Goonellabah

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

By Nov 2025, Goonellabah's population is estimated at around 13,771, reflecting an increase of 420 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 3.1% rise from the previous population figure of 13,351. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 13,694 following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and an additional 191 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 595 persons per square kilometer. Goonellabah's growth rate of 3.1% since the 2021 census exceeded that of its SA3 area at 0.5%, positioning it as a growth leader regionally. Overseas migration contributed approximately 44.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with other factors such as interstate migration and natural growth also being positive contributors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 using a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Based on these aggregations and demographic trends, the suburb is expected to increase its population by 917 persons to reach around 14,688 by 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 6.7% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Goonellabah when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, indicates Goonellabah has experienced approximately 60 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 304 homes. As of FY-26, 28 approvals have been recorded. This results in an average of around 1.7 new residents arriving per new home annually between FY-21 and FY-25, suggesting a balanced supply and demand with stable market conditions. The average construction value for new properties is approximately $412,000, aligning with regional trends.

In FY-26, $5.3 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating limited commercial development focus. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Goonellabah records 59.0% more development activity per person, offering buyers greater choice. However, building activity has slowed in recent years. Recent construction comprises 80.0% detached houses and 20.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

With around 301 people per dwelling approval, Goonellabah shows characteristics of a low density area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Goonellabah is projected to add 926 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Goonellabah has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 22 projects likely affecting the region. Key initiatives include Platypus Park Residential Development, Invercauld Road Subdivision at 226 Invercauld Road, Goonellabah Urban Release Area at 1055 Bruxner Highway, and Points North Estate. 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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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.5%, Goonellabah has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Goonellabah has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 3.5%.

This is 0.1% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%, with similar workforce participation at 56.4%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training. Goonellabah shows strong specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 2.7% compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%.

Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by Census working population vs resident population data. In the 12 months prior, labour force decreased by 4.8%, employment declined by 3.6%, leading to a 1.2 percentage point drop in unemployment rate. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment contracted by 0.1%, labour force grew by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Goonellabah's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 14.2% over ten years.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022, Goonellabah had a median income among taxpayers of $46,242. The average income was $59,190. Both figures are below the national averages of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively for Rest of NSW. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Goonellabah would be approximately $52,073 (median) and $66,654 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows household, family and personal incomes in Goonellabah rank modestly, between the 21st and 29th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that the largest segment comprises 31.4% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (4,324 residents), similar to the broader area where this cohort represents 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Goonellabah, with only 83.7% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 21st percentile.

Goonellabah is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in Goonellabah, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 77.8% houses and 22.2% other dwellings such as semi-detached properties, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Non-Metro NSW's dwelling structure of 86.8% houses and 13.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Goonellabah stood at 37.1%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (33.0%) or rented (29.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,560, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,452. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $320, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $300. Nationally, Goonellabah's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 65.3% of all households, including 24.1% couples with children, 25.6% couples without children, and 14.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 34.7%, with lone person households at 31.3% and group households making up 3.5%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which matches the average for the Rest of NSW.

Educational outcomes in Goonellabah fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 21.3%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.0% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.0%) and certificates (28.0%). Educational participation is high at 28.2%, comprising 9.8% in primary, 7.6% in secondary, and 3.9% in tertiary education.

Goonellabah's 4 schools have a combined enrollment of 1,331 students with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 953) and balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 1 primary, 1 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. School places per 100 residents are 9.7, below the regional average of 15.3, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

The analysis indicates that Goonellabah has 298 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 44 different routes, providing a total of 685 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of the transport system is rated as excellent, with residents on average located just 111 meters from their nearest stop.

On average, each route provides 97 trips per day, which equates to approximately two weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Goonellabah faces significant health challenges, as indicated by its health data. Both younger and older age groups have high prevalence rates for common health conditions.

Approximately 50% of Goonellabah's total population (~6,936 people) has private health cover, compared to the Rest of NSW's rate of 47.4%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 11.2 and 10.0% of residents respectively. However, 59.6% of residents claim to be completely free from medical ailments, compared to 61.9% across the Rest of NSW. As of a recent report (date not specified), 22.0% of Goonellabah's residents are aged 65 and over (3,029 people). The health outcomes among seniors in the area present some challenges, generally aligning with the overall population's health profile.

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

Goonellabah, as per the data from 2016 Census, had a population with low cultural diversity: 91.3% were Australian citizens, 89.8% were born in Australia, and 93.5% spoke English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, practiced by 55.2% of Goonellabah's residents. Notably, the 'Other' religious category comprised 1.6%, higher than the Rest of NSW average of 1.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were Australian (30.1%), English (30.0%), and Irish (9.3%). Some ethnic groups had significant representation differences: Australian Aboriginal was at 5.3% in Goonellabah compared to 4.6% regionally, Scottish at 8.0% versus 8.5%, and Italian at 3.2% against 2.6%.

Goonellabah hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Goonellabah's median age is 41 years, which is lower than the Rest of NSW average of 43 but exceeds the national average of 38. The 0-4 age group comprises 6.8% of Goonellabah's population, higher than the Rest of NSW figure, while the 65-74 cohort makes up 11.1%, lower than the Rest of NSW percentage. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 0-4 age group has increased from 5.9% to 6.8% of Goonellabah's population. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort has decreased from 12.3% to 11.5%. Demographic projections indicate significant changes in Goonellabah's age profile by 2041. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow strongly at 18%, adding 308 residents to reach a total of 2,030. In contrast, population declines are forecast for the 65-74 and 55-64 cohorts.