New South Wales · Suburb Profile

Lightning Ridge NSW — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Lightning Ridge, New South Wales. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Lightning Ridge NSW is 1,946 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Lightning Ridge is $476 per week ($24,752 per year). Median rent in Lightning Ridge is $200 per week ($867 per month). Lightning Ridge has a median age of 53 years, older than the national median of 38. Lightning Ridge has a population density of 0.9 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Lightning Ridge is England. The most common religion is No Religion (39% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Lightning Ridge is $867.

There were 201 recorded offences in Lightning Ridge in 2025-26, a rate of 103 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was other against property (64 offences).

Lightning Ridge Map

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Lightning Ridge Population

residents (Census 2021)

Lightning Ridge Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$476/wk

$24,752 per year

#8465 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$200/wk

$867 per month

#7374 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

53years

15 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$867/mo

Avg household size: 2 · 0.9 per bedroom

Lightning Ridge Demographics

Gender Split

Male 50.3% (979) Female 49.7% (968)

Population Density

0.9

people per km²

1,946 people · 2138.7 km²

Households

Avg household size

0.9

Persons per bedroom

$1,186

Family income/wk

Lightning Ridge 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 & Locality (SAL)

Lightning Ridge Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

79.1% 356 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

20.9% 94 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Lightning Ridge Country of Birth

Australia

92.1%

England

2.9%

Croatia

1.9%

Germany

1.4%

Canada

0.9%

India

0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Lightning Ridge Religion

No Religion

38.6%

Not stated

23.4%

Catholic

16.2%

Anglican

14.8%

Eastern Orthodox

2.5%

Christian (other)

2.1%

Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd

1.5%

Buddhism

1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Lightning Ridge Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

41.0%

Year 10 or equivalent

35.8%

Year 9 or equivalent

14.2%

Year 11 or equivalent

9.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Lightning Ridge Languages Spoken at Home

Other

29.2%

Serbian

20.8%

Croatian

12.5%

Urdu

11.1%

German

11.1%

Thai

6.9%

Italian

4.2%

Australian Indigenous

4.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Lightning Ridge Employment

💼

Employed full-time

23.1% 292 people

⏰

Employed part-time

16.9% 213 people

🔍

Unemployed

5.1% 64 people

🏠

Not in labour force

54.9% 694 people

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

Lightning Ridge Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

48.8%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

19.8%

Bachelor Degree

18.7%

Certificate I/II

6.5%

Postgraduate Degree

3.4%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

2.9%

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

Lightning Ridge Occupation

Professionals

24.3%

Community & Personal Service

19.3%

Managers

14.6%

Clerical & Administrative

12.5%

Technicians & Trade Workers

12.1%

Labourers

6.2%

Sales Workers

5.9%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

5.0%

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

Lightning Ridge Field of Study

Management & Commerce

18.2%

Education

17.6%

Society & Culture

16.3%

Engineering

12.8%

Health

12.5%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

7.0%

Agriculture & Environment

4.5%

Architecture & Building

3.5%

Natural & Physical Sciences

3.5%

Creative Arts

2.6%

Information Technology

1.6%

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

Lightning Ridge Dwelling Types

Separate house

93.2%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

6.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Lightning Ridge Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

4.6%

$1-$149/wk

0.4%

$150-$299/wk

2.4%

$300-$399/wk

5.2%

$400-$499/wk

18.3%

$500-$649/wk

7.9%

$650-$799/wk

11.3%

$800-$999/wk

9.7%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

11.4%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

6.7%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

2.8%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

3.3%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

6.8%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

2.7%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

2.2%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

1.6%

$4,000+/wk

2.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Lightning Ridge Marital Status

💍

Married

27.2% 452

↔️

Separated

7.8% 130

📋

Divorced

15.8% 262

🕊️

Widowed

8.9% 148

👤

Never married

40.3% 670

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Lightning Ridge Ancestry

Australian

25.4%

English

24.4%

Aboriginal Australianralian

17.7%

Irish

7.2%

Other

7.0%

Scottish

6.5%

German

4.4%

Serbian

2.1%

Filipino

1.8%

Croatian

1.5%

Italian

1.3%

Dutch

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Lightning Ridge School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

44.1%

Secondary — Government

30.5%

Pre-school

12.5%

Vocational Education

9.4%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

2.3%

Secondary — Catholic

1.2%

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

Lightning Ridge Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

12.9% 396

✅

No need for assistance

87.1% 2,682

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

Lightning Ridge Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

18.9% 245

—

Not a volunteer

81.1% 1,049

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Lightning Ridge Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

8.0%

$300-$449/mo

9.3%

$450-$599/mo

6.7%

$600-$799/mo

25.3%

$800-$999/mo

17.3%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

20.0%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

8.0%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

5.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Lightning Ridge How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

66.6%

Walked only

10.2%

Did not go to work

9.4%

Car (passenger)

7.9%

Other

2.4%

Bicycle

1.8%

Bus

0.8%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.8%

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

Lightning Ridge Car Ownership

0 vehicles

7.0%

1 vehicle

43.4%

2 vehicles

34.8%

3 vehicles

8.7%

4+ vehicles

6.2%

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

Lightning Ridge Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

18.1%

2 bedrooms

31.5%

3 bedrooms

34.0%

4 bedrooms

13.8%

5 bedrooms

2.7%

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

Lightning Ridge Population Mobility

15.6%

moved in the last year

36.1%

moved in the last 5 years

10.8%

unemployment rate (Census)

37.3%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Lightning Ridge Indigenous Population

25.2%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

782

Indigenous residents

2,325

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Lightning Ridge Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

192

Arthritis

153

Lung condition

Heart disease

Diabetes

Asthma

Cancer

Stroke

Kidney disease

Dementia

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

Lightning Ridge Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

11.9%

$1-$149/wk

2.9%

$150-$299/wk

8.2%

$300-$399/wk

11.8%

$400-$499/wk

14.2%

$500-$649/wk

6.0%

$650-$799/wk

9.8%

$800-$999/wk

9.2%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

8.2%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

5.0%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

4.7%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

2.0%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

4.2%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

0.8%

$3,500+/wk

1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Lightning Ridge Family Structure

Couple — no children

34.4%

Couple — children under 15

32.2%

One parent — children under 15

14.9%

One parent — no children under 15

10.8%

Couple — no children under 15

7.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Lightning Ridge Military Service

🏅

Previously served

3.7% 49

👤

Never served

96.3% 1,259

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Lightning Ridge Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

17.9% 233

—

Did not provide

82.1% 1,071

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Lightning Ridge Children Ever Born

No children

28.5%

1 child

13.2%

2 children

24.1%

3 children

20.2%

4 children

11.3%

5+ children

2.7%

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

Lightning Ridge When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1981–1990

1991–2000

2001–2010

2011–2015

2017

2018

2020

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

Lightning Ridge Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

17.7%

5–14 hours

25.2%

15–29 hours

11.9%

30+ hours

9.3%

Did not do domestic work

35.9%

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

Lightning Ridge Household Size

1 person

44.2%

2 persons

34.0%

3 persons

10.9%

4 persons

5.1%

5 persons

3.2%

6+ persons

2.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Lightning Ridge Where Residents Moved From

Same address

1,284

Moved — same area (SA2)

119

Moved from NSW

Moved from QLD

Moved from VIC

Moved from overseas

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

Lightning Ridge Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

69.9%

Step family — no other children

20.4%

Blended family — no other children

5.8%

Other couple — children only

3.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Lightning Ridge Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 201 total

Other Against Property

Theft

Other Against Person

Assault

Property Damage

Drug Offences

Weapons

Sexual Offences

Offence trend by year:

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR — bocsar.nsw.gov.au

Lightning Ridge Rent Prices & Affordability

25%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $792/wk

Median Rent $200/wk

Rent-to-Income 25.3%

Rent is between 25–35% of household income — moderate housing costs.

If you earn X in Lightning Ridge

Your weekly income

≈ $3,432/month

Median rent $200/wk

Left after rent $592/wk

Rent share 25.3%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Mathoura

Income: $546/wk Rent: $180/wk Save: $20/wk

Daceyville

Income: $450/wk Rent: $130/wk Save: $70/wk

Barham

Income: $571/wk Rent: $185/wk Save: $15/wk

Peak Hill (NSW)

Income: $503/wk Rent: $185/wk Save: $15/wk

Barraba

Income: $470/wk Rent: $195/wk Save: $5/wk

Grasmere

Income: $543/wk Rent: $116/wk Save: $84/wk

Bowenfels

Income: $497/wk Rent: $185/wk Save: $15/wk

Windale

Income: $462/wk Rent: $186/wk Save: $14/wk

Lightning Ridge vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in NSW

Scotts Head

Pop: 986 Income: $581/wk Rent: $330/wk

Fernhill

Pop: 987 Income: $595/wk Rent: $190/wk

Stroud

Pop: 988 Income: $606/wk Rent: $320/wk

Townsend

Pop: 991 Income: $575/wk Rent: $365/wk

Boat Harbour (Port Stephens - NSW)

Pop: 993 Income: $755/wk Rent: $470/wk

Tallwoods Village

Pop: 993 Income: $663/wk Rent: $400/wk

Compare Lightning Ridge

Lightning Ridge vs Scotts Head →Lightning Ridge vs Fernhill →Lightning Ridge vs Stroud →Lightning Ridge vs Townsend →

Frequently Asked Questions About Lightning Ridge

What is the population of Lightning Ridge NSW?

The population of Lightning Ridge NSW is 1,946 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 0.9 people per km².Lightning Ridge is ranked #3,073 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Lightning Ridge?

The median personal income in Lightning Ridge NSW is $476 per week, or $24,752 per year.The median household income is $792 per week.Family income is $1,186 per week.Lightning Ridge is ranked #8,465 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Lightning Ridge?

Median rent in Lightning Ridge NSW is $200 per week ($867 per month).Rent represents 25.3% of household income, which is considered moderate.Lightning Ridge ranks #7,374 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Lightning Ridge?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Lightning Ridge NSW is $867. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Lightning Ridge?

The median age in Lightning Ridge NSW is 53 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Lightning Ridge a good suburb to live in?

Lightning Ridge is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 1,946.The median income is $476/wk, which is below the NSW average of $781/wk.Rent affordability is rated as moderate (25.3% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 12329. All dollar figures in AUD.