Inverell
Affordability is Inverell's clearest marker: the latest house price sits at $418,000 after a 9.3% rise from 2024 to 2025, while household income is only in the 23.8 percentile nationally. Compared with Armidale's university pull and Moree's broadacre identity, Inverell reads more as a low-density service town, with 12,057 residents spread across 207.66 sq km. Separate houses make up 87.8% of dwellings, well above apartment living at 1.2%, because the market is built around family homes and regional land supply.
Population
12,057
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,187/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
110
Median House
$400K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Homebuyers get a strongly detached market: 87.8% of dwellings are separate houses, while apartments are only 1.2%, well below a metro-style mix. The median house price is $400,000, with the latest price point at $418,000 in 2025 after 9.3% growth from 2024. Mortgage costs average $1,250 a month and mortgage payments take 24.3% of income, so repayment pressure is lower than many higher priced NSW markets. Larger homes are common, with 34.4% having 4 or more bedrooms.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get a strongly detached market: 87.8% of dwellings are separate houses, while apartments are only 1.2%, well below a metro-style mix. The median house price is $400,000, with the latest price point at $418,000 in 2025 after 9.3% growth from 2024. Mortgage costs average $1,250 a month and mortgage payments take 24.3% of income, so repayment pressure is lower than many higher priced NSW markets. Larger homes are common, with 34.4% having 4 or more bedrooms.
For Investors
Investor appeal is mainly yield and tenant depth rather than rapid population expansion. Renters make up 33.8% of households, close to the owner occupier base, and weekly rent is $270. Vacancy is 8.1%, higher than tight capital city benchmarks, so leasing risk needs active pricing. Development activity is notable, with 110 applications in 12 months, which can refresh stock but also add competition. Compared with faster growth regional centres, Inverell's demand case is steadier and more income-led.
Development Activity
Total DAs
758
Last 12 Months
110
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-14.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Inverell iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Holy Trinity School
K-10 · 577 students
Macintyre High School
6-12 · 487 students
Inverell Public School
K-6 · 498 students
Inverell High School
7-12 · 484 students
Ross Hill Public School
K-6 · 475 students
Demographics
Inverell's population profile is older and more locally rooted than the national average. The median age is 41, which is 1.0 year above the national figure, while only 8.1% were born overseas, 13.5 percentage points below nationally. University attainment is 17.0%, sitting 13.1 points lower than the national comparison, because the workforce is more service, trade and labour oriented. English ancestry is the largest group at 4,788 people, followed by Scottish at 1,129 and Irish at 1,113.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.8%
Houses
10.1%
Townhouse
1.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is broad and low-rise, with 87.8% separate houses compared with only 10.1% semi-detached homes and 1.2% apartments. Ownership is relatively balanced: 36.9% own outright, 29.2% have a mortgage and 33.8% rent. Prices have moved higher from $382,500 in 2024 to $418,000 in 2025, a 9.3% lift, with the latest price matching the peak. Against household income of $1,187 a week, the market remains below many NSW regional city medians, but incomes also sit in the 23.8 percentile nationally.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,250
Rent / wk
$270
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$666
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.1%
Unoccupied
408
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.6%
Couples, no children
8,717
Total families
Economy & Employment
The economy leans on essential services and local production, with Healthcare at 21.0% of jobs and Education at 14.0%, above Manufacturing at 10.9%, Retail at 8.9% and Construction at 8.6%. Labourers are the largest occupation group at 825 people, followed by Professionals at 742 and Community or Personal workers at 718. Unemployment is 6.7% and participation is 49.6%, reflecting an older population and a sizeable 3,756 people not in the labour force. SEIFA is below average, with IEO decile 1 and IRSAD decile 2.
Unemployment
3.3%
Labour Force
6,290
Unemployed
207
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.0%
Part-time
29.3%
Participation
49.6%
Employed
4,487
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.0%
Postgraduate
2.3%
Born Overseas
8.1%
Dwellings
4,602
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-based: 86.1% drive to work, while public transport use is only 0.2% and walking or cycling is 4.7%, below inner-regional centres with denser transport grids. School choice is practical rather than extensive, with 5 local schools spanning Catholic and Government sectors and ICSEA scores from 871 to 1003. Holy Trinity School leads on ICSEA at 1003 with 577 enrolments, while Macintyre High School has 487 students and an ICSEA of 919. IRSAD decile 2 points to lower advantage than the state average.
Drive
86.1%
Public Transport
0.2%
Walk / Cycle
4.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.43%/yr
(+53 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is slow but positive, with the trend adding 0.43% a year, or about 53 people annually. The medium forecast rises from 12,444 in 2026 to 12,711 in 2031, so demand is likely to build gradually rather than surge. Migration is the main offset: overseas migration averages plus 58 people a year, compared with internal migration at minus 14. The shift profile is mixed, with rent growth of 50.0%, real income growth of 15.9% and senior share up 2.8 points, while the separate gentrification label is Not gentrifying with a score of 0.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+58
Net Internal / yr
-14
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Inverell compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Inverell a good suburb to live in?
Inverell suits buyers wanting affordable detached housing, local schools and a service-town setting. It has 12,057 residents, 87.8% separate houses and a median age of 41, but daily life is very car-dependent with 86.1% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Inverell?
The median house price is $400,000, with the latest price history showing $418,000 in 2025. Prices rose 9.3% from $382,500 in 2024, placing Inverell in a more affordable bracket than many larger NSW regional markets.
What schools are in Inverell?
Inverell has 5 listed schools across Catholic and Government sectors. Holy Trinity School has 577 enrolments and an ICSEA of 1003, while Macintyre High School has 487 enrolments and Inverell Public School has 498.
Is Inverell safe?
A local crime rate is not available here, so safety should be checked through recent NSW crime maps and street-level inspection. For context, the suburb has 12,057 residents and 5 local schools, which supports regular day-to-day activity around town.
Is Inverell good for property investment?
Inverell can work for investors focused on affordable entry and rental demand, with 33.8% of households renting and weekly rent at $270. The main caution is vacancy of 8.1%, so property selection and rent setting matter.
How is Inverell's population changing?
Population growth is modest, forecast at 0.43% a year or about 53 people annually. The medium projection rises from 12,444 in 2026 to 12,711 in 2031, helped by overseas migration of 58 people a year.
Is there much development in Inverell?
Development activity is relatively visible, with 110 applications recorded over 12 months. Recent examples include dwelling houses, alterations, sheds and a complying development certificate for 1 dwelling, so renewal is mostly small-scale and local.
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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