Inverell

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

Based on analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the estimated population of Inverell as of November 2025 is around 12,354. This reflects an increase of 297 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,057. The change is inferred from the resident population of 12,279 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest Estimated Resident Population (ERP) data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 99 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 59 persons per square kilometer, providing ample space per person. Over the past decade, Inverell has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.4%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 74.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, as well as the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for areas not covered by ABS data. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Anticipating future population dynamics, the suburb is expected to grow by just below the median of national non-metropolitan areas, with an increase of 648 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 4.6% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Inverell has received around 40 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years. This totals approximately 200 homes. As of FY-26, seven approvals have been recorded. The average new resident per year per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25 is 0.9, suggesting supply meets or exceeds demand, offering greater buyer choice and supporting potential population growth.

The average construction value of new homes is $509,000. Commercial approvals in Inverell this financial year amount to $27.3 million, indicating moderate commercial development levels. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Inverell has slightly higher development activity, 17.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. This balances buyer choice with support for current property values but shows moderation in recent periods. The area's development activity is below the national average, suggesting its established nature and potential planning limitations.

New building activity comprises 58.0% detached houses and 42.0% attached dwellings, expanding medium-density options and creating a mix of housing opportunities across price brackets. This shift reflects reduced availability of development sites and addresses changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements, differing from the current housing mix of 88.0% houses. The estimated population per dwelling approval in Inverell is 558 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Inverell is projected to grow by 573 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Inverell has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 13 projects likely to impact this area. Key projects include New Residential Areas Structure Plans, Sapphire City Lifestyle Village, Bunnings Warehouse Inverell, and Gwydir Highway Improvements, Inverell Town Centre. 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.

The employment environment in Inverell shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Inverell has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. Its unemployment rate was 2.5% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 4.2%.

As of June 2025, 6,255 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.1% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation was somewhat lower at 52.7%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries included health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and retail trade. Manufacturing had a particularly notable concentration with employment levels at 2.4 times the regional average.

Meanwhile, construction had limited presence with 7.6% employment compared to 9.7% regionally. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the 12-month period ending Sep-22, employment increased by 4.2% while labour force grew by 3.3%, causing unemployment rate to fall by 0.8 percentage points. This contrasted 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 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Inverell's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 5.7% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, although this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not account for localised population projections.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

Inverell's median income among taxpayers in financial year 2022 was $45,263. The average income stood at $52,563 during the same period. For comparison, Rest of NSW had median and average incomes of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively in that year. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated median and average incomes for Inverell as of September 2025 would be approximately $50,971 and $59,191 respectively. According to Census 2021 income data, household, family, and personal incomes in Inverell all fall between the 12th and 22nd percentiles nationally. In terms of income distribution, 28.3% of locals (3,496 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999, which is similar to the broader area where 29.9% occupy this range. After housing costs, 85.2% of income remains in Inverell, ranking at the 14th percentile nationally.

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

Inverell's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, comprised 87.8% houses and 12.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 93.0% houses and 6.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Inverell was at 37.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.5% and rented ones at 33.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,250, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,100. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $270, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $240. Nationally, Inverell's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 66.5% of all households, including 22.4% couples with children, 29.0% couples without children, and 13.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 33.5%, with lone person households at 30.7% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the Rest of NSW average.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 13.5%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.6%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 40.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (8.4%) and certificates (32.4%). Educational participation is high at 29.8%, including primary education (12.2%), secondary education (8.9%), and tertiary education (1.9%).

Inverell has a robust school network of 6 schools educating approximately 2,520 students, with varied educational conditions (ICSEA: 917). The schools include 3 primary, 2 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. The area functions as an education hub with 20.4 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 13.1, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

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

Inverell has 35 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are serviced by 12 individual routes that collectively provide 112 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 336 meters from the nearest transport stop.

Service frequency averages 16 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 3 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Inverell faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, at approximately 48% (~5,902 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (10.4%) and asthma (9.0%). A total of 63.6% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the Rest of NSW's 61.0%. Inverell has 22.6% of residents aged 65 and over (2,792 people), lower than the Rest of NSW's 27.4%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are challenging, though they perform better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Inverell had a cultural diversity level below average, with 88.1% citizens, 91.9% born in Australia, and 94.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 63.9% of Inverell's population, compared to 64.8% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (33.8%), English (31.0%), and Australian Aboriginal (7.9%).

Notably, Samoan (0.1%) was overrepresented in Inverell compared to the regional average, as were Filipino (0.9%) and Korean (0.1%).

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

Inverell's median age is 41 years, lower than the Rest of NSW average of 43 but higher than the national average of 38. The 15-24 age group comprises 12.6% of Inverell's population, compared to the Rest of NSW figure. The 55-64 cohort makes up 11.4%. Post-Census data from 2021 shows that the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.7% to 12.6%, while the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 13.7% to 12.7%. Demographic projections indicate significant changes in Inverell's age profile by 2041. The 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 17%, adding 252 residents to reach a total of 1,760. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5-14 and 15-24 cohorts.