Wellington's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,100 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 65.2% of all households, including 22.1% couples with children, 27.8% couples without children, and 13.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for 34.8%, with lone person households at 31.7% and group households making up 3.1%. The median household size is 2.4 people, smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 15.4%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.0%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 44.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (10.2%) and certificates (34.6%). Educational participation is high at 37.2%, including primary education (15.1%), secondary education (10.8%), and tertiary education (2.8%).

Nine schools operate in Wellington, educating approximately 1,146 students. The school mix includes six primary, one secondary, and two K-12 schools. School places per 100 residents are 12.5, below the regional average of 16.2, with some students likely attending schools in adjacent areas.

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

Wellington has 307 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 35 different routes, providing a total of 1,119 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 177 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency is high, averaging 159 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 3 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Wellington faces significant health challenges, as indicated by health data. Both younger and older age groups have notable prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is extremely low, at approximately 46% of the total population (~4,242 people), compared to 49.7% across Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 10.9% and 9.2% of residents respectively. However, 61.3% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 64.1% across Rest of NSW. Wellington has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 20.5% (1,885 people), compared to 19.5% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges broadly aligned with the general population's health profile.

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

Wellington's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 78.6% being citizens, 91.6% born in Australia, and 96.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the main religion in Wellington, comprising 65.6%, similar to Rest of NSW at 65.6%. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (31.3%), English (28.6%), and Australian Aboriginal (15.2%).

Notably, Irish ethnicity is overrepresented in Wellington at 7.8% compared to the regional average of 8.2%, while French ethnicity stands at 0.4% versus the regional 0.3%.

Wellington's median age exceeds the national pattern

Wellington's median age is 41 years, which is lower than the Rest of NSW average of 43 but higher than the national average of 38. The 25-34 age group comprises 13.9% of Wellington's population, compared to a higher prevalence in the Rest of NSW. Conversely, the 75-84 cohort makes up 6.8% of Wellington's population. According to post-2021 Census data, the 35-44 age group has increased from 11.6% to 12.5% of Wellington's population, while the 55-64 cohort has declined from 13.6% to 12.9%. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, Wellington's age profile will significantly evolve. The 35-44 cohort is projected to grow by 18%, adding 208 residents to reach a total of 1,353. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 15-24 and 65-74 cohorts.