Wingham

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

Wingham's population is estimated at 5,503 as of Feb 2026, reflecting an increase of 108 people since the 2021 Census. This increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 5,397 following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and validation of 27 new addresses since the Census date. The current population density is 89 persons per square kilometer. Interstate migration contributed approximately 56% of 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, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb of Wingham is expected to grow by 128 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 0.4% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Wingham has recorded around 12 residential properties granted approval each year over the past five financial years to June 2021, totalling an estimated 64 homes. As of June 2026, six approvals have been recorded. The area's population decline suggests new supply is keeping up with demand, offering buyers good choice while new dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost value of $358,000. This financial year has seen $4.0 million in commercial approvals, indicating the area's residential character.

Compared to the rest of NSW, Wingham has significantly less development activity, 55.0% below the regional average per person, which typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. This activity is also below national averages, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. All new construction has been standalone homes, preserving the area's low density nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 569 people. Looking ahead, Wingham is expected to grow by 22 residents through to 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate as of June 2021.

With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Wingham has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified nine projects likely to impact the region. Key initiatives include the Manning River Underbore - New Water Supply Pipeline to Wingham, Wingham Residential Development, Wingham Central Park Master Plan, and Pacific Highway - Harrington Road Interchange. 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.

AreaSearch assessment indicates Wingham faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Wingham has a balanced workforce with representation from both white and blue collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well-represented in the area. As of December 2025, the unemployment rate is 5.2%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

In this month, 2,288 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.3% higher than Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation in Wingham lagged behind Regional NSW at 54.2% compared to 61.3%. According to Census responses, only 6.1% of residents worked from home, though the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns should be considered. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing.

Wingham shows a strong specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share that is 1.5 times higher than the regional level. However, public administration & safety is under-represented, with only 3.6% of Wingham's workforce compared to 7.5% in Regional NSW. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12 months to December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.3%, combined with a decrease in employment of 2.2%, resulting in an unemployment rate rise of 0.8 percentage points. In comparison, Regional NSW saw employment fall by 1.2%, labour force contract by 0.8%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insight into potential future demand within Wingham. These projections estimate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Wingham's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localized population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

The suburb of Wingham has a lower than average income level nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Wingham is $40,800 and the average income stands at $47,836. This compares to figures for Regional NSW of $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $44,415 (median) and $52,074 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Wingham all fall between the 7th and 9th percentiles nationally. In terms of income distribution, the $800 - $1,499 bracket dominates with 29.3% of residents (1,612 people), contrasting with the broader area where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket leads at 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Wingham, with only 84.3% of income remaining, ranking at the 9th percentile nationally.

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

Wingham's latest Census showed 92.1% houses and 8.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wingham was 44.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.0% and rented ones at 23.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,371, below Regional NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Wingham was $306, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Wingham's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,371 vs Australia's $1,863, and rents were lower at $306 vs the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 66.7% of all households, including 22.0% couples with children, 27.7% couples without children, and 15.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 33.3%, with lone person households at 30.8% and group households making up 2.6%. The median household size is 2.3 people, smaller than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

Wingham faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 11.9%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common among qualifications, at 8.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.4%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 42.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (8.7%) and certificates (33.7%). Educational participation is high, with 26.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.6% in primary education, 8.3% in secondary education, and 1.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Wingham has 238 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 24 routes that collectively facilitate 628 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent with residents typically located 140 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward, with car being the dominant mode at 94%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, a relatively low 6.1% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 89 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 2 weekly trips per stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

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

Wingham faces substantial health challenges, as per AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are notable across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover is extremely low at approximately 46% of the total population (~2,527 people), compared to 51.9% in Regional NSW and the national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis (11.3%) and mental health issues (11.3%). 57.6% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Regional NSW. Working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. 26.7% of residents are aged 65 and over (1,469 people), higher than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, ranking even higher than the general population nationally.

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

Wingham had a cultural diversity level below average, with 91.7% citizens, 92.9% born in Australia, and 97.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, at 56.7%, slightly higher than Regional NSW's 55.9%. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (34.9%), English (34.9%), and Scottish (7.8%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal were overrepresented at 5.3% compared to the regional average of 4.6%. Maltese and Hungarian populations were also present but not significantly different from Regional NSW's figures, at 0.4% each for Maltese and 0.2% for Hungarian.

Wingham hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Wingham's median age is 47 years, which is significantly higher than Regional NSW's average of 43 years and substantially exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 55-64 years are particularly prominent at 15.2%, while those aged 25-34 years are comparatively smaller at 9.4% compared to Regional NSW. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of Wingham's population aged 15-24 has grown from 9.6% to 10.9%. Conversely, the proportion of those aged 25-34 has declined from 10.3% to 9.4%. By 2041, notable shifts in Wingham's age composition are expected. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 13%, adding 76 people and reaching a total of 649 from the current 572. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are expected to experience population declines.