NSW · Moree Plains Council

Garah, 2405

Population

291

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

-3.3%

Median age

44

Median income

$1,343/wk

Employment rate

48.8%

University qualified

10.3%

Work from home

27.9%

Languages at home

1.4%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

29.1/100
Below average

2082nd in NSW

Verified 92% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Agricultural
  • Holiday parks
  • Remote
What Garah is known for: Agricultural, Holiday parks, Remote

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Garah, NSW suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Garah, NSW Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/nsw/garah

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Suburb profile

Garah is a remote locality in New South Wales, in Moree Plains Council.

The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places, placing it among the highest-ranked remote localities. Local amenities are a relative strength, with local amenities 100% above the peer median. Open-space access is better than in most comparable places. Trade-offs centre on weaker employment and limited school access, with employment 20% below the peer median.

Garah is a better fit for people who value walkability and open space more than employment.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Remote locality · compared with remote localities in New South Wales (181)

Strengths

  • The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places
  • Open-space access is better than in most comparable places
  • Local amenities are a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Employment rates sit below those of comparable places
  • School access is a relative weakness

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Garah compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$240/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (Census)

291

0.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

28.0%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#153

among Country & regional · Established

Crime rate

68th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

20th

percentile in NSW

Rented dwellings

24%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

5/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

19th

percentile among schools with ICSEA

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
29.1/100 — Below average
National rank
6484th in Australia
State rank
2082nd in NSW
Peer rank
#153 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#1012 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
92%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Population growth

0.0% annual · -3.3% over 5 years · 20th percentile in NSW

Growth rates are from ABS Estimated Resident Population at SA2 level. Headcount uses 2021 Census when allocated ERP is too low relative to Census to display reliably.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
291
Median age
44
Median household income / week
$1,343
Dwelling vacancy
28%
Unoccupied private dwellings
33 of 118
Median monthly mortgage
$604
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$240
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
52.9% / 23.5% / 23.5%
Employment rate
48.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
27.9% / 0% / 51.6%
Walked or cycled to work
11.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
87 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

10.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 10.7% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified10.3% · 27.8% NSW
  • Diploma qualified7.4% · 9.3% NSW
  • Trade / vocational10.7% · 15% NSW
  • Year 12 or below71.5% · 47.9% NSW

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Management and commerce29.4%
  • Engineering and related technologies16.2%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services11.8%
  • Agriculture and environment10.3%
  • Architecture and building8.8%
  • Education8.8%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$48,343

24th percentile in NSW · -18% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$53,360

17th percentile in NSW · -18% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
14.0%

51st percentile in NSW · +1% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$35,730

9th percentile in NSW · -44% vs Australia

Residents with business income
9.0%

29th percentile in NSW · -13% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2405 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
279
Taxpayers reporting net rent
39
Median net rent
$492
Taxpayers reporting business income
24
Taxable income vs state median
-14%
Salary / wages vs state median
-15%
Rental investment vs state median
0%
Super vs state median
-49%
Business income vs state median
-10%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Seasonal & agricultural work

63.9% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 27.8× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.0% across New South Wales.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
63.9%

97th percentile in NSW · +2678% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
78
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 2405

Occupation mix in this industry

2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.

  • Managers48
  • Labourers21

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 2405 (Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.

Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)

Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for New England and North West (SA4 110), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12137,149
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 84151,889
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12141,599
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211968
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212888
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412167
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419137
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841673
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841116
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841312

New England and North West is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.

Census employed residents counted in G54: 122 · AFF share +3095% vs the state.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
  • Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0

Community & culture

1.4% speak a language other than English at home; 1.5% born overseas

Language at home
205 English only · 3 other
Non-English at home
1.4%
Born overseas
3 (1.5%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
35 (12%)
Australian citizens
198

Religion

44%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 44%, while 25.1% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion25.1%32.8%
Christianity44%47.6%
Other / not stated30.9%19.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic22.7%22.4%
Anglican16.5%11.9%
Presbyterian and Reformed4.5%1.9%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2405, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
11
Against the person
4
Against property
5
Rate per 1,000 residents
94
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 73 residents
State crime-rate percentile
68.1th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-8.1%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
5
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
42.74

Most common offence types

  • Domestic Violence Related Assault2
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment1
  • Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault1
  • Other Theft2
  • Sexual Touching, Sexual Act And Other Sexual Offences1

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
933
Median ICSEA percentile
19th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
5
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
3
School list
  • Garah Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 933 · 19th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 14 students · Top SEA quarter 18%View on My School →
School catchments
  • Boomi PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Garah PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Moree PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • MSC Albert StreetGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • MSC Carol AveGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Mungindi CSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Tulloona PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

31 public transport stops in this suburb

  • 1135 Talmoi Rd
  • Boonangar Rd At Sandholes Rd
  • Boonangar Rd At Welbondonga Rd
  • Boonangar Rd Opp 784
  • Coocalla Rd At Talmoi Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

  • Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed

Amenities

2 mapped amenities

2 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily needs
  • Great for outdoor family life — 2 parks mapped in suburb
  • Well connected by public transport — 31 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
30/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
6.87
Camping & holiday parks(2)
  • Club Hotel Garah FreecampCampground

    17 Railway Parade, Garah

  • Garah Rest AreaCampground

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Gainey ParkPark
  • Progress ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
2
Parks (OSM)
2
Typical summer maximum
34°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
Moree Hospital (56.3 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
2
Participants per 1,000 residents
17.1

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
34° / 19°
Rainfall
233 mm · ~29 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
27° / 13°
Rainfall
133 mm · ~17 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
19° / 5°
Rainfall
107 mm · ~13 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
27° / 12°
Rainfall
147 mm · ~18 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Planning & development

Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.

2026· 2 proposals
  • March 2026

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Manufactured home; Rural worker's dwelling
    52 BOONANGAR ROAD GARAH 2405Determined
  • February 2026

  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Feedlot
    5088 GINGHAM ROAD GARAH 2405Determined
2025· 1 proposal
  • June 2025

  • Subdivision
    784 BOONANGAR ROAD GARAH 2405Determined
2024· 2 proposals
  • April 2024

  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Feedlot
    5088 GINGHAM ROAD GARAH 2405Determined
  • February 2024

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
    1 YANTARA STREET GARAH 2405Determined
2023· 5 proposals
  • October 2023

  • Subdivision; Commercial livestock grazing; Crop or fodder production
    2255 SANDHOLES ROAD GARAH 2405Determined
  • August 2023

  • Subdivision of land
    1303 DOLGELLY ROAD GARAH 2405Determined
  • Subdivision of land
    2194 BOONANGAR ROAD GARAH 2405Determined
  • Subdivision of land
    3096 SANDHOLES ROAD GARAH 2405Determined
  • February 2023

  • Subdivision of land
    1474 TALMOI ROAD GARAH 2405Determined
2022· 2 proposals
  • October 2022

  • Alterations and additions to industrial development
    5088 GINGHAM ROAD GARAH 2405Determined
  • September 2022

  • Subdivision of land
    1094 WELBONDONGA ROAD GARAH 2405Determined
2021· 1 proposal
  • May 2021

  • Dwelling
    5577 Gingham Road Garah NSW 2405Determined

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Parkes
Member of Parliament
Jamie CHAFFEY (The Nationals)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
130,841
Turnout (2025)
89.2%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+5.2 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 63.0%Labor 37.0%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 84.7 km away).

Coalition 75.0%Labor 25.0%

12.0 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -2.0 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • BoomiLabor 9.1% · Coalition 90.9% TPP (2025)32.3 km away
  • AshleyLabor 23.6% · Coalition 76.4% TPP (2025)38.4 km away
  • Moree WestLabor 30.2% · Coalition 69.8% TPP (2025)54.6 km away
  • MoreeLabor 33.8% · Coalition 66.2% TPP (2025)54.9 km away
  • Moree EastLabor 46.4% · Coalition 53.6% TPP (2025)56.0 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
5/10
IRSD decile (2021)
3/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Moree Plains Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.