Numurkah
Statistical Area - sa2

Numurkah has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Numurkah's population was around 12,626 as of Aug 2025. This reflected an increase of 71 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,555. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,499 in June 2024 and an additional 147 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population resulted in a density ratio of 5.4 persons per square kilometer. Numurkah's 0.6% growth since census positioned it within 2.0 percentage points of the SA4 region (2.6%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 66.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilised VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future demographic trends anticipated a significant population increase in the top quartile of locations outside capital cities. The area was expected to grow by 4,353 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, reflecting an increase of 33.4% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Numurkah according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Numurkah has received approximately 47 dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that between financial year 21 (FY21) and FY25, around 235 dwellings were approved, with 13 already approved in FY26. Despite population decline, new supply appears to have met demand, offering varied options for buyers at an average construction cost of $442,000 per dwelling. This financial year has seen $21.6 million in commercial development approvals, indicating moderate commercial growth compared to the regional average.

Numurkah shows reduced construction activity (56.0% below average) contributing to stronger demand and prices for existing properties. New developments consist of 72.0% detached dwellings and 28.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining low density character with a focus on family homes. This represents a shift from the current housing mix of 93.0% houses due to reduced development sites and changing lifestyle demands. The area has approximately 270 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. By 2041, Numurkah is projected to grow by 4,220 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.

Numurkah has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 34thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified eight projects potentially impacting the area. Notable ones are Katunga Water Supply Pipeline Project, Cobram Village, Cobram Secondary College Modular Building, and VICSES Cobram Unit. Below is a list of those likely to be most relevant.

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

AreaSearch analysis indicates Numurkah maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Numurkah has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs, diverse sector representation, and an unemployment rate of 2.4% as of June 2025. There are 5,835 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 1.4% lower than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation is similar to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. The dominant employment sectors include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and manufacturing. Agriculture, forestry & fishing employs 2.9 times the regional level share, while public administration & safety employs only 2.7% of local workers compared to Rest of Vic.'s 6.5%. The area appears to have limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census working population vs resident population count.

During the year to June 2025, Numurkah's labour force decreased by 14.4%, with employment declining by 15.3% and unemployment rising by 1.1 percentage points compared to Rest of Vic.'s respective changes of -0.9%, -0.4%, and +0.4%. As of Sep-25, VIC's state-level data shows employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with the unemployment rate at 4.7%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Numurkah's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.3% over five years and 11.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Numurkah has lower incomes than the national average. The median income is $45,074 and the average is $51,589. In comparison, Rest of Vic.'s median income is $48,741 with an average of $60,693. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Numurkah would be approximately $49,631 (median) and $56,805 (average) as of March 2025. The 2021 Census data indicates that incomes in Numurkah fall between the 16th and 17th percentiles nationally for households, families, and individuals. In Numurkah, 29.8% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999, similar to metropolitan regions where this band captures 30.3%. Despite modest housing costs allowing retention of 89.1% of income, total disposable income ranks at the 22nd percentile nationally.

Numurkah is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Numurkah's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 93.4% houses and 6.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Vic.'s 90.8% houses and 9.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Numurkah was 45.9%, with the remainder being mortgaged (35.6%) or rented (18.5%), similar to Non-Metro Vic. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,172, below Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,300 and Australia's national figure of $1,863. Weekly rent in Numurkah was $210, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $250 and the national average of $375.

Numurkah has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 67.7% of all households, including 25.4% couples with children, 30.8% couples without children, and 10.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 32.3%, with lone person households at 29.5% and group households making up 2.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, higher than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.3.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 13.1%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 9.7%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.0%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.4%). Trade and technical skills are prevalent, with 41.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (10.4%) and certificates (30.8%). Educational participation is high at 28.1%, including primary education (10.6%), secondary education (9.1%), and tertiary education (2.1%).

Twelve schools serve 1,799 students in Numurkah, which has typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes eight primary, three secondary, and one K-12 school. Note: for schools showing 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Numurkah has 16 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 9 different routes that combined offer 129 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is limited, with residents typically living 825 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 18 trips per day across all routes, which works out to approximately 8 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health data indicates significant challenges for Numurkah, with high prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups. The rate of private health cover is notably low at approximately 46% (~5858 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 11.8 and 9.9% of residents respectively. Conversely, 59.6% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, similar to the 60.0% reported in Rest of Vic. Numurkah has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.9% (3022 people), compared to Rest of Vic.'s 27.0%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are challenging but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Numurkah had a cultural diversity below average, with 87.9% citizens, 91.3% born in Australia, and 96.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, making up 53.2%. This compared to 56.1% across Rest of Vic..

The top three ancestry groups were Australian (34.7%), English (32.8%), and Irish (9.5%). Dutch was notably overrepresented at 1.5%, Scottish at 8.1%, and Maltese at 0.4%.

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

Numurkah has a median age of 46, which is higher than the Rest of Vic figure of 43 and significantly higher than the national norm of 38. The 55-64 age group makes up 14.3% of Numurkah's population compared to the Rest of Vic., while the 45-54 cohort comprises 10.7%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 10.2% to 11.3%, the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 12.8% to 10.7%, and the 55 to 64 group has dropped from 15.3% to 14.3%. By 2041, Numurkah's age composition is expected to shift notably. The 35 to 44 group will grow by 62%, reaching 2,313 people from the previous total of 1,424. Meanwhile, the 55 to 64 cohort is projected to decline by 74 people.