suburb.guide

NSW · Walgett Council

Rowena, 2387

Est. population · Jun 2025

148

Growth (1 yr)

-1.3%

Growth (5 yr)

-5.1%

Median age

31

Median income

$1,731/wk

Employment rate

63.8%

University qualified

12.8%

Work from home

20.2%

Languages at home

2.6%non-English

Most common: French

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Agricultural
  • Remote
What Rowena is known for: Agricultural, Remote

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Rowena, NSW suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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

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Suburb profile

Rowena is a remote locality in New South Wales, in Walgett Council.

The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places, placing it among the highest-ranked remote localities. Open-space access is exceptionally strong, and local school ICSEA scores sit well above the peer median. University qualifications are a relative strength, with university qualifications 58% above the peer median. The clearer weaknesses are thinner local amenities and weaker population growth, with local amenities 100% below the peer median.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising walkability and open space over local amenities.

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 exceptionally strong
  • Local school ICSEA scores sit well above the peer median
  • University qualifications are a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Local amenity access is relatively limited
  • Population has been growing more slowly than in comparable places, or declining

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • StudentsInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Rowena compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$50/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

148

-1.3% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

32.1%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Crime rate

7th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

2nd

percentile in NSW

Rented dwellings

29%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

6/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

23rd

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

Population

Estimated resident population

148(June 2025)

-1.3% annual · -5.1% over 5 years · 2th percentile in NSW

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
-1.3%
5-year growth
-5.1%
Change in 1 year
-2
Change in 5 years
-8
Growth rank in NSW
2th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~150), extrapolated at -1.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
172
Median age
31
Median household income / week
$1,731
Dwelling vacancy
32.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
25 of 78
Median monthly mortgage
$0
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$50
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
54.2% / 16.7% / 29.2%
Employment rate
63.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
20.2% / 0% / 76.4%
Walked or cycled to work
3.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
60 / 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

12.8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 19.9% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified12.8% · 27.8% NSW
  • Diploma qualified5.7% · 9.3% NSW
  • Trade / vocational19.9% · 15% NSW
  • Year 12 or below61.7% · 47.9% NSW

Highest qualification field

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

  • Agriculture and environment24.5%
  • Management and commerce24.5%
  • Engineering and related technologies17%
  • Health13.2%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services9.4%
  • Education5.7%
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)
$53,692

41st percentile in NSW · -9% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$66,002

61st percentile in NSW · +2% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
10.0%

9th percentile in NSW · -27% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$22,868

4th percentile in NSW · -64% vs Australia

Residents with business income
10.0%

35th percentile in NSW · -4% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2387 — 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
147
Taxpayers reporting net rent
14
Median net rent
-$4,568
Taxpayers reporting business income
14
Taxable income vs state median
-4%
Salary / wages vs state median
+5%
Rental investment vs state median
-29%
Super vs state median
-67%
Business income vs state median
0%

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

86.5% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 37.6× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.0% across New South Wales.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
86.5%

100th percentile in NSW · +3661% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
77
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 2387

Occupation mix in this industry

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

  • Managers34
  • Labourers17
  • Machinery operators and drivers15

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 2387 (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 Far West and Orana (SA4 105), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12131,398
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1214774
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415259
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212236
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211138
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419111
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841655
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 841244
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841310

Far West and Orana 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: 89 · AFF share +4225% 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

2.6% speak a language other than English at home; 5.5% born overseas

Language at home
148 English only · 4 other
Non-English at home
2.6%
Born overseas
8 (5.5%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
8 (4.7%)
Australian citizens
144
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
1

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • French3 · 100%

Religion

57%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 57%, while 29.7% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion29.7%32.8%
Christianity57%47.6%
Other / not stated13.4%19.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Anglican27.3%11.9%
Catholic23.3%22.4%

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 2387, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
4
Against the person
2
Against property
1
Rate per 1,000 residents
27
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 86 residents
State crime-rate percentile
6.9th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+0.3%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
7
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
47.3

Most common offence types

  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment1
  • Malicious Damage To Property1
  • Prohibited And Regulated Weapons Offences1
  • Sexual Assault1

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
944
Median ICSEA percentile
23th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
6
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
5
School list
  • Rowena Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 944 · 23th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 20 students · Top SEA quarter 16%View on My School →
School catchments
  • Bullarah PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Burren Junction PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Collarenebri CSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Mallawa 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
  • Rowena PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Walgett CCHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Walgett CCPSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Wee Waa HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_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

39 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Camerons Lane At Merrywinebone Rd
  • Merrywinebone Rd Opp Mayleigh Property
  • Moomin Rd Opp Woodvale Property
  • Rowena Public School, Shaw St
  • Woodvale Rd At Millie 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

No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.

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

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
3
Parks (OSM)
3
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
Collarenebri Multi-Purpose Service (39.3 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)
4
Participants per 1,000 residents
27.0

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
203 mm · ~25 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
27° / 13°
Rainfall
125 mm · ~16 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
19° / 4°
Rainfall
101 mm · ~13 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
27° / 12°
Rainfall
130 mm · ~16 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· 1 proposal

  • May 2026

  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Feedlot
    3140 MOOMIN ROAD ROWENA 2387Under Assessment
2024· 2 proposals

  • August 2024

  • Erection of a new structure; Manufactured home
    3079 MERRYWINEBONE ROAD ROWENA 2387Determined

  • May 2024

  • Subdivision; Agriculture
    1590 GLEN EDEN ROAD ROWENA 2387Determined
2023· 1 proposal

  • July 2023

  • Other
    126 BELARRA ROAD ROWENA 2387Determined
2022· 3 proposals

  • October 2022

  • Farm buildings; Shed
    ROWENA STREET ROWENA 2387Additional Information Requested

  • July 2022

  • Business premises
    15 ROWENA STREET ROWENA 2387Determined

  • May 2022

  • Dwelling
    2889 MERRYWINEBONE ROAD ROWENA 2387Determined

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 90.0 km away).

Coalition 66.3%Labor 33.7%

3.3 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +7.9 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Burren JunctionLabor 22.9% · Coalition 77.1% TPP (2025)40.3 km away
  • CollarenebriLabor 43.9% · Coalition 56.1% TPP (2025)42.8 km away
  • PilligaLabor 41.7% · Coalition 58.3% TPP (2025)68.4 km away
  • Wee WaaLabor 27.5% · Coalition 72.5% TPP (2025)71.2 km away
  • BellataLabor 15.9% · Coalition 84.1% TPP (2025)82.9 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)
6/10
IRSD decile (2021)
5/10

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

More in Walgett Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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