Wentworth - Buronga

Wentworth - Buronga has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Wentworth-Buronga's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 7,030, indicating an increase of 519 people since the 2021 Census. The 2021 Census recorded a population of 6,511 in the area. This growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,775 as of June 2024 and the addition of 128 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is around 21 persons per square kilometer. Wentworth-Buronga's population grew by 8.0% between the 2021 Census and November 2025, outpacing both the SA3 area (5.0%) and non-metro areas. Interstate migration contributed approximately 61.0% of overall population gains during 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, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Wentworth-Buronga is expected to increase by 218 persons, reflecting a decline of 0.5% in total over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Wentworth - Buronga when compared nationally

Wentworth-Buronga averaged approximately 41 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 208 homes from FY-21 to FY-25. As of FY-26, 20 approvals have been recorded. Each year, about two people moved to the area per dwelling built during this period, indicating a balanced supply and demand market with stable conditions. The average construction cost value for new homes was $341,000.

In FY-26, $12.5 million in commercial development approvals were recorded, suggesting steady commercial growth activity compared to the rest of NSW. Wentworth-Buronga has 50% more construction activity per person relative to other NSW regions, providing buyers with greater choice. Recent construction comprised 96% detached houses and 4% medium to high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character focused on family homes. With around 213 people per dwelling approval, Wentworth-Buronga exhibits a developing market.

Given the expected stable or declining population, reduced pressure on housing is anticipated, potentially presenting buying opportunities.

Wentworth - Buronga has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Thirty-three projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include Whistlers Ridge Estate in Merbein, River Heights Estate in Merbein, Lake Hawthorn Foreshore Development, and Mildura Riverfront Redevelopment - Stage 2. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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The labour market performance in Wentworth - Buronga lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Wentworth-Buronga has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar employment, diverse sector representation, an unemployment rate of 5.3%, and relative employment stability over the past year as of September 2025. There are 3,561 residents employed, with an unemployment rate 1.5% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation is similar to Rest of NSW at 56.4%. The dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and retail trade. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has a strong presence with an employment share 2.2 times the regional level, while health care & social assistance has limited presence at 13.5% compared to the regional 16.9%. The area may offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census working population versus resident population data.

Over the 12-month period ending September 2025, employment increased by 0.5%, labour force by 1.3%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.8 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.5% and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly between sectors. Applying these projections to Wentworth-Buronga's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.8% over five years and 12.4% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Wentworth - Buronga SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $46,033. The average income stood at $56,395. This is lower than national averages which were $49,459 and $62,998 for Rest of NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% between financial year 2022 and September 2025, estimated median income would be approximately $51,838 and average income $63,506 by that date. From the 2021 Census data, household incomes ranked at the 27th percentile, family incomes at the 29th percentile, and personal incomes at the 30th percentile in Wentworth - Buronga. The majority of residents (29.1%, or 2,045 individuals) earned between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, similar to surrounding regions where 29.9% fell into this income bracket. Housing costs were manageable with 88.8% retained, but disposable incomes ranked below average at the 34th percentile.

Wentworth - Buronga is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Wentworth-Buronga's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.1% houses and 7.9% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 92.7% houses and 7.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wentworth-Buronga was at 41.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 37.3% and rented ones at 21.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,179. Median weekly rent in Wentworth-Buronga was $200, matching Non-Metro NSW's figure. Nationally, Wentworth-Buronga's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,300 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Wentworth - Buronga has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 73.5 percent of all households, including 29.5 percent couples with children, 33.3 percent couples without children, and 9.7 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 26.5 percent, with lone person households at 24.9 percent and group households comprising 1.6 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 15.7%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 12.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Vocational credentials are held by 40.3% of residents aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 11.0% and certificates at 29.3%. Educational participation is high, with 31.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 12.3% in primary, 9.6% in secondary, and 2.2% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 31.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.3% in primary education, 9.6% in secondary education, and 2.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis shows 17 active stops operating in Wentworth-Buronga, served by a mix of buses. These stops are covered by 11 routes, offering 122 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is limited, with residents on average located 734 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 17 trips per day across all routes, equating to about 7 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health data shows significant health challenges in Wentworth-Buronga. Both younger and older age groups have high prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is low at approximately 48%, covering around 3,374 people, compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 8.8% of residents) and asthma (8.6%). About 65.4% of residents report no medical ailments, similar to Rest of NSW at 65.8%. Wentworth-Buronga has 21.8% of residents aged 65 and over (1,534 people), slightly lower than the 22.9% in Rest of NSW. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are challenging but still better than the general population's health metrics.

Wentworth - Buronga is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Wentworth-Buronga had a cultural diversity below average, with 85.6% of its population being citizens, 92.8% born in Australia, and 95.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 51.0% of Wentworth-Buronga's population, compared to 57.0% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (32.6%), English (29.9%), and Scottish (7.6%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal was overrepresented at 6.8%, compared to the regional average of 5.9%. Italian and German populations were also notable, with Italians comprising 3.8% (vs regional 4.6%) and Germans 4.0% (vs regional 3.4%).

Wentworth - Buronga's median age exceeds the national pattern

Wentworth-Buronga has a median age of 43, matching Rest of NSW's figure and exceeding Australia's national average of 38 years. The age distribution shows that individuals aged 5-14 comprise 13.3% of the population, while those aged 85 and above constitute only 1.8%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the proportion of people aged 75 to 84 has increased from 6.4% to 8.3%, while the percentage of individuals aged 65 to 74 has decreased from 12.7% to 11.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant changes in Wentworth-Buronga's age structure. The number of people aged 85 and above is expected to grow by 73%, reaching 223 from 128. Notably, the combined population growth for individuals aged 65 and above will account for 61% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. Conversely, the populations of those aged 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 are projected to decline.