Forbes NSW 2871
Forbes is a town in New South Wales, 385 km from Sydney CBD, around 5 hours 10 minutes by car. Population is 8,157; the median age is 42 and the median household income is $63,492 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The town fell 3.3% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $230 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,257. Forbes is characterised by high crime risk. Of 5 schools within the town boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Forbes a good town?
Forbes scores a D (29/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on prices, weaker on transit and safety.
Mixed results
5 schools · 1 above peer schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 18/100 · 385.4 km · 310 min drive to Sydney
More affordable than most
Median $475K · More affordable than 85% of NSW
High crime risk
Fire 23/100 · Crime 90/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 3/10 · median age 42 · 8,157 residents
Liveability Rating
29 / 100 · Ranked #1297 in NSWEach bar is Forbes'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 Forbes?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
29 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataForbes's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $475,000, about 2% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$475,000
Based on 125 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 62 days — median across 58 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 12 sales $301K
- 3 bed 60 sales $450K
- 4 bed 44 sales $562K
- 5 bed 5 sales $775K
Land
$212,500
Based on 12 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 56 days — median across 7 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Forbes are currently listed at around $580,000 on average. Based on 73 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$580K
73 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$500K
4 units listed in the last 6 months — typical time on market 16 days.
77 of the suburb's 3,167 dwellings (2.4%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Forbes rent for around $440 a week on average, based on 43 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$440/wk
43 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$380/wk
7 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
50 rentals advertised against an estimated 931 rented homes (5.4%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $445/wk
- 36 bonds
- +46% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2871 (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 2025144 Acceptable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 21% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2871.
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$440/week ($23,000 a year) on a $580,000 median
$380/week ($20,000 a year) on a $500,000 median
Based on a small sample (4 listings) — indicative only.
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 Forbes safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Forbes sits in the high band, with 1,068 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 35% on the prior year.
1,068 offences
35.0% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202519 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 5 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
Forbes Shire Council has published 5 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Schools
Five schools serve Forbes, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Red Bend Catholic College leads the pack.
- • 2,024 students across 5 schools (avg 405)
- • Sectors: 3 Government, 1 Independent, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 818-992, median 940 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Red Bend Catholic College (880 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Forbes is very car-dependent on foot — at 18/100, nearly all errands require a car. Within the town there are 2 supermarkets, 36 parks and 8 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Forbes.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 110.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 72.2 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 0.2 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 14.2 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 Forbes.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 24%
- Premises covered
- 4,208
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
Forbes: 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 25 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.
Forbes is home to about 8,200 residents, with a median age of 42, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $63,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
8,157
Median Age
42
Median Household Income
$63,492/yr
Census Median Rent
$230/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,257/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$36,712/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
10.8%
Total Dwellings
3,167
Owner-Occupier Rate
70.6%
Houses
88.6%
Rental Stress
18.8%
Mortgage Stress
23.8%
Work From Home
9.2%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
134 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 19 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 887 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 86.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 89.7%
- Employment Rate
- 53.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 28.5%
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.
72 residents (0.9%) 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.
2.9% of residents (227) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (160).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 7,696 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 3,434 people work here; 3,541 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.0 per resident).
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 $957 a year through Forbes based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 96%
- Residential 3%
- Zones under 1% 2%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Forbes
In the year to August 2026, 31 new dwellings were approved across Forbes. That mix is 27 houses and 4 units. Approvals are up 125.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Peak 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.
Setting
- Elevation
- 235 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Near high-voltage lines
- 0.4% of addresses
- 21 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
1 facility within 5 km- 3.3 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Toluene (methylbenzene)
EV adoption
In postcode 2871, 8 of 8,045 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.9% (149 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.0%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2871, 1,843 rooftop-solar systems totalling 13.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 3,863 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 72 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
2 mortgage brokers are 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 $475,000 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 Philip Donato Independent
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Philip Donato IND | 71.9% |
| 2019 | Philip Donato | 65.2% |
| 2015 | Andrew Gee NP | 71.7% |
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 Forbes?
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 8,157 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
Eugowra NSW 2806
Bogan Gate NSW 2876
Bedgerabong NSW 2871
Paytens Bridge NSW 2871
Wirrinya NSW 2871
Tichborne NSW 2870
Compare Forbes to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Forbes
Is Forbes a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Forbes is high (90/100, 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 Forbes?
Forbes has a low recorded bushfire history (23/100, 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 Forbes a good place to live?
Forbes has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (29/100), 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 Forbes?
Forbes, NSW had a population of 8,157 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Forbes, NSW?
The postcode for Forbes, NSW is 2871.
How far is Forbes from Sydney?
Forbes is 385 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 310 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Forbes?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Forbes was $63,492 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 Forbes?
The median advertised rent in Forbes is $440 a week for houses (43 listings) and $380 a week for units (7 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Forbes?
The median age of residents in Forbes was 42 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Forbes at risk of bushfire?
Forbes has a low recorded bushfire history (23/100). 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 Forbes?
There are 5 schools inside the Forbes boundary: 1 above, 2 at, and 2 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Forbes walkable?
Forbes scores 18/100 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.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Forbes?
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 Forbes belong to?
Forbes sits within the Forbes local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Forbes?
The average residential rates bill through Forbes is $957 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Forbes?
Across Forbes, 31 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 125.0% 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 Forbes in?
Forbes sits within the federal Division of Parkes, currently held by Jamie Chaffey (The Nationals).
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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
- 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.