Hillston, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Hillston NSW is 1,547 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Hillston is $852 per week ($44,304 per year). Median rent in Hillston is $220 per week ($953 per month). Hillston has a median age of 36 years, younger than the national median of 38. Hillston has a population density of 0.4 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Hillston is India. The most common religion is No religion (28.3% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Punjabi. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Hillston is $901.

There were 39 recorded offences in Hillston in 2025-26, a rate of 25 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was other against property (25 offences).

Population
1,547
Census 2021
Median income
$852/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$220/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
36years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Hillston vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Hillston is $852 a week, 11% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 742nd of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $220 a week, $165 less than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 14.8% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 36, 7 years younger than in the typical NSW suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureHillstonTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$852/wk$765/wk +11%$766/wk
Household income$1,486/wk$1,704/wk −13%$1,637/wk
Rent$220/wk$385/wk −43%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$901/mo$1,965/mo −54%$1,733/mo
Median age3643 −7 yrs42
Rent share of household income14.8%22.6% −7.8 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Hillston, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Hillston Population

1,547 residents at the 2021 Census.

Hillston Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$852/wk
$44,304 per year
Ranked 2,739 of 14,663
Median Rent
$220/wk
$953 per month
Ranked 7,029 of 14,663
Median Age
36years
2 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$901/mo
Avg household size: 2.4 · 0.8 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Hillston Rent Prices & Affordability

15% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $1,486/wk
Median rent $220/wk
Rent to income 14.8%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Hillston against your income

About $6,439 a month
Median rent $220/wk
Left after rent $1,266/wk
Rent share 14.8%

Hillston Map

Hillston, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
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People in Hillston

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 51.7% (800) Female 48.3% (747)

Population Density

0.4
people per km²
1,547 people · 3985.6 km²

Households

2.4
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$1,765
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

India
3.9%
Malaysia
2.2%
Fiji
1.5%
South Korea
1.2%
England
0.9%
South Africa
0.8%
Italy
0.6%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Punjabi
2.0%
Spanish
2.0%
Southeast Asian Austronesian languages: Other
1.9%
Korean
1.4%
Gujarati
1.0%
Arabic
0.6%
Polish
0.4%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

Australian
36.1%
English
33.0%
Australian Aboriginal
10.1%
Irish
8.8%
Scottish
8.3%
German
3.9%
Indian
2.6%
Italian
2.2%
Korean
1.4%
Chinese
0.8%
French
0.7%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
28.3%
Catholic
25.3%
Anglican
14.2%
Not stated
12.9%
Uniting Church
5.1%
Other religions
2.5%
Hinduism
2.5%
Sikhism
2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

10.0%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
42.3% 531
Separated
3.7% 46
Divorced
6.7% 84
Widowed
7.4% 93
Never married
40.0% 502

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
44.6%
Couple: no children
32.2%
One parent: children under 15
9.5%
Couple: no children under 15
9.1%
One parent: no children under 15
4.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
29.6%
2 persons
35.6%
3 persons
13.7%
4 persons
12.9%
5 persons
6.0%
6+ persons
2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Hillston

Housing Tenure

Of the 529 occupied private dwellings in Hillston at the 2021 Census, 34.8% were rented, 33.5% owned outright and 20.6% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
6.8% 36 dwellings
Owned outright
33.5% 177 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
20.6% 109 dwellings
Rented
34.8% 184 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
3.4% 18 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
100.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
4.9%
2 bedrooms
16.7%
3 bedrooms
45.4%
4 bedrooms
28.0%
5 bedrooms
5.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
11.6%
$300-$449/mo
8.4%
$450-$599/mo
6.3%
$600-$799/mo
14.7%
$800-$999/mo
17.9%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
20.0%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
11.6%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
6.3%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
3.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
6.5%
1 vehicle
31.3%
2 vehicles
38.9%
3 vehicles
14.9%
4+ vehicles
8.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Hillston

Employment

Employed full-time
52.0% 549 people
Employed part-time
18.1% 191 people
Unemployed
1.5% 16 people
Not in labour force
28.4% 300 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Managers
22.0%
Labourers
18.8%
Technicians & Trade Workers
13.9%
Professionals
12.7%
Community & Personal Service
12.5%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
9.3%
Clerical & Administrative
9.0%
Sales Workers
1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.1%
$150-$299/wk
2.1%
$300-$399/wk
2.9%
$400-$499/wk
6.0%
$500-$649/wk
5.6%
$650-$799/wk
5.4%
$800-$999/wk
7.0%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
9.9%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
10.1%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.5%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.8%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.8%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
5.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
5.4%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
3.3%
$4,000+/wk
7.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
8.0%
$1-$149/wk
3.8%
$150-$299/wk
3.0%
$300-$399/wk
3.0%
$400-$499/wk
3.2%
$500-$649/wk
4.1%
$650-$799/wk
12.7%
$800-$999/wk
14.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
16.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
10.2%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.9%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
3.6%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
6.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.3%
$3,500+/wk
2.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
68.1%
Car (passenger)
9.9%
Walked only
8.6%
Did not go to work
7.2%
Bus
3.1%
Truck
1.7%
Other
0.8%
Bicycle
0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
48.8%
Year 10 or equivalent
32.1%
Year 9 or equivalent
9.7%
Year 11 or equivalent
9.4%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Certificate III/IV
42.6%
Bachelor Degree
28.4%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
19.9%
Postgraduate Degree
4.3%
Certificate I/II
3.2%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Engineering
22.9%
Management & Commerce
15.8%
Agriculture & Environment
12.8%
Society & Culture
11.3%
Health
11.1%
Education
9.6%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
6.2%
Natural & Physical Sciences
3.0%
Architecture & Building
2.7%
Information Technology
2.5%
Creative Arts
2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
35.5%
Secondary: Government
22.0%
Primary: Catholic
14.3%
Pre-school
11.0%
Vocational Education
10.6%
Secondary: Catholic
5.3%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
82.7%
Has need for assistance
4.3%
Need for assistance not stated
12.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
86
Asthma
65
Diabetes
43
Arthritis
35
Heart disease
35
Lung condition
35
Kidney disease
27
Cancer
21
Stroke
15
Dementia
3

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
10.4% 112
Did not provide
89.6% 969

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
19.3% 210
Not a volunteer
80.7% 878

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Previously served
1.8% 20
Never served
98.2% 1,074

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
30.3%
1 child
11.7%
2 children
27.6%
3 children
20.7%
4 children
9.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

1951: 1960
6
1961: 1970
11
1981: 1990
6
1991: 2000
7
2001: 2010
39
2011: 2015
27
2016
13
2017
17
2018
39
2019
68
2020
39
2021
9

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

18.3%
moved in the last year
44.7%
moved in the last 5 years
2.6%
unemployment rate (Census)
63.7%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
1,083
Moved: same area (SA2)
83
Moved from NSW
79
Moved from QLD
22
Moved from VIC
22
Moved from overseas
18
Moved from SA
9
Moved from ACT
5

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
20.3%
5: 14 hours
23.2%
15: 29 hours
11.6%
30+ hours
9.5%
Did not do domestic work
35.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
82.7%
Step family: no other children
10.1%
Blended family: no other children
7.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Hillston Crime Statistics

39 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Other Against Property
25
Assault
4
Theft
4
Sexual Offences
2
Other Against Person
2
Drug Offences
2

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Frequently Asked Questions About Hillston

What is the population of Hillston NSW?

The population of Hillston NSW is 1,547 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 0.4 people per km². Hillston is ranked #3,356 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Hillston?

The median personal income in Hillston NSW is $852 per week, or $44,304 per year. The median household income is $1,486 per week. Family income is $1,765 per week. Hillston is ranked #2,739 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Hillston?

Median rent in Hillston NSW is $220 per week ($953 per month). Rent represents 14.8% of household income, which is considered affordable. Hillston ranks #7,029 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Hillston?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Hillston NSW is $901. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Hillston?

The median age in Hillston NSW is 36 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Hillston a good suburb to live in?

Hillston is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 1,547. The median income is $852/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (14.8% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 11919. All dollar figures in AUD.