Glen Innes
A median house price of $380,000 buys a 3-bedroom detached home in Glen Innes, a New England town where 90.4% of dwellings are separate houses and median age reaches 49, a full 9.0 years above the national figure. Household income sits in the 8.9th percentile nationally, which places the suburb in the bottom decile on three of four SEIFA indexes (IRSAD decile 1, IRSD, IEO and IER all decile 2). That low cost base is the defining feature: a $230 weekly rent and a $1,068 monthly mortgage are affordable in dollar terms, even though they consume a high share of the modest local income. University qualifications reach only 17.3%, which is 12.8 points below national, and just 8.0% of residents were born overseas, 13.6 points below the national rate.
Population
6,219
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$904/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
67
Median House
$380K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
At a $380,000 median, Glen Innes is one of the more affordable markets in NSW, and the stock is built for owner-occupiers: 90.4% of dwellings are separate houses, with apartments at just 2.7% and semi-detached at 6.0%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 48.9% and 4-plus bedroom houses make up 26.7%, so buyers find space rather than density. Prices rose from $355,000 in 2024 to $400,000 in 2025, a 12.7% one-year gain that is steep in percentage terms because the dollar base is low. Tenure favours established owners: 44.2% own outright versus 25.2% on a mortgage, a sign that much of the housing is held debt-free rather than churned by recent buyers. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,068, low in absolute terms but equal to 27.3% of income, just under the 30% stress threshold because local household income is in the 8.9th percentile.
For Buyers
At a $380,000 median, Glen Innes is one of the more affordable markets in NSW, and the stock is built for owner-occupiers: 90.4% of dwellings are separate houses, with apartments at just 2.7% and semi-detached at 6.0%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 48.9% and 4-plus bedroom houses make up 26.7%, so buyers find space rather than density. Prices rose from $355,000 in 2024 to $400,000 in 2025, a 12.7% one-year gain that is steep in percentage terms because the dollar base is low. Tenure favours established owners: 44.2% own outright versus 25.2% on a mortgage, a sign that much of the housing is held debt-free rather than churned by recent buyers. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,068, low in absolute terms but equal to 27.3% of income, just under the 30% stress threshold because local household income is in the 8.9th percentile.
For Investors
Weekly rent of $230 against a $380,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.1%, higher than most Sydney suburbs because the entry price is so low. The renter pool is moderate at 30.6%, and the 9.6% vacancy rate is elevated, which signals that finding tenants takes longer than in tighter metro markets. Demand drivers are thin but positive: net internal migration adds 41 residents a year and overseas migration 17, with annual population growth at just 0.1%. Rent has grown 37.5% over the decade, a strong move off a low base, while development runs at 64 applications in 12 months, mostly single dwellings, sheds and carports rather than new rental supply. The case rests on yield and low capital outlay more than capital growth, since the suburb is classified established and not gentrifying.
Development Activity
Total DAs
359
Last 12 Months
67
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-14.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Glen Innes iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Joseph's Primary School
K-6 · 159 students
Glen Innes High School
7-12 · 434 students
Wytaliba Public School
K-6 · 13 students
Glen Innes Public School
K-6 · 339 students
Glen Innes West Infants School
K-2 · 19 students
Demographics
The median age of 49 is 9.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 6.3 points while the working-age and young shares each fell 2.9 points over the decade. The population is strongly Anglo, led by English (2,655), Irish (735) and Scottish (733) ancestry, and only 8.0% of residents were born overseas, which is 13.6 points below national. Non-English languages are minimal, with Nepali (13) and Malayalam (12) the most common. University qualifications at 17.3% run 12.8 points below national, consistent with a workforce weighted toward community, labouring and clerical roles. Average household size is 2.1, which is 0.4 below national, because couples without children (35.9% of families) outnumber couples with children (1,281 families), a profile typical of an older regional town.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.4%
Houses
6.0%
Townhouse
2.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure leans heavily to outright ownership: 44.2% own debt-free, 25.2% carry a mortgage and 30.6% rent, so outright owners outnumber mortgage holders nearly two to one, a sign of long-held, low-debt regional housing. The stock is 90.4% separate houses with apartments at only 2.7%, and three-bedroom homes account for 48.9% of dwellings. The median house price rose from $355,000 in 2024 to $400,000 in 2025, a 12.7% gain, with the headline median at $380,000. Affordability has stayed roughly flat, moving from 40.5% in 2011 to 41.7% in 2021. Mortgage-to-income sits at 27.3% and rent-to-income at 25.4%, both below the 30% stress threshold despite household income in the 8.9th percentile nationally, because the absolute cost of housing here is among the lowest in the state.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,068
Rent / wk
$230
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$515
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.6%
Unoccupied
275
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.9%
Couples, no children
4,200
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is concentrated in services that anchor a regional centre: Healthcare leads at 20.8% (279 workers), Public Administration follows at 13.0% (175) and Education at 11.9% (160), with Retail at 8.3% and Construction at 6.8%. By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers (332) and Labourers (324) outnumber Professionals (307), which aligns with the IEO education-and-occupation score of decile 2, below the national midpoint. Unemployment is high at 7.7% and participation is low at 42.8%, well below typical rates, because 2,287 residents sit outside the labour force, a direct consequence of the median age of 49. Real incomes grew 8.7% over the decade. All four SEIFA indexes fall in deciles 1 to 2, marking Glen Innes as a relatively disadvantaged area on income, education and economic resources.
Unemployment
4.0%
Labour Force
4,415
Unemployed
176
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.7%
Part-time
33.6%
Participation
42.8%
Employed
2,061
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.3%
Postgraduate
2.8%
Born Overseas
8.0%
Dwellings
2,577
Transport to Work
Glen Innes is car-dependent, as expected for a regional town: 83.0% drive to work and 8.5% walk or cycle, with public transport use too low to record. The suburb scores in the bottom SEIFA deciles, IRSAD decile 1 and IRSD decile 2, which marks higher relative disadvantage than most of NSW, and 9.6% of residents (536 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the older median age of 49. Volunteering runs at 20.0%, a typical regional level that reflects community involvement. No schools are recorded inside the 198.3 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in the town centre and nearby. Housing costs stay manageable, with rent-to-income at 25.4% below the 30% stress line, the main practical advantage of living here against a low income base.
Drive
83.0%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
8.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.1%/yr
(+9 people/yr)
EstablishedGlen Innes is effectively flat: annual population growth registers 0.1%, about 9 residents a year, and the 10-year change is just 3.2%, classifying it as an established, slow-growth suburb. Migration is balanced, with net internal inflow of 41 a year slightly ahead of overseas migration at 17, neither large enough to shift the trajectory. The aging profile drives the outlook, as the senior share rose 6.3 points while the working-age share fell 2.9 points over the decade. The gentrification score is 18 out of 100, placing it firmly in the not-gentrifying category, which fits a suburb already in the bottom SEIFA deciles with weak income momentum. Rent grew 37.5% over the period off a low base, the clearest sign of any upward pressure, while real income growth of 8.7% lagged well behind.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+17
Net Internal / yr
+41
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Glen Innes compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Glen Innes a good suburb to live in?
Glen Innes suits buyers wanting space and affordability, with a $380,000 median house price and 90.4% detached houses. The trade-offs are economic: it scores in SEIFA decile 1 on IRSAD and household income sits in the 8.9th percentile nationally, with unemployment at 7.7%, above typical levels.
What is the median house price in Glen Innes?
The median house price is $380,000, low for NSW. Prices rose 12.7% from $355,000 in 2024 to $400,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $230 and the typical monthly mortgage repayment is $1,068, equal to 27.3% of local income, just under the stress threshold.
What schools are in Glen Innes?
No schools are recorded inside the 198.3 km2 Glen Innes boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in the town centre and nearby areas. University qualifications among residents are 17.3%, which is 12.8 points below the national figure.
Is Glen Innes safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Glen Innes in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores SEIFA decile 1 on IRSAD and decile 2 on IRSD, lower than most of NSW, and 9.6% of its 6,219 residents need daily assistance, reflecting an older, regional profile.
Is Glen Innes good for property investment?
Rent of $230 a week against a $380,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.1%, higher than most Sydney suburbs. Rent grew 37.5% over the decade, but the 9.6% vacancy rate is elevated and population growth is just 0.1% a year, so returns rest on yield more than capital growth.
How is Glen Innes's population changing?
Population growth is 0.1% annually, about 9 residents a year, with a 3.2% rise over 10 years. The profile is aging: the senior share rose 6.3 points and the working-age share fell 2.9 points over the decade. The median age of 49 sits 9.0 years above national.
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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