Walgett

Walgett has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

As of November 2025, Walgett's population is estimated at around 1,918 people. This figure reflects an increase of 94 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,824 people. The current estimate is based on AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and analysis of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), resulting in a resident population of 1,917. This level of population density translates to approximately 0.30 persons per square kilometer. Walgett's growth rate since the 2021 Census was 5.2%, surpassing both the SA3 area (2.6%) and the SA4 region, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed around 70% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is utilising ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch employs NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 using 2021 as the base year. These projections indicate a decline in overall population for Walgett over the period from 2025 to 2041, with an expected reduction of 535 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are anticipated to grow, notably the 85 and over age group, projected to increase by 12 people during this timeframe.

The level of residential development activity in Walgett is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Walgett has had minimal residential development activity, with less than one dwelling approval annually over a five-year period (one dwelling in total). This low level of development reflects the rural nature of Walgett, where housing needs are typically addressed on an individual basis rather than driven by broader market demand. It should be noted that the small sample size can significantly impact annual growth and relative statistics.

Compared to Rest of NSW and national averages, Walgett has substantially lower levels of residential development. Given stable or declining population forecasts for Walgett, there may be less housing pressure in the area, potentially creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Given stable or declining population forecasts, Walgett may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Walgett has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 23rdth percentile nationally

No changes can influence an area's performance more than modifications to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. Zero projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could potentially impact the area. Key projects include Inland Rail - Narromine to Narrabri, Macquarie-Castlereagh Alluvium Water Resource Plan, Castlereagh Country Regional Drought Resilience Plan, and Newell Highway Upgrade. The following list details those likely to be 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.

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

Walgett has a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 6.2% as of June 2025, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

In June 2025882 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 2.5% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation in Walgett lagged significantly at 43.5%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. The dominant employment sectors among residents included agriculture, forestry & fishing, public administration & safety, and education & training. Walgett showed strong specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing with an employment share of 4.2 times the regional level.

However, construction had limited presence at 4.0%, compared to the regional level of 9.7%. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities based on the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Walgett's labour force decreased by 0.5% and employment decreased by 3.1%, leading to a rise in unemployment by 2.5 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.1% and labour force growth of 0.3%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 could provide further insight into potential future demand within Walgett. These projections estimated national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differed significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Walgett's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 5.5% over five years and 12.0% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not account for localized population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Walgett's median income among taxpayers was $61,884 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $74,191 during the same period. In comparison, Rest of NSW had median and average incomes of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. By September 2025, based on a 12.61% increase from financial year 2022 using the Wage Price Index, estimated median and average incomes for Walgett would be approximately $69,688 and $83,546 respectively. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Walgett ranked modestly between the 38th and 53rd percentiles. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 dominated with 31.2% of residents (598 people), similar to the broader area where 29.9% occupied this bracket. Housing costs were manageable with 91.4% retained, but disposable income was below average at the 47th percentile. Walgett's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 4th decile.

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

Walgett's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.1% houses and 7.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 90.0% houses and 10.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Walgett stood at 29.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 22.7% and rented ones at 47.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $970, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,000 and the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent in Walgett was $175, lower than Non-Metro NSW's $180 and the national figure of $375.

Walgett has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 69.1% of all households, including 20.9% couples with children, 29.1% couples without children, and 15.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 30.9%, with lone person households at 28.1% and group households comprising 2.3% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.3.

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

Walgett's residents aged 15+ have a university degree participation rate of 23.3%, compared to NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 18.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational credentials are held by 46.3% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 14.6% and certificates at 31.7%. Educational participation is high, with 50.4% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (22.2%), secondary (13.0%), and tertiary (6.3%).

Walgett's three schools have a combined enrollment of 353 students as of the latest data point. The area has varied educational conditions, with an ICSEA value of 730. Educational provision is balanced, with two primary schools and one secondary school serving distinct age groups.

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

Walgett has 70 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These are served by 10 different routes, providing a total of 99 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 169 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

On average, there are 14 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

The level of general health in Walgett is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Walgett demonstrates above-average health outcomes with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover in Walgett is very high at approximately 56% of the total population (~1,078 people), compared to 50.1% across Rest of NSW.

The most common medical conditions are asthma and diabetes, impacting 8.3 and 6.5% of residents respectively, while 71.6% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 65.9% across Rest of NSW. As of the latest data (2021), Walgett has 15.1% of residents aged 65 and over (289 people), which is lower than the 20.2% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Walgett had a cultural diversity below average, with 61.0% citizens, 93.5% born in Australia, and 93.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, at 60.6%, compared to 67.2% across Rest of NSW. Top ancestry groups were Australian (28.0%), Australian Aboriginal (26.0%, higher than regional average of 18.4%), and English (21.1%).

Welsh (0.7%) was notably overrepresented compared to regional average (0.3%), as were French (0.4% vs 0.2%) and Irish (7.9% vs 8.0%).

Walgett's population is younger than the national pattern

Walgett'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, Walgett has a notably over-represented cohort of 25-34 year-olds at 15.2%, while the 75-84 year-old group is under-represented at 4.3%. According to the 2021 Census, the 0-4 age group grew from 7.8% to 9.1% of Walgett's population, while the 55-64 cohort declined from 14.3% to 13.5%. Demographic modeling suggests that Walgett's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 85+ cohort is projected to show the strongest growth at 62%, adding 11 residents to reach 31. This demographic aging continues as residents aged 65 and older represent 100% of anticipated population growth, while declines are projected for the 75-84 and 0-4 cohorts.