Mudgee, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Mudgee is a historic country town on the Cudgegong River in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, about 260 kilometres north-west of Sydney. Its name is said to come from a Wiradjuri word, often translated as a nest in the hills, and the Wiradjuri people lived along the river long before the town grew up around it. Gold drew settlers to the district from the 1850s, and the wealth of that era still shows in Mudgee's wide streets and handsome stone and brick buildings. Today the town is best known as the heart of the Mudgee wine region, its surrounding hills dotted with cellar doors, alongside a lively scene of small bars, bakeries and farm-gate produce.
Less advantaged than the national average
Mudgee is more socio-economically advantaged than about 29% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 949, 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.
Mudgee at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 11,457
- Median age
- 36
- Median weekly household income
- $1,678
- SEIFA score
- 949
- Coordinates
- -32.6166, 149.5726
Mudgee demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Mudgee 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 27%, 35% of homes are rented, and 9% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 2,417 | 21% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,247 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 3,111 | 27% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 2,551 | 22% |
| Seniors (65+) | 2,130 | 19% |
Share of the 11,456 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,308 | 30% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,381 | 32% |
| Rented | 1,543 | 35% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 3,686 | 84% |
| Townhouses & semis | 546 | 13% |
| Flats & apartments | 49 | 1% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 4,364 occupied private dwellings in Mudgee.
- Median weekly rent
- $360
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Average household size
- 2.4 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,120
- Median weekly personal income
- $775
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 968 (9%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 523 (5%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 864 (8%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 3,757 (43%)
- Labour-force participation
- 62%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.6%
- Employed full-time
- 3,283
- Employed part-time
- 1,719
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 Mudgee
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Mudgee is January (average daytime high around 29.9°C) and the coolest is July (around 13°C). The area receives roughly 692 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.9°C | 17.2°C | 57 mm |
| Feb | 28.4°C | 16.2°C | 52 mm |
| Mar | 25.8°C | 14.6°C | 71 mm |
| Apr | 21.4°C | 10.8°C | 42 mm |
| May | 16.6°C | 6.7°C | 33 mm |
| Jun | 13.4°C | 4.4°C | 45 mm |
| Jul | 13°C | 3.4°C | 52 mm |
| Aug | 14.3°C | 3.7°C | 51 mm |
| Sep | 18.2°C | 6.2°C | 58 mm |
| Oct | 22.2°C | 9.7°C | 75 mm |
| Nov | 24.9°C | 12.1°C | 85 mm |
| Dec | 28°C | 14.8°C | 71 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Mudgee
Where is Mudgee?
Mudgee is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Mudgee?
At the 2021 Census, Mudgee had a population of about 11,457.
Is Mudgee an advantaged area?
Mudgee has an ABS SEIFA score of 949, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 29 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 29% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Mudgee?
Mudgee has average daytime highs of about 21.3°C and overnight lows of about 10°C, with roughly 692 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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