Macksville

Macksville has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

As of November 2025, Macksville's population is estimated at around 2,902 people. This reflects an increase from the 2021 Census figure of 2,782 people, a rise of approximately 4.3%. The current estimate is based on AreaSearch validation of new addresses and examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024, which estimated Macksville's population at 2,889 including surrounding areas applied by AreaSearch. An additional 71 validated new addresses have been identified since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of approximately 261 persons per square kilometer for Macksville. Over the past decade ending in June 2024, Macksville has demonstrated consistent growth patterns with an average annual growth rate of 1.0%.

Interstate migration contributed significantly to this growth, accounting for roughly 89% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024, based on the 2022 Census year, for SA2 areas covered by this data. For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022, with a base year of 2021, are utilized. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Macksville is expected to grow by approximately 8.7% from its current population by the year 2041, adding around 274 persons over this period. This projected growth rate is slightly below the median for regional areas nationally.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Macksville recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Macksville shows approximately 24 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 120 homes. As of FY-26, five approvals have been recorded. The average population increase per dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25 was 0.9 people, indicating that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and potential for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction value of new homes is $420,000, in line with regional trends.

Commercial approvals registered this financial year totalled $50.3 million, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Macksville has 53.0% more construction activity per person. Building activity has slowed recently, with new activity showing 74.0% standalone homes and 26.0% medium and high-density housing. This preserves the area's low density nature, attracting space-seeking buyers. It represents a shift from the existing housing stock, which is currently 91.0% houses.

The location has approximately 192 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Macksville is expected to grow by 251 residents through to 2041, based on AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. Current development patterns suggest that new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

No infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as likely to impact the area. Key projects include Pacific Highway Upgrade: Hexham To Brisbane, Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, Corridor Preservation For East Coast High Speed Rail, and Queensland New South Wales Interconnector.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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

Macksville has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, prominent essential services sectors, an unemployment rate of 5.3% as of June 2025, and estimated employment growth of 2%. The unemployment rate is 1.6% higher than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%, while workforce participation is lower at 43.2% compared to the regional average of 56.4%.

Key industries for Macksville residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training, with a particular specialization in health care & social assistance (1.4 times the regional level). Professional & technical services have limited presence at 2.9% compared to the regional average of 5.1%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2%, while labour force grew by 0.9%, leading to a decrease in unemployment by 1 percentage point.

In contrast, the Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.1%, labour force expand by 0.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Macksville's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, although these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

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

Macksville's median income among taxpayers was $37,472 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $46,519 during the same period. These figures are lower than those for Rest of NSW, which were $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. By September 2025, estimates based on a 12.61% Wage Price Index growth suggest Macksville's median income will be approximately $42,197 and the average will be around $52,385. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Macksville fell between the 2nd and 4th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile showed that the largest segment comprised 32.7% of residents earning between $800 and $1,499 weekly. This is unlike the surrounding region where the $1,500 to $2,999 category dominated at 29.9%. Economic circumstances indicated widespread financial pressure, with 40.3% of households operating on modest weekly budgets below $800. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 81.5% of income remaining for residents, ranking at the 3rd percentile nationally.

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

In Macksville, according to the latest Census evaluation, 91.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 8.8% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 88.8% houses and 11.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Macksville stood at 43.9%, with mortgaged properties at 26.1% and rented ones at 30.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,330. The median weekly rent in Macksville was $320, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $300. Nationally, Macksville's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 65.0% of all households, including 20.5% couples with children, 26.2% couples without children, and 16.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 35.0%, with lone person households at 31.6% and group households comprising 3.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which matches the average for the Rest of NSW.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 11.5%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.3%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 39.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 8.6% and certificates at 31.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.6% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 1.9% pursuing tertiary education. Macksville's four schools have a combined enrollment of 951 students. The area has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 952) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with two primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. A specialist school caters to specific learning needs. The area functions as an education hub, with 32.8 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 moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Macksville has 19 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 52 individual routes, facilitating 671 weekly passenger trips in total. The accessibility of transport is rated good, with residents generally located 266 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 95 trips per day, translating to approximately 35 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Macksville is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Macksville faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, at approximately 45% of the total population (~1,318 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.6%) and mental health issues (10.1%). However, 56.4% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 58.0%. Macksville has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 28.5% (827 people), compared to the general population's health profile.

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

Macksville's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 90.7% of its population being citizens born in Australia who speak English only at home. The majority religion in Macksville is Christianity, practiced by 60.0% of the population, compared to 54.2% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups based on country of birth of parents are Australian (33.5%), English (31.5%), and Irish (8.1%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal people are overrepresented in Macksville at 7.1%, compared to 7.5% regionally, while Maori representation is higher at 0.4% (vs regional 0.2%) and Maltese representation is lower at 0.3% (vs regional 0.4%).

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

Macksville's median age is 46, which is slightly higher than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 and significantly higher than Australia's national norm of 38. The 75-84 age group represents 10.5% of Macksville's population, compared to Rest of NSW, while the 45-54 cohort makes up 9.1%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 9.0% to 12.1%, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 13.9% to 12.2%, and the 25 to 34 group has dropped from 11.0% to 9.7%. By 2041, Macksville's age composition is expected to shift notably. The 45 to 54 group is projected to grow by 31% (82 people), reaching 347 from 264. Meanwhile, the 15 to 24 and 55 to 64 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.