Every local government area in the Northern Tablelands recorded an increase, some at rapid rates.

With a population of 16,844 Inverell welcomed 361 new residents with a 2.2 per cent growth from the 2016 Census to June 2018.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall said the results showed the strength and resilience of rural communities during drought.

"These are an incredibly exciting and pleasing set of figures, especially in the midst of one of the worst droughts in living memory," Mr Marshall said in a statement.

"This growth in such a short period is virtually unprecedented for our region.

"In the past, growth has been inconsistent across our region, but now every single community firmly is on the move.

"I've said for years that the Northern Tablelands is the best place to work, live and invest and now we're seeing that reflected in the numbers. As a region, we're bucking the trend compared to many other areas across country NSW, which are sadly not faring well.

"A number of our communities are growing at better than the New England North West average and are streets ahead of the trend across regional NSW.

"If we can continue to grow during a crippling drought, just imagine what we can do after it breaks."