Barraba
A median age of 58 puts Barraba 18 years above the national figure, making it one of the oldest-skewing towns in regional NSW. At $260,000, the median house price sits well below both state and national medians, reflecting an economy anchored in healthcare and agriculture rather than professional services. Household income lands in just the 4.1st percentile nationally, yet mortgage repayments average $758 a month because purchase prices are so low, keeping housing costs manageable compared to most of Australia. Only 1,329 residents share 523 square kilometres, giving a density of 2.5 people per square kilometre.
Population
1,329
Median Age
58.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$776/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
5
Median House
$260K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $260,000 places Barraba among the more affordable regional NSW towns, and housing cost pressure is limited: mortgage repayments average $758 monthly, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Prices have been essentially flat, moving from $260,000 in 2024 to $259,500 in 2025, a decline of just 0.2%. Separate houses dominate at 95.7% of stock, with apartments at 1.6% and semi-detached at 1.3%, so buyers have almost no choice other than detached dwellings. Three-bedroom homes account for 55.2% of the housing mix, followed by two-bedroom and four-plus at 20.3% each. Outright ownership is high at 57.3%, meaning more than half of occupied homes carry no mortgage at all.
For Buyers
The median house price of $260,000 places Barraba among the more affordable regional NSW towns, and housing cost pressure is limited: mortgage repayments average $758 monthly, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Prices have been essentially flat, moving from $260,000 in 2024 to $259,500 in 2025, a decline of just 0.2%. Separate houses dominate at 95.7% of stock, with apartments at 1.6% and semi-detached at 1.3%, so buyers have almost no choice other than detached dwellings. Three-bedroom homes account for 55.2% of the housing mix, followed by two-bedroom and four-plus at 20.3% each. Outright ownership is high at 57.3%, meaning more than half of occupied homes carry no mortgage at all.
For Investors
Investors face a challenging combination in Barraba: weekly rent of $195 against a $260,000 median implies a gross yield around 3.9%, which is higher than capital-city markets but is offset by a vacancy rate of 18.6%, well above typical healthy levels. Only 21.8% of residents rent, limiting the tenant pool. Development activity is low with just 4 applications lodged in the past 12 months, signalling minimal new supply pressure but also limited growth momentum. The price has declined 0.2% over the available period rather than growing, and the participation rate of 38.5% reflects a largely retired population rather than an active workforce driving demand. Investors should weigh yield against vacancy and thin population growth before committing.
Development Activity
Total DAs
30
Last 12 Months
5
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+66.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Barraba iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Joseph's Primary School
K-6 · 73 students
Barraba Central School
K-12 · 161 students
Demographics
The median age of 58 is 18 years above the national average, the clearest signal of Barraba's demographic character. Overseas-born residents account for just 7.8% of the population, which is 13.8 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a strongly Anglo-Celtic ancestry mix led by English (605), Irish (147) and Scottish (131) backgrounds. University qualifications reach only 15.6% of residents, which is 14.5 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with a regional town economy built on trades, agriculture and healthcare rather than knowledge-sector work. Average household size is 1.9 people, 0.6 below national, and 44.2% of families are couples without children, reinforcing the older-resident profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.7%
Houses
1.3%
Townhouse
1.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Barraba's housing market is dominated by outright owners: 57.3% of occupied dwellings carry no mortgage, compared with just 20.9% under mortgage and 21.8% renting. This high outright-ownership rate is consistent with the older median age of 58 and suggests a population that has paid off homes accumulated over decades rather than a suburb attracting new buyers. The stock is almost entirely detached houses at 95.7%, reflecting the low-density regional setting across 523 square kilometres. Three-bedroom homes are the majority at 55.2%. Prices have barely moved over the available period, from $260,000 in 2024 to $259,500 in 2025. Rent-to-income sits at 25.1%, below the 30% stress threshold despite a $195 weekly rent, because incomes in the 4.1st percentile nationally are low in absolute terms.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$758
Rent / wk
$195
HH Size
1.9
Personal Income / wk
$470
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
18.6%
Unoccupied
141
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.2%
Couples, no children
844
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 26.0% of local workers, followed by Agriculture at 15.7% and Education at 14.8%, with Hospitality (9.4%) and Public Administration (8.1%) rounding out the top five. This public-service-heavy mix reflects the employment pattern typical of small regional service towns where government-funded sectors provide steady jobs to an otherwise thinly populated catchment. By occupation, Managers (85) and Labourers (81) are nearly equal, pointing to a split between farm management roles and manual agricultural work. The unemployment rate of 9.3% is high compared to national averages, and the participation rate of 38.5% is low, both driven by the large proportion of the 1,329 residents who are retired rather than economically active. Weekly household income of $776 places Barraba at the 4.1st percentile nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.7%
Part-time
29.0%
Participation
38.5%
Employed
402
Occupations
Top Industries
University
15.6%
Postgraduate
1.3%
Born Overseas
7.8%
Dwellings
625
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high, with 82.3% of residents driving to work, consistent with a town spread across 523 square kilometres with limited public transport. Walking and cycling account for 14.0% of journeys, higher than the national average and reflecting the compact nature of the town centre itself rather than a commuter culture. No schools are recorded in the suburb dataset, though Barraba's town centre typically serves the local district. The volunteering rate of 24.4% is notable, indicating active community participation despite a small population of 1,329. Housing affordability is a genuine strength: the mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.6% and rent-to-income of 25.1% are both below stress thresholds, unlike most Australian markets. The 13.0% needing daily assistance (158 residents) is higher than average, directly tied to the aged population profile.
Drive
82.3%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
14.0%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Barraba compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barraba a good suburb to live in?
Barraba suits those seeking affordability and a slow-paced regional lifestyle. The median house price is $260,000, well below state and national medians, and housing cost ratios are comfortable at 22.6% mortgage-to-income. The median age of 58 is 18 years above national, so the community skews older, and services are oriented around healthcare and agricultural industries.
What is the median house price in Barraba?
The median house price in Barraba is $260,000 (2024-2025 data). Prices have been flat, moving from $260,000 in 2024 to $259,500 in 2025, a decline of 0.2%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $758, and weekly rent is $195.
What schools are in Barraba?
No schools are recorded within the Barraba suburb boundary in this dataset. The town serves a large rural area of 523 square kilometres and typically provides local schooling to its 1,329 residents. University qualifications are held by 15.6% of residents, which is 14.5 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Barraba safe?
Crime statistics are not available for Barraba in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, 24.4% of residents volunteer, suggesting a high degree of community participation. Housing stress is low, with rent-to-income at 25.1% and mortgage-to-income at 22.6%, both below the 30% threshold that correlates with economic hardship nationally.
Is Barraba good for property investment?
The gross yield is around 3.9% based on $195 weekly rent against a $260,000 median, higher than most capital cities. However, the vacancy rate of 18.6% is well above healthy levels, just 21.8% of residents rent, and prices declined 0.2% over the available period. Low development activity of 4 DAs in 12 months limits future supply risk but also signals weak growth momentum.
How is Barraba's population changing?
Barraba has 1,329 residents across 523 square kilometres. The median age of 58 is 18 years above national, suggesting an aging population base with limited natural replacement. Community stability is high at 82.4% staying over the measured period, but the combination of low participation rate (38.5%) and high need-assistance rate (13.0% of residents) points to demographic contraction rather than growth.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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