Muswellbrook

Muswellbrook is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Muswellbrook is around 12,617, reflecting an increase of 345 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 2.8% increase from the previous population count of 12,272. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimated resident population of 12,612 based on ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and an additional 189 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 46 persons per square kilometer. Muswellbrook's growth rate of 2.8% since the census is within 2.3 percentage points of the non-metro area's growth rate of 5.1%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Natural growth contributed approximately 65.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Considering these projections, the suburb is expected to expand by 596 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 4.7% over the 17-year period.

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

Muswellbrook has received approximately 30 dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 154 homes were approved, with an additional 28 approved in FY-26. On average, each new dwelling accommodates about 0.8 new residents per year over the past five financial years.

This suggests that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost value of new properties is approximately $472,000.

In FY-26 alone, there have been $22.2 million in commercial approvals, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. The majority of new developments consist of detached dwellings (94%), with medium and high-density housing making up the remaining 6%. This preserves Muswellbrook's low-density nature and attracts space-seeking buyers. With an estimated 376 people per dwelling approval, the area maintains a quiet, low activity development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Muswellbrook is projected to add around 590 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Muswellbrook has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 19 projects likely impacting the region. Key projects include Eastbrook Links Estate, Muswellbrook Solar Farm, Muswellbrook Marketplace Redevelopment, and Muswellbrook Clean Industries Precinct (MCIP). 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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Employment drivers in Muswellbrook are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Muswellbrook has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, prominent manufacturing and industrial sectors, and an unemployment rate of 7.5% as per AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation. As of June 2025, there are 5,504 employed residents, with the unemployment rate at 3.8%, which is 0.1% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%.

Workforce participation stands at 58.9%, comparable to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key employment sectors include mining, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Mining shows significant concentration with employment levels at 9.2 times the regional average. Conversely, health care & social assistance is relatively lower at 10.4% compared to the regional average of 16.9%.

The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.7, indicating ample local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Muswellbrook's labour force decreased by 4.4%, with a corresponding 4.2% employment decline, leading to a slight unemployment rate drop of 0.2 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment contracted by 0.1%, the 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 overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Muswellbrook's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.2% over five years and 11.8% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Muswellbrook had a median income among taxpayers of $54,689. The average level stood at $70,561. This was higher than the national average and compared to levels of $49,459 and $62,998 across Rest of NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $61,585 (median) and $79,459 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all ranked modestly in Muswellbrook, between the 40th and 41st percentiles. Income analysis revealed that the largest segment comprised 32.6% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (4,113 residents), reflecting patterns seen in the region where 29.9% similarly occupied this range. After housing, 85.1% of income remained for other expenses.

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

In Muswellbrook, as per the latest Census, 87.6% of dwellings were houses and 12.5% were other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments. This is unlike Non-Metro NSW which had no reported houses or other dwellings at the time of the Census. Home ownership in Muswellbrook stood at 27.2%, with mortgaged properties at 33.9% and rented ones at 39%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, aligning with Non-Metro NSW's average. The median weekly rent was $310, while Non-Metro NSW reported no rent figures at the time of the Census. Nationally, Muswellbrook's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Muswellbrook has a typical household mix, with a median household size of 2.5 people

Family households constitute 67.5% of all households, including 27.7% couples with children, 24.7% couples without children, and 14.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 32.5%, with lone person households at 29.6% and group households making up 3.0%. The median household size is 2.5 people.

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

The area has educational challenges with university qualification rates at 11.0%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 8.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.7%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 44.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (8.0%) and certificates (36.5%).

Educational participation is high at 32.6%, including primary education (13.2%), secondary education (9.0%), and tertiary education (2.2%). There are seven schools operating in Muswellbrook, educating approximately 2,090 students. The area has varied educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 916. The educational mix includes five primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. There are 16.6 school places per 100 residents, indicating strong educational infrastructure serving both local and surrounding communities. Note: for schools showing 'n/a' in enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Muswellbrook has 362 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are served by 35 routes that facilitate 1,193 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 116 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency is 170 trips per day across all routes, equating to about three weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Muswellbrook faces significant health challenges, as indicated by data from 2018-2020.

The prevalence of common health conditions is notable across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 55% of Muswellbrook's total population (~6,916 people) has private health cover. Asthma and mental health issues are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 10.3% and 10.3% of residents respectively. Conversely, 64.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 0% across Rest of NSW. As of 2018-2020, 15.1% of Muswellbrook's residents are aged 65 and over (1,905 people). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Muswellbrook had a cultural diversity index below the average, with 88.3% of its population being Australian citizens, 90.5% born in Australia, and 94.7% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion was Christianity, accounting for 58.0% of Muswellbrook's population, compared to None% across the Rest of NSW. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were Australian (34.0%), English (29.4%), and Australian Aboriginal (9.2%).

Notably, Maori (0.5%) was overrepresented in Muswellbrook compared to None% regionally, as were Macedonian (0.1%) and Samoan (0.1%).

Muswellbrook's population is younger than the national pattern

Muswellbrook's median age is 35 years, which is significantly below the Rest of NSW average of 43 and somewhat younger than the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented at 15.2% locally, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 8.5%. Following the Census conducted on 2021-08-10, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 4.2% to 5.0% of the population. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 15.3% to 14.2%. Demographic modeling suggests that Muswellbrook's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041-07-01. The 75 to 84 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 65%, adding 411 residents to reach 1,042. Demographic aging continues as residents aged 65 and older represent 56% of anticipated growth. Population declines are projected for the 65 to 74 and 45 to 54 cohorts.