Median house price
$374k
-8.1% change
NSW · Hilltops Council
Harden, 2587
Est. population · Jun 2025
1,966
Growth (1 yr)
+0.2%
Growth (5 yr)
+2.5%
Median age
52
Median income
$973/wk
Employment rate
44%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$374,000
Languages at home
3.5%non-English
Most common: Serbian, Arabic, Cantonese
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- Green suburb
- High desirability
- Education hub
- Café precinct
Suburb profile
Harden sits in Hilltops Council as a regional smaller community that feels self-contained and a long way from big-city bustle. Day-to-day life leans on nearby towns and local hubs rather than the metro area. Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood.
The town centre holds its own, with enough local flavour to make staying close to home appealing. There is enough green space nearby for walks, picnics and after-school play. Daily life works well on foot, with buses and trains also serving the suburb.
Homes are relatively cheap compared with the wider market, which keeps entry costs lower. Light infill development is updating a few streets while the wider area stays largely unchanged.
The overall desirability read is around average, pulled by softer community and employment, plus growth momentum compared with similar regional towns, though safety remain brighter spots.
At a glance
Harden snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$450/wk
Population (ERP)
1,966
+0.2% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
15.9%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#46
among Country & regional · Mature
Safety
32nd
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
41st
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
29th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 49.8/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 31% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 2192nd in Australia
- State rank
- 656th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #46 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #119 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 93%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $450
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $374,000
- Median price change
- -8.1%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
1,966(June 2025)
+0.2% annual · +2.5% over 5 years · 41th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.2%
- 5-year growth
- +2.5%
- Change in 1 year
- +4
- Change in 5 years
- +47
- Growth rank in NSW
- 41th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~2,000), extrapolated at +0.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 1,900
- Median age
- 52
- Median household income / week
- $973
- Dwelling vacancy
- 15.9%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 153 of 963
- Median monthly mortgage
- $910
- Employment rate
- 44%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 758 / 19 / 13 (+ 20 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 101
- Against the person
- 42
- Against property
- 29
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 51.4
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 45 residents
- State safety percentile
- 31.7th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -9.6%
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault17
- Fraud10
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment27
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault10
- Trespass11
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 3
- Median school ICSEA (3 schools)
- 961
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 29th
School list
- Murrumburrah Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 961 · 29th percentile · LBOTE 7% · 210 students · Top SEA quarter 5% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
- Murrumburrah High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 915 · 14th percentile · LBOTE 5% · 148 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
- Trinity Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1005 · 49th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 29 students · Top SEA quarter 15% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Public transport
28 public transport stops in this suburb
- Albury St At East St
- Albury St At East St
- Harden Station
- Harden Station, Coach Stop
- Harden Town Coach Stop
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed
Amenities
59 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 restaurants · 1 cafes · 1 pubs · 1 supermarkets · 1 pharmacies · 1 libraries · 1 places of worship · 2 swimming pools
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Highly walkable for everyday errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 4 parks mapped in suburb
- Well connected by public transport — 28 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 76/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.53
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 1.58
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 2.11
Food & drink(3)
- Jackson's Bakery & CafeCafe
- Carrington HotelPub
Neill Street, Harden
- Harden Chinese RestaurantRestaurant
29 Neill Street, Harden
Shopping(4)
- Ziems Quality MeatsButcher
24 Neill Street, Harden
- Convenience store
- SupabarnSupermarket
49 Neill Street, Harden
Community(5)
- Harden CWA RoomsCommunity centre
- Mechanics Institute - Public HallCommunity centre
- Harden LibraryLibrary
- Murrumburrah High SchoolSchool
Harden
- Murrumburrah Public SchoolSchool
Albury Street
Health & services(2)
- Murrumburrah-Harden Multi-Purpose ServiceHospital
Swift Street
- TerryWhite ChemmartPharmacy
66 Neill Street, Harden
Sport & outdoors(8)
- Gym
- Newson ParkPark
- Park
- Roberts ParkPark
- Sports field
- Tim Doolan OvalSports field
- Swimming pool (2)
Transport(3)
1 bus stops · 2 train stations
Other(35)
- Kennett RuralAgrarian
- Thompson's Rural SuppliesAgrarian
- Supabarn & Local LiquorAlcohol
49 Neill Street, Harden
- Bendigo BankBank
Neill Street
- Commonwealth BankBank
- Prestige BeautyBeauty salon
54 Neill Street, Harden
- Harden Bearings and HardwareCar repair
- Parkers Smash RepairsCar repair
75 Albury Street, Harden
- Harden Caravan ParkCaravan Site
56 Albury Street, Harden
- VinniesCharity
- Zac's Place Op ShopCharity
- ExplorenEV charging
- Demondrille Rural Fire BrigadeFire station
- Harden Fire StationFire station
141 Albury Street, Harden
- The Ohana CollectionFlorist;Gift
58 Neill Street, Harden
- At HairHairdresser
- Grand HotelHotel
- Harden LaundromatLaundry
- Harden Bowling ClubLicensed Club
- Harden MotelMotel
- Newsagent
26 Neill Street, Harden
- Parking
- Harden Fuel Supplies - ClosedPetrol station
- Ross Memorial Uniting ChurchPlace of worship
- Harden Police StationPolice
- Australia PostPost Box
- Harden Post OfficePost office
32 Neill Street, Harden
- Newson ParkPublic toilets
- Roberts Park - FemalePublic toilets
- Shelter
- TelstraTelephone
- Tegra Landscape & Building SuppliesTrade
- Harden Tyre ServiceTyres
- Kruger Health & Wellness ComplexYes
- LamplightYes
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
3 parks and public open space in this suburb
- George Coddington ParkPark
- Newson ParkPark
- Roberts ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 4
- Parks (OSM)
- 4
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Places of worship
1 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- Ross Memorial Uniting Church
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
- 3
- Nearest hospital
- Murrumburrah-Harden Multi-Purpose Service (1.4 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- On site
- Kruger Health & Wellness ComplexYes
- Murrumburrah-Harden Multi-Purpose ServiceSwift StreetHospital
- TerryWhite ChemmartNeill StreetPharmacy
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 50
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 25.4
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 31° / 15°
- Rainfall
- 138 mm · ~17 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 24° / 10°
- Rainfall
- 127 mm · ~16 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 14° / 3°
- Rainfall
- 148 mm · ~18 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 22° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 164 mm · ~20 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.
2026· 15 proposals
August 2026
- Shed; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure161 SWIFT STREET HARDEN 2587Under Assessment
- Subdivision22 DERBY STREET HARDEN 2587On Exhibition
July 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space23 SWIFT STREET HARDEN 2587Under Assessment
- Home business; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia45 EAST STREET HARDEN 2587Under Assessment
- Shed; Erection of a new structure52 RUTLAND ROAD HARDEN 2587Under Assessment
- Shed; Erection of a new structure149 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
June 2026
- Restaurant or cafe; Small bar; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Footpaths - outdoor dining; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Retail Premise; Food and drink premise; Take away food and drink; Shop1/-/DP1324738 - 76-88 NEILL STREET, HARDEN 2587Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure25 SCOTT STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
May 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Service station96 ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Under Assessment
April 2026
- SubdivisionALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space25 CATTLEYARDS ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space18 ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
March 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space6 ALLSOP STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Supporting Development232 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Additional Information Requested
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure158 GLOAMING ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
2025· 25 proposals
December 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space77 STATION STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
November 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space72 CLARKE STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Demolition; Shed; Erection of a new structure76 BARWANG ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
September 2025
- Demolition; Shed; Erection of a new structure91 BINALONG STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
August 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space75 SWIFT STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure5 REDBANK STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
July 2025
- Shed; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia72 CLARKE STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Farm buildings; Erection of a new structure7 GLOAMING ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space17 REDBANK STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Carport6 CLARKE STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
June 2025
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Carport60 BARWANG ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space87 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
May 2025
- Home business; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure203 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure131 CLARKE STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space39 ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Garage, carport or carparking space3 EAST STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
April 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation229A ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Subdivision12 SMITH STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
March 2025
- Shed; Erection of a new structure144 ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Home business; Home occupation; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia204 ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Educational establishment; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structureALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
February 2025
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space59 LUCAN STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation236 ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Rejected
January 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space155 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Farm buildings; Erection of a new structure305 BARWANG ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
2024· 6 proposals
November 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space171 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
September 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space56 EAST STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
August 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation21 DOOLAN ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
- Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure27 BOBBARA STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
July 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation21 DOOLAN ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
June 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure146 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Heritage
1 heritage place
- Harden Railway Station and Yard GroupMain Southern railway, HardenSHR
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Riverina
- Member of Parliament
- Michael McCORMACK (The Nationals)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 128,537
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.8%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- -2.9 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 62.6%Labor 37.4%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 27.4 km away).
Coalition 63.5%Labor 36.5%
0.9 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -5.7 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- MurrumburrahLabor 38.8% · Coalition 61.2% TPP (2025)0.9 km away
- HardenLabor 30.1% · Coalition 69.9% TPP (2025)1.5 km away
- WombatLabor 24.2% · Coalition 75.8% TPP (2025)17.7 km away
- WallendbeenLabor 39.0% · Coalition 61.0% TPP (2025)19.3 km away
- Young SouthLabor 35.9% · Coalition 64.2% TPP (2025)26.1 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 2/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Hilltops Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.