West Albury

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

The population of the suburb of West Albury is estimated at around 3,755 as of February 2026. This reflects a decrease from the population reported in the 2021 Census, which was 3,872 people. The current estimate is based on AreaSearch's validation of new addresses since the Census date and examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), resulting in an estimated resident population of 3,731. This decrease represents a change of 117 people or approximately 3.0%. The population density ratio is around 694 persons per square kilometer, which is relatively consistent with averages seen across other locations assessed by AreaSearch.

Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in West Albury during recent periods. For projections, AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia data 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 released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are utilized. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, West Albury is expected to experience population growth just below the median of national regional areas, with an anticipated increase of approximately 400 persons by 2041, reflecting a gain of around 11.2% over the 17-year period.

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

West Albury has seen limited development activity with an average of 3 approvals per year over the past five years, totalling 17. This low level is typical in rural areas due to modest housing needs and infrastructure capacity constraints. Yearly growth figures can vary significantly based on individual projects.

Compared to Rest of NSW and national averages, West Albury has much lower development activity. New developments consist of 50% detached houses and 50% attached dwellings, promoting affordable living for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shift from the area's existing housing composition (79% houses) suggests decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyles. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 846 people, reflecting West Albury's quiet development environment. By 2041, West Albury is projected to gain 420 residents. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Looking ahead, West Albury is expected to grow by 420 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

West Albury has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects that may impact this region. Notable projects include Riverina Highway Sewer West Upgrade, Oddies Creek Splash Park, Albury Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS), and Albury Social Housing Redevelopment Projects. The following list details those 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.

Employment conditions in West Albury face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

West Albury has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate is 6.6%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 1,905 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.8% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation stands at 65.7%, slightly above Rest of NSW's 61.5%. Census responses reveal that only 11.5% of residents work from home. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is less represented at 1.4% compared to the regional average of 5.3%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the ratio of Census working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, West Albury's labour force increased by 0.9%, while employment declined by 0.8%, leading to a rise in unemployment of 1.6 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.5% and a labour force decline of 0.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to West Albury's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, although this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that income in West Albury is below the national average. The median income is $49,163 and the average income stands at $62,195. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $52,390 and the average income is $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for West Albury would be approximately $53,519 (median) and $67,705 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, personal income ranks at the 48th percentile ($794 weekly), while household income sits at the 25th percentile. The data shows that the largest segment comprises 28.5% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (1,070 residents). While housing costs are modest with 87.8% of income retained, total disposable income ranks at just the 30th percentile nationally and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in West Albury, as evaluated at the 2016 Census, comprised 79.4% houses and 20.6% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Albury was 41.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.2% and rented dwellings at 31.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,365, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $1,733. The median weekly rent figure was $255, against Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, West Albury's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

West Albury features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 63.9% of all households, including 22.0% couples with children, 29.2% couples without children, and 11.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 36.1%, with lone person households at 33.1% and group households making up 3.0%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

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

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 26.3% of residents aged 15+, surpassing the SA4 region average of 18.4%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 18.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 35.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them – advanced diplomas at 11.1% and certificates at 24.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.5% in primary, 7.2% in secondary, and 3.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows 75 active transport stops operating within West Albury, serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are serviced by 12 individual routes, collectively providing 234 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 144 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its primarily residential nature. Car remains the dominant mode at 96%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.2 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a relatively low 11.5% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 33 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 3 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

West Albury faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

Both younger and older age cohorts exhibit high prevalence of common health conditions. Only approximately 52% (~1,935 people) have private health cover, a rate lower than the national average. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions in West Albury, affecting 10.4 and 10.1% of residents respectively. However, 60.6% of residents claim to be completely free from medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Rest of NSW. The working-age population in West Albury faces notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 26.7% (1,002 people) compared to the national average of 23.4%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with rankings generally in line with the broader population.

West Albury ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

West Albury's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 89.3% of its population being citizens, 86.9% born in Australia, and 93.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion in West Albury, comprising 56.9% of people, compared to 55.9% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were English (30.2%), Australian (27.5%), and Irish (10.1%).

Notably, German ancestry was overrepresented at 5.5%, compared to the regional average of 3.1%. Hungarian ancestry was also slightly higher at 0.3% versus 0.2% regionally. However, Australian Aboriginal ancestry was notably underrepresented at 3.5%, compared to the regional average of 4.6%.

West Albury hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

West Albury's median age is 45 years, which is slightly higher than Rest of NSW's median age of 43 years, and considerably older than Australia's national norm of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, West Albury has a notably over-represented 85+ cohort (5.5% locally), while the 45-54 year-olds are under-represented (8.7%). Between 2021 and now, the population aged 25 to 34 years has grown from 10.6% to 12.7%, while the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 14.4% to 12.7%, and the 45 to 54 age group has dropped from 10.3% to 8.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests West Albury's age profile will change significantly. The 85+ age cohort is projected to grow by 131 people (64%), from 206 to 338. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 65 to 74 cohorts.