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

As of November 2025, the population of the West Albury statistical area (Lv2) is estimated at around 3,754 people. This reflects a decrease from the 2021 Census figure of 3,872 people, a change inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 3,731 residents following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is approximately 693 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration during recent periods. For projections, AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia's SA2-level projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for covered areas, and NSW State Government's SA2-level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for uncovered areas.

Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the West Albury (SA2) is expected to increase by around 397 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of approximately 11.1% 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, averaging three approvals per year over the past five years, totalling 17. This low level of development is typical in rural areas due to modest housing needs and infrastructure capacity constraints. Yearly growth figures can vary significantly based on individual projects with such low approval numbers.

West Albury's development activity is much lower than Rest of NSW and national averages. New developments consist of 50% detached houses and 50% attached dwellings, promoting affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a shift from the area's existing housing composition, which is currently 79% houses. The estimated population per dwelling approval in West Albury is 846 people, reflecting its quiet development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, West Albury is expected to grow by 417 residents by 2041. 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 417 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 impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects that could affect this region. Notable ones are 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. The unemployment rate is 6.6%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, 1,896 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.8% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation in West Albury is somewhat lower at 53.6%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 1.4% versus the regional average of 5.3%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. During the year to September 2025, the labour force increased by 0.8%, while employment declined by 0.8%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.6 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW recorded an employment decline of 0.5%, a labour force decline of 0.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates differing significantly between industry sectors. 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, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account 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 ended June 2023 shows median income in West Albury at $49,163 and average income at $62,195. This is below the national averages of $52,390 (median) and $65,215 (average) for Rest of NSW. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% from July 2023 to September 2025, estimated median income in West Albury would be approximately $53,519, with average income at $67,705. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Census data for 2021, weekly personal income ranks at the 48th percentile ($794) and household income at the 25th percentile in West Albury. The largest income segment comprises 28.5% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (1,069 residents). Housing costs are modest with 87.8% of income retained after housing expenses. Total disposable income ranks at the 30th percentile nationally, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the fifth decile.

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

West Albury's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 79.4% houses and 20.6% other types (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 83.2% houses and 16.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Albury stood at 41.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.2% and rented ones at 31.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,365, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,430. The median weekly rent in West Albury was $255, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $265. Nationally, West Albury's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,365 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and 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 comprise 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 account for 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, 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%, exceeding 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 also 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% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.5% in primary education, 7.2% in secondary education, 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

Transport analysis reveals 75 active transport stops operating within West Albury. These stops offer a mix of bus services. They are serviced by 12 individual routes, collectively providing 234 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as excellent; residents are typically located 144 meters from the nearest transport stop. 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

Health data indicates significant health challenges in West Albury, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups.

The rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 52%, covering around 1,935 people. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 10.4% and 10.1% of residents respectively. A total of 60.6% of residents claim to be completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 64.2% in the rest of NSW. West Albury has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 26.7%, with approximately 1,002 people falling into this category, compared to the 20.1% in the rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

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, as per the data, showed lower cultural diversity with 89.3% citizens, 86.9% born in Australia, and 93.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, accounting for 56.9%, compared to 53.9% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were English (30.2%), Australian (27.5%), and Irish (10.1%).

Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: German at 5.5% in West Albury vs 5.9% regionally, Hungarian at 0.3% vs 0.2%, and Australian Aboriginal at 3.5% vs 2.7%.

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

West Albury's median age was 45 years as of 2021, 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 had a notably over-represented cohort of individuals aged 85 and above (5.5%), while those aged 45-54 were under-represented (9.2%). Between 2016 and 2021, the population share of individuals aged 25 to 34 grew from 10.6% to 12.3%. Conversely, the age groups of 55 to 64 declined from 14.4% to 13.0%, and those aged 45 to 54 dropped from 10.3% to 9.2%. Demographic modeling suggests that West Albury's age profile will evolve significantly by the year 2041. The cohort of individuals aged 25 to 34 is projected to see notable expansion, with an increase of 137 people (30%), from 461 to 599. Conversely, population declines are projected for the age groups of 65 to 74 and 5 to 14 years old.