What is the population of Armidale, New South Wales?

The population of Armidale is 24,584. This Armidale population figure makes the New England town around the same size as Ballina, Goulburn, Alice Springs or Victor Harbor-Goolwa.

The population of Australia overwhelmingly clusters around the coasts. The five big cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide – are all coastal. The same applies to other major population hubs, such as the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Cairns in Queensland. Or Newcastle, Wollongong, Darwin and Geelong elsewhere.

That’s not to say there are no inland cities in Australia. It’s just that with a few exceptions, such as Canberra, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Bendigo, these cities are really small. Many of them, to be perfectly honest, really don’t deserve to be called cities in the first place.

Armidale population: Where is Armidale?

A classic example is Armidale in New South Wales. This is a pleasant enough country town, elevated to become a service hub in the New England region. It’s the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region, 112km north-east of Tamworth – the largest city in New England.

Most visitors to Australia won’t take a second look at Armidale. But you’re likely to pass through if you take the inland route from Brisbane to Sydney. It’s also at the end of the Waterfall Way from Coffs Harbour – stop by Ebor Falls in the Guy Fawkes River National Park on the way.

Armidale’s major attraction is the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park on the doorstep. Helicopter flights over this rumpled, green, gorge-filled national park are a fabulous way of seeing the landscape and waterfalls.

gorges of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park seen on a helicopter tour from Armidale. — The gorges of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park are best seen on a helicopter flight. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

Otherwise, Armidale has something of a cowboy town feel. Farming is the major industry in the surrounding regions, and it’s a big hat, boots and jeans kind of place.

Population of Armidale, NSW

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the population of Armidale is 24,584. This is using the significant urban area measurement that roughly equates to what most of us would regard as a city. That Armidale population figure is for 2019, as per the March 2020 set of regional population growth figures.

For comparison, the Armidale population is slightly smaller than that of Ballina or Taree, but a bit bigger than Goulburn or Forster–Tuncurry. Towns in other Australian states with roughly the same population as Armidale include Victor Harbor–Goolwa in South Australia, Gympie in Queensland and Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.