Wingham
Statistical Area - sa2

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 Nov 2025. This reflects an increase 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 was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing 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 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest population numbers, the area is expected to increase by 128 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 1.7% in total 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 fiscal year 2021 (FY-21) and FY-25, a total of 64 homes were approved, with an additional 6 approved in FY-26 to date. Despite population decline, the development activity has been adequate relative to other areas, which is beneficial for buyers.

The average expected construction cost value for new homes is $271,000, lower than regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options. In FY-26, there have been $4.0 million in commercial approvals, suggesting the area's residential character. Compared to Rest of NSW, Wingham has 55.0% fewer construction approvals per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Nationally, Wingham also reflects lower levels of new construction, indicating market maturity and potential development constraints.

All new constructions have been detached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 571 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. By 2041, Wingham is projected to grow by 93 residents. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Wingham has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 34thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified nine projects likely impacting the area. Key projects 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.

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

Wingham has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs, prominent essential services sectors, an unemployment rate of 5.1%, and stable employment over the past year as of June 2025. The resident employment stands at 2,346 while the unemployment rate is 1.4% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%.

Workforce participation in Wingham is lower at 48.3%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries for residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing, with a particular specialization in health care & social assistance at 1.5 times the regional level. Conversely, public administration & safety has lower representation at 3.6% versus the regional average of 7.5%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited based on Census working population vs resident population comparison.

Between June 2024 and 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%, labour force grow by 0.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industries. Applying these projections to Wingham's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.5% over five years and 14.0% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Wingham had a median taxpayer income of $40,800 and an average income of $47,836. These figures are lower than the national averages of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively for Rest of NSW. Based on 12.61% growth in Wage Price Index since financial year 2022, estimated median and average incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $45,945 and $53,868 respectively. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes in Wingham fall between the 8th and 9th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows 29.3% of population (1,591 individuals) earn within the $800 - $1,499 range, differing from the region where the $1,500 - $2,999 category is predominant at 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.3% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 10th percentile nationally.

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

Wingham's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.1% houses and 8.0% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 87.7% houses and 12.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wingham stood at 44.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.0% and rented ones at 23.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,371, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,430. Weekly rent in Wingham was $306, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $300. Nationally, Wingham's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,371 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially lower at $306 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 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 make up the remaining 33.3%, with lone person households at 30.8% and group households comprising 2.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns 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%, considerably lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.4%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 42.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (8.7%) and certificates (33.7%). Educational participation is high at 26.8%, comprising primary education (10.6%), secondary education (8.3%), and tertiary education (1.7%).

Wingham's four schools have a combined enrollment of 1,110 students. The area offers balanced education provision with three primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. It functions as an educational hub with 20.4 school places per 100 residents, higher than the regional average of 13.3, attracting students from nearby communities.

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. These comprise a mix of train and bus services. There are 27 individual routes operating, providing a total of 799 weekly passenger trips.

Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 140 meters to the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 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. Private health cover is low at approximately 46%, covering around 2,498 people, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 11.3% and 11.3% of residents respectively. Conversely, 57.6% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the Rest of NSW's 57.7%. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 26.4%, or 1,436 people, compared to Rest of NSW's 30.4%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Wingham 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 Australian citizens, born in Australia (92.9%), and speaking English only at home (97.5%). Christianity was the predominant religion in Wingham, comprising 56.7% of the population, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW's 57.6%. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (34.9%), English (34.9%), and Scottish (7.8%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal people were overrepresented in Wingham at 5.3%, compared to 5.8% regionally, 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 higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and also exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 55-64 make up 15.3% of the population, while those aged 25-34 comprise only 9.2%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 9.6% to 10.8%, while the 25 to 34 cohort has decreased from 10.3% to 9.2%. By the year 2041, Wingham's age composition is expected to change significantly. The 45 to 54 age group is projected to grow by 15 people, reaching 646 from 562. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 65 to 74 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.