Mudgee
Mining gives Mudgee a sharper economic identity than many regional NSW towns: 20.3% of workers are in mining, while the median age of 36 is 4 years below the national benchmark. The suburb holds 11,457 residents across 26.48 sq km, with 84.7% separate houses and only 1.1% apartments, so it reads more as a detached regional service centre than a compact urban market. Compared with nearby Gulgong and Rylstone, Mudgee is the larger everyday hub because schools, health, retail and construction jobs concentrate around town. A 12.6% vacancy rate is the caution against assuming constant rental tightness.
Population
11,457
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,678/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
168
Median House
$735K
12m to Jun 2026 (PSI)
Homebuyers see a family-house market rather than a unit market: 84.7% of dwellings are separate houses, 12.5% are semi-detached and apartments are just 1.1%. The median house price is $667,500, with the latest price at $675,000 in 2025 after a 3.8% rise from 2024. Repayments look relatively contained because the typical mortgage is $1,733 a month and mortgage costs take 23.9% of income, below common stress thresholds. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 43.8%, while 4-plus bedrooms are also high at 39.4%, so upsizers have more choice than downsizers.
For Buyers
Homebuyers see a family-house market rather than a unit market: 84.7% of dwellings are separate houses, 12.5% are semi-detached and apartments are just 1.1%. The median house price is $667,500, with the latest price at $675,000 in 2025 after a 3.8% rise from 2024. Repayments look relatively contained because the typical mortgage is $1,733 a month and mortgage costs take 23.9% of income, below common stress thresholds. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 43.8%, while 4-plus bedrooms are also high at 39.4%, so upsizers have more choice than downsizers.
For Investors
Investors need to balance rental depth with vacancy risk. Renters make up 36.5% of households, higher than the 32.6% paying a mortgage, and the median rent is $360 a week with rent-to-income at 21.5%. That helps affordability because rent stress is not flagged, but the 12.6% vacancy rate is the main caution for cash-flow planning. Development is active, with 142 applications in 12 months, so new supply may keep competition above what a low-vacancy regional investor would expect. The upside is town-scale demand from mining, health and education workers.
Development Activity
Total DAs
913
Last 12 Months
168
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+17.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mudgee iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Matthews Catholic School Mudgee
K-12 · 1122 students
Cudgegong Valley Public School
K-6 · 654 students
Mudgee High School
7-12 · 788 students
Mudgee Public School
K-6 · 539 students
Demographics
Mudgee skews younger and more locally born than the national profile. The median age is 36, 4 years below national, while overseas-born residents are 8.9%, 12.7 percentage points lower than national. University attainment is 22.7%, also 7.4 points lower, which fits a workforce tilted toward mining, trades, care and service roles rather than inner-city professional patterns. English ancestry is the largest line at 4,985 people, followed by Irish at 1,449 and Scottish at 1,082. Christianity remains prominent at 6,053 people, while smaller language communities include Nepali with 32 speakers and Punjabi with 25.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.7%
Houses
12.5%
Townhouse
1.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is shaped by detached stock and a short price record. The median house price is $667,500, while the PSI series moves from $650,000 in 2024 to $675,000 in 2025; that is a 3.8% earliest-to-latest gain, with the latest price equal to the $675,000 peak and 0.0% below peak. Tenure is fairly even compared with many owner-heavy regional towns: 30.9% own outright, 32.6% have a mortgage and 36.5% rent. The reason house demand matters so much is supply mix: 84.7% separate houses, 12.5% semi-detached and only 1.1% apartments.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General (12m to Jun 2026 (PSI))
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (January to March 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $360.
$620
Bond data Mar 2026 · houses $630 · units $420
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$775
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.6%
Unoccupied
629
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.8%
Couples, no children
8,630
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining is the economic anchor, employing 724 people or 20.3% of local workers, followed by healthcare at 530, education at 400, construction at 291 and retail at 238. That mix explains why machinery and driver roles are prominent at 699, close to professionals at 842, because resource and service jobs sit side by side. The unemployment rate is 3.9% with 65.6% of employed residents full-time, while household income sits in the 58.3rd percentile, above the national median. SEIFA is uneven: education and occupation rank in decile 3, resources decile 5, and both disadvantage and advantage measures sit in decile 4.
Unemployment
2.9%
Labour Force
7,024
Unemployed
206
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.6%
Part-time
30.5%
Participation
57.6%
Employed
5,002
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.7%
Postgraduate
4.2%
Born Overseas
8.9%
Dwellings
4,354
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for households that want local schools and car-based access. Four schools sit in the suburb, with ICSEA ranging from 925 to 1022; St Matthews Catholic School Mudgee leads at 1022 with 1,122 enrolments, while Cudgegong Valley Public has 951 and 654 enrolments, and Mudgee High adds a local secondary path with 928 and 788 enrolments. Public transport commuting is only 0.3%, far below car driving at 86.2%, because the town functions around roads and short trips; 5.9% walk or cycle. IRSAD decile 4 signals below-average advantage, so amenities matter but incomes are not uniformly high.
Drive
86.2%
Public Transport
0.3%
Walk / Cycle
5.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.05%/yr
(+136 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is moderate rather than explosive. The trend case adds 1.05% a year, or about 136 people annually, taking the medium projection from 13,179 in 2026 to 13,857 in 2031. Migration is led by overseas arrivals, averaging +48 people a year, compared with net internal migration of -12, so local demand depends more on jobs and services than lifestyle inflows alone. The longer shift is mixed: population is up 19.9% over 10 years and rents rose 45.2%, but the gentrification score is 7 and stage is Not gentrifying, pointing to steady expansion rather than rapid reinvention.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+48
Net Internal / yr
-12
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +20% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Mudgee compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mudgee a good suburb to live in?
Yes, if you want a regional service centre with detached housing and schools close by. It has 11,457 residents, 4 schools and 84.7% separate houses, but commuting is car-led with 86.2% driving and only 0.3% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Mudgee?
The median house price in Mudgee is $667,500. The latest price reading is $675,000 in 2025, up from $650,000 in 2024, which represents a 3.8% earliest-to-latest increase.
What schools are in Mudgee?
Mudgee has 4 local schools: St Matthews Catholic School Mudgee, Cudgegong Valley Public School, Mudgee High School and Mudgee Public School. ICSEA values range from 925 to 1022, with enrolments from 539 to 1,122.
Is Mudgee safe?
Safety should be assessed street by street rather than from a single headline rate. For context, Mudgee is a town of 11,457 residents with 4 schools and highly car-based commuting at 86.2%, so conditions can differ between central streets and outer residential pockets.
Is Mudgee good for property investment?
Mudgee has investable demand signals, including 36.5% renter households and a median rent of $360 a week. The caution is a 12.6% vacancy rate, while 142 development applications in 12 months point to active supply.
How is Mudgee's population changing?
Mudgee is projected to grow steadily rather than rapidly, with the trend adding 1.05% a year or about 136 people annually. The medium projection reaches 13,857 by 2031, helped by +48 overseas migration a year despite -12 internal migration.
What development is happening in Mudgee?
Development activity is elevated, with 142 applications recorded over 12 months. Recent examples include subdivision, new structure works and residential accommodation, including an application listing 1 dwelling.
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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