Central West, NSW
zoo · inland-city · pastoral · family
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Drive to the coast
4h 50m
By road
Nearest major hospital
7 min
By road
Airport access
11 min
By road
Schools access
Excellent
Average daytime temp
24.7°C
Rainfall
Dry
Dubbo is an inland service city that works because it gives a large surrounding region somewhere to do business, access healthcare, shop and go to school. Around 43,500 people live here, the median age is only 35 and the population has grown strongly, up roughly 19% since 2016.
Care work, retail, farming and local services all feature heavily, and the city has enough employment depth to feel like a real regional economy rather than a small town with a few major employers. Prices are comparatively accessible, with a median around $675,000 and three-bedroom rents near $550 a week.
The Western Plains Zoo is the obvious landmark, but residents also have Old Dubbo Gaol, cycleways and local gardens in the mix when they are not simply doing normal family and work routines. Summers are hot, winters are cold and the city is spread out, so driving is built into life.
Canberra is about five hours away, while the coast is even farther, making Dubbo emphatically inland. The airport is only around ten minutes away, which helps with the distance. Dubbo suits people who want affordable regional-city services and jobs, and who are comfortable swapping beach access and compact walkability for space, practicality and a strong inland centre.
11 photos
Families, tradespeople, healthcare workers, teachers, regional professionals and people working across agriculture or transport are strong fits. It is also a practical option for households wanting cheaper housing and plenty of services without moving to a small town where employment and school choices become narrow.
The inland climate brings hot summers and cold winters, and the coast is a long way away. Canberra is about 5 hours 5 minutes by road. The city is car-oriented and lacks the walkable lifestyle or immediate natural attractions that define many coastal and mountain destinations.
Visit Taronga Western Plains Zoo
Tour Old Dubbo Gaol
Explore Shoyoen Japanese Garden
Walk Tracker Riley Cycleway
Median house price
$675,000
39% below the NSW median
Median weekly rent (3-bed house)
$550
≈ $2,383/month
Houses here typically sell from $585,000 to $755,000 (25th–75th percentile).
Sourced from NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January - March 2026 quarter
Healthcare access
Excellent
Shopping & everyday services
Good
4–9 shopping centres within 20km
Internet connection
Fixed line
Plus 17 more within 20km — showing the 8 closest.
Job market by industry
Healthcare — 18%
Largest share of local jobs
Employment figures cover this town's wider statistical region, not the town alone — you'll see the same figures for Broken Hill and Lightning Ridge.
The score ranks this region against other regions for the same occupation, not against other jobs here — a low score means it isn't a regional stronghold for that field, not that there are no vacancies. Counts online job advertisements, so trades and farm work hired by word of mouth are undercounted, and outside capital cities this is published at a regional level larger than one town.
Dubbo (SAL 11299) · 2021 Census
The age profile is close to the national one, with 16.6% aged 65 or over against 17.2% and 21.5% children against 18.2%.
Population
43,516
Population growth
+19.1%
Dubbo - South (SA2 105031101)
Median age
35 years
Labour force participation
63.3%
Growth is measured across the wider area named under the figure, which can be a different size to the town.
Share of total population in each band — rounding means these won't land on exactly 100%.
Couples are a share of total families; lone-person households are a share of total households — different bases, not one breakdown.
Median personal income
$876
Per week · ≈ $45,552/year
Median family income
$2,047
Per week
Median household income
$1,690
Per week
Personal is one person's income; family and household cover everyone living together — a single-income household will show a lower household figure than its highest earner's personal one. Personal income also covers every resident aged 15 and over, retirees included, so it reads low in a town with an older population even where household income is solid.
Owner-occupied
62.4%
Rented
33.7%
Born in Australia
81.2%
Born overseas
10.4%
Doesn't sum to 100% — people who didn't state a birthplace are excluded rather than redistributed.