Nanango

An assessment of population growth drivers in Nanango reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Nanango's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 10,817 people. This figure represents an increase of 814 individuals since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 10,003 people. The growth was inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,674 in June 2024 and an additional 202 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 6.6 persons per square kilometer. Nanango's population growth rate of 8.1% exceeded that of its SA3 area (6.2%), positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 93.1% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving this growth.

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 and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings aligned with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 using 2022 data as a base. Looking ahead, demographic trends suggest that Nanango's population will increase by approximately 768 persons to reach 11,585 people by 2041, marking an overall growth of 5.7% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Nanango among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Nanango has averaged approximately 43 new dwelling approvals each year over the past five financial years, totalling 215 homes. In the current financial year FY-26, 24 approvals have been recorded to date. Over these five years, an average of 3.6 people moved to the area annually for each dwelling built. This demand significantly exceeds new supply, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition.

The average construction cost of new homes in Nanango is $259,000, which is below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers. There have been $7.2 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Nanango has slightly more development activity, with 29.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period.

This preserves reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. Recent construction comprises 97.0% detached dwellings and 3.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional low density character focused on family homes. The location has approximately 204 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. Population forecasts project Nanango will gain 615 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Nanango has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 44thth percentile nationally

"Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 20 such projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Nanango Solar Farm, Nanango Residential Estate Stage 2, South Burnett Energy Centre, and Nanango Town Centre Revitalisation.".

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Employment drivers in Nanango are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Nanango's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs, with manufacturing and industrial sectors prominent. The unemployment rate was 9.5% as of June 2021, with an estimated employment growth of 4.7% over the past year.

By June 2025, 3,751 residents were employed, but the unemployment rate had risen to 5.6%, above Rest of Qld's 3.9%. Workforce participation was lower at 36.5%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key industries included health care & social assistance (13.6%), retail trade, and agriculture, forestry & fishing (2.4 times the regional level). Employment opportunities appeared limited locally, with a difference between Census working population and resident population.

In the 12 months ending June 2025, employment increased by 4.7%, labour force by 7.5%, leading to a 2.5 percentage point rise in unemployment. This contrasted with Rest of Qld's 1.8% employment growth, 2.0% labour force expansion, and 0.2 percentage point unemployment increase. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Nanango's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.6% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Nanango's median income among taxpayers is $38,509, with an average of $47,985. This is below the national average. The median income in Rest of Qld was $50,780 and the average was $64,844. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Nanango would be approximately $43,896 (median) and $54,698 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Nanango all fall between the 1st and 2nd percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate 34.7% of the population (3,753 individuals) fall within the $400 - 799 income range, differing from metropolitan regions where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 31.7%. The concentration of 45.2% in sub-$800 weekly brackets highlights economic challenges facing a significant portion of the community. While housing costs are modest with 87.5% of income retained, the total disposable income ranks at just the 4th percentile nationally.

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

In Nanango, as per the most recent Census evaluation, 94.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 5.2% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is similar to Non-Metro Qld's dwelling structure, which was 93.4% houses and 6.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Nanango stood at 52.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.6% and rented ones at 20.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,000, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,083. The median weekly rent in Nanango was $230, matching Non-Metro Qld's figure. Nationally, Nanango's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 63.9% of all households, including 17.5% couples with children, 34.4% couples without children, and 10.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 36.1%, with lone person households at 32.5% and group households at 3.6%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.3.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 10.0%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 7.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.3%) and graduate diplomas (1.2%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 41.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (9.0%) and certificates (32.9%). Educational participation is high at 25.3%, including 10.5% in primary education, 9.8% in secondary education, and 1.6% in tertiary education.

Nanango has a robust network of 6 schools educating approximately 1,107 students. The area has varied educational conditions with 5 primary and 1 secondary school serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents (10.3) are below the regional average (14.0), indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

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

Nanango faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Private health cover is low at approximately 46%, covering around 4,975 people, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (13.6%) and mental health issues (11.4%). About 53.4% of residents report no medical ailments, lower than the Rest of Qld's 59.4%. Nanango has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 33.5%, or around 3,628 people, compared to Rest of Qld's 26.8%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Nanango are better than those of the general population.

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

Nanango's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 86.5% of its population being citizens, 87.2% born in Australia, and 97.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 52.7% of Nanango's population, compared to 56.4% across Rest of Qld. The top three ancestry groups were English (34.5%), Australian (30.0%), and Irish (8.8%).

Notably, German ethnicity was overrepresented at 6.5%, compared to 7.8% regionally, while Australian Aboriginal was underrepresented at 3.6% (vs 6.0%) and Scottish was slightly higher at 8.2% (vs 7.4%).

Nanango ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Nanango is 54 years, which is significantly higher than the average for Rest of Qld at 41 years, and also notably above the national norm of 38 years. The 65-74 age cohort is particularly over-represented in Nanango at 19.7%, compared to the Rest of Qld's average of 12.0%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 6.8% locally, compared to the Rest of Qld's average of 12.4%. Nationally, the 65-74 cohort represents 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of Nanango's population aged 75 to 84 has increased from 9.5% to 11.3%, while the 5 to 14 age group has decreased from 10.6% to 9.0%. By 2041, forecasts indicate that the 75 to 84 cohort will grow by 24%, adding 297 residents to reach a total of 1,519. The population aged 65 and above is projected to drive 71% of Nanango's overall population growth. Conversely, both the 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 age groups are expected to decrease in number.