Lightning Ridge vs Goodooga

Goodooga is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 53 in Lightning Ridge. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Lightning Ridge, most households own their home and most households are people living alone. In Goodooga, most households rent. Houses cost more in Lightning Ridge: a median of $250,000, against $34,000 in Goodooga, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Lightning Ridge tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Goodooga suits renters, families with children, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Goodooga

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (96% vs 62%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (49% vs 36%)
  • But Lightning Ridge has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Lightning Ridge leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 38%)
  • Goodooga has cheaper houses ($34,000 vs $250,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Goodooga

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (62% vs 32%)
  • has cheaper rent ($170/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Lightning Ridge

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (554 min vs 592 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (767.1 km vs 776.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Lightning Ridge

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (38% vs 5%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 21%)

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

Investors

Goodooga

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-9.7% vs -14.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
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.

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Walkability 0 / 0
Lightning Ridge — Walkability: 0/100 Goodooga — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 3 / 4
Lightning Ridge — Safety: 3/100 Goodooga — Safety: 4/100
Low fire risk 71 / 60
Lightning Ridge — Low fire risk: 71/100 Goodooga — Low fire risk: 60/100

Demographics

Lightning Ridge has more residents (1,946 vs 223); Lightning Ridge skews older (53 vs 41).

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Population 1,946
+89% vs other
 223
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -14.8% -9.7%
Median age 53 41
Median household income $41,184/yr
+2% vs other
 $40,560/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk
+15% vs other
 $170/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
0-4 4.6% / 6.7%
Lightning Ridge — 0-4: 4.6% Goodooga — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 9.9% / 14.8%
Lightning Ridge — 5-14: 9.9% Goodooga — 5-14: 14.8%
15-19 4.5% / 3.6%
Lightning Ridge — 15-19: 4.5% Goodooga — 15-19: 3.6%
20-24 3.3% / 4.5%
Lightning Ridge — 20-24: 3.3% Goodooga — 20-24: 4.5%
25-34 9.8% / 13.5%
Lightning Ridge — 25-34: 9.8% Goodooga — 25-34: 13.5%
35-44 8.9% / 10.8%
Lightning Ridge — 35-44: 8.9% Goodooga — 35-44: 10.8%
45-54 11.4% / 12.1%
Lightning Ridge — 45-54: 11.4% Goodooga — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 18.2% / 13.0%
Lightning Ridge — 55-64: 18.2% Goodooga — 55-64: 13.0%
65-74 15.8% / 14.8%
Lightning Ridge — 65-74: 15.8% Goodooga — 65-74: 14.8%
75-84 10.9% / 6.3%
Lightning Ridge — 75-84: 10.9% Goodooga — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ 2.5% / —
Lightning Ridge — 85+: 2.5% Goodooga — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lightning Ridge 57.0% lone person
Lightning Ridge — Lone Person: 57.0% Lightning Ridge — Couple Families: 18.1% Lightning Ridge — One Parent Families: 17.9% Lightning Ridge — Group Household: 5.3% Lightning Ridge — Other Families: 1.6%
Goodooga 41.8% lone person
Goodooga — Lone Person: 41.8% Goodooga — Couple Families: 25.4% Goodooga — One Parent Families: 23.9% Goodooga — Group Household: 9.0% Goodooga — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Lightning Ridge 32.0% renting
Lightning Ridge — Owned Outright: 53.8% Lightning Ridge — Mortgage: 14.2% Lightning Ridge — Renting: 32.0%
Goodooga 62.1% renting
Goodooga — Owned Outright: 27.6% Goodooga — Mortgage: 10.3% Goodooga — Renting: 62.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lightning Ridge 61.9% houses
Lightning Ridge — Houses: 61.9% Lightning Ridge — Flats / Apartments: 33.5% Lightning Ridge — Townhouses: 4.6%
Goodooga 96.2% houses
Goodooga — Houses: 96.2% Goodooga — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Goodooga — Townhouses: 5.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Certificate III & IV 13.3% / 9.9%
Lightning Ridge — Certificate III & IV: 13.3% Goodooga — Certificate III & IV: 9.9%
Bachelor Degree 5.1% / 5.8%
Lightning Ridge — Bachelor Degree: 5.1% Goodooga — Bachelor Degree: 5.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.5% / 1.8%
Lightning Ridge — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.5% Goodooga — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 1.8%
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / 1.8%
Lightning Ridge — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Goodooga — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.9% / —
Lightning Ridge — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9% Goodooga — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.3%).

Property market

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Median house price $250,000 $34,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $3,750
Typical days to sell (houses) 168 days
from 3 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Rural and farming 98% 97%
Environmental 0% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 0%
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

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
New dwellings approved 13
across Walgett
 2
across Brewarrina
Approvals change year on year -100% —

Ranking within NSW

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
House price Higher than 1% of NSW
same for both
Income Higher than 5% of NSW
same for both
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 20% of NSW Higher than 14% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 97% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 7% of NSW

Liveability

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Grade D —
Score 8/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Goodooga carries more bushfire risk (40 vs 29).

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Bushfire Low
29/100
 Moderate
40/100
Crime High
97/100
 High
96/100
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

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Lightning Ridge

  • Lightning Ridge Central School Government · Combined at peers

Schools in Goodooga

  • Goodooga Central School Government · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 3 0
Childcare 2 0
GPs 2 1
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1
same for both
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 2 1
Fuel stations 3 0
Waterways 6 41

Mobility

Goodooga sits further from the CBD (776.3 km vs 767.1 km).

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 767.1 km 776.3 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 554 min 592 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 2834
 0.0%
postcode 2838
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 88
postcode 2834
 82
postcode 2838

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.

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Car (driver) 68.0% / 45.5%
Lightning Ridge — Car (driver): 68.0% Goodooga — Car (driver): 45.5%
Walked Only 10.4% / 32.7%
Lightning Ridge — Walked Only: 10.4% Goodooga — Walked Only: 32.7%
Worked from Home 10.8% / 12.7%
Lightning Ridge — Worked from Home: 10.8% Goodooga — Worked from Home: 12.7%
Car (passenger) 8.1% / 9.1%
Lightning Ridge — Car (passenger): 8.1% Goodooga — Car (passenger): 9.1%
Bicycle 1.9% / —
Lightning Ridge — Bicycle: 1.9% Goodooga — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.0%).

Setting

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Elevation 146 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 138 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Connectivity score 39/100 15/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
1,347 premises
 0%
45 premises

Council rates

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Average residential rate $445/yr $139/yr
Council Walgett Brewarrina

Federal electorate

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Division Parkes
same for both
Member Jamie Chaffey
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lightning Ridge Goodooga
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lightning Ridge

Affordable Retirees Rural

Goodooga

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lightning Ridge

Lightning Ridge vs Walgett Lightning Ridge vs Collarenebri Lightning Ridge vs Cumborah

Other comparisons with Goodooga

Goodooga vs Cumborah Goodooga vs Weilmoringle
Full data on Lightning Ridge Full data on Goodooga
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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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