Berrigan
At 1.8 people per square kilometre across 720.01 square kilometres, Berrigan is a highly dispersed Riverina settlement with 1,264 residents. Its median age of 55 is 15 years above the national average, and 83.9% of residents stayed in place, supporting a settled community because residential mobility is low. Compared with nearby Finley and Tocumwal, the broad rural footprint is the defining contrast. Agriculture accounts for 28.7% of local industry employment and healthcare 18.3%, while 49.4% of homes are owned outright. The 17.2% vacancy rate creates more choice for buyers and renters, although it can also indicate softer demand than in tightly held markets.
Local council: Berrigan (84% of the suburb; the rest sits in a neighbouring council)
Population
1,264
Median Age
55.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$980/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
18
For buyers, Berrigan suits households prioritising detached space and measurable recurring costs over dense or highly leveraged housing. Separate houses make up 89.2% of dwellings, with 46.9% containing 3 bedrooms and 29.5% containing 4 or more. Average mortgage repayments are $933 a month, and mortgage costs equal 22.0% of household income. Outright ownership at 49.4% is higher than the 24.9% mortgage share, which points to a less leveraged tenure pattern. Check recent 3-bedroom and 4-plus-bedroom sales before setting a budget because the 17.2% vacancy rate may widen choice but can also signal softer local demand compared with tightly held markets.
For Buyers
For buyers, Berrigan suits households prioritising detached space and measurable recurring costs over dense or highly leveraged housing. Separate houses make up 89.2% of dwellings, with 46.9% containing 3 bedrooms and 29.5% containing 4 or more. Average mortgage repayments are $933 a month, and mortgage costs equal 22.0% of household income. Outright ownership at 49.4% is higher than the 24.9% mortgage share, which points to a less leveraged tenure pattern. Check recent 3-bedroom and 4-plus-bedroom sales before setting a budget because the 17.2% vacancy rate may widen choice but can also signal softer local demand compared with tightly held markets.
For Investors
Investment conditions are mixed. Weekly rent is $173 and vacancy is 17.2%, so rental income may be constrained by tenant demand and longer letting periods because available stock is high. Renting accounts for 21.1% of occupied tenure, below the 49.4% owned-outright share, while 19 development applications in 12 months point to modest local activity rather than a large construction pipeline. Overseas migration is the primary forecast driver, but the annual trend is -0.02%, so investors should underwrite conservative capital growth. Detached housing at 89.2% may appeal to families and downsizers, although the 1,264-person market can limit depth compared with larger regional centres.
Development Activity
Total DAs
76
Last 12 Months
18
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+50.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Berrigan
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Berrigan's demographic profile is older and less university-qualified than the national average. Median age is 55, or 15 years above national, while university attainment is 16.9%, 13.2 percentage points below the national rate. Overseas-born residents make up 8.7%, 12.9 points below national, and average household size is 2.2 people, 0.3 below national. English, Irish and Scottish are leading ancestries, with counts of 553, 170 and 165; Christianity counts 733 and no religion 382. The pattern is consistent with an aging trajectory because 53.2% of families are couples without children and 83.9% of residents stayed in place. Compared with nearby Finley and Tocumwal, household needs should be assessed through local service access rather than assuming a younger commuter market.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.2%
Houses
9.6%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is overwhelmingly detached and owner-oriented. Separate houses account for 89.2% of dwellings, while 49.4% are owned outright, 24.9% are mortgaged and 21.1% are rented. The 49.4% outright share is higher than both the mortgage and renting shares, which helps explain why mortgage stress is not flagged and why turnover may be modest. The bedroom mix centres on 3-bedroom homes at 46.9%, followed by 4-plus-bedroom homes at 29.5% and 2-bedroom homes at 18.8%. Weekly rent is $173 and rent-to-income is 17.7%, lower than the 22.0% mortgage-to-income measure, while vacancy reaches 17.2%. Compared with more compact housing markets, Berrigan's 720.01 square kilometre footprint and 1.8 density favour space but can make demand uneven.
Mortgage / mo
$933
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$173
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$586
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
17.2%
Unoccupied
106
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
32.6%
Couples with children
53.2%
Couples, no children
11.9%
Single parent
344
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is anchored by agriculture at 28.7% and 80 workers, followed by healthcare at 18.3% and 51. Education contributes 7.5% and 21, public administration 7.2% and 20, and construction 4.7% and 13. Occupations include 111 managers, 76 labourers, 59 trades workers, 54 machinery or drivers and 49 clerical or administration workers. Unemployment is 3.4% and participation 45.9%, with 60.0% working full time. SEIFA is decile 1 across education and occupation, economic resources, disadvantage and advantage, scoring 876, 871, 860 and 854. This is below the national middle because household income sits at the 12.3 percentile, constraining spending power despite low unemployment.
Unemployment
3.4%
Labour Force
499
Unemployed
17
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.0%
Part-time
32.0%
Participation
45.9%
Employed
482
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.9%
Postgraduate
2.6%
Born Overseas
8.7%
Dwellings
508
Transport to Work
Daily life is car dependent. A total of 71.2% of commuters drive, compared with 1.5% using public transport and 8.2% walking or cycling; 14.9% work from home. That pattern reflects a low-density 720.01 square kilometre settlement because services and jobs are spread across a wide rural area. School access is limited but clear: one local school, Berrigan Public School, is a government primary school, so families should verify enrolment zones and secondary options before buying. Volunteering reaches 30.3%, while 10.4% need assistance, an important service-planning consideration. IRSAD is decile 1, below the national midpoint, so practical access and affordability deserve more attention than lifestyle marketing. Public transport use is lower than car use, making vehicle access important for work, health and shopping.
Drive
71.2%
Public Transport
1.5%
Walk / Cycle
8.2%
Work from Home
14.9%
Growth Outlook
Berrigan is a slow-growth, aging market rather than a gentrification play. The forecast annual trend is -0.02%, while population change across the wider area is 0.9% over 10 years, both below a strong-growth trajectory. The shift label is Aging, supported by a 5.8 percentage-point rise in the senior share, a 4.5-point fall in the young share and a 2.1-point fall in the working share. Overseas migration is the primary forecast driver, yet the gentrification score is 0 and the stage is Not gentrifying. Rents have grown 38.7% and real incomes 9.2%, but affordability moved from 34.1% in 2011 to 35.2% in 2021 and is classified Stable. These conditions favour gradual adaptation because demand is shaped more by aging households than rapid population expansion.
Population trend: Berrigan council area
About 84% of Berrigan sits in Berrigan; the rest is in a neighbouring council. These are the council area's residents, not Berrigan's.
Residents 2025
8,773
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.3%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Berrigan compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Berrigan a good suburb to live in?
Berrigan can suit people seeking detached housing, low density and a settled rural setting. It has 1,264 residents, 89.2% separate houses and 71.2% car commuting, so it is better suited to households comfortable with driving than to people seeking frequent public transport.
What is the median house price in Berrigan?
Check recent local sales for the current median before setting a budget, especially because the market is small and detached-home dominated. Berrigan has 1,264 residents, 89.2% separate houses and a 17.2% vacancy rate, so a median can move more sharply than in a larger regional market.
What schools are in Berrigan?
Berrigan Public School is the local government primary school. Confirm the enrolment zone and secondary-school arrangements for the exact address, because Berrigan covers 720.01 square kilometres and only 1.5% of residents use public transport, making travel planning more important than in a compact town.
Is Berrigan safe?
Review current NSW Police incident information and speak with local residents before deciding, as a suburb-wide safety judgement should not be inferred from housing or age alone. Use current checks rather than assuming a median age of 55 or 83.9% residential stability means lower crime.
Is Berrigan good for property investment?
It may suit a conservative, yield-focused strategy, but the rental market needs careful checking. Weekly rent is $173 and vacancy is 17.2%, while the annual growth trend is -0.02%, so the outlook is lower than a typical growth-market assumption. Detached houses make up 89.2%, supporting family demand but narrowing the investor's property mix.
How is Berrigan's population changing?
The direction is broadly stable but aging. The annual forecast trend is -0.02%, and population change across the wider area is 0.9% over 10 years. The senior share rose 5.8 percentage points while the young share fell 4.5 points, so demand is likely to shift toward older households compared with rapid expansion.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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