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 ABS population updates for the broader area, as of November 2025, Inverell's estimated population is around 12,474. This reflects an increase of 417 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,057. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 12,279 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with an additional 99 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 60 persons per square kilometer. Inverell's growth rate of 3.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 3.1%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed 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. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises 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. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Inverell is expected to grow by 648 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 3.6% in total over the 17-year period.

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 allocated from statistical area data shows Inverell has experienced around 40 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 200 homes. By FY-26, 11 approvals have been recorded. The average new resident per year per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25 is 0.9, indicating supply meeting or surpassing demand. New homes are being built at an average cost of $509,000, reflecting a focus on the premium segment.

This financial year has seen $27.3 million in commercial approvals, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Rest of NSW, Inverell has slightly more development, 17.0% above regional average per person over the five-year period. Recent construction comprises 58.0% detached dwellings and 42.0% medium and high-density housing, offering choices across price ranges. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 558 people, reflecting Inverell's quiet development environment. Looking ahead, Inverell is expected to grow by 453 residents through to 2041, with current development patterns suggesting new housing supply should readily meet demand.

Looking ahead, Inverell is expected to grow by 453 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). 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.

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

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 13 projects potentially impacting the area. Notable projects include Sapphire City Lifestyle Village, Bunnings Warehouse Inverell, Lake Inverell Recreational Precinct Enhancement (2018-2020), and Inverell Town Centre Renewal Plan (commencing 2021). 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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AreaSearch analysis indicates Inverell maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Inverell has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, well-represented essential services sectors, and an unemployment rate of 3.1%. This rate is 0.8% lower than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%, as of September 2025.

There are 6,145 residents employed in Inverell. The workforce participation rate is somewhat below standard at 52.7%, compared to the Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and retail trade. Manufacturing stands out with employment levels at 2.4 times the regional average.

However, construction is under-represented at 7.6% of Inverell's workforce, compared to 9.7% in Rest of NSW. Many residents commute elsewhere for work, based on Census data. In the 12 months prior, employment increased by 0.1%, labour force by 0.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. Meanwhile, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.5% and labour force decline by 0.1%. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project national growth rates over five and ten years, which can be applied to Inverell's employment mix to estimate local growth patterns. This suggests local employment should increase by 5.7% over five years and 12.6% 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 2023 indicates that Inverell suburb has a median income among taxpayers of $45,263 and an average of $52,563. This is lower than the national average. In comparison, Rest of NSW had a median income of $52,390 and an average of $65,215 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for Inverell as of September 2025 would be approximately $49,273 (median) and $57,220 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Inverell fall between the 12th and 22nd percentiles nationally. Income distribution data shows that 28.3% of locals (3,530 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999, which is consistent with broader regional trends showing 29.9% in the same income category. After housing costs, 85.2% of income remains, 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 dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 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 stood at 37.0%, with the rest either mortgaged (29.5%) or rented (33.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,250, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,100. Median weekly rent in Inverell was $270, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $240. Nationally, Inverell's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,250 vs Australia's 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% that are couples with children, 29.0% that are couples without children, and 13.9% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up 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 matches the average for the Rest of NSW.

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 NSW's average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 10.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.6%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 40.8% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (8.4%) and certificates (32.4%).

Educational participation is notably high at 29.8%, including 12.2% in primary education, 8.9% in secondary education, and 1.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Inverell has 110 active public transport stops. These are served by buses operating along 40 routes that together facilitate 877 weekly passenger trips. The average distance residents live from the nearest stop is 215 meters.

On average, there are 125 trips per day across all routes, which equates to about 7 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%, covering around 5,960 people, compared to the national average of 55.7%.

The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (10.4%) and asthma (9%). About 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 (2,819 people), lower than Rest of NSW's 27.4%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are challenging but better than those for the general population in terms of 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's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 88.1% of its population being citizens, 91.9% born in Australia, and 94.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Inverell, comprising 63.9% of the population, compared to 64.8% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (33.8%), English (31.0%), and Australian Aboriginal (7.9%).

Notably, Samoan, Filipino, and Korean ethnicities have higher representation in Inverell than regionally: Samoan at 0.1% vs 0.1%, Filipino at 0.9% vs 0.4%, and Korean at 0.1% vs 0.1%.

Inverell's median age exceeds the national pattern

Inverell'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 15-24 age group constitutes 12.6% of Inverell's population, compared to a higher percentage in the Rest of NSW. The 55-64 cohort makes up 11.4%. According to data from the 2021 Census, 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 modeling indicates significant changes in Inverell's age profile by 2041. The 25-34 cohort is projected to grow by 16%, adding 238 residents to reach a total of 1,760. Conversely, population declines are expected for the 65-74 and 5-14 cohorts.