Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Dubbo

Dubbo is a major inland regional centre on the banks of the Macquarie River, anchored by the Taronga Western Plains Zoo. It blends a busy commercial and civic heart with an agricultural hinterland, so the community ranges from farming families to professionals in health, education and regional services. Near the CBD are older brick and federation-era homes, while outer suburbs and blocks provide more modern housing and larger lots.

Home to 43,516 people with a median age of 35 and a median household income of $1,690 a week ($87,880 a year), Dubbo is weighted towards couple families—couples with children are 41.0% and together with couples without children (38.8%) make up 79.8% of families—and owner-occupiers outnumber renters roughly two to one. Everyday life includes riverfront parks, cultural and sporting facilities, a regional airport and good road links, and several major projects are under way, from a new high-level bridge and local road works to airport, health precinct and social housing upgrades. Whether that suits you depends on what you want from a regional centre.

At about $735,000, a median house in Dubbo (NSW 2830) works out to roughly 8.4 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census, which sits well above local incomes recorded then. That gives a clear sense of how buying compares with what households were earning at the time of the Census.

Rents are lower relative to that income. A house rent of $570 a week would take about 33.7% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, a sizeable share, while a unit rent of $390 a week would take about 23.1%, a moderate share. If you are renting rather than buying, those rent shares are the most relevant figures.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

The most striking movement in Dubbo over the past 12 months is in unit values, which jumped 45.3%, a strong rise. House values also increased, up 13.6% over the year, which is a strong gain. Those value figures point to capital growth, while the rent figures speak to rental income: house rents rose 9.6% and unit rents rose 8.3% over the same period.

Put simply, unit prices were the standout for capital growth this year, rising far faster than the rent those units earned. House values also outpaced house rents, though by a smaller margin, and house rents edged ahead of unit rents by a small amount. Whether that balance between capital growth and rental income suits your needs depends on your own goals and circumstances.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.