Hillston

Population growth drivers in Hillston are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of November 2025, the estimated population of Hillston is around 1,626, reflecting a growth of 79 people since the 2021 Census. This increase represents a 5.1% rise from the previous population count of 1,547. AreaSearch's estimate, based on examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date, places the resident population at 1,584. This results in a density ratio of approximately 0.40 persons per square kilometer. Hillston's growth rate exceeded that of its SA4 region (4.1%) during this period, indicating it as a growth leader within the area. Natural growth contributed about 52% to overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are applied. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are used for years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, Hillston is expected to experience population growth just below the median of Australia's regional areas. By 2041, the area is projected to increase by approximately 131 persons, reflecting a total increase of about 6.4% over the 17-year period.

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

Hillston has seen very limited development activity over the past five years, with an average of less than one approval per year, totalling two in total. This low level of development reflects Hillston's rural nature, where housing needs specific to the local area typically drive development rather than broader market demand. It is important to note that with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures and relativities can vary significantly based on individual projects.

Compared to other areas in NSW and nationally, Hillston has much lower development activity levels.

Hillston has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 21stth percentile nationally

No changes can significantly impact an area's performance like alterations to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that are expected to affect this area. Notable projects include the NSW Heavy Vehicle Rest Stops Program (TfNSW), NSW Zero Emissions Buses initiative, NSW Inland Rail Interface Improvements project, and the NSW Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) Program. The following list outlines those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Hillston demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Hillston has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. The unemployment rate was 2.4% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 8.4%.

As of June 2025907 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.3% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%, and workforce participation at 63.5% compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Employment is concentrated in agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and construction. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has a notably high concentration with employment levels at 7.7 times the regional average. Health care & social assistance has limited presence with 9.0% employment compared to 16.9% regionally.

The ratio of 0.7 workers per resident indicates a level of local employment opportunities above the norm. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 8.4%, labour force by 9.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.1% and a labour force growth of 0.3%, with an unemployment rise of 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Hillston's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 4.8% over five years and 10.8% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Hillston's median income among taxpayers was $51,291 in financial year 2022, according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. The average income stood at $57,670 during the same period. These figures compared to Rest of NSW's median and average incomes of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. By September 2025, current estimates based on Wage Price Index growth suggest median and average incomes would be approximately $57,759 and $64,942 respectively. In the 2021 Census, personal income ranked at the 59th percentile ($852 weekly), while household income was at the 34th percentile. The earnings profile showed that 32.9% of residents (534 people) fell within the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, mirroring regional levels where 29.9% occupied this bracket. Housing costs were manageable with 90.9% retained, but disposable income was below average at the 42nd percentile.

Hillston is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in Hillston, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 92.0% houses and 8.0% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 87.5% houses and 12.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hillston was 37.4%, similar to Non-Metro NSW's level. The remainder of dwellings were either mortgaged (23.7%) or rented (38.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Hillston was $901, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,300 and the national average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in Hillston was $220, lower than Non-Metro NSW's $250 and the national figure of $375.

Hillston features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 64.7% of all households, including 24.6% couples with children, 28.8% couples without children, and 10.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 35.3%, with lone person households at 29.9% and group households comprising 5.1%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.6.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 17.2%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.8%) and graduate diplomas (0.6%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 36.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.4%) and certificates (26.5%).

Educational participation is high at 30.8%, with 13.5% in primary education, 7.4% in secondary education, and 3.3% pursuing tertiary education. St Joseph's Parish School and Hillston Central School serve a total of 235 students. The area has varied educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 934, and includes one primary school and one K-12 school.

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

Hillston has 27 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by four different routes that together offer 40 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents typically living just 284 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are five trips per day across all routes, which means each stop gets about one trip per week.

Health outcomes in Hillston are marginally below the national average with the level of common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical, though higher than the nation's average among older cohorts

Hillston's health indicators show below-average results. Common health conditions are somewhat typical but higher than national averages among older cohorts.

Private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~809 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 7.8 and 6.6% of residents respectively. 72.4% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.6% across Rest of NSW. Hillston has 17.4% of its population aged 65 and over (282 people). Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Hillston was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Hillston's population shows above-average cultural diversity, with 21.4% born overseas and 16.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the dominant religion in Hillston, comprising 59.2%. The category 'Other' is slightly overrepresented compared to Rest of NSW (2.8% vs 2.7%).

In terms of ancestry, Australian is the largest group at 29.5%, followed by English at 27.0% and Other at 9.0%. Some ethnic groups are notably more represented in Hillston than regionally: Australian Aboriginal (8.3% vs 5.1%), Korean (1.2% vs 0.1%), and Spanish (0.6% vs 0.3%).

Hillston's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Hillston is 36 years, which is significantly lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 years and somewhat younger than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 25-34 age group constitutes 20.1% of Hillston's population, higher than Rest of NSW's percentage but lower than the national average of 14.5%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort makes up 9.2% of Hillston's population. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 65 to 74 age group grew from 8.2% to 9.2%, while the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 12.2% to 9.9% and the 5 to 14 group decreased from 11.9% to 10.5%. Population forecasts for Hillston in 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes, with the 75 to 84 age group expected to grow by 45%, reaching 125 people from 86. Notably, combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 51% of total population growth, reflecting Hillston's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 55 to 64 and 5 to 14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.