📈 Suburbs With the Fastest-Growing Incomes in Australia
Incomes across Australia rose sharply between the 2019-20 and 2023-24 financial years, driven by wage growth, inflation and a tight labour market. But the gains were far from even — some postcodes saw median taxable incomes climb by more than 40%, while others barely moved. This ranking lists the 25 postcodes in Australia where median taxable income grew the fastest, using the ATO's Taxation Statistics 2023-24 (Individuals — Table 8).
Sorrento (VIC) leads with median taxable income rising 49.3% — from $40,816 in 2019-20 to $60,926 in 2023-24. Across the top 25, the midpoint suburb still grew 38.0%. Fast growth tends to cluster in sea-change and tree-change areas that attracted higher earners over the period, resource-town postcodes riding a commodities cycle, and outer-metro suburbs where new higher-income households moved in.
ATO figures are reported by postcode and cover every individual who lodged a tax return, so they describe the whole postcode rather than a single suburb. Only postcodes with a representative suburb of at least 200 residents are included, and the ATO suppresses any postcode with fewer than 200 lodgments. Taxable income differs from ABS Census household and personal income, which can rank areas differently.
Sorrento VIC 3943
Sorrento is a celebrated coastal town on the tip of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, situated approximately 103 kilometres south-west of Melbourne's CBD within the Shire of Mornington Peninsula. With a population of 2,013 and a median age of 64, the town is a haven for retirees and sea-changers who prize its stunning dual beaches, historic limestone architecture, and unhurried coastal lifestyle. The median household income and high property values reflect an affluent, established community predominantly made up of long-term owner-occupiers.
Wee Waa NSW 2388
Wee Waa is a historic rural town in the Lower Namoi Valley of northwestern New South Wales, located 41km from Narrabri and 571km from Sydney. Known as the "Cotton Capital of Australia", this agricultural community has a population of 1,571 (2021 census). The town name derives from the Kamilaroi word meaning "Fire for Roasting". Established as the oldest town on the Namoi River, it became the birthplace of Australia's commercial cotton industry in 1961.
Menangle NSW 2568
Menangle is a historic village located approximately 69 km southwest of Sydney CBD, within the Wollondilly Shire in the Macarthur region of New South Wales. The suburb sits at around 86 metres elevation along the Nepean River, with a population of around 1,252 residents as of 2021. Its name derives from an Indigenous word meaning 'a place of swamps and lagoons', reflecting the wetland landscape along the riverbanks. The area is largely rural in character, dominated by farming land associated with the historic Camden Park Estate.
Lockhart NSW 2656
Lockhart is a Riverina service town in southern New South Wales and the administrative centre of Lockhart Shire. The 2021 Census population in the dataset is 1,019, reflecting a modest but stable regional community. The town developed from pastoral and farming roots and remains closely linked to grain, livestock and local government services. Its character is distinctly country-town, with a traditional main street and strong civic identity.
Hopetoun WA 6348
Hopetoun is a small coastal town in the Shire of Ravensthorpe in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, approximately 590 kilometres south-east of Perth. With a population of around 1,115 and a median age of 46, it serves as the coastal port for the surrounding agricultural and mining district. Originally established in the 1890s during the gold rush era, the town sits on the shores of Mary Ann Haven, part of the stunning Southern Ocean coastline.
Barraba NSW 2347
Barraba is a rural town and locality in the Gwydir Shire in north-western New South Wales, situated at an elevation of 544 metres in the Manilla River valley approximately 180 kilometres north-west of Tamworth. The locality spans a large 523 square kilometres of pastoral and agricultural land, with a population of 1,329 residents. The community has a notably older demographic, with a median age of 58 and a significant proportion of residents aged over 65, while approximately 12.6 per cent identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. The median household income of $776 per week reflects the modest economic circumstances typical of rural New South Wales towns.
Berrigan NSW 2712
Berrigan is a small rural service town in the Riverina region of southern New South Wales, located approximately 620 kilometres south-west of Sydney within the Berrigan Shire local government area. With a population of 1,264, the township has a stable community profile and a median age of 55, reflecting an older, long-established agricultural community. The local economy is anchored by irrigated horticulture, sheep and cattle grazing, and broader Riverina farming, with a median household income of $980 per week.
Blackall QLD 4472
Blackall is a small outback town in south-western Queensland, located approximately 960 kilometres west of Brisbane on the Mitchell grass plains within the Blackall-Tambo Regional Council area. Situated at an elevation of 305 metres near the Barcoo River, the town serves as a regional service centre for the vast surrounding sheep and cattle stations. With a population of 1,365 and a median age of 49, Blackall is a predominantly older, Australian-born community with deep pastoral roots and a median household income of $1,143 per week.
Mount Dandenong VIC 3767
Mount Dandenong is a picturesque township nestled in the Dandenong Ranges, approximately 44 kilometres east of the Melbourne CBD in the Shire of Yarra Ranges. With a small population of around 1,271 and a median age of 45, it has the character of a quiet mountain village. Sitting at an elevation of nearly 600 metres, it enjoys a cool, wet climate quite distinct from suburban Melbourne. The area was established in 1893 and retains much of its historic charm.
Guyra NSW 2365
Guyra is a small town on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, situated midway between Armidale (38 km south) and Glen Innes (61 km north) at an elevation of 1,330 metres. With a population of about 2,077 (2021 census), it is one of the highest towns in Australia. The town was established in 1885 and falls within the Armidale Regional Council area.
Trangie NSW 2823
Trangie is a rural town in the Orana region of New South Wales, situated on the Mitchell Highway approximately 485 kilometres north-west of Sydney and 76 kilometres north-west of Dubbo, within the Narromine Shire local government area. With a population of 1,073, the town has a median age of 45 and a notable Indigenous population representing around 24% of residents. The median household income of approximately $1,220 per week reflects a regional economy centred on agriculture and pastoral activities typical of inland NSW.
Bingara NSW 2404
Bingara is a historic small town on the Gwydir River in the New England region of New South Wales, serving as the administrative centre for Gwydir Shire. With a population of around 1,300, this charming community sits at an elevation of 340 metres, 141 kilometres north of Tamworth and 449 kilometres north of Sydney. The town's Aboriginal name means 'creek', reflecting its riverside setting within the Murray-Darling catchment.
Brandon QLD 4808
Brandon is a small rural town in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, located 6.4 kilometres west-northwest of Ayr and approximately 82 kilometres east-southeast of Townsville. The locality covers a large 110.5 square kilometre area of flat, low-lying agricultural land on the coastal plain of the Burdekin River delta. At the 2021 census, Brandon had a population of 1,088 residents, with the community closely tied to the region's sugar cane farming industry. The town was surveyed in 1882 and takes its name from an early Queensland official.
Cowell SA 5602
Cowell is a small coastal town situated on Franklin Harbour on the eastern Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, approximately 494 kilometres from Adelaide and 111 kilometres south of Whyalla. Home to a population of around 1,130 people (2016 Census), Cowell serves as the administrative centre of the District Council of Franklin Harbour. The town is distinctly known as the jade capital of Australia, with nearby deposits of nephrite jade and Cowell Marble attracting collectors and visitors from across the country.
Boggabri NSW 2382
Boggabri is a small rural town in the Namoi Valley of northern New South Wales, situated approximately 25 kilometres north of Gunnedah and around 470 kilometres north-west of Sydney. With a population of about 1,200 (2021 Census) and a median age of 43, it serves as a service centre for the surrounding pastoral and cropping districts. The town has a predominantly Australian-born population with strong Anglo-Celtic heritage and a significant Indigenous community.
Mirani QLD 4754
Mirani is a rural town and locality in the Mackay Region of Queensland, situated approximately 37 kilometres west of Mackay along the Pioneer Valley. The town has a population of around 1,806 people and sits at an elevation of 120 metres amid some of Queensland's most productive sugar cane country. Mirani serves as the western gateway to the Pioneer Valley and has a long history tied to the sugar industry, with cane farming dominating the surrounding landscape. The Mirani railway station historically served the region as part of the North Coast network.
Balranald NSW 2715
Balranald is a small rural service town and the administrative centre of Balranald Shire in far south-western New South Wales, situated on the Sturt Highway near the confluence of the Murrumbidgee River approximately 870 kilometres west of Sydney. With a population of 1,240 and a median age of 47, the town serves the surrounding pastoral and farming communities across a vast statistical area. The local economy is anchored by agriculture, including sheep, cattle, and cereal cropping, with a median household income of around $1,197 per week reflecting the self-sufficient character of outback rural communities.
Nathalia VIC 3638
Nathalia is a small rural town in northern Victoria, located on the banks of Broken Creek within the Shire of Moira. Situated 217 km north of Melbourne and 42 km from the regional centre of Shepparton, the town has a population of around 2,000. Established in 1875, Nathalia serves as a service centre for the surrounding agricultural district, which is known for dairy farming and mixed agriculture.
Sandy Bay TAS 7005
Sandy Bay is Hobart's most prestigious suburb, stretching from the waterfront to the slopes of Mount Wellington just 3 kilometres from the CBD. The University of Tasmania campus brings academic life, while the Wrest Point casino marks the waterfront.
Walcha NSW 2354
Walcha is a historic highland town in the New England Tablelands of New South Wales, situated at an elevation of over 1,000 metres and roughly 100 kilometres south of Armidale. With a population of around 2,475, it serves as the administrative centre of the Walcha local government area, a vast pastoral district covering more than 3,200 square kilometres. The town is known for its crisp mountain climate, sweeping rural vistas, and a rich heritage stretching back to the early wool-grazing era of colonial Australia. Walcha's high elevation gives it one of the most temperate climates in regional NSW, with cool summers and cold, occasionally snowy winters.
St George QLD 4487
St George is a rural town in far south-western Queensland, serving as the administrative centre of the Balonne Shire approximately 500 kilometres south-west of Brisbane. Situated on the banks of the Balonne River at an elevation of 204 metres, the town has a population of 3,130 spread across an enormous local government area of more than 11,000 square kilometres of agricultural and pastoral land. The community has a significant First Nations population — around 702 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents representing approximately 22% of the total population — and a median household income of $1,399 per week.
Gulgong NSW 2852
Gulgong is a historic country town in the Mid-Western Regional local government area, situated approximately 25 kilometres north-west of Mudgee and 260 kilometres north-west of Sydney in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. With a population of 2,680 and set at an elevation of 441 metres, the town has a proud heritage dating to the 1870s gold rush era, which shaped its distinctive Victorian streetscape. The median household income sits at $1,371 per week, reflecting the modest, community-oriented character of this largely Australian-born rural population.
Gilgandra NSW 2827
Gilgandra is a country town in the Orana region of New South Wales, situated 460 kilometres northwest of Sydney at the junction of the Newell, Oxley, and Castlereagh highways. With a population of around 2,980, it serves as the administrative centre of the Gilgandra Shire and a service hub for the surrounding agricultural district. The town sits in a wide bend of the Castlereagh River and is known as the "Town of Windmills" and the home of the famous "Coo-ees" — a 1915 WWI recruitment march. The population is predominantly Australian-born with a significant Indigenous community.
Condobolin NSW 2877
Condobolin is a rural town and the commercial centre of the Lachlan Shire in central-western New South Wales, situated on the Lachlan River approximately 490 kilometres west of Sydney. With a population of 3,185, it serves as a service hub for the surrounding agricultural region, which is dominated by wheat farming, sheep and cattle grazing, and irrigation-based cropping. The town has a significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of approximately 22%, reflecting the strong cultural presence of the Wiradjuri people in this part of the state.
Burwood NSW 2134
Burwood is a vibrant commercial centre in Sydney's inner west, where over 18,000 residents enjoy excellent transport and one of the city's busiest suburban shopping strips. The train station provides direct CBD access, and multiple bus routes converge here. Recent apartment development has transformed the skyline and intensified the urban energy.
📊 Methodology
Rankings use the growth in median taxable income between the 2019-20 and 2023-24 financial years, from the ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24 (Individuals — Table 8, median and average taxable income by postcode). ATO income is reported by postcode, so figures are de-duplicated to one entry per postcode, using the highest-population suburb in Australia as the representative (linked above). Only postcodes with a representative suburb of at least 200 residents are included, and the ATO suppresses any postcode with fewer than 200 lodgments. Ties are broken by population (larger first). Taxable income differs from ABS Census household and personal income.