Coonabarabran

Coonabarabran has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

As of February 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Coonabarabran is around 3,494 people. This reflects an increase of 17 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,477 people. The increase was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 3,481 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 9 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3.7 persons per square kilometer. The suburb's 0.5% growth since the census positions it within 2.7 percentage points of the SA4 region (3.2%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was primarily responsible for population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are utilized, 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. According to these projections, the suburb's population is expected to decline by 314 persons by 2041. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, notably a projected increase of 49 people in the 85 and over age group.

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

Coonabarabran has seen limited development activity with an average of two approvals per year over five years (12 approvals in total). This low level reflects the rural nature of the area, where development is driven by local housing needs rather than broad market demand. Note that yearly growth figures and relativities can vary considerably due to the low approval numbers.

Coonabarabran has significantly less construction activity compared to Rest of NSW and national patterns. All new constructions in the area have been detached dwellings, maintaining its rural nature with emphasis on space. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 1161 people, indicating a quiet, low activity development environment. Given stable or declining population forecasts, Coonabarabran may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Given stable or declining population forecasts, Coonabarabran may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

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

No local infrastructure projects are expected to impact the area, according to AreaSearch's findings. Key initiatives include Inland Rail from Narromine to Narrabri, Castlereagh Country Regional Drought Resilience Plan, Tallawang Solar Farm and Battery project, and Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone Transmission Project.

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

Coonabarabran has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar employment. Essential services sectors are well represented, with an unemployment rate of 5.2%, as per AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation. As of September 2025, there are 1,354 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 1.4% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Coonabarabran stands at 49.1%, significantly lower than Rest of NSW's 61.5%. Census responses indicate that only 11.1% of residents work from home, although Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The leading employment industries among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and agriculture, forestry & fishing. Coonabarabran has a notably high concentration in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with employment levels at 2.2 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction employs just 5.2% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 9.7%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as suggested by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Coonabarabran's labour force decreased by 4.5% alongside a 5.8% employment decline, causing unemployment to rise by 1.4 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.5% and a labour force decline of 0.1%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insight into potential future demand within Coonabarabran. National employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Coonabarabran's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, although these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023 shows that Coonabarabran had a median income among taxpayers of $43,176 and an average level of $53,066. These figures are lower than national averages of $52,390 and $65,215 for Rest of NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $47,001 (median) and $57,768 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes in Coonabarabran all fall between the 10th percentile nationally. The data shows that the $800 - 1,499 earnings band captures 28.2% of the community (985 individuals), which differs from regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 29.9%. While housing costs are modest with 90.3% of income retained, total disposable income ranks at just the 17th percentile nationally.

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

Coonabarabran's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, comprised 94.4% houses and 5.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Coonabarabran was 49.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.6% and rented ones at 25.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,000, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Coonabarabran was $210, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330 and the national average of $375. Nationally, Coonabarabran's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,000 versus Australia's average of $1,863.

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

Family households account for 65.7 percent of all households, including 19.5 percent couples with children, 31.2 percent couples without children, and 13.6 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 34.3 percent, with lone person households at 32.5 percent and group households comprising 2.0 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 16.3%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.1%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 41.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 10.1% and certificates at 31.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.8% in primary education, 11.3% in secondary education, and 2.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Coonabarabran has 165 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 22 individual routes, providing a total of 169 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents located an average of 213 meters from the nearest stop. In this primarily residential area, most commuters travel outward. The dominant mode of transport is car, used by 90% of residents, while 8% walk. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a relatively low 11.1% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 24 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Health performance in Coonabarabran is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Coonabarabran faces significant health challenges, according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are substantial across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, at approximately 48% of the total population (~1,676 people), compared to 51.9% in Rest of NSW and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (13.3%) and asthma (8.4%). However, 58.8% of residents claim to be completely free from medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Rest of NSW. Working-age population health is notably challenging due to high chronic condition rates. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over (30.7%, or 1,072 people), compared to Rest of NSW's 23.4%. Senior health outcomes present challenges, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

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

Coonabarabran, surveyed in 2016, showed low cultural diversity with 83.4% citizens, 92.3% born in Australia, and 96.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated Coonabarabran's religion at 63.8%, compared to 55.9% regionally (Rest of NSW). Ancestry wise, Australian was the top group at 32.4%, followed by English at 31.6%, and Australian Aboriginal at 9.8%, higher than regional average of 4.6%.

Serbian, Lebanese, and Irish groups were notably present in Coonabarabran: Serbian at 0.2% (vs 0.2%), Lebanese at 0.2% (vs 0.2%), and Irish at 7.7% (vs 8.8%).

Coonabarabran ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Coonabarabran has a median age of 50, which is higher than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and well above the national average of 38. The proportion of people aged 85 or over is 5.4%, compared to 2.9% in the Rest of NSW, while those aged 25-34 make up 8.6%. According to the 2021 Census, the percentage of people aged 75-84 has increased from 9.2% to 10.5%, but the proportion of those aged 45-54 has decreased from 11.6% to 10.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Coonabarabran's age profile. The number of people aged 85 or over is expected to grow by 57 (30%) to reach 246. The combined population growth for those aged 65 and over will account for all total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. Conversely, populations in the 35-44 and 45-54 age groups are projected to decline.