Wingham

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

Wingham's population is around 5,432 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 37 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,395 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,400 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 27 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 88 persons per square kilometer. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration that contributed approximately 56.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the 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. Anticipating future population dynamics, lower quartile growth is expected outside capital cities, with the area projected to increase by 128 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an overall increase of 1.7% over the 17 years.

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

Wingham has received approximately 12 dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, 64 homes were approved, with a further 6 approved in FY-26 to date. Despite population decline, development activity has been sufficient relative to the declining population, benefiting buyers while offering more affordable housing options with an average construction cost of $358,000.

This financial year has seen $4.0 million in commercial approvals, suggesting a residential character for the area. Compared to Rest of NSW, Wingham shows significantly reduced construction activity (55.0% below regional average per person), which typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. New construction has been exclusively detached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 571 people, reflecting its quiet development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Wingham is expected to grow by 93 residents through to 2041.

With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Wingham has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 39thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified nine projects that could impact this area. Notable ones include Manning River Underbore, New Water Supply Pipeline to Wingham, Wingham Residential Development, Wingham Central Park Master Plan, and Pacific Highway - Harrington Road Interchange. 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.

The labour market performance in Wingham lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Wingham has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, with essential services well represented. The unemployment rate is 5.1%.

Over the past year, employment has been relatively stable. As of June 2025, 2,346 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 6.5% compared to Rest of NSW's 3.7%. Workforce participation is lower at 48.3%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing.

The area has a significant specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level, but public administration & safety is less represented at 3.6% compared to the regional average of 7.5%. Local employment opportunities appear limited, as indicated by the census working population vs resident population count. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 0.3%, while labour force grew by 0.9%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment contract by 0.1%, with a smaller increase in labour force and unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. Statewide, NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs) to Nov-25, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wingham's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Wingham SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $40,800 and an average income of $47,836. Nationally, the median was $49,459 and the average was $62,998. Based on a 12.61% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $45,945 (median) and $53,868 (average). According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Wingham fell between the 7th and 9th percentiles nationally. In income distribution, 29.3% of Wingham's population earned between $800 - $1,499, differing from the regional norm where the $1,500 - $2,999 category was predominant at 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 84.3% of income remaining, ranking at the 9th percentile nationally.

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

In Wingham, as per the latest Census evaluation, 92.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 8.0% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This is compared to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 87.7% houses and 12.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wingham stood at 44.6%, lower than Non-Metro NSW's figure. Mortgaged dwellings made up 32.0% and rented dwellings accounted for 23.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,371, below the Non-Metro NSW average of $1,430, while median weekly rent was $306 compared to Non-Metro NSW's $300. Nationally, Wingham's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 66.7% of all households, consisting of 22.0% couples with children, 27.7% couples without children, and 15.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 33.3%, with lone person households at 30.8% and group households making up 2.6%. The median household size is 2.3 people, aligning with the Rest of NSW average.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 11.9%, 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 8.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.4%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 42.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (8.7%) and certificates (33.7%).

Educational participation is high, with 26.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.6% in primary education, 8.3% in secondary education, and 1.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Wingham has 174 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 27 individual routes that collectively facilitate 799 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 140 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 114 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately four weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Wingham is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Wingham faces significant health challenges with various conditions affecting both younger and older age groups. The private health cover rate is notably low at approximately 46%, covering around 2,498 people, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Arthritis and mental health issues are the most prevalent conditions, impacting 11.3% each of residents. However, 57.6% report no medical ailments, similar to the Rest of NSW at 57.7%. The area has 26.4%, or 1,436 people aged 65 and over, lower than the 30.4% in Rest of NSW. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are challenging but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Wingham's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 91.7% of its population being citizens, 92.9% born in Australia, and 97.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Wingham, comprising 56.7% of people, compared to 57.6% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (34.9%), English (34.9%), and Scottish (7.8%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation was higher at 5.3% in Wingham than the regional average of 5.8%, while Maltese representation remained similar at 0.4%.

Wingham hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Wingham's median age is 47 years, which is significantly higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 55-64 years make up a prominent 15.3% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years comprise only 9.2%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of individuals aged 15-24 has increased from 9.6% to 10.8%, while the 25-34 age group has decreased from 10.3% to 9.2%. By 2041, Wingham's age composition is expected to shift notably. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 15 people, reaching 646 from 562. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 65-74 age groups are expected to experience population declines.