Urban Centre · Area profile
Wagga Wagga
72 km²
A massive influx of overseas arrivals distinguishes Wagga Wagga, where nearly 30% of the population has arrived from abroad recently. This regional hub is home to 49,686 people and has a notably young feel, with a typical resident aged 37. The community is diverse and growing, marked by a strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander presence and a workforce heavily employed in health and education. It is a place where large family homes are common and the population is younger than the national average.
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The area is younger than most, with a typical resident aged 37 and children under 15 making up 19.9% of the population. It also has a strong Indigenous community, with 7.4% of residents identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%.
While 82.9% of residents were born in Australia, the area has seen a huge surge in recent overseas arrivals. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, though India is now the most frequent overseas birthplace.
English is the main language for 85.2% of residents. However, 9.5% of people use another language at home, which is much higher than in similar areas, even though this is far below the state average.
Religion remains common here, with 57.5% of people identifying as Christians. This means the 31.3% who have no religion is well below the national figure of 38.9%.
The community is more qualified than most similar areas, with 19% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. The most common fields of study are management, commerce, and health.
Typical weekly personal income is $805, which is about the same as the national figure. Weekly family incomes are typically $1,962, which is much higher than in most similar areas.
Mental health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 11.2% of residents. Long-term health conditions are also more frequent than the state average, with asthma being the most reported.
This area has a higher rate of former Defence Force members than most places, at 4.2%. Unpaid childcare is also more common here than the national average, with 27.8% of people providing this care.
Families tend to be larger here, with 2.4 people per home. One-parent families make up 17.9% of the community, which is well above the national average of 14.1%.
Detached houses are very common, making up 83.1% of homes, and 77.5% of dwellings have three or more bedrooms. Renting is more common here than in the rest of the country, at 35.4%.
Driving is the dominant way to get to work, with 70.8% of people using a car as the driver. Only 7.1% of people work from home, which is far below the national figure of 21%.
The population is quite mobile, with 42.4% of residents moving in the last five years. This is consistent with the very high number of recent arrivals from overseas.
Wagga Wagga has a strong workforce, with 62.1% of adults working or looking for work. Full-time employment is well above the national average, and many residents work in health care or education.
The area is somewhat walkable, and almost everyone lives within a 15-minute walk of a park. However, only 53% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, which is far below the state average.