Wangaratta

Population growth drivers in Wangaratta are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Wangaratta's population was around 20,770 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 888 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 19,882. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 20,128 in June 2024 and an additional 525 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 360 persons per square kilometer. Wangaratta's growth rate of 4.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 4.0%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 92.3% 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 by this data, AreaSearch used the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting with 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. Based on these projections, the area is forecasted to expand by 5,225 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 21.8% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Wangaratta when compared nationally

Wangaratta has approved approximately 140 residential properties annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 700 homes. As of FY26, 58 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.6 new residents per year settled in new homes built between FY21 and FY25. This indicates that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and facilitating population growth that may surpass current projections.

The average expected construction cost of new dwellings is $308,000. In the current financial year, Wangaratta has seen $100.4 million in commercial approvals, suggesting strong local business investment. Compared to the rest of Victoria, Wangaratta has slightly more development activity, with 12.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period.

This balance preserves reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. Recent construction in Wangaratta comprises 76.0% detached houses and 24.0% medium to high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes. The location has approximately 186 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. Future projections estimate that Wangaratta will add 4,524 residents by 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may face increased competition as the population grows.

Wangaratta has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 33rdth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 13 projects likely influencing the region. Notable initiatives include the Wangaratta Health Precinct Structure Plan, Wangaratta Landmark Retail Development Site, Wangaratta CBD Urban Design Framework, and Wangaratta High School Upgrade. 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 drivers in Wangaratta are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Wangaratta has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate in September 2025 was 6.4%.

At that time, 9,292 residents were employed, which was 2.6% higher than the Rest of Vic.'s unemployment rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation was broadly similar to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. The dominant employment sectors among residents included health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing. Notably, health care & social assistance employed 1.3 times more residents than the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employed only 2.2% of local workers, below Rest of Vic.'s 7.5%. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.6%, while employment declined by 3.0%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.4 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic. experienced an employment decline of 0.7% and a labour force decline of 0.6%. Providing broader context, state-level data from 25-Nov showed VIC employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand within Wangaratta. These projections estimate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Wangaratta's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.8% over ten years.

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

Wangaratta SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $47,809 and an average income of $56,829 in financial year 2022. These figures were below the national averages of $51,393 (median) and $62,923 (average). The Rest of Vic., however, had median and average incomes of $48,741 and $60,693 respectively in 2022. Based on a Wage Price Index growth rate of 12.16% since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes for Wangaratta would be approximately $53,623 (median) and $63,739 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Wangaratta ranked between the 16th and 30th percentiles nationally. Income distribution data showed that the largest segment comprised 29.3% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (6,085 residents), similar to the surrounding region where 30.3% fell within this range. After accounting for housing costs, 86.2% of income remained, ranking at the 19th percentile nationally.

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

Wangaratta's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 85.8% houses and 14.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s 89.9% houses and 10.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wangaratta was at 39.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.7% and rented ones at 29.2%. Median monthly mortgage repayments were $1,300, aligning with Non-Metro Vic.'s average, while median weekly rent stood at $260 compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $250. Nationally, Wangaratta's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 63.0% of all households, including 22.9% couples with children, 27.1% couples without children, and 12.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 37.0%, with lone person households at 34.5% and group households comprising 2.5%. The median household size is 2.2 people, smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.3.

Wangaratta shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

The area's university qualification rate is 19.8%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.3%, followed by graduate diplomas (3.3%) and postgraduate qualifications (3.2%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 38.1% of residents aged 15 and above holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (27.2%). Educational participation is high, with 27.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 9.9% in primary, 8.2% in secondary, and 2.6% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 27.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.9% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 2.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Wangaratta has 120 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are served by 36 routes, collectively providing 1,164 weekly passenger trips. Residents have good accessibility to these stops, with an average distance of 249 meters to the nearest one.

Service frequency averages 166 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 9 weekly trips per stop.

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

Wangaratta faces significant health challenges, as indicated by data showing high prevalence of common conditions across both younger and older age groups. Only approximately 48% of Wangaratta's total population (~10,031 people) has private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are arthritis (affecting 10.5% of residents) and mental health issues (impacting 10.2%). In contrast, 59.5% of Wangaratta residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 60.4% across the rest of Victoria. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 24.1% (5,009 people) compared to 25.7% in the rest of Victoria. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, generally aligning with the overall population's health profile.

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

Wangaratta, as per the census conducted in June 2016, exhibited lower cultural diversity compared to the national average. It was reported that 90.7% of its residents were Australian citizens, with 89.6% having been born in Australia and 93.6% speaking only English at home. Christianity was identified as the predominant religion in Wangaratta, practiced by 52.9% of the population, which is slightly higher than the state average of 52.0%.

The top three ancestry groups in Wangaratta were English (31.5%), Australian (29.1%), and Irish (10.6%). Notably, Italian ancestry was overrepresented in Wangaratta at 5.3%, compared to the regional average of 3.9%. Similarly, Scottish ancestry stood at 8.6% in Wangaratta, slightly higher than the regional figure of 9.3%. However, Hungarian ancestry was marginally underrepresented, with 0.3% in Wangaratta compared to the regional average of 0.2%.

Wangaratta hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Wangaratta's median age of 44 years is similar to Rest of Vic.'s 43 and well above the national average of 38 years. Compared to Rest of Vic., Wangaratta has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (12.6%) but fewer residents aged 55-64 (11.8%). Between the 2016 Census and the 2021 Census, the age group of 25 to 34 increased from 11.5% to 12.6%, while the age group of 5 to 14 decreased from 12.0% to 11.0%. By 2041, Wangaratta's population is expected to see significant shifts in its age composition. The demographic shift will be led by the 25 to 34 age group, which is projected to grow by 48%, reaching 3,864 people from 2,614. Conversely, the 15 to 24 age cohort is expected to decline by 18 people.