Franchise opportunities in Gunnedah, NSW

Gunnedah’s 9,883 residents give it a franchise opportunity score of 54/100. The strongest fit is Quick-Service Food (54/100), followed by Coffee & Café and Hair & Barber.

Geography: this report covers the Gunnedah area (ABS SA2). Demographics from the ABS Census 2021.

9,883Population (ABS 2021)
+5.0%5-year growth
$79,800Median household income
263Franchises recruiting in NSW
Opportunity score54/100
How this opportunity score works

The score is a weighted 0–100 research signal, not a site-selection decision. It combines, per category:

  • Demand (category fit for the population) — 30%
  • Competition gap (trade-area model, more room scores higher) — 25%
  • Demographic fit (income vs the category) — 20%
  • 5-year population growth (percentile) — 15%
  • Franchise availability (systems recruiting here) — 10%

Inputs: ABS Census 2021 (population, income, growth) and a trade-area competition model using OpenStreetMap / ABS business data where available. It doesn’t model rent, site specifics or local trading conditions, treat it as a starting point for research, then confirm on the ground and with the franchisor. See our methodology.

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For sale & open territories in Gunnedah

263 franchise systems are recruiting new territories that cover Gunnedah:

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Gunnedah on the map

Where Gunnedah sits and the real local businesses around its centre, the operators a new franchise would compete with. Tap a pin for the business name and type.

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Top 3 franchise categories by opportunity score

1. Quick-Service Food

54
Strong Median $337,000–$675,000 · 35 recruiting
Quick-Service Food franchises

2. Coffee & Café

49
Strong Median $300,000–$700,000 · 16 recruiting
Coffee & Café franchises

3. Hair & Barber

46
Strong Median $243,000–$482,000 · 11 recruiting
Hair & Barber franchises

What it costs to start in Gunnedah

Franchise fees don’t change by suburb, but the categories that fit Gunnedah best sit in these all-in investment ranges (Q3 2026 Fee Index, national medians).

CategoryTotal investmentInitial feeRoyaltyGunnedah fit
Quick-Service Food$337,000–$675,000$45,0006.0%54
Coffee & Café$300,000–$700,000$35,0006.0%49
Hair & Barber$243,000–$482,000Not enough dataNot enough data46
Food & Beverage$650,000–$1,475,000Not enough dataNot enough data40
Bakery & Dessert$350,000–$625,000$50,000Not enough data37
Retail$200,000–$511,000Not enough dataNot enough data35

Fees: Q3 2026 Fee Index (“Not enough data” means fewer than five systems publish that figure). The fit score blends Gunnedah’s demand, competition, demographics and growth, see methodology.

Gunnedah snapshot

Gunnedah vs a typical comparable New South Wales area (median)
MetricGunnedahTypical NSW areaDifference
Population9,88314,643-33%
Median household income$79,800$99,300-20%
5-year population growth5.0%2.0%+3.0 pts

Community & demographics

Who lives in Gunnedah, and what it means for a franchise. Every figure below is a real ABS Census 2021 median for this area, not an estimate.

Gunnedah community profile (ABS Census 2021)
MeasureGunnedahWhat it signals for franchising
Median age36 yearsBroad working-age and family customer base
Average household size2.4 peopleSmaller households, favours convenience and single-serve formats
Median household income$1,535/wkOverall spending power of the local market
Median family income$2,013/wkDiscretionary spend of family households
Median personal income$788/wkIndividual earnings, a labour-cost and spend signal
Median rent$300/wkCost of living and a proxy for commercial rents
Median mortgage$1,500/moHomeowner cost base in the area
People per bedroom0.7More space per resident, established housing

Source: ABS Census 2021 (G02/G35/G36/G37/G46) + ERP 2016→2021 · SA2 Gunnedah (110041199). Incomes are median weekly (household income is also shown annualised in the headline stats).

Housing, tenure & households

How Gunnedah lives, works and is housed, and what each signal means for siting a franchise here. All figures are real ABS Census 2021 counts for this area.

Gunnedah housing & workforce (ABS Census 2021)
MeasureGunnedahWhat it signals for franchising
Renting31.8%Owner-heavy, settled households with steadier local spend
Owned with a mortgage33%Working homeowners, family services and home categories
Owned outright31.4%Older, established, lower-debt households
Separate houses87.3%Suburban, car-based, drive-to trade area
Flats & apartments2.3%Low density, destination retail and services
Family households66.5%Broad household mix
Lone-person households30.3%Many singles, convenience, fitness and single-serve formats
Unemployment rate4.5%Around the national average

Source: ABS Census 2021, Gunnedah, tenure (G37), dwelling structure (G36), household composition (G35) and labour force (G46).

Survival & viability analysis

Quick-Service Food viability: High

The quick-service food opportunity in Gunnedah scores 54 out of 100. With a population of 9,883, the catchment is smaller, so demand may support only one well-sited quick-service food outlet. At about 1 existing quick-service food operator, competition sits below typical metro density, an opening for a well-run entrant. Median household income ($79,800) sits below the typical comparable area in the state ($99,300), which can favour value-led formats. Population is growing at 5.0% over five years, ahead of the typical comparable area in the state (2.0%), so new demand is still arriving.

Nearby competition by category

Trade-area model, estimated operators and market status
CategoryEst. operatorsCompetitionStatus
Quick-Service Food1LowGap
Coffee & Café1LowGap
Hair & Barber1LowGap
Food & Beverage1LowGap
Bakery & Dessert1MediumCompetitive
Retail1HighSaturated

Operator counts are a trade-area model derived from ABS population, not a live business census. Richer POI data (OpenStreetMap / Google Places) is ingested per methodology.

How Gunnedah compares to nearby areas

LocationPopulationMedian income5-yr growthTop categoryScore
Gunnedah9,883$79,8005.0%Quick-Service Food54
Hunters Hill - Woolwich9,870$175,100-9.1%Quick-Service Food59
Maroubra - West9,908$111,700-8.4%Quick-Service Food54
Maroubra - North9,843$125,600-5.9%Quick-Service Food57
The Oaks - Oakdale9,836$119,4005.6%Quick-Service Food65
Narooma - Bermagui9,832$52,9007.6%Quick-Service Food50
Tocumwal - Finley - Jerilderie9,799$59,600-1.0%Quick-Service Food43

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Frequently asked questions

What franchise is best for Gunnedah?

Based on population, income, growth and competition data, Quick-Service Food scores highest for Gunnedah at 54/100, competition sits below typical metro density. The next best are Coffee & Café and Hair & Barber.

How much does a franchise cost in Gunnedah?

Fees don't vary by suburb. Across the Quick-Service Food systems that publish their costs, the Q3 2026 Fee Index shows a median all-in cost of $337,000–$675,000 (173 systems), a $45,000 median initial fee (9 systems), a 6.0% median royalty (9 systems) and a 4.3% median marketing levy (9 systems) nationally. See the Fee Index for every category.

Is Gunnedah good for a coffee franchise?

It's promising: a coffee & café franchise scores 49/100 in Gunnedah, with about 1 existing operators in the trade area (Strong suitability).

Demographics: ABS Census 2021 & Regional Population. Category scores combine ABS demographics with a trade-area competition model and live franchise availability, see methodology. Fees: Q3 2026 Fee Index.