West Wyalong
Statistical Area - sa2

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

West Wyalong's population, as of August 2025, is approximately 5,458. This figure represents a decrease of 67 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,525. The change is inferred from an estimated resident population of 5,424 in June 2024 and an additional 14 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 0.70 persons per square kilometer. While West Wyalong experienced a 1.2% decline since the census, the SA3 area achieved 0.3% growth, indicating divergent population trends. Natural growth contributed approximately 56.9% 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 from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Projections indicate an overall population decline over this period, with West Wyalong's population expected to shrink by 48 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are anticipated to grow, notably the 75 to 84 age group, projected to expand by 121 people.

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

West Wyalong has received approximately 16 dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 80 homes were approved, with one more approved so far in FY26. Despite population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average construction value of new homes is $580,000, which is moderately above regional levels, indicating an emphasis on quality construction. This year, $14.9 million worth of commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to the rest of NSW, West Wyalong maintains similar construction rates per person, preserving market equilibrium consistent with surrounding areas and remaining below the national average, which is indicative of the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. New developments consist of 75% detached dwellings and 25% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low density character focused on family homes appealing to those seeking space. This represents a significant change from the current housing mix, which is currently 93% houses, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements.

The estimated population per dwelling approval in West Wyalong is 369 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. With stable or declining population projections, West Wyalong should experience reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

West Wyalong has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 19thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects likely to impact this region. Notable projects include West Wyalong Accommodation Village (Boundary Street), West Wyalong Solar Farm, WR Connect Rail Siding, and Urban Channel Pipeline Project. The following details those most relevant:.

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

AreaSearch analysis places West Wyalong well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

West Wyalong has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs, prominent manufacturing and industrial sectors, and an unemployment rate of 1.8% as of June 2025. There are 2,966 residents employed, with an unemployment rate 1.9% lower than Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Workforce participation is 58.8%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries include agriculture, forestry & fishing, mining, and education & training. Agriculture, forestry & fishing employs 4.9 times the regional level, while health care & social assistance employs 8.3% locally, below Rest of NSW's 16.9%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work.

Over June 2024 to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 2.5%, employment declined by 3.2%, and unemployment rose by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw a 0.1% employment fall, 0.3% labour force expansion, and 0.4% unemployment rise. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to West Wyalong's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 4.7% over five years and 10.9% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

West Wyalong had a median taxpayer income of $47,785 and an average of $59,916 in financial year 2022. This was lower than the national averages of $49,459 (median) and $62,998 (average). By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $53,811 (median) and $67,471 (average), based on a 12.61% increase since financial year 2022. Income rankings in West Wyalong were modest, between the 22nd and 34th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. The majority of individuals (29.9%) earned between $1,500 and $2,999 annually. Housing costs allowed residents to retain 91.5% of their income, but disposable income was below average at the 32nd percentile. West Wyalong's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the fourth decile.

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

West Wyalong's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.7% houses and 7.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 92.0% houses and 8.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Wyalong stood at 51.2%, with the rest being mortgaged (29.2%) or rented (19.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,200. The median weekly rent in West Wyalong was $200, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $220. Nationally, West Wyalong's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

West Wyalong features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 66.7% of all households, including 25.6% couples with children, 30.9% couples without children, and 9.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 33.3%, with lone person households at 31.5% and group households making up 1.8%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 13.6%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 10.7%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.6%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.3%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 40.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (8.4%) and certificates (31.9%).

Educational participation is high, with 29.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.5% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 2.2% pursuing tertiary education. A total of 9 schools operate within West Wyalong, educating approximately 786 students. The educational mix includes 7 primary, 1 secondary, and 1 K-12 school.

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

West Wyalong has 255 active public transport stops. These include train and bus services. There are 26 routes in total, offering 269 weekly passenger trips.

Transport access is moderate, with residents generally 423 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 38 trips daily across all routes, equating to about one weekly trip per stop.

Health performance in West Wyalong is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

West Wyalong faces significant health challenges with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 50% of its total population (~2,701 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 11.9%) and asthma (8.1%). A majority of residents, 65.2%, claim to be completely clear of medical ailments compared to 62.4% in Rest of NSW. As of the latest data (2020), 23.9% of West Wyalong's population are aged 65 and over (1,303 people).

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

West Wyalong, as per the 2016 Census, had a cultural diversity index of 51.3, indicating below average diversity. Its population was predominantly Australian-born citizens speaking English at home: 88.7%, 93.7%, and 97.0% respectively. Christianity was the dominant religion, practiced by 74.2% of residents, compared to 70.4% in Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups were Australian (35.2%), English (32.7%), and Irish (8.7%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal (4.5%) and German (4.4%) populations were higher than the regional averages of 7.9% and 3.0%, respectively. Scottish ancestry was also relatively high at 8.4%.

West Wyalong hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in West Wyalong is 43 years, which matches the figure for Rest of NSW and is higher than the national average of 38 years. The age profile indicates that the 55-64 year-old group comprises 13.6% of the population, a notable percentage compared to other age groups. Meanwhile, the 35-44 age group makes up only 10.2%, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW figure. Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the proportion of individuals aged 25 to 34 has increased from 10.5% to 12.1%. Conversely, the percentage of people aged 35 to 44 has decreased from 11.3% to 10.2%. By 2041, demographic projections suggest significant changes in West Wyalong's age structure. The 75-84 year-old group is expected to grow by 25%, reaching a total of 559 people from the current figure of 447. Notably, individuals aged 65 and above are projected to account for 78% of the overall population growth in West Wyalong, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. In contrast, the age groups between 45-54 and 55-64 years are anticipated to experience population declines.