Goulburn, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Goulburn is a city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, on the Wollondilly and Mulwaree rivers about 195 kilometres south-west of Sydney and 90 kilometres north-east of Canberra. The district lies on the lands of the Mulwaree people, of the Ngunawal language group. European settlement began around 1825, and the town was surveyed in 1828 before being moved to its present site in 1833. Proclaimed a municipality in 1859, Goulburn received letters patent from Queen Victoria in 1863 and is often described as Australia's first inland city. It was named after the British politician Henry Goulburn. Today it is known for the Big Merino, said to be the world's largest concrete sheep, and St Saviour's Cathedral, completed in 1884.
Less advantaged than the national average
Goulburn is more socio-economically advantaged than about 21% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 930, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Goulburn at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 23,963
- Median age
- 40
- Median weekly household income
- $1,405
- SEIFA score
- 930
- Coordinates
- -34.7447, 149.7269
Goulburn demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Goulburn using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 26%, 34% of homes are rented, and 11% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 4,383 | 18% |
| Youth (15–24) | 2,649 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 6,157 | 26% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 5,782 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 4,994 | 21% |
Share of the 23,965 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 3,041 | 33% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,792 | 30% |
| Rented | 3,157 | 34% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 7,804 | 84% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,027 | 11% |
| Flats & apartments | 359 | 4% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 9,284 occupied private dwellings in Goulburn.
- Median weekly rent
- $320
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,625
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,899
- Median weekly personal income
- $747
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 2,557 (11%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,597 (7%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 1,290 (5%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 7,730 (41%)
- Labour-force participation
- 56.6%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.6%
- Employed full-time
- 6,498
- Employed part-time
- 3,346
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Goulburn
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Goulburn is January (average daytime high around 26.8°C) and the coolest is July (around 10.7°C). The area receives roughly 693 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26.8°C | 14.8°C | 65 mm |
| Feb | 25.1°C | 13.8°C | 51 mm |
| Mar | 22.3°C | 12.5°C | 81 mm |
| Apr | 18.7°C | 9.1°C | 56 mm |
| May | 14.2°C | 5.5°C | 36 mm |
| Jun | 11.2°C | 3.3°C | 49 mm |
| Jul | 10.7°C | 2.8°C | 41 mm |
| Aug | 11.6°C | 2.9°C | 61 mm |
| Sep | 15.4°C | 5.1°C | 43 mm |
| Oct | 19.1°C | 8°C | 66 mm |
| Nov | 21.9°C | 10.2°C | 74 mm |
| Dec | 24.8°C | 12.7°C | 70 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Goulburn
Where is Goulburn?
Goulburn is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Goulburn?
At the 2021 Census, Goulburn had a population of about 23,963.
Is Goulburn an advantaged area?
Goulburn has an ABS SEIFA score of 930, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 21 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 21% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Goulburn?
Goulburn has average daytime highs of about 18.5°C and overnight lows of about 8.4°C, with roughly 693 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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