📈 Suburbs With the Fastest-Growing Incomes in New South Wales
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 New South Wales where median taxable income grew the fastest, using the ATO's Taxation Statistics 2023-24 (Individuals — Table 8).
Wee Waa leads with median taxable income rising 43.4% — from $38,531 in 2019-20 to $55,244 in 2023-24. Across the top 25, the midpoint suburb still grew 35.7%. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lake Cargelligo NSW 2672
Lake Cargelligo is a rural town in the Central West region of New South Wales, situated on the shores of the lake that shares its name, about 470 kilometres west of Sydney in Lachlan Shire. The town has a population of approximately 1,430 (2021 census) and serves as a hub for the surrounding farming district, with the lake itself covering up to 1,500 hectares and forming part of the Lachlan River water storage system. Established during a gold rush in the 1870s and proclaimed a town in 1918, Lake Cargelligo has deep historical roots and a proud rural heritage. The name is derived from the Wiradjuri language, the traditional owners of the land.
Dunedoo NSW 2844
Dunedoo is a small rural town of approximately 1,020 residents situated in the Warrumbungle Shire of central-western New South Wales, about 100 kilometres from Dubbo and 90 kilometres from Mudgee. The town's name is derived from a local Aboriginal word meaning "swan", reflecting the birdlife found around the area's lagoons. Established in the 1840s, Dunedoo sits 399 metres above sea level on the north-western edges of the Sydney Basin. The town is well known to Australian travellers for its distinctive name and serves as a service centre for the surrounding farming district.
Hurstville NSW 2220
Hurstville has evolved into the de facto CBD of southern Sydney, a bustling commercial centre where over 31,000 residents live amid shops, restaurants, and high-rise apartments. Located 16 km south of the Sydney CBD in the Georges River LGA, it serves as the administrative and commercial heart of the St George region. The suburb's Chinese-Australian community has transformed it into one of Sydney's premier culinary and cultural destinations outside the city. Continuous high-rise development has given Hurstville a distinctly urban skyline.
Grenfell NSW 2810
Grenfell is a historic country town in the Central West of New South Wales, serving as the administrative centre of the Weddin Shire. With a population of around 2,600, it sits at an elevation of 424 metres on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range. The town has a strong agricultural heritage, with farming and grazing as the dominant industries, and is notable as the birthplace of poet Henry Lawson.
Coolah NSW 2843
Coolah is a small country town in the central-western tablelands of New South Wales, located in Warrumbungle Shire approximately 400 kilometres north-west of Sydney. Sitting at an elevation of 575 metres on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, the town serves as a service centre for surrounding farming properties and is often described as the 'gateway to the Warrumbungle National Park and northern tablelands'. With a population of around 1,264 residents, Coolah has a compact town centre, a strong agricultural heritage, and an active community spirit that belies its modest size.
Walgett NSW 2832
Walgett is a remote town in northern New South Wales, located 691 kilometres northwest of Sydney at the junction of the Barwon and Namoi Rivers. With a population of around 1,400 in town (2,100 in the broader area), it serves as the administrative centre of Walgett Shire. The town has a significant Aboriginal population and is on the traditional lands of the Gamilaroi people. Walgett's name derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "the meeting place of two rivers."
Dungog NSW 2420
Dungog is a historic country town situated on the Williams River in the Hunter region of New South Wales, approximately 76 kilometres north-northwest of Newcastle and 215 kilometres north of Sydney. With a population of around 1,983 residents, it is the administrative centre of the Dungog Shire Local Government Area. The town sits at an elevation of 65 metres amid dairy farming and timber country, with a notably older demographic — a median age of 52 — reflecting its character as a peaceful rural retreat popular with retirees and sea-changers.
Temora NSW 2666
Temora is a regional rural town in the Riverina district of New South Wales, located approximately 430 kilometres south-west of Sydney within the Temora Shire Council area. Spread across a vast 298 square kilometres at an elevation of 301 metres, the town serves as a service hub for the surrounding agricultural region. With a population of around 4,706 and a median age of 48, Temora has the character of a settled rural community, with a relatively lower median household income of $1,165 per week reflecting regional economic conditions.
Berridale NSW 2628
Berridale is a small alpine-adjacent township in the Snowy Monaro region of New South Wales, located approximately 40 kilometres east of Cooma and around 25 kilometres west of Jindabyne, within the Snowy Monaro Regional Area. Sitting at an elevation of 893 metres on the Snowy Mountains Highway, the township has a population of 1,300 and a median age of 45, drawing a mix of long-established farming families and workers connected to the nearby Snowy Mountains ski industry. The surrounding landscape of high-country plains and river valleys defines its distinct character.
Narromine NSW 2821
Narromine is a rural township in the Central West of New South Wales, situated along the Macquarie River approximately 500 kilometres north-west of Sydney within the Narromine Shire local government area. With a population of around 4,600 and a median age of 39, it serves as a service hub for the surrounding agricultural communities across a vast catchment area of nearly 2,000 square kilometres. A significant portion of the community — close to one in five residents — identifies with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage, reflecting the deep First Nations connections to this part of the Macquarie Valley.
📊 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 New South Wales 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.