Hillston vs Booligal

Hillston is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 43 in Booligal. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Booligal, most households are couple families. On these figures, Hillston tends to suit young adults, while Booligal suits couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Hillston

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (11 vs 5)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Booligal

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($40,000 vs $62,500)

Weighs land prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Booligal

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 15%)
  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $220/wk)
  • But Hillston has a bigger rental market to choose from (39% vs 10%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Hillston

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (485 min vs 528 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (694 km vs 736.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

Nothing among the 5 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Hillston and Booligal drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Hillston Booligal
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Hillston Booligal
Walkability 0 / 0
Hillston — Walkability: 0/100 Booligal — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 32 / 29
Hillston — Safety: 32/100 Booligal — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 74 / 78
Hillston — Low fire risk: 74/100 Booligal — Low fire risk: 78/100

Demographics

Hillston has more residents (1,547 vs 98); Hillston rents higher ($220/wk vs $150/wk).

Hillston Booligal
Population 1,547
+94% vs other
 98
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.6% +3.2%
Median age 36 43
Median household income $77,272/yr $94,224/yr
+22% vs other
Median weekly rent $220/wk
+32% vs other
 $150/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hillston Booligal
0-4 6.5% / 3.1%
Hillston — 0-4: 6.5% Booligal — 0-4: 3.1%
5-14 11.9% / 15.3%
Hillston — 5-14: 11.9% Booligal — 5-14: 15.3%
15-19 3.6% / 4.1%
Hillston — 15-19: 3.6% Booligal — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 5.8% / 4.1%
Hillston — 20-24: 5.8% Booligal — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 20.0% / 6.1%
Hillston — 25-34: 20.0% Booligal — 25-34: 6.1%
35-44 12.0% / 16.3%
Hillston — 35-44: 12.0% Booligal — 35-44: 16.3%
45-54 12.2% / 12.2%
Hillston — 45-54: 12.2% Booligal — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 12.4% / 19.4%
Hillston — 55-64: 12.4% Booligal — 55-64: 19.4%
65-74 8.2% / 6.1%
Hillston — 65-74: 8.2% Booligal — 65-74: 6.1%
75-84 4.7% / 13.3%
Hillston — 75-84: 4.7% Booligal — 75-84: 13.3%
85+ 2.8% / —
Hillston — 85+: 2.8% Booligal — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hillston 35.1% couple families
Hillston — Couple Families: 35.1% Hillston — Lone Person: 41.7% Hillston — One Parent Families: 14.8% Hillston — Group Household: 7.1% Hillston — Other Families: 1.3%
Booligal 56.2% couple families
Booligal — Couple Families: 56.2% Booligal — Lone Person: 43.8% Booligal — One Parent Families: 0.0% Booligal — Group Household: 0.0% Booligal — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Hillston 39.1% renting
Hillston — Owned Outright: 37.7% Hillston — Mortgage: 23.2% Hillston — Renting: 39.1%
Booligal 10.3% renting
Booligal — Owned Outright: 75.9% Booligal — Mortgage: 13.8% Booligal — Renting: 10.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Hillston Booligal
Bachelor Degree 8.7% / 21.4%
Hillston — Bachelor Degree: 8.7% Booligal — Bachelor Degree: 21.4%
Certificate III & IV 12.5% / 8.2%
Hillston — Certificate III & IV: 12.5% Booligal — Certificate III & IV: 8.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.1% / 10.2%
Hillston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1% Booligal — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2%
Postgraduate Degree 1.0% / —
Hillston — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0% Booligal — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.4% / —
Hillston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4% Booligal — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Hillston Booligal
India 3.9% / —
Hillston — India: 3.9% Booligal — India: not among its largest
Ireland — / 3.1%
Hillston — Ireland: not among its largest Booligal — Ireland: 3.1%
Malaysia 2.2% / —
Hillston — Malaysia: 2.2% Booligal — Malaysia: not among its largest
Fiji 1.5% / —
Hillston — Fiji: 1.5% Booligal — Fiji: not among its largest
England 0.9% / —
Hillston — England: 0.9% Booligal — England: not among its largest
South Africa 0.8% / —
Hillston — South Africa: 0.8% Booligal — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hillston 90.7% houses
Hillston — Houses: 90.7% Hillston — Flats / Apartments: 9.3%
Booligal 94.4% houses
Booligal — Houses: 94.4% Booligal — Flats / Apartments: 5.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Hillston Booligal
Median house price $282,500 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $62,500 $40,000

Zoning mix

Hillston Booligal
Rural and farming 95% 98%
Environmental 5% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Hillston Booligal
New dwellings approved 3
across Carrathool
 3
across Hay
Approvals change year on year -100%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Hillston Booligal
House price Higher than 5% of NSW —
Income Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 61% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 1% of NSW Higher than 19% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 96% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 22% of NSW —
NBN connectivity Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 10% of NSW

Liveability

Hillston Booligal
Grade D —
Score 25/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Hillston Booligal
Bushfire Low
26/100
 Low
22/100
Crime Moderate
68/100
 High
71/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Hillston Booligal
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Hillston

  • Hillston Central School Government · Combined at peers
  • St Joseph's Parish School Catholic · Primary at peers

Schools in Booligal

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Hillston Booligal
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 4 0
Parks & reserves 11 5
Childcare 2 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 3 0
Waterways 83 78

Mobility

Booligal sits further from the CBD (736.9 km vs 694 km).

Hillston Booligal
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 694 km 736.9 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 485 min 528 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2675
 0.0%
postcode 2711
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 58
postcode 2675
 56
postcode 2711

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Hillston Booligal
Car (driver) 69.1% / 45.1%
Hillston — Car (driver): 69.1% Booligal — Car (driver): 45.1%
Worked from Home 8.4% / 49.0%
Hillston — Worked from Home: 8.4% Booligal — Worked from Home: 49.0%
Walked Only 8.7% / 5.9%
Hillston — Walked Only: 8.7% Booligal — Walked Only: 5.9%
Car (passenger) 10.0% / —
Hillston — Car (passenger): 10.0% Booligal — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 3.1% / —
Hillston — Bus: 3.1% Booligal — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (69.1%).

Setting

Hillston Booligal
Elevation 117 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 93 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Hillston Booligal
Connectivity score 48/100 15/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 11%
724 premises
 0%
26 premises

Council rates

Hillston Booligal
Average residential rate $510/yr $588/yr
Council Carrathool Hay

Federal electorate

Hillston Booligal
Division Farrer
same for both
Member David Farley
same for both
Party One Nation
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Hillston Booligal
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hillston

Affordable Rural

Booligal

Affordable Rural
Full data on Hillston Full data on Booligal
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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