Lightning Ridge
NSW 2834 · Walgett
1,946 (2021) → 1,887 est. (2025) · Declining
Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.
Lightning Ridge is a declining suburb in Walgett, NSW 2834, about 590km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $206K is more affordable than the NSW average. The suburb has 1 school, a transport score of 64/100, and is about 498km inland. Lightning Ridge has an overall score of 32/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 5/100.
Demographics
Age distribution
Housing tenure
- Owned
- Mortgage
- Rented
Commute to work
- Car
- Public transport
- Walk/cycle
- Work from home
Top countries of birth: England (1.54%), Philippines (1.39%), New Zealand (1.28%), Germany (0.92%), Croatia (0.82%)
Top languages: Serbian (1.7%), German (1.08%), Tagalog (0.77%), Filipino (0.72%), Croatian (0.67%)
Source: ABS Census 2021
Property
Median price history
Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q4 2025
Residential Safety
Small population (under 3,000) — crime rates may be volatile due to low sample size.
Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:
Residential incidents over time
Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.
Area crime context
An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.
Source: BOCSAR · Updated 2025
Schools
Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 796 (below the national average of 1000).
In suburb
- Lightning Ridge Central SchoolCombined · GovernmentICSEA 796
Source: ACARA 2023
Transport
Source: TfNSW GTFS
Liveability
Amenities within 2–3km
Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.
Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap
Population & Growth
DecliningSource: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI
Nearby suburbs in Walgett
Compare Lightning Ridge with another suburb
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Frequently asked questions about Lightning Ridge
Is Lightning Ridge safe?
Lightning Ridge has a residential safety score of 5/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 35,355 per 100,000 across all categories.
What are property prices in Lightning Ridge?
In Lightning Ridge, the median house price is $206K. Median weekly house rent is $260.
How far is Lightning Ridge from Sydney CBD?
Lightning Ridge is about 590.3 km from Sydney CBD.
What schools are in Lightning Ridge?
Lightning Ridge has 1 school, with an average ICSEA of 796 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.
What is public transport like in Lightning Ridge?
Lightning Ridge has a transport score of 64/100, including 1 train station.