Broken Hill NSW 2880
Broken Hill is a town in New South Wales, 1,252 km from Sydney CBD, around 13 hours 25 minutes by car. Population is 17,706; the median age is 44 and the median household income is $61,152 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $220 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $867. The area shows high crime risk. Of 10 schools within the town boundary, 2 rank above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Broken Hill a good town?
Broken Hill scores a D (22/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on prices, weaker on transit, safety, and community.
Mixed results
10 schools · 2 above peer schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 7/100 · 1252.5 km · 805 min drive to Sydney
More affordable than most
Median $250K · More affordable than 96% of NSW
High crime risk
Fire 27/100 · Crime 91/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 44 · 17,706 residents
Liveability Rating
22 / 100 · Ranked #1431 in NSWEach bar is Broken Hill's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Broken Hill?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
22 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataBroken Hill's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $250,000, roughly 31% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$250,000
Based on 407 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 29 days — median across 224 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 83 sales $180K
- 3 bed 237 sales $255K
- 4 bed 62 sales $368K
- 5 bed 7 sales $390K
Land
$45,000
Based on 19 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 34 days — median across 9 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Broken Hill are currently listed at around $339,000 on average. Based on 129 houses listed in the past six months.
$339K
129 houses listed in the last 6 months.
130 of the suburb's 7,345 dwellings (1.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Broken Hill rent for around $390 a week on average, based on 101 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$390/wk
101 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$280/wk
3 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
104 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,814 rented homes (5.7%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $360/wk
- 77 bonds
- +37% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2880 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025171 Affordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 18% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2880.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$390/week ($20,000 a year) on a $339,000 median
Not enough unit sales and rentals in the window to calculate a yield.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Broken Hill safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Broken Hill sits in the high band, with 2,331 incidents recorded in 2025 — down about 2% on the prior year.
2,331 offences
1.8% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202543 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 4 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Broken Hill City Council has published 2 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Schools
Ten schools serve Broken Hill, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Sacred Heart Parish School and School of the Air lead the pack.
- • 2,528 students across 10 schools (avg 253)
- • Sectors: 9 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 858-990, median 886 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Willyama High School (570 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Broken Hill is very car-dependent on foot — at 7/100, nearly all errands require a car. Within the town there are 4 supermarkets, 24 parks and 22 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Broken Hill.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 21.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 41.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 14.2 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 19.0 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Broken Hill.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 23%
- Premises covered
- 11,343
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Broken Hill: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 53 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 8 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Broken Hill is home to about 17,700 residents, with a median age of 44, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $61,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.5%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
17,706
Median Age
44
Median Household Income
$61,152/yr
Census Median Rent
$220/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$867/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$33,800/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.5%
Unoccupied Dwellings
20.9%
Total Dwellings
7,345
Owner-Occupier Rate
75.3%
Houses
94.5%
Rental Stress
18.7%
Mortgage Stress
17.0%
Work From Home
5.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
116 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 72 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,739 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 85.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 88.0%
- Employment Rate
- 49.3%
- Completed Year 12
- 23.6%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
220 residents (1.2%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
3.8% of residents (635) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (232).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 16,732 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Local Jobs
People who work in this town against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 7,141 people work here; 7,235 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.0 per resident). At least 1% of employed residents must work outside the town.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,227 a year through Broken Hill based on 2024 figures.
Building Approvals: Broken Hill
In the year to August 2026, 8 new dwellings were approved across Broken Hill. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are up 50.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Broken Hill Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Climate & Setting
from Broken Hill Airport AWS, 36.4 kmDry climate — very hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 158 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Annual rainfall
- 251 mm
- 31 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 33.4°C
- 48 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 5.3°C
- 4 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the town centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 2880, 11 of 13,028 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.3% (171 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.4%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2880, 6,889 rooftop-solar systems totalling 39.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 9,016 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 246 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Mortgage repayments
1 mortgage broker is registered in this town.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $250,000 this is under the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Jamie Chaffey The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jamie Chaffey | 37.0% | 63.0% | +5.2 |
| 2022 | Mark Coulton | 32.2% | 67.8% | +0.9 |
| 2019 | Mark Coulton | 33.1% | 66.9% | +1.8 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Roy Butler Independent
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Roy Butler IND | 66.0% |
| 2019 | Roy Butler | 56.6% |
| 2015 | Kevin Humphries NP | 62.9% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Broken Hill?
Every figure above is a town average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 17,706 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Broken Hill to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Broken Hill
Is Broken Hill a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Broken Hill is high (91/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Broken Hill?
Broken Hill has a low recorded bushfire history (27/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Broken Hill a good place to live?
Broken Hill has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (22/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Broken Hill?
Broken Hill, NSW had a population of 17,706 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Broken Hill, NSW?
The postcode for Broken Hill, NSW is 2880.
How far is Broken Hill from Sydney?
Broken Hill is 1,252 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 805 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Broken Hill?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Broken Hill was $61,152 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Broken Hill?
The median advertised rent in Broken Hill is $390 a week for houses (101 listings) and $280 a week for units (3 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Broken Hill?
The median age of residents in Broken Hill was 44 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Broken Hill at risk of bushfire?
Broken Hill has a low recorded bushfire history (27/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the town relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Broken Hill?
There are 10 schools inside the Broken Hill boundary: 2 above, 3 at, and 5 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Broken Hill walkable?
Broken Hill scores 7/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Broken Hill?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Broken Hill, Broken Hill Airport AWS (36.4 km away), summer days average 33.4°C, winter nights 5.3°C, 251 mm of rain a year over 31 rainy days, and 48 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Broken Hill?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Broken Hill belong to?
Broken Hill sits within the Broken Hill local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Broken Hill?
The average residential rates bill through Broken Hill is $1,227 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Broken Hill?
Across Broken Hill, 8 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 50.0% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Broken Hill in?
Broken Hill sits within the federal Division of Parkes, currently held by Jamie Chaffey (The Nationals).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2023
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.