Oberon is a major regional centre in New South Wales, in Oberon Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development. Notable landmarks include Oberon Railway Station group and Malachi Gilmore Memorial Hall.
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. Park access is a very strong feature of the suburb, with park access 70% above the peer median. Rents are unusually low against comparable places, with median rents 21% below the peer median. Reported crime is exceptionally low against comparable places. Reported offences have fallen 14% year on year, and green cover is an exceptional strength. School ICSEA scores are a relative weakness.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising lower crime and lower rents over school quality.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in New South Wales (276)
Strengths
Reported crime is exceptionally low against comparable places
Rents are unusually low against comparable places
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
Park access is a relative strength
Green cover is a relative strength
Weaknesses
School ICSEA scores are a relative weakness
What stands out
Oberon Railway Station group
Malachi Gilmore Memorial Hall
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★★☆☆
Professionals★☆☆☆☆
Retirees★★★★☆
Students★★★☆☆
Budget buyers★★★☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Oberon compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$655k
+11% change
Median rent
$440/wk
Population (ERP)
3,296
+0.2% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
13.2%
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
#28
among Country & regional · Mature
Crime rate
10th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
42nd
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
28%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
19th
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
55.8/100 — Good
State standing
Top 17% of New South Wales' suburbs
National rank
997th in Australia
State rank
359th in NSW
Peer rank
#28 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#43 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
99%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Houses (January to March 2026)
$460
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$655,000
Median price change
+11%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
+0.2% annual · +0.8% over 5 years · 42th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.2%
5-year growth
+0.8%
Change in 1 year
+7
Change in 5 years
+27
Growth rank in NSW
42th 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 (~3,350), extrapolated at +0.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
3,319
Median age
47
Median household income / week
$1,321
Dwelling vacancy
13.2%
Unoccupied private dwellings
197 of 1,488
Median monthly mortgage
$1,517
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$280
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
42.1% / 29.7% / 28.2%
Employment rate
51.4%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
7.8% / 0.4% / 75.2%
Walked or cycled to work
4.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,171 / 82 / 26 (+ 10 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
10.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 20.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified10.3% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified6.4% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational20.5% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below62.8% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies27.2%
Management and commerce17.6%
Health12.2%
Society and culture10.3%
Education9.5%
Food, hospitality and personal services7.1%
How these groups are defined
Measure
Definition
University qualified
Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified
Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational
Certificate III + IV
Year 12
Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12
Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Tax & income
Median taxable income (2023–24)
$56,816
53rd percentile in NSW · -3% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$64,712
57th percentile in NSW · 0% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
12.0%
35th percentile in NSW · -13% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$73,679
55th percentile in NSW · +16% vs Australia
Residents with business income
12.0%
76th percentile in NSW · +15% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2787 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
2,616
Taxpayers reporting net rent
316
Median net rent
$948
Taxpayers reporting business income
324
Taxable income vs state median
+2%
Salary / wages vs state median
+3%
Rental investment vs state median
-14%
Super vs state median
+5%
Business income vs state median
+20%
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary
Seasonal & agricultural work
8.8% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 3.8× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.0% across New South Wales.
Agriculture, forestry & fishing
8.8%
56th percentile in NSW · +283% vs Australia
Resident workers (2021)
125
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462
Postcode 2787
Occupation mix in this industry
2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.
Managers45
Labourers29
Machinery operators and drivers22
Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 2787 (Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.
Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)
Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for Central West (SA4 103), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.
Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12133,765
Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 84151,008
Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1214847
Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212610
Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211590
Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 841999
Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841688
Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 841284
Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841327
Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110
Central West is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.
Census employed residents counted in G54: 1,415 · AFF share +340% vs the state.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0
Community & culture
6.8% speak a language other than English at home; 13% born overseas
Language at home
2,784 English only · 203 other
Non-English at home
6.8%
Born overseas
380 (13%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
184 (5.5%)
Australian citizens
2,802
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
14
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Afrikaans10 · 15.2%
Malayalam10 · 15.2%
Cantonese5 · 7.6%
Nepali5 · 7.6%
Serbian5 · 7.6%
Greek4 · 6.1%
Hindi4 · 6.1%
Punjabi4 · 6.1%
Religion
58.8%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 58.8%, while 26.3% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
26.3%
32.8%
Christianity
58.8%
47.6%
Other / not stated
14.9%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
29.7%
22.4%
Anglican
16.3%
11.9%
Uniting Church
4.8%
2.1%
Presbyterian and Reformed
2%
1.9%
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2787, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
105
Against the person
46
Against property
34
Rate per 1,000 residents
31.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 72 residents
State crime-rate percentile
10.3th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-13.7%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
69
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
20.93
Most common offence types
Domestic Violence Related Assault8
Fraud10
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment14
Malicious Damage To Property10
Sexual Assault12
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
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)
934
Median ICSEA percentile
19th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
2
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
2
School list
Oberon High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 934 · 19th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 204 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School OberonPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 968 · 32th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 129 students · Top SEA quarter 6% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
Oberon Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 920 · 15th percentile · LBOTE 7% · 218 students · Top SEA quarter 2% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Denison KelsoGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
O'Connell PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Oberon HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Oberon PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Data sources & freshness
NSW government school intake zones — NSW Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries
Places of worship
1 places of worship within ~1.5 km
Saint Ignatius
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
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.
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
24° / 13°
Rainfall
282 mm · ~35 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
18° / 9°
Rainfall
241 mm · ~30 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
11° / 3°
Rainfall
179 mm · ~22 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
18° / 7°
Rainfall
201 mm · ~25 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Malachi Gilmore Memorial Hall124 Oberon Street OberonSHR
Oberon Railway Station groupTarana-Oberon railway, OberonSHR
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Heritage listings as established streetscape
Data sources & freshness
State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
Hazards
Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Bushfire and flood hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
Federal electorate
Calare
Member of Parliament
Andrew GEE (Independent)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
124,664
Turnout (2025)
92.7%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+3.2 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 62.3%Labor 37.7%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 32.3 km away).
Coalition 72.3%Labor 27.8%
10.0 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: 0.0 pp
Nearest polling places
OberonLabor 27.7% · Coalition 72.3% TPP (2025)1.1 km away
HamptonLabor 31.1% · Coalition 68.9% TPP (2025)19.0 km away
Black SpringsLabor 20.8% · Coalition 79.2% TPP (2025)19.5 km away
O'ConnellLabor 33.0% · Coalition 67.0% TPP (2025)22.6 km away
RockleyLabor 34.5% · Coalition 65.5% TPP (2025)26.7 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.
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 (12%)