Kooringal
Healthcare and Education together employ 39.6% of Kooringal's workforce (877 workers), a concentration that reflects proximity to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and Charles Sturt University rather than a diversified economy. Median house prices rose 9.9% from $532,500 to $585,000 over 2024-2025, outpacing many regional NSW markets. Yet household incomes sit at only the 40th percentile nationally, creating a price-to-income tension where $560,000 homes are being bought by households earning $1,404/week. The 37% rental share is unusually high for a regional detached-housing suburb.
Population
7,404
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,404/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
30
Median House
$560K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $560,000 (PSI derived) has appreciated 9.9% year-on-year, from $532,500 in 2024 to $585,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,324 consume 21.8% of household income, below stress thresholds. Stock is predominantly detached at 81.1%, with apartments at 18.5%, an unusually high apartment share for a Wagga Wagga suburb, likely driven by retirement or student housing. Bedrooms skew standard: 42.1% have 3 bedrooms and 38.1% have 4+. The 7.7% vacancy rate merits caution for buyers counting on future resale liquidity.
For Buyers
The median house price of $560,000 (PSI derived) has appreciated 9.9% year-on-year, from $532,500 in 2024 to $585,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,324 consume 21.8% of household income, below stress thresholds. Stock is predominantly detached at 81.1%, with apartments at 18.5%, an unusually high apartment share for a Wagga Wagga suburb, likely driven by retirement or student housing. Bedrooms skew standard: 42.1% have 3 bedrooms and 38.1% have 4+. The 7.7% vacancy rate merits caution for buyers counting on future resale liquidity.
For Investors
The 37.0% rental share provides a solid tenant base, deeper than most regional NSW suburbs. Weekly rent of $270 against a $560,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.5%, which is low even by regional standards. However, the 7.7% vacancy rate, more than double the balanced benchmark, signals oversupply or softening demand. 27 DAs were lodged in 12 months, including new dwelling construction and subdivisions, so supply is actively growing. Investors need to weigh the 9.9% capital growth against weak rental returns.
Development Activity
Total DAs
211
Last 12 Months
30
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-25.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Kooringal iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Sacred Heart Primary School
K-6 · 338 students
Kooringal High School
7-12 · 839 students
Demographics
The population of 7,404 has a median age of 35, 5 years below the national figure, partly influenced by the university student population. University attainment at 28.9% sits close to the national average (1.2pp below). English ancestry dominates at 2,939, followed by Irish (1,018) and Scottish (786). Only 12.5% were born overseas, 9.1 percentage points below the national average, making Kooringal one of the more Anglo-leaning suburbs in NSW. Mandarin (45 speakers) is the most common non-English language.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.1%
Houses
0.2%
Townhouse
18.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Detached houses make up 81.1% of stock, but apartments at 18.5% are notably present for a regional setting. Renters (37.0%) nearly match mortgage holders (32.5%), with outright owners at 30.4%. This near-equal three-way tenure split is unusual and reflects the mix of established residents, young families, and transient students. Prices grew 9.9% from $532,500 to $585,000, with the peak at $585,000 in 2025. At $270/week rent-to-income of 19.2%, renters face manageable costs despite modest household incomes at the 40th percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,324
Rent / wk
$270
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$777
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.7%
Unoccupied
243
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.6%
Couples, no children
5,707
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 23.1% (512 workers), followed by Education at 16.5% (365). These 2 sectors account for nearly 40% of employment, higher than the national combined share of around 25%. Professionals lead occupations at 649, but Community/Personal service workers at 511 and Labourers at 401 indicate a broad skill distribution. Unemployment at 5.5% sits above the national average. The participation rate of 58.4% is lower than typical working-age suburbs, partly due to the student population depressing labour force engagement.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.7%
Part-time
29.8%
Participation
58.4%
Employed
3,220
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.9%
Postgraduate
6.5%
Born Overseas
12.5%
Dwellings
2,922
Transport to Work
Two schools serve the suburb: Sacred Heart Primary School (Catholic, ICSEA 1,033, 338 students) and Kooringal High School (Government secondary, ICSEA 959, 839 students). The high school scores below the national benchmark of 1,000. Public transport usage is minimal at 0.7%, with 87.6% driving. Volunteering at 17.8% exceeds the national average of about 15%, indicating community engagement. The 6.4% needing-assistance rate (448 people) sits above average, consistent with the regional health services concentration.
Drive
87.6%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
2.7%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kooringal compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kooringal a good suburb to live in?
Kooringal offers affordable housing with mortgage-to-income at 21.8%, well below stress levels. The suburb benefits from proximity to Wagga Wagga's health and education infrastructure, with 17.8% volunteering above the national average. Trade-offs include 0.7% public transport usage and 7.7% vacancy indicating a softening rental market.
What is the median house price in Kooringal?
The median house price is $560,000 (PSI derived), having risen 9.9% from $532,500 in 2024 to $585,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,324 are manageable at 21.8% of household income, though incomes sit at only the 40th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Kooringal?
Kooringal has 2 schools: Sacred Heart Primary School (Catholic, ICSEA 1,033, 338 students) and Kooringal High School (Government secondary, ICSEA 959, 839 students). The primary school exceeds the national ICSEA benchmark while the high school sits below 1,000.
Is Kooringal safe?
Suburb-level crime data is not available for Kooringal. SEIFA scores are also unavailable for this SA2. The 37% rental share and 5.5% unemployment rate are modestly above national averages, which in regional NSW often correlates with property crime rates close to or slightly above the state median.
Is Kooringal good for property investment?
Capital growth of 9.9% in 2024-2025 is strong, but gross rental yield near 2.5% ($270/week on $560,000) is low. The 7.7% vacancy rate is a concern, more than double the balanced 3% benchmark. 27 DAs in 12 months add future supply. Investors face a growth-over-yield equation with meaningful vacancy risk.
How is Kooringal's population changing?
Census population is 7,404 with a median age of 35, 5 years below the national figure. Turnover at 22.4% is above average, reflecting student and young-professional mobility. Only 12.5% were born overseas (9.1pp below national), making this a predominantly Australian-born community.
How much development is happening in Kooringal?
27 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, including new dwellings, business premises conversions, and demolition/rebuild projects. For a regional suburb of 7,404 people, this is moderate activity indicating steady infill development rather than rapid transformation.
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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