Worrigee

Population growth drivers in Worrigee are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of May 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Worrigee is around 5,325, reflecting a decrease of 59 people since the 2021 Census. The resident population was estimated at 5,285 by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025, with an additional 4 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 314 persons per square kilometer. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 36.0% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for areas not covered by this data.

Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Exceptional growth is predicted over the period, placing the suburb in the top 10 percent of national regional areas. The area is expected to increase by 2,209 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 40.7% in total over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Worrigee, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Worrigee had minimal residential development activity with 1 dwelling approval annually on average over the five-year period from January 2015 to December 2019, totalling 5 dwellings. This low level of development is typical in rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It should be noted that with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures and relativities can vary significantly based on individual projects.

Worrigee's development activity was much lower compared to the Rest of NSW during this period. This pattern is also below national averages.

According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate released in March 2021, Worrigee is projected to add 2,169 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.

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

Seven projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area significantly. These include the New Primary School and Public Preschool in Worrigee, Worrigee Road Subdivision, Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital Redevelopment, and Nowra East Public School Upgrade. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.8%, Worrigee has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Worrigee has a balanced workforce with representation across white and blue collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well represented in the area. The unemployment rate is 3.8%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of December 2025, there are 2,374 residents employed, with an unemployment rate aligned with Regional NSW at 3.9%. Workforce participation stands at 60.1%, similar to Regional NSW's 60.5%. Census responses show that 6.9% of residents work from home. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and retail trade.

The area specializes in public administration & safety with an employment share twice the regional level (2.0 vs 1.0). Agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 1.2%, compared to Regional NSW's 5.3%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work, based on Census data comparing working population to local population. Over the year to December 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.9% while employment decreased by 0.9%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.7 percentage points. In Regional NSW, employment fell by 1.2%, labour force contracted by 0.8%, and unemployment rose 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 Worrigee's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The suburb of Worrigee has an income level below the national average according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year ended June 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Worrigee is $52,760 and the average income stands at $64,978. These figures compare to Regional NSW's median of $52,390 and average of $65,215 respectively. Based on a 10.32% growth in wages since financial year 2023, current estimates for Worrigee would be approximately $58,205 (median) and $71,684 (average) as of March 2026. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Worrigee rank modestly, between the 35th and 40th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. The earnings profile shows that 37.4% of locals (1,991 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Worrigee, with only 82.5% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 39th percentile.

Worrigee is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in Worrigee, as evaluated at the latest Census (2016), comprised 93.9% houses and 6.1% other dwellings. Comparatively, Regional NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Worrigee was 29.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.7% and rented dwellings at 35.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, aligning with Regional NSW's average, while the median weekly rent was $390, higher than Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Worrigee's mortgage repayments were lower ($1,733 vs $1,863), and rents were higher ($390 vs $375).

Worrigee features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 77.2% of all households, including 34.7% couples with children, 28.3% couples without children, and 13.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 22.8%, with lone person households at 19.4% and group households comprising 3.2%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

Worrigee shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's university qualification rate is 14.0%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 9.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Trade and technical skills are prevalent, with 45.6% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (34.2%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 33.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.7% in primary education, 8.9% in secondary education, and 3.3% 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 74 active transport stops operating within Worrigee. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totaling 18 individual routes that provide 214 weekly passenger trips combined. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 124 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transportation at 96%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.6 per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a relatively low 6.9% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 30 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 2 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Worrigee is well below average with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Health data indicates significant health challenges in Worrigee, as assessed by AreaSearch.

Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high for various health conditions affecting both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is more prevalent than average at approximately 53% of the total population (~2,803 people). Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 11.3% and 9.5% of residents respectively. However, 62.9% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. Working-age residents face notable health challenges due to higher chronic condition rates. The area has 13.0% of residents aged 65 and over (692 people), which is lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings generally similar to those of the general population.

Worrigee is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Worrigee's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 91.2% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (89.8%), speaking English only at home (94.3%). Christianity is the predominant religion in Worrigee, accounting for 51.2% of people. While Judaism comprises a similar percentage nationally and regionally (0.1%), it is not overrepresented in Worrigee.

The top three ancestry groups are Australian (33.1%), English (29.9%), and Australian Aboriginal (7.0%). Notably, Maltese (0.8% vs regional 0.4%) and Korean (0.2% vs regional 0.1%) populations are overrepresented in Worrigee, while Welsh is equally represented at 0.5%.

Worrigee's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

The median age in Worrigee is 32 years, which is notably lower than Regional NSW's average of 43 years and substantially under the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Regional NSW, Worrigee has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (15.9%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (7.3%). Between the 2016 Census and the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 increased from 14.3% to 15.9%, while those aged 35 to 44 increased from 11.9% to 13.5%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 45 to 54 decreased from 12.2% to 11.2%. By 2041, Worrigee is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition, with the 25 to 34 age group projected to grow by 51%, reaching 1,275 people from the current figure of 846.