Wee Waa

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

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population for the Wee Waa statistical area (Lv2) is around 2,033, a decrease of 1 person from the 2021 Census figure of 2,034. This change was inferred by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. The population density is approximately 2.2 persons per square kilometer. Wee Waa's population growth rate since the census is -0.0%, which is within 0.8 percentage points of the SA3 area's growth rate of 0.8%. Natural growth contributed around 76.0% to 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.

For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are utilised, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. These projections indicate that the Wee Waa (SA2) is expected to grow by around 129 persons by 2041, reflecting an increase of approximately 6.9% over the 17-year period. This growth rate is just below the median for locations outside capital cities.

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

Wee Waa had less than one new dwelling approved annually between 2016 and 2020, with a total of two dwellings approved in that period. This low level of construction activity is typical of rural areas where housing needs are modest and local demand and infrastructure capacity limit development. The small sample size means individual projects can significantly influence annual growth statistics.

Compared to the Rest of NSW and national averages, Wee Waa's construction activity was significantly lower during this period.

Wee Waa has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 47thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one project likely affecting this region: Narrabri Gas Project. Key projects include Inland Rail - Narrabri to North Star (Phase One), Inland Rail - Narromine to Narrabri, and Castlereagh Country Regional Drought Resilience Plan.

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

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AreaSearch analysis indicates Wee Waa maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Wee Waa has a balanced workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 3.2% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 0.9%.

As of September 2025, there are 1,090 residents employed and the unemployment rate is 0.6% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation is similar to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has a strong presence with an employment share 5.4 times the regional level.

Construction, however, has limited presence at 4.2% compared to the regional level of 9.7%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census data on working population versus resident population. Over the past year, employment increased by 0.9% while labour force increased by 1.0%, keeping unemployment broadly flat. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.5%, labour force decline by 0.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts for May-25 suggest that while national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Wee Waa's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.2% over five years and 11.6% over ten years.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Wee Waa's median income among taxpayers is $46,393. The average income in the suburb is $55,024. Both figures are lower than national averages. Rest of NSW has a median income of $52,390 and an average of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Wee Waa would be approximately $50,503 (median) and $59,899 (average) as of September 2025. Census data indicates that incomes in Wee Waa fall between the 19th and 26th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 30.5% of locals (620 people) have incomes ranging from $1,500 to $2,999, similar to surrounding regions where 29.9% occupy this range. Housing costs are modest, with 89.0% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at the 25th percentile nationally.

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

In Wee Waa, according to the latest Census evaluation, 90.6% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 9.3% consisting of semi-detached homes, apartments and other types of dwellings. This is compared to Non-Metro NSW's figures which stood at 87.8% for houses and 12.1% for other dwellings. Home ownership in Wee Waa was recorded at 36.3%, mirroring the Non-Metro NSW figure, with mortgaged dwellings accounting for 29.5% and rented properties making up 34.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Wee Waa was $1,083, significantly lower than the Non-Metro NSW average of $1,300. Weekly rent in Wee Waa was recorded at $200, compared to Non-Metro NSW's figure of $220. Nationally, Wee Waa's mortgage repayments were substantially lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were significantly below the national figure of $375.

Wee Waa features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 66.2% of all households, including 27.0% couples with children, 24.5% couples without children, and 13.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 33.8%, with lone person households at 30.2% and group households comprising 4.0%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

Wee Waa 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 12.2%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.0%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.2%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.0%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 37.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (7.1%) and certificates (30.6%). Educational participation is high at 36.1%, with 15.3% in primary education, 8.8% in secondary education, and 3.4% pursuing tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 36.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 15.3% in primary education, 8.8% in secondary education, and 3.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Wee Waa has 15 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 15 individual routes that collectively facilitate 73 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as moderate, with residents typically residing 427 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, service frequency across all routes stands at 10 trips per day, translating to approximately 4 weekly trips per stop.

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

Health data indicates significant health challenges in Wee Waa, with notable prevalence of common conditions across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low at approximately 49% (~990 people), compared to 53.0% in Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.7%. Asthma and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 10.6 and 9.5% respectively.

However, 63.6% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 66.7% in Rest of NSW. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 19.0% (386 people), with health outcomes among this group presenting challenges broadly aligned with the general population's health profile.

The latest Census data sees Wee Waa placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Wee Waa had low cultural diversity, with 84.0% citizens, 94.8% born in Australia, and 98.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, at 72.5%, compared to 68.1% regionally. Top ancestry groups were Australian (36.7%), English (26.6%), and Australian Aboriginal (14.1%).

Notably, Maltese (0.4%) Korean (0.2%) and Welsh (0.5%) were overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.1%, 0.1% and 0.3% respectively.

Wee Waa's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age of Wee Waa is 38, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 but equivalent to the national norm of 38. The 5-14 age group constitutes 14.6% of the population in Wee Waa, higher than the Rest of NSW figure. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort makes up 10.1%, which is lower compared to other regions. According to the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 11.1% to 13.5%. Meanwhile, the 55 to 64 cohort has decreased from 14.4% to 11.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Wee Waa's age profile. The 25 to 34 group is expected to grow by 28%, reaching 294 from the current figure of 229. However, population declines are projected for both the 5 to 14 and 55 to 64 cohorts.