Broken Hill

Broken Hill has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Broken Hill's population is approximately 17,563 as of November 2025. This figure represents a decrease of 25 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 17,588. The change is inferred from an estimated resident population of 17,541 in June 2024 and an additional 9 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 103 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Broken Hill has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of -0.6%, outperforming its SA3 area. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Projections indicate an overall population decline over this period, with Broken Hill's population expected to decrease by 4,161 persons by 2041. However, growth is anticipated in specific age cohorts, notably the 85 and over age group, which is projected to increase by 102 people.

The level of residential development activity in Broken Hill is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Broken Hill has seen approximately six dwellings receive development approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, 33 homes were approved, with two more approved in FY26 so far. Despite population decline, housing supply has been adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average value of new homes being built is $434,000, consistent with regional patterns. This year, $24.7 million worth of commercial approvals have been registered, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to the rest of NSW, Broken Hill records about three-quarters the building activity per person, placing it among the 7th percentile nationally, which leads to relatively constrained buyer choice and supports interest in existing dwellings. This level is below the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations.

Recent development has consisted entirely of detached houses, preserving Broken Hill's low density character while attracting space-seeking buyers. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 3814 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. With stable or declining population projections, housing demand pressures in Broken Hill are expected to remain reduced, benefiting potential buyers.

Broken Hill has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 24thth percentile nationally

Five projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area significantly: Silver City Energy Storage Centre (Hydrostor A-CAES), Broken Hill Health Service Redevelopment - MHIPU, ED Upgrade and Key Worker Accommodation, Broken Hill Community Health Centre, and Broken Hill Town Square Redevelopment.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Broken Hill shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Broken Hill's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs with prominent essential services sectors. The unemployment rate in June 2025 was 4.4%.

There were 7,326 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.7% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation was lower at 52.0%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries included health care & social assistance, mining, and retail trade. Mining stood out with an employment share 4.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing was under-represented at 1.0% compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%. Some residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Broken Hill's labour force decreased by 1.8%, employment declined by 3.2%, raising the unemployment rate by 1.5 percentage points. In Rest of NSW, employment fell by 0.1%, labour force expanded by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4%. State-level data to Nov-25 showed NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. National forecasts from May-25 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Broken Hill's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows median income in Broken Hill SA2 is $51,977 and average income is $62,526. This is lower than Rest of NSW's median income of $49,459 and average income of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes are approximately $58,531 (median) and $70,411 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 data shows Broken Hill's household, family, and personal incomes fall between the 11th and 18th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile indicates that 27.2% of locals earn between $400 - $799, unlike regional trends where 29.9% earn between $1,500 - $2,999. Housing costs are modest with 90.0% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at just the 18th percentile nationally.

Broken Hill is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Broken Hill's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, comprised 94.9% houses and 5.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), similar to Non-Metro NSW's distribution of 94.9% houses and 5.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Broken Hill stood at 43.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.3% and rented ones at 24.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $867, aligning with Non-Metro NSW's average. The median weekly rent was $220, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $205. Nationally, Broken Hill's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while median weekly rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Broken Hill features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 60.6% of all households, including 19.3% couples with children, 26.0% couples without children, and 14.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 39.4%, with lone person households at 37.1% and group households comprising 2.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

Broken Hill faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 13.5%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common, at 9.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are prevalent among residents aged 15 and above, with 38.6% holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (7.9%) and certificates (30.7%).

Educational participation is high, with 27.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (10.6%), secondary education (7.6%), and tertiary education (2.7%).

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Broken Hill has 92 active public transport stops. These include both train and bus services. There are 18 different routes operating in total.

Together, these routes provide 1,046 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's location to the nearest transport stop is 226 meters. On average, there are 149 trips per day across all routes. This equates to around 11 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Broken Hill is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Broken Hill faces significant health challenges, affecting both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover stands at approximately 51%, slightly lower than the average SA2 area (~8,974 people). The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (12.0%) and asthma (10.2%). Conversely, 56.6% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 57.9% in Rest of NSW. Broken Hill has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.7% (4,167 people). Health outcomes among seniors present challenges broadly aligned with the general population's health profile.

The latest Census data sees Broken Hill placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Broken Hill, as per the 2016 Census, had a population with 89.1% being Australian citizens, 94.3% born in Australia, and 96.3% speaking only English at home. The predominant religion was Christianity, practiced by 43.8% of Broken Hill's residents, compared to 44.9% across the Rest of NSW. In terms of ancestry, Australians comprised 34.2%, English 29.9%, and Australian Aboriginal 7.3%.

Notably, Maltese (1.2%), German (3.6%), and Filipino (1.1%) ethnic groups were proportionally similar or slightly higher than the regional averages.

Broken Hill hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Broken Hill's median age is 44 years, similar to Rest of NSW's 43 and above the national average of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, Broken Hill has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (12.9%) but fewer residents aged 45-54 (10.2%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the age group 35-44 has grown from 10.7% to 11.8%, while the age groups 55-64 and 45-54 have declined to 13.0% and 10.2% respectively. By 2041, Broken Hill's population is expected to shift notably in age composition. The 85+ age group will grow by 22%, reaching 654 from 535. All growth in the population will come from residents aged 65 and older. Conversely, both the 0-4 and 45-54 age groups are expected to decrease in number.