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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
The median house price in Wallerawang is $612k, with units at $417k. House values have moved 5.7% a year compounded over five years.
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
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Wallerawang has an estimated 2,010 residents. Density is about 30 people per square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
As of Aug 2026, the suburb of Wallerawang has an estimated population of approximately 2,010, based on AreaSearch assessments of broader regional ABS updates alongside post-Census validated addresses. This figure represents a drop of 9 people (0.4%) compared to the 2,019 people recorded in the 2021 Census. AreaSearch established this trend by evaluating the ABS ERP data from June 2025 showing 1,994 residents, in combination with 33 validated new addresses registered following the Census. The suburb of Wallerawang maintains an uncrowded environment with a density of 30 persons per square kilometer.
This 0.4% contraction contrasts with the wider SA3 area, which expanded by 1.9%. Recent local demographic expansion was predominantly underpinned by overseas arrivals, accounting for roughly 70.0% of cumulative gains. Projections for the suburb of Wallerawang utilize 2024 ABS/Geoscience Australia SA2 models anchored to 2022, supplemented where needed by 2022 NSW State Government releases based in 2021. For the period spanning 2032 to 2041, age-specific growth trajectories from these datasets are incorporated. Demographically, the suburb of Wallerawang is projected to experience expansion slightly below the non-metropolitan national median, adding 225 persons by 2041 under aggregated SA2 calculations, which translates to a 10.4% rise over the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Detail
Building approvals in the area point to very subdued residential construction, recording 3 dwelling approvals annually and totaling 16 approvals over five years. Modest building volumes of this nature align with rural settings where local demand remains limited and infrastructure thresholds restrict major expansion. Given the low transaction count, individual building schemes can generate noticeable statistical variations from year to year. Residential development volumes remain well behind both the national benchmark and the wider Rest of NSW. Approvals over recent periods have been composed exclusively of separate houses, consistent with the spacious lots and rural character of the locality.
A ratio of 443 people per dwelling approval further underlines the subdued scale of local building activity. According to current AreaSearch quarterly estimates, future demographic projections show the locality expanding by 209 residents up to 2041. Should current construction volumes persist, housing supply could lag population growth, which may heighten market competition and place upward pressure on property prices.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Wallerawang
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 4 current infrastructure and development projects inside Wallerawang, worth an estimated $1.63 billion. A further 23 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $3.06 billion. 8 are already under construction and 13 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, communities, precincts & urban renewal and transport & logistics. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local economic and social outcomes are closely linked to infrastructure investments, planning strategies, and major projects. AreaSearch tracks 9 notable projects expected to influence the district, including the Wallerawang 9 Battery Energy Storage System, Great Western Battery, Former Wallerawang Power Station Redevelopment, and Sidey Place, Wallerawang.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Wallerawang 9 Battery Energy Storage System
The Wallerawang 9 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is a utility-scale project located on 20 hectares of the decommissioned Wallerawang Power Station site near Lithgow in Central West NSW. Shell Energy acquired development rights from Greenspot in early 2023 and is progressing a modification application (MOD 1) to the existing State Significant Development approval to increase capacity from 500MW/1,000MWh to 600MW/1,800MWh and reconfigure the site layout. The modification is currently at the More Information Required stage with the NSW Planning Portal.The project will be developed in two stages of up to 300MW each and connects to the adjacent 330kV TransGrid Wallerawang Substation. A Final Investment Decision (FID) is pending completion of grid connection approvals. Construction is expected to take approximately 20 months and create up to 100 peak jobs.
Former Wallerawang Power Station Redevelopment
A 620-hectare transformation of the former Wallerawang Power Station into a multi-use precinct. The masterplan includes 1,260 dwellings, employment zones for 2,500 jobs, a gigawatt-scale data centre campus, and the Wallerawang 9 Battery (600MW/1,975MWh). The project retains iconic infrastructure like the Unit 8 Cooling Tower and leverages 4,300ML water capacity from Lake Wallace. As of May 2026, the project is under a State-assessed rezoning pathway with the NSW Department of Planning, following endorsement in late 2025.The co-located Wallerawang 9 Battery received capacity increase approval in March 2026.
Great Western Battery
The Great Western Battery is a 330 MW / 3,500 MWh grid-scale battery energy storage system by Neoen located in the Lithgow region of NSW, north of Wallerawang. It will provide dispatchable energy and grid stabilization to support the state's transition to renewable energy and is expected to be one of the largest in Australia.
Sidey Place, Wallerawang
Sidey Place is a strata community of 12 new 2 and 3-bedroom homes in duplex arrangements, developed by Kirana Property. Located in the newer part of Wallerawang, it aims to offer an affordable housing option for the Lithgow area, with premium finishes, large open landscaped spaces, and private patios and courtyards.
The Foundations Portland
The Foundations Portland is a landmark adaptive reuse and regeneration project transforming the heritage-listed Portland Cement Works into a regional cultural and residential hub. The 86-hectare masterplanned site features the iconic Guido van Helten silo murals, artisan retail, and event spaces. The project includes the restoration of heritage cottages on Williwa Street and the development of approximately 350 residential lots. This revitalized precinct offers a blend of industrial history and natural beauty, featuring limestone lakes for recreation and spaces for galleries, museums, and boutique hospitality operators.
Bowenfels Rail Viaducts
The Bowenfels rail viaducts are a series of heritage-listed railway viaducts and bridges over Farmers Creek on the Main Western Line at Bowenfels, designed in two stages (1870 by John Whitton and 1921 by New South Wales Government Railways engineering staff), built from 1870 to 1921. The 1870 viaduct is a sandstone structure with nine semi-circular arches for single track, while the 1921 viaduct is a brick arch with six 12.2-meter clear spans for double track, both part of the railway extension to Bathurst and western New South Wales, and accessible from the original Great Western Highway.
Lithgow Area Resignalling (Stage 2)
Upgrade of the signalling system with a new computer-based interlocking system to increase network capacity, meet operational requirements for new trains, and improve reliability and safety. Resignalling work at Lithgow is underway and will take up to three years to complete.
Bowen Vista Estate
Residential subdivision in South Bowenfels. Hynash constructed Stage 3 comprising 10 lots with roads, kerb and gutter, signage, and installation of utilities. Works for Stage 3 commenced January 2016 and were completed by early December 2016.
967 residents of Wallerawang are employed, from a labour force of 998. Unemployment sits at 3.1%, with participation at 61.6%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 5.9% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 1,560, about 78% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
The local labour market features a mix of blue-collar and white-collar roles with substantial representation across essential services, maintaining an unemployment rate of 3.1% according to aggregated statistical area figures from AreaSearch. In March 2026, employed residents numbered 967, and the local jobless rate sat 1.0% lower than the 4.1% recorded for Regional NSW, while participation tracked closely with the regional figure of 60.6%. Census figures indicated that 9.9% of local workers performed their duties from home, an outcome potentially shaped by Covid-19 restrictions. Primary sources of resident employment include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and mining.
Specialization in mining is especially pronounced, where the local concentration reaches 3.9 times that of the broader region. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing accounts for only 1.2% of the local workforce, contrasting with 5.3% across Regional NSW. A comparison of resident workers to local operational positions indicates a modest base of employment opportunities within the immediate area. AreaSearch evaluation of broader ABS and SALM figures indicates that in the twelve months to March 2026, the local workforce contracted by 1.6% alongside a 2.5% reduction in total employment, pushing the jobless rate up by 0.9 percentage points. Over the same timeframe, Regional NSW recorded a 0.9% drop in employment and a 0.4% contraction in the labour pool, resulting in a 0.5 percentage point increase in unemployment. Future labour demand patterns can be evaluated using national industry projections from Jobs and Skills Australia as of Mar-26 across five and ten-year horizons. Across Australia, workforce growth is anticipated to reach 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though sector outcomes vary. Projecting these trends onto the local industry structure suggests local employment gains of 5.9% over five years and 12.7% over ten years, based on illustrative weighting without factoring in localized demographic changes.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Wallerawang is $1,424 a week (about $74,000 a year), with median personal income at $666 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $49,948 a year against an average of $61,270. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
ATO taxpayer records for financial year 2023 compiled by AreaSearch indicate the suburb of Wallerawang recorded a median income of $49,948 and an average of $61,270. These numbers trail the national baseline, as well as Regional NSW's median of $52,390 and average of $65,215. Factoring in subsequent Wage Price Index expansion of 10.32% brings estimated figures as of March 2026 to around $55,103 for the median and $67,593 for the average. Census records place personal, family, and household earnings within the 22nd to 30th percentiles nationally. Looking at income brackets, 31.1% of residents (625 individuals) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 band, matching the regional proportion of 29.9%.
Once housing commitments are met, households retain 85.4% of their earnings for other living costs.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Wallerawang had 744 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 94% detached houses and 1% apartments. 39% are owned with a mortgage, 26% rented and 35% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $275 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,517 a month. Rent absorbs 19.3% of household income here and mortgage repayments 24.6%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
According to Census findings, standalone houses made up 94.1% of local housing stock, with semi-detached properties, apartments, and other categories representing 5.8%, compared to 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings in Regional NSW. Outright home ownership stood at 35.0%, trailing the wider region, while 39.0% of homes were held under a mortgage and 26.0% were rented. The median monthly mortgage payment was $1,517, well below the regional figure of $1,733, and weekly rents averaged $275 compared to $330 regionally. Against nationwide figures, local monthly repayments sit notably under the Australian average of $1,863, with weekly rent tracking significantly below the national benchmark of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Wallerawang counted 744 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.6 people each. 31% are couples with children, against 26% couples without children. 27% of households are people living alone, and families average 2.0 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families constitute 71.0% of local living arrangements, made up of couples with children at 30.5%, childless couples at 26.1%, and single-parent households at 12.4%. Non-family setups make up 29.0%, with single-person living accounting for 26.5% and group arrangements comprising 3.2%. The typical household includes 2.6 people, higher than the Regional NSW baseline of 2.4.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
10.1% of adults in Wallerawang hold a university qualification, including 7.0% with a bachelor degree and 1.4% with postgraduate qualifications, lower than 90% of areas nationally. A further 35.5% hold a vocational qualification. 1 school serves the area, with 208 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 900 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Attainment levels for university credentials remain relatively low at 10.1%, trailing the broader NSW benchmark of 32.2%. Among higher education qualifications, bachelor degrees represent 7.0%, graduate diplomas account for 1.7%, and postgraduate credentials comprise 1.4%. Vocational and technical qualifications are widespread, with 43.6% of residents aged 15+ holding trade credentials, consisting of 8.1% with advanced diplomas and 35.5% with certificates. A significant 29.2% of the local population is engaged in study. Within this group, primary education captures 12.1% of residents, secondary education accounts for 8.5%, and tertiary courses engage 1.9%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Wallerawang reaches 67 stops on 25 routes, timetabled for about 210 services a week. The typical home sits about 190 m from its nearest stop. Households keep an average of 1.7 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Public transit across the area is supported by 67 active bus stops connected by 25 distinct routes that generate 205 weekly passenger trips. Network proximity is high, with the typical resident situated 192 meters from the closest stop. Outward vehicle commuting dominates, with private cars accounting for 97% of travel. Households maintain an above-average vehicle ownership rate of 1.7 per dwelling, while 9.9% of workers worked from home at the 2021 Census during a period influenced by COVID-19. Transit schedules across all local services deliver an average frequency of 29 trips per day, which equates to roughly 3 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
63.0% of residents in Wallerawang report no long-term health condition, a less healthy profile than 81% of areas nationally. 6.8% need daily assistance with core activities, and 51.2% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 6.1 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health indicators compiled by AreaSearch highlight significant local challenges across mortality metrics and chronic ailment rates across younger and older demographics, accompanied by private health insurance uptake of roughly 51% across the population (~1,028 people). The most widely reported chronic conditions are arthritis, affecting 10.1% of the community, and asthma, present in 9.3%, while 63.0% of residents reported having no medical conditions, tracking close to the 63.3% regional benchmark. Working-age residents experience high chronic illness rates, while seniors aged 65 and over represent 21.0% of the community (422 people), below the 23.3% regional average, with elderly health measures aligning with wider national trends.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Wallerawang is largely Australian-born, at 92.4% of residents, with 3.9% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (33.1%) and Australian (30.1%). 6.4% of residents identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity measures show high homogeneity, with Australian-born residents making up 92.4% of the population, Australian citizens comprising 92.1%, and 96.1% speaking exclusively English at home. Christianity represents the primary religious affiliation at 54.4%, while Judaism displays a notable relative concentration at 0.2% compared to 0.1% across Regional NSW. Regarding ancestral backgrounds based on parents' birthplace, the primary lineages are English at 33.1%, Australian at 30.1%, and Scottish at 8.8%. Additional distinct community representations include Australian Aboriginal ancestry at 6.4% (against 4.6% across the region), Polish at 0.7% (compared to 0.5%), and Maltese at 0.5% (versus 0.4%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Wallerawang is 39. 24.9% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
The age distribution remains younger overall than Regional NSW. Figures updated to August 2026 show children and young adults (0 - 24) accounting for 33.0% of the population versus 29.3% regionally, while seniors aged 65+ comprise 21.0% compared to 23.3% across the region. The median age remains steady at an estimated 39 as at August 2026, identical to the 2021 Census and 4 years younger than the regional median of 43 at that time. Since that Census, the senior cohort has risen from 18.1% to an estimated 21.0%. Projections out to 2041 suggest older age groups will drive demographic expansion, adding 113 residents (27%) to reach 535, whereas younger demographics are expected to decline.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Wallerawang
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Aug 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · Jun 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Aug 2026 last month all 21 measures |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Aug 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Jun 2026 3 months ago all 4 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Jun 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 6 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Jul 2026 2 months ago all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 33 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (2,019 at the 2021 Census → 2,010 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL14132). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.