Suburb report · NSW 2480
Goonellabah
Prepared by the property strategists at Chase Wealth Australia
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Population
13,913
Goonellabah suburb profile
Who lives in Goonellabah
Goonellabah sits 596km from the Sydney CBD, well outside the capital's orbit. Goonellabah is home to 13,913 people, a scale matched by fewer than 9% of New South Wales suburbs. By population it is number 26 of 763 New South Wales suburbs and towns more than 40km from the Sydney CBD. Goonellabah has a median age of 41, near the state's median suburb at 40. Against the 763 New South Wales suburbs and towns more than 40km from the Sydney CBD, it is older than 335 and younger than 386.
Income and home ownership
A median household income of $73,300 places Goonellabah in the lower middle of New South Wales suburbs. Among the 763 New South Wales suburbs and towns more than 40km from the Sydney CBD, 524 report a higher median household income. Tenure is balanced for New South Wales: 70.2% owner-occupied and 29.8% renting. On ownership it ranks 495 of 763 New South Wales suburbs and towns more than 40km from the Sydney CBD.
Household mix
At the 2021 Census, 5,270 households lived in Goonellabah, more than in 93% of New South Wales suburbs. The household mix leans to families: families with children 39.6%, couples without children 25.6%, people living alone 31.3% and group households 3.5%. Of the 761 New South Wales suburbs and towns more than 40km from the Sydney CBD, 444 have a higher share of families with children and 314 a lower one. At 31.3%, people living alone are more common here than in 76% of New South Wales suburbs. Couples without children, at 25.6%, sit near the New South Wales middle, at the 43rd percentile.
Housing supply
53 new dwellings were approved across the Goonellabah statistical area in the year to June 2025, 28% under its 2020 to 2024 average of 74 a year. The Goonellabah statistical area had 14,177 residents in 2025 and closely matches Goonellabah. That is 3.7 approvals per 1,000 residents of that area, heavier than 61% of New South Wales statistical areas. The busiest year for approvals since 2020 was 2021, with 119, and the quietest was 2023, with 46.
Population trend
From 2020 to 2025, the Goonellabah statistical area put on 4.6% more residents, against 5.9% for New South Wales as a whole. The median New South Wales statistical area grew 2.5% over the same 5 years, 2.1 points slower than this one. That rate is faster than 67% of New South Wales statistical areas. The fastest single year was to 2022, at 1.4%, and the slowest to 2021, at 0.3%.
Against its neighbours
The sharpest contrast among the suburbs profiled in the region is Banora Point, where the median age is 48 compared with 41 here. On the median household income, Grafton comes closest to Goonellabah: $66,400 against $73,300. Casino, 27km away, has 10,883 residents and a median household income of $58,500.
Location
Demographics
ABS Data by Region to 2025, on ABS Census 2021 suburb baselineHousehold Mix Census 2021
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Reading this report
Every figure in the Goonellabah data table is dated at its source. Supply and population change cover the Goonellabah statistical area, whose boundary differs from Goonellabah's, and our guide to reading a suburb report explains how our buyers agents weigh them.
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This report is market intelligence prepared by Chase Wealth Australia for general information only. Figures are statistical estimates for the suburb, not valuations of any individual property, and do not constitute financial or credit advice. Consider your circumstances and seek professional advice before acting. Demographic figures are sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census 2021 (licensed CC BY 4.0) where available.