Finley

Development Activity

Schools in Finley iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

Finley's median age of 51 is 11 years above the national figure, among the most pronounced age gaps in regional NSW. The aging trend accelerated over the decade, with the senior share rising 7.1 points and the working-age share falling 3.6 points, while the young adult share contracted by 1.9 points. Overseas-born residents make up just 8.8% of the population, which is 12.8 percentage points below the national rate, reflecting the suburb's Anglo-Celtic character: English (931), Irish (283) and Scottish (263) are the top ancestries. University qualifications reach only 17.7%, which is 12.4 points below the national average, consistent with a trade and agriculture-oriented workforce. Average household size is 2.2, slightly below the national 2.5, because the older age profile produces more couples-without-children households, which account for 38.4% of families.

Finley's housing market is characterised by high outright ownership and minimal apartment supply. Some 46.8% of dwellings are owned outright, compared to 30.5% with a mortgage and 22.7% renting, a tenure split that reflects the older resident base and decades of stable ownership rather than recent churn. The stock is 91.4% separate houses, making it one of the most detached-dominant suburb profiles in NSW. Three-bedroom homes at 47.9% and four-plus bedroom homes at 32.1% together account for 80% of the stock, signalling that smaller households have limited purpose-built options. The median price of $325,000 is substantially below the NSW state median, and rent-to-income at 16.4% keeps tenants well below the 30% stress level. Price history shows a rise from $295,000 in 2024 to $360,000 in 2025, a 22% annual gain that is unusually sharp for a slow-growth town.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare and Agriculture jointly dominate the Finley economy, each employing around 21% of the local workforce at 136 and 134 workers respectively. Education follows at 14.4% with 90 workers, reflecting the service-centre role Finley plays for surrounding farming communities. By occupation, Managers lead at 199 workers, followed by Community and Personal service workers at 147 and Labourers at 141, a pattern consistent with a regional town where farming management, aged care, and trades are the primary income sources. The unemployment rate is low at 3.8%, but the participation rate of just 47.1% is substantially below national levels, because the aging population keeps 696 residents out of the labour force entirely. SEIFA scores place Finley at decile 3 on IRSD and IRSAD, meaning it ranks in the bottom 30% nationally for relative advantage, and the 16th income percentile confirms the wage gap vs major centres.

Transport to Work

Finley's liveability profile reflects a car-dependent regional town where 84.5% of residents drive to work, consistent with limited public transport in the Edward River area. A notable 11.3% walk or cycle, high for a rural setting and partly explained by the flat terrain typical of the Murray-Darling plains. No schools are recorded in the suburb dataset, so families access educational facilities in the broader Berrigan Shire network. The IRSAD decile of 3 indicates Finley sits in the lower tier nationally for socio-economic advantage, with 10.4% of residents needing daily assistance, above typical metropolitan figures. The volunteer rate of 28.1% is well above the national average, pointing to strong community participation that compensates in part for lower access to commercial and government services found in larger centres.

Population Forecast

Finley's population sits at 2,455 and is growing slowly, with annual growth of 0.19% adding roughly 19 people per year. Over the past decade, the population grew 5.2%, a modest pace that reflects the ongoing drift of younger residents to larger centres. The medium forecast holds the broader SA2 population near 10,015 to 10,091 through 2031, suggesting continued but slow expansion. The gentrification score of 38 places Finley in the early-signs category rather than active gentrification, supported by net internal migration of 52 people per year, which is above average for towns of this size. Affordability improved from 34.9% in 2011 to 31.7% in 2021, meaning housing costs are consuming a slightly smaller share of local income than a decade ago, which may draw some sea-changers or retirees as city costs rise.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Finley compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions