Wee Waa

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

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Wee Waa is around 1,981, a decrease of 53 people from the 2021 Census figure of 2,034. This decline reflects a 2.6% change since the census. The current population is inferred from AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and examination of the ABS ERP data release in June 2024, which estimated the resident population at 2,033. This results in a density ratio of 2.1 persons per square kilometer for Wee Waa. While the suburb experienced a decline since the census, the broader SA3 area showed a growth rate of 0.3%. Natural growth contributed approximately 76.0% to overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for covered SA2 areas, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for uncovered areas. These projections indicate that Wee Waa is expected to grow by 129 persons to reach 2041, reflecting an increase of 9.7% 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 approved less than one new dwelling annually over the five-year period from 2015 to 2019 inclusive. This low development level is typical of rural areas with modest housing needs and limited construction activity due to local demand and infrastructure capacity. The small sample size means individual projects can significantly impact annual growth statistics in Wee Waa, which shows less construction activity than the Rest of NSW.

Nationally, dwelling construction levels are also higher than those seen in Wee Waa.

Wee Waa has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 36thth percentile nationally

The performance of an area is greatly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. A total of one project has been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting this area. Key projects include the Narrabri Gas Project, Inland Rail - Narrabri to North Star - Phase One, Inland Rail - Narromine to Narrabri, and the Castlereagh Country Regional Drought Resilience Plan, with the following list providing details on those most likely to be 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 positions Wee Waa ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Wee Waa has a balanced workforce with diverse sector representation. The unemployment rate was 2.8% as of June 2025, which is 0.9% lower than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 5.1%. Key industries include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Agriculture, forestry & fishing shows strong specialization with an employment share 5.4 times the regional level. Construction has limited presence, with 4.2% employment compared to 9.7% regionally.

Employment opportunities appear limited locally, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 5.1%, labour force grew by 4.0%, and unemployment fell by 1.0 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (Sep-22) project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. 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.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Wee Waa's median income among taxpayers is $46,393, with an average of $55,024. This is lower than the national average. The Rest of NSW has a median income of $49,459 and an average of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $52,243 (median) and $61,963 (average). Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Wee Waa fall between the 19th and 26th percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that 30.5% of locals (604 people) have incomes in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to the surrounding region where 29.9% fall within this range. Housing costs are modest, with 89.0% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at just the 25th percentile nationally.

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

The dwelling structure in Wee Waa, as per the latest Census data, consisted of 90.6% houses and 9.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 87.8% houses and 12.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wee Waa stood at 36.3%, similar to Non-Metro NSW, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (29.5%) or rented (34.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,300. The median weekly rent in Wee Waa was recorded at $200, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $220. Nationally, Wee Waa's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially 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 constitute 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 account for the remaining 33.8%, comprising 30.2% lone person households and 4.0% group households. 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's university qualification rate is 12.2%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 10.0%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.2%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.0%). Vocational credentials are held by 37.7% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 7.1% and certificates at 30.6%. Educational participation is high, with 36.1% currently enrolled in formal education: 15.3% in primary, 8.8% in secondary, and 3.4% in tertiary education.

Wee Waa's five schools have a combined enrollment of 478 students, serving varied educational conditions (ICSEA: 870). The area offers two primary, two secondary, and one K-12 school, functioning as an education hub with 24.1 school places per 100 residents, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note that where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

The analysis of public transportation in Wee Waa shows that there are currently 13 operational transport stops. These stops offer a combination of train and bus services, with a total of 15 individual routes providing 73 weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility to these transport services is rated as moderate, with residents generally located approximately 427 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are about 10 trips per day across all routes, which equates to roughly 5 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, affecting both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, at approximately 49% of the total population (~965 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (10.6%) and arthritis (9.5%). A majority, 63.6%, report being free from medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW's 66.7%. Wee Waa has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 19.0% (~376 people). Health outcomes among seniors largely align with those of the general population.

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 a cultural diversity level below average, with 84.0% of its population being citizens, 94.8% born in Australia, and 98.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Wee Waa, comprising 72.5% of people, compared to 68.1% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (36.7%), English (26.6%), and Australian Aboriginal (14.1%).

Notably, Maltese were overrepresented at 0.4%, Korean at 0.2%, and Welsh at 0.5%.

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

Wee Waa has a median age of 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 comprises 14.6% of Wee Waa's population, higher than the Rest of NSW percentage, while the 65-74 cohort makes up 10.1%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 11.1% to 13.5%, and the 55 to 64 cohort has decreased from 14.4% to 11.8%. By 2041, Wee Waa's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 25 to 34 group is expected to grow by 31%, adding 70 people and reaching 294 from 223. Meanwhile, population declines are forecast for the 5 to 14 and 55 to 64 age groups.