Bourkelands

Population growth drivers in Bourkelands are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

The estimated population of the suburb of Bourkelands is around 3,141 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 28 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,113 people. The change was inferred from the resident population of 3,104 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 3 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,495 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Bourkelands has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.6%, outpacing the SA4 region. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by natural growth that contributed approximately 58% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising 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. Moving forward with demographic trends, a population increase just below the median of regional areas across the nation is expected. The suburb is expected to grow by 189 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 7.4% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Bourkelands according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Bourkelands experienced limited development activity between 2016 and 2020, averaging one approval per year for residential dwellings. This resulted in a total of nine dwellings approved over the five-year period. The rural nature of Bourkelands drives its low development levels, with housing needs typically prioritized over broader market demand.

Notably, individual projects can significantly impact annual growth statistics due to the small number of approvals. Compared to Rest of NSW and national averages, Bourkelands has much lower development activity. The building activity shows an equal split between detached (50%) and attached dwellings (50%), reflecting a shift from the current housing mix of 94% houses. This change is attributed to reduced availability of development sites and evolving lifestyle demands. As of around 1592 people per approval, Bourkelands indicates a mature, established area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Bourkelands is expected to grow by 232 residents by 2041.

If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Bourkelands has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects expected to impact the area. Notable projects are Rowan Village, Lake Albert Water Sports and Event Precinct, Wagga Wagga Special Activation Precinct, and Active Travel Plan - Plumpton Road Section. 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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Bourkelands performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Bourkelands has a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 2.0%, lower than the Rest of NSW's 3.8%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.6%.

As of September 2025, 1,741 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.9% and workforce participation at 73.6%, higher than the Rest of NSW's 61.5%. Only 9.8% of residents work from home. The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Bourkelands has a particular specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

However, agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 1.7%, compared to the regional average of 5.3%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, employment increased by 4.6% while labour force increased by 5.2%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, the Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.5%, labour force contract by 0.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates varying significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Bourkelands' employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that income in Bourkelands is among the highest in Australia. The median assessed income is $67,728 and the average income stands at $82,615. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $52,390 and the average income is $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $73,729 (median) and $89,935 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows that household, family and personal incomes in Bourkelands all rank highly nationally, between the 78th and 78th percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 37.7% of locals (1,184 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to the regional figure of 29.9%. After housing costs, residents retain 87.9% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

In Bourkelands, as per the latest Census evaluation, 94.3% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 5.7% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bourkelands stood at 30.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 44.1% and rented ones at 25.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, aligning with Non-Metro NSW's average. Weekly rent median was $360, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Bourkelands' mortgage repayments were lower at $1,733 than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were also lower at $360 compared to the national figure of $375.

Bourkelands features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 79.5% of all households, including 39.7% couples with children, 28.6% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 20.5%, with lone person households at 18.8% and group households comprising 1.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Bourkelands demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates of 26.8% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the SA4 region average of 18.7% and the SA3 area rate of 20.4%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 18.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 37.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (11.8%) and certificates (25.6%).

Educational participation is high, with 33.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 12.2% in primary, 9.4% in secondary, and 4.6% in tertiary education.

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

Bourkelands has 16 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 17 different routes, offering a total of 294 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents on average living 274 meters from the nearest stop. Bourkelands is mainly residential, and most commuters travel outward; cars remain the primary mode of transport at 98%. On average, there are 1.7 vehicles per dwelling, higher than the regional norm. According to the 2021 Census, only 9.8% of residents work from home, which might be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 42 trips per day, translating to about 18 weekly trips per individual stop.

Bourkelands's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with the level of common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical, though higher than the nation's average among older cohorts

Bourkelands's health metrics are close to national benchmarks, based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence indicate that the level of common health conditions among Bourkelands residents is somewhat typical but higher than the national average among older cohorts.

Private health cover is exceptionally high in Bourkelands, with approximately 60% of the total population (1,870 people) having it, compared to 51.9% across Rest of NSW. The most common medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, impacting 9.4 and 7.6% of residents respectively, while 70.3% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among the working-age population in Bourkelands are broadly typical. The area has 13.4% of residents aged 65 and over (420 people), which is lower than the 23.4% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, though they rank lower nationally than the broader population.

Bourkelands ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Bourkelands was found to have a below average cultural diversity, with 84.6% of its population born in Australia, 90.7% being citizens, and 86.6% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Bourkelands is Christianity, comprising 68.3% of the population, compared to 55.9% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups are English (29.2%), Australian (28.7%), and Irish (9.1%).

Notably, Indian (4.0%) and South African (0.6%) populations are overrepresented in Bourkelands compared to the regional averages of 0.6% and 0.2%, respectively. Additionally, Russian ancestry is present at 0.3%, slightly higher than the regional average of 0.2%.

Bourkelands's population is younger than the national pattern

Bourkelands has a median age of 34, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and significantly lower than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented in Bourkelands at 15.0%, while the 75-84 year-olds are under-represented at 3.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 13.5% to 15.0% of Bourkelands' population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 13.4% to 12.0%. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, Bourkelands' age profile will evolve significantly. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to expand by 100 people (21%) from 471 to 572. Conversely, both the 55 to 64 and 65 to 74 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.