Estella
A 2,541-person suburb covering just 1.99 square kilometres on the northern fringe of Wagga Wagga, Estella runs younger and more educated than most regional NSW. The median age of 34 sits 6 years below the national figure, and 34.8% of residents hold university qualifications, 4.7 percentage points above national. Household income lands in the 71.9th percentile nationally, above the majority of Australian suburbs, while the median house price of $629,000 remains far below comparable-income Sydney areas. With 82.5% separate houses and 45.7% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms, this is unmistakably family territory.
Population
2,541
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,920/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
36
Median House
$629K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $629,000 as of 2025 reflects a 3.3% rise from $615,000 in 2024, a measured pace rather than a speculative surge. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,667, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most capital city suburbs at comparable income levels. Separate houses account for 82.5% of stock, with 45.7% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms, making Estella practical for families who need space. Semi-detached options cover 12.6% of the market and apartments just 4.9%. Outright owners at 28.0% are outnumbered by mortgage holders at 38.3%, signalling a relatively new suburb where buyers are still paying down debt.
For Buyers
The median house price of $629,000 as of 2025 reflects a 3.3% rise from $615,000 in 2024, a measured pace rather than a speculative surge. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,667, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most capital city suburbs at comparable income levels. Separate houses account for 82.5% of stock, with 45.7% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms, making Estella practical for families who need space. Semi-detached options cover 12.6% of the market and apartments just 4.9%. Outright owners at 28.0% are outnumbered by mortgage holders at 38.3%, signalling a relatively new suburb where buyers are still paying down debt.
For Investors
The renter share at 33.7% gives landlords a steady tenant pool, and weekly rent of $380 is achievable against a $629,000 median, implying a gross yield near 3.1%, which is higher than most Sydney equivalents in the same price band. The vacancy rate at 8.0% is elevated and warrants attention, suggesting some supply overhang relative to current demand. Development activity remains active, with 29 applications lodged in the past 12 months, most of them new dwelling houses, indicating continued confidence in residential growth. The low mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.1% means existing owner-occupiers face limited financial stress, reducing distressed-sale risk for incoming investors.
Development Activity
Total DAs
100
Last 12 Months
36
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+140.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Estella runs 6 years younger than the national median age of 40, at 34, because it attracts young families building first homes in Wagga Wagga's growth corridor. University qualifications at 34.8% exceed the national average by 4.7 percentage points, driven by the suburb's proximity to Charles Sturt University and a professional workforce in Healthcare (25.7%) and Education (17.9%). The overseas-born share at 15.4% is 6.2 percentage points below the national figure, making Estella more Anglo-Celtic by composition: English ancestry leads at 1,001 residents, followed by Irish (313) and Scottish (288). Average household size of 2.6 sits just above the national average, consistent with the strong couples-with-children profile, where 909 families are couples with children versus 459 couples without.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.5%
Houses
12.6%
Townhouse
4.9%
Apartment
Tenure
The stock is dominated by separate houses at 82.5%, with 45.7% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms, reflecting the suburb's role as a family-sized new-build destination. Three-bedroom homes account for 35.1% and two-bedroom for 13.8%, leaving just 5.5% in the zero-to-one bedroom category. Tenure splits between mortgage (38.3%), renting (33.7%) and outright ownership (28.0%), with mortgage holders leading because many properties are still recent purchases. Median house price rose from $615,000 in 2024 to $635,000 in 2025, a 3.3% annual gain and a compound growth rate of 3.3% over the period. Rent-to-income sits at 19.8%, below the 25% stress mark, which explains why the suburb retains renters rather than pushing them to cheaper neighbouring areas.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,667
Rent / wk
$380
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$916
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.0%
Unoccupied
78
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.7%
Couples, no children
1,861
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates the local employment mix at 25.7% (224 workers), followed by Education at 17.9% (156 workers) and Public Administration at 9.0% (79). Construction accounts for 8.2% and Retail 6.6%, rounding out the top five industries. By occupation, Professionals lead at 319 workers, Community and Personal Service workers at 208, and Labourers at 140. The unemployment rate of 3.2% is low, and the full-time employment rate of 66.0% indicates most jobs here are substantive rather than casual. Participation at 61.7% is moderate, with 537 residents not in the labour force, partly because the suburb includes a share of stay-at-home parents consistent with the high couples-with-children household composition. Weekly household income of $1,920 places Estella in the 71.9th income percentile nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.0%
Part-time
30.8%
Participation
61.7%
Employed
1,220
Occupations
Top Industries
University
34.8%
Postgraduate
8.4%
Born Overseas
15.4%
Dwellings
880
Transport to Work
Car dependence is strong, with 90.5% of residents commuting by car and just 0.9% using public transport, well below national averages, which is typical for regional NSW suburbs where bus frequency is limited. Walking and cycling account for 1.4% of commutes. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Wagga Wagga suburbs. Housing stress is low on both measures: rent-to-income at 19.8% and mortgage-to-income at 20.1% are both comfortably below the 30% threshold, pointing to a financially sustainable community. Volunteering is above average at 17.0%, and 6.8% of residents (160 people) need some daily assistance, which is consistent with the suburb's age profile where younger families predominate. Crime data is not available for this suburb.
Drive
90.5%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Estella compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Estella a good suburb to live in?
Estella suits families well. The median age of 34 is 6 years below the national figure, housing stress is low with mortgage-to-income at 20.1%, and 82.5% of dwellings are separate houses. University qualifications at 34.8% sit 4.7 points above the national average. The trade-off is high car dependence, with 90.5% of commuters driving and minimal public transport.
What is the median house price in Estella?
The median house price is $629,000 as of the 2024-2025 period, up 3.3% from $615,000 in 2024. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,667, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.1% is well below the 30% stress threshold, making purchase costs manageable relative to household incomes in the 71.9th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Estella?
No schools are recorded within the Estella suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Wagga Wagga suburbs. Despite this, educational attainment is high locally, with 34.8% of residents holding university qualifications, 4.7 percentage points above the national average, reflecting the professional workforce in Healthcare and Education industries.
Is Estella safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Estella in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, housing stress is low (mortgage-to-income at 20.1% and rent-to-income at 19.8%), unemployment is 3.2%, and household incomes sit in the 71.9th percentile nationally. These economic indicators are generally associated with lower-disadvantage, lower-crime environments.
Is Estella good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $380 against a $629,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.1%, higher than comparable Sydney price bands. The vacancy rate of 8.0% is elevated, signalling some supply pressure. The 33.7% renter share provides a solid tenant pool, and 29 development applications in the past 12 months show active growth. Low mortgage stress (20.1%) reduces distressed-sale risk.
How is Estella's population changing?
Estella is a growing suburb, with 2,541 residents in 1.99 square kilometres and a resident turnover rate of 33.4%, indicating active population churn typical of a maturing new estate. Ongoing construction is evidenced by 29 development applications in the past 12 months, predominantly new dwelling houses. The young median age of 34 points to family formation as the primary growth driver rather than retiree inflow.
How much development is happening in Estella?
There were 29 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, mostly new dwelling houses and complying development certificates. This is consistent with an active growth corridor suburb still adding residential supply. The 3.3% house price rise from 2024 to 2025 suggests construction is keeping pace with demand rather than allowing large price spikes.
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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