Barham

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

Barham's population is estimated at around 1,650 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 81 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,569. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 1,585 following examination of ABS data released in June 2024 and validation of 23 new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3.5 persons per square kilometer. Barham's growth rate of 5.2% since the census positions it close to the Rest of NSW's growth rate of 5.9%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 79.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in the suburb.

AreaSearch is adopting 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. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to grow by 170 persons by 2041, reflecting a gain of 6.4% in total over the 17 years.

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

Barham had minimal residential development activity with 3 dwelling approvals annually between 2016 and 2020 (a total of 19 approvals). This low level of development is typical in rural areas where housing needs are modest, and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. Note that the small number of approvals can significantly impact annual growth and relativity statistics.

Barham's construction activity was significantly lower than Rest of NSW during this period. The development pattern was also well below national averages. All recent building activity consisted of detached dwellings, aligning with rural living preferences for space and privacy. There were an estimated 633 people per dwelling approval in the area, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Barham is projected to add 105 residents by 2041. Development appears to be keeping pace with projected growth, but buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

Barham has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one major project expected to influence this region: Victoria to NSW Interconnector West (VNI West). Key projects also include South West Renewable Energy Zone, EnergyConnect, and Regional Housing Fund (Victoria), with the following providing more detail on 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.

AreaSearch assessment indicates Barham faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Barham has a balanced workforce with diverse sector representation. As of December 2025, its unemployment rate is 5.2%, according to AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation. By this date, 743 residents are employed while the unemployment rate stands at 1.3% above Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation in Barham lags behind Regional NSW at 55.9%, compared to 61.3%. Census responses indicate that only 12.7% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Leading employment industries among residents include agriculture, forestry & fishing, retail trade, and health care & social assistance. The area shows strong specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing with an employment share of 3.4 times the regional level.

Health care & social assistance has limited presence at 11.3%, compared to Regional NSW's 16.9%. Barham appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12 months to December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 2.2% alongside a 3.4% employment decline, causing unemployment to rise by 0.9 percentage points. In comparison, Regional NSW saw employment fall by 1.2%, labour force contract by 0.8%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insights into potential future demand within Barham. These projections estimate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Barham's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.4% over five years and 11.7% over ten years.

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 ending June 2023 shows median income in Barham suburb is $39,413 and average income is $47,891. This compares to Regional NSW's median of $52,390 and average of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth from June 2023 to September 2025 (an estimated increase of 8.86%), current income estimates for Barham would be approximately $42,905 median and $52,134 average as of September 2025. Census data indicates household, family, and personal incomes in Barham fall between the 3rd and 8th percentiles nationally. Income brackets show largest segment is 29.0% earning $400 - $799 weekly (478 residents), unlike broader area trends where 29.9% earn $1,500 - $2,999 weekly. Prevalence of lower-income residents (41.5% under $800/week) suggests constrained household budgets across much of the area. While housing costs are modest with 90.1% income retained, total disposable income ranks at just 7th percentile nationally.

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

Barham's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 85.0% houses and 15.1% other dwellings. In comparison, Regional NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Barham was at 55.6%, with mortgaged properties at 20.7% and rented ones at 23.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Barham was $1,148, lower than Regional NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure for Barham was recorded as $185, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Barham's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 60.4% of all households, including 15.9% couples with children, 37.1% couples without children, and 6.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 39.6%, with lone person households at 37.4% and group households making up 2.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 13.4%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 10.1%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.0%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 36.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (10.2%) and certificates (26.7%). A total of 21.5% of the population is actively engaged in formal education, with 8.0% in primary, 6.3% in secondary, and 2.5% in tertiary education.

A substantial 21.5% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 8.0% in primary education, 6.3% in secondary education, and 2.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Barham shows that there are currently 55 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 7 individual routes providing service. This results in 72 weekly passenger trips across all routes combined. The accessibility of transport in Barham is rated as good, with residents typically located an average distance of 379 meters from their nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward for work or other purposes. The dominant mode of transportation among residents is the car, used by 87% of them, while 11% prefer walking.

On average, there are 1.4 vehicles owned per dwelling in Barham. According to the 2021 Census data, which may have been influenced by COVID-19 conditions, only a relatively low 12.7% of residents work from home. The service frequency across all routes averages out to approximately 10 trips per day, equating to roughly 1 weekly trip per individual stop.

Barham's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Barham residents have relatively positive health outcomes according to data analysis. Mortality rates and health conditions are broadly in line with national benchmarks. Common health conditions are seen across both young and old age cohorts at a fairly standard level.

Private health cover is extremely low at approximately 46% of the total population (758 people), compared to 51.9% in Regional NSW and 55.7% nationally. The most common medical conditions are arthritis (13.1%) and mental health issues (8.2%). 61.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Regional NSW. Working-age residents have an above-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 39.5% of residents aged 65 and over (651 people), higher than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, ranking even higher than the general population nationally.

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

Barham's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 92.0% of its population being citizens, 91.9% born in Australia, and 96.4% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in Barham is Christianity, comprising 57.7% of the population, compared to 55.9% across Regional NSW. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups are Australian (34.2%), English (33.1%), and Irish (9.8%).

Notably, Sri Lankan ethnicity is overrepresented in Barham at 0.4%, compared to 0.1% regionally, Scottish at 8.7% versus 8.0%, and Australian Aboriginal at 2.5% against a regional average of 4.6%.

Barham ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Barham's median age is 58, which is significantly higher than Regional NSW's figure of 43 and Australia's national average of 38 years. The population aged 65-74 constitutes a strong 20.7%, compared to Regional NSW's figure, while the 35-44 cohort is less prevalent at 7.2%. This concentration of those aged 65-74 is well above the national average of 9.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 65-74 age group has grown from 18.5% to 20.7%, while the 15-24 cohort increased from 6.6% to 8.6%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort has declined from 18.1% to 15.9%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Barham's age profile will evolve significantly. Leading this shift, the 75-84 group is projected to grow by 34%, reaching 265 people from its current figure of 198. This growth is predominantly driven by residents aged 65 and older, who are expected to represent 84% of the total population growth. Conversely, both the 15-24 and 5-14 age groups are projected to decrease in number.