Lightning Ridge, NSW 2834
Lightning Ridge property market
Most of Lightning Ridge's activity is house sales, with 22 sales at around $250k as of July 2026, taking about 200 days to sell, one of the country's strongest house price gains.
House rentals make up a much smaller share, with 3 leases at $350 a week.
Who lives hereA low-income, mostly owner-occupied, older-leaning suburb.
House covers houses, duplexes, semi-detached and terraces; Unit covers apartments, units, townhouses and villas.
Lightning Ridge demographics & population
Census data sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics — © Commonwealth of Australia, 2021 Census of Population and Housing and Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) 2021 · Shares, ratios and percentiles shown are Micromarkets transformations of that data · licensed CC BY 4.0.
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Detailed, institutional-grade analysis — well beyond the usual suburb snapshot.
InsideWho lives here · What homes cost to buy & rent · How fast homes are selling · How much is for sale or rent · How it compares to nearby suburbs · Schools nearby
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Who lives in Lightning Ridge?
The age structure, household make-up, and cultural fabric of the people who call this suburb home.
Share of all residents by 5-year band · hover a band for the count + split
A strongly multicultural community with deep migrant heritage.
2020–21 understated — COVID border closures.
Census data sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics — © Commonwealth of Australia, 2021 Census of Population and Housing · Shares, ratios and percentiles shown are Micromarkets transformations of that data · licensed CC BY 4.0.
Housing & affordability in Lightning Ridge
What it costs to live here, who owns versus rents, and the shape of the housing stock.
Census data sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics — © Commonwealth of Australia, 2021 Census of Population and Housing · Shares, ratios and percentiles shown are Micromarkets transformations of that data · licensed CC BY 4.0.
Income & employment in Lightning Ridge
Incomes, employment, and the occupation mix of the people who live here.
A typical household pulls in about 2.0× the typical individual — a multi-earner area.
Census data sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics — © Commonwealth of Australia, 2021 Census of Population and Housing · Shares, ratios and percentiles shown are Micromarkets transformations of that data · licensed CC BY 4.0.
Getting around Lightning Ridge
How people get to work, and how car-dependent the suburb is — the clearest tell of inner-urban versus outer-suburban living.
Census data sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics — © Commonwealth of Australia, 2021 Census of Population and Housing · Shares, ratios and percentiles shown are Micromarkets transformations of that data · licensed CC BY 4.0.
Education · ACARA My School 2025
Schools in and around Lightning Ridge
1 school inside Lightning Ridge, plus the closest options around it. Families can choose from 1 primary school in Lightning Ridge and its surrounds, and 1 high school covering the secondary years. Distances are straight-line from the suburb centre and are not enrolment catchments — always confirm zones with the school.
ICSEA is ACARA’s official measure of a school’s socio-educational advantage — based mainly on parents’ education and occupation, plus the school’s location and student mix.
- Within Lightning Ridge · 1Order by
- 1Lightning Ridge Central SchoolGovernment · Combined · Co-ed · Years K-12 · Within suburbState Rank—English—Maths—Students278Multilingual50%ICSEA Rank50th
Why are some State Rank and star ratings blank? Schools can choose not to publish their results. In practice, schools that score well above their state average almost always publish theirs — so a blank rating more often reflects a school opting out than a top result being hidden. Academic results also tend to rise with ICSEA Rank, so higher-ICSEA schools more often carry a strong State Rank as well.
School profile and ICSEA data sourced from ACARA — © Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (data year 2025) · State Rank & star columns are Micromarkets-compiled academic ratings from publicly available school results · Distances are straight-line from the suburb centre, not catchments.
Turnover
How settled or transient the community is — and where newcomers came from.
Lightning Ridge median house price & rent
Headline price, rent, yield and time on market for Lightning Ridge — choose a property type and size below.
House & unit prices by bedroom
Every segment this suburb tracks — sales and rentals side by side, ranked by total activity over the last twelve months.
Lightning Ridge property growth
Where each segment sits against its peers in the chosen geography — past the midline means it's outperforming the rest.
Market demandHow fast this market is moving — a velocity index built from trailing-year transaction volume and median days on market. Strong volume lifts the score; days on market drags it down, with the drag growing sharply once listings start lingering. Ranked against peers in the chosen geography.
Houses
Units
Buying vs renting in Lightning Ridge
What it costs each week to own a property versus renting the same one — positive means buying carries the premium, negative means rent covers the mortgage.
How strong is demand, and which way is it heading?
Two questions on one chart — how strong demand is right now, and which way it's heading year-on-year.
Sales market velocity
Lightning Ridge against the neighbourhood
Eight diagnostic views cutting the data a different way each time — Lightning Ridge in blue, peers in colour.
How fast — and is it getting faster?
Housing supply & months of stock
How long current listings would take to clear at the recent rate of sales or leases. Critical shortage and Oversupply only fire at the genuine tails of the national distribution — sales tip in under 0.7 months, rentals far faster, under 0.3.
Sales market
| Segment | Band | Months of supply left | YoYYoY change12-month change in months of supply. Down means stock is tightening (fewer months than a year ago); up means stock is loosening. | ListedListedActive listings in this segment right now, derived from months of supply multiplied by the recent transaction rate. | SoldSold (last year)Total sold transactions completed in this segment over the last 12 months. | Per monthPer monthAverage monthly absorption — how many properties are sold each month in this segment, over the last 12 months. |
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Rental market
| Segment | Band | Months of supply left | YoYYoY change12-month change in months of supply. Down means stock is tightening (fewer months than a year ago); up means stock is loosening. | ListedListedActive listings in this segment right now, derived from months of supply multiplied by the recent transaction rate. | LeasedLeased (last year)Total leased transactions completed in this segment over the last 12 months. | Per monthPer monthAverage monthly absorption — how many properties are leased each month in this segment, over the last 12 months. |
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Who's transacting — buyers or tenants?
Out of every property transaction in this suburb, what share are sales versus leases — each point a rolling twelve-month window.
Lightning Ridge — Units & Houses, all bedrooms
Lightning Ridge median house price & rent history
Each tape traces one metric across sixty months for the selected segment — every point a trailing twelve-month figure, matching the headline KPIs above.
Five-year summaryAs of Jun 2026, the median house sale price in Lightning Ridge rose from $129k (Jul 2021) to $218k (Jun 2026) — +69.7% growth over five years. Median house rent went from $190/wk to $292/wk (+53.7%) over the same period. For units, median rent went from $206/wk to $183/wk (−11.2%) over the same period.
Suburbs like Lightning Ridge
Suburbs anywhere in NSW that behave like Lightning Ridge — matched on price, growth, selling speed and demand, not on distance. A shortlist of markets that move the same way — including ones far away you'd never think to compare. (Want the suburbs right next door instead? See Nearby markets above.)
Lightning Ridge vs Lake Cargelligo: the closest sales-market match trades at a median of $184k against Lightning Ridge's $208k — about 11% lower, with homes selling in 79 days versus 152 days here.
Comparable sales markets to Lightning Ridge: Lake Cargelligo median house price, Jerilderie property market, Trangie median house price, Warren (NSW 2824) and Deepwater, NSW property market.
Frequently asked · Lightning Ridge
22 data-driven answers about Lightning Ridge's property market — every one computed from the metrics above.
What things cost
Prices, rent, yield, ownership costWhat is the median house price in Lightning Ridge?
#The median house price in Lightning Ridge, NSW 2834 is $208k as of June 2026, based on a very small number of recent sales. Houses there have moved +50.0% year-on-year. Prices vary by bedroom count, from compact two-bedroom homes to larger four-bedroom houses. See the bedroom-level breakdown below for 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom medians.
How much does it cost to rent in Lightning Ridge?
#The median weekly house rent in Lightning Ridge is $263 as of June 2026, drawn from a very small number of recent leases. House rents have moved +50.0% year-on-year. Current vacancy pressure is shown in the supply section above.
How much is rent for a 3 bedroom house in Lightning Ridge?
#A 3 bedroom house in Lightning Ridge rents for a median $263 per week as of June 2026, drawn from a very small number of recent leases. Across other house sizes: 2-bedroom $263/week. Figures cover only segments with enough recent leases to be statistically meaningful; sparse segments are excluded. The segment breakdown covers rent, yield and days on market for every property type and bedroom count.
What is the gross rental yield in Lightning Ridge?
#Gross rental yield in Lightning Ridge is 6.83% for houses as of June 2026, compared with the NSW unit median of 3.37%. Gross yield is annual rent divided by purchase price — it doesn't account for ownership costs like council rates, strata, maintenance or vacancy.
How much is a 3 bedroom house in Lightning Ridge?
#As of June 2026, Lightning Ridge medians by bedroom count:
| Property | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses | — | $208k | $208k | $208k | $208k |
Figures cover only segments with enough recent transactions to be statistically meaningful; sparse segments are excluded.
How the market is moving
Speed, supply, growth, cycle phaseWhat are Lightning Ridge's property market trends?
#Lightning Ridge's property market trends to June 2026: house prices rose +50.0% year-on-year; weekly house rents moved +50.0%; homes sell in a median 152 days; sales supply sits at 2.4 months (tight). Read together — price, rent, selling speed and supply — they show which way the Lightning Ridge market is leaning. The 5-year tape and demand cycle charts above plot the full trajectory.
What does the data say about Lightning Ridge as an investment?
#As of June 2026 in Lightning Ridge, house prices rose +50.0% over the year, gross rental yield is 6.83% against a NSW median of 2.00%, houses take a median 152 days to sell, sales supply is 2.4 months (tight). Capital growth, rental yield, selling speed and supply are the signals investors weigh — but these figures describe the market, not a recommendation. This is data, not financial advice; always do your own research and consider a licensed adviser.
How quickly do houses sell in Lightning Ridge?
#Houses in Lightning Ridge sell in a median 152 days on market as of June 2026. Faster clearance typically coincides with stronger buyer demand and lower supply.
Is Lightning Ridge a tight or loose property market right now?
#Lightning Ridge's sales market sits at 2.4 months of supply for houses as of June 2026 — classified as Tight against the Australian distribution. Under 1.7 months is Severe (extreme shortage); over 4.5 months is Loose.
Have property prices in Lightning Ridge gone up or down?
#House prices in Lightning Ridge moved +50.0% over the 12 months to June 2026. The 5-year tape above plots the full monthly trajectory — showing where the market changed character rather than just crossing round numbers.
How it compares
Vs state, vs nearby, vs popularHow does Lightning Ridge compare to other NSW suburbs?
#Lightning Ridge's median house price ($208k) is 76% below the NSW median ($867k) as of June 2026. On selling speed, houses clear in 152 days vs 18 days state median. On gross yield, Lightning Ridge sits at 6.83% vs 2.00% state median.
How does Lightning Ridge compare to neighbouring suburbs?
#Lightning Ridge's most-similar nearby market is Lake Cargelligo (410.8 km away) with a median house price of $184k — about 11% cheaper. The Nearby and Similar markets sections above rank every peer within radius and by composite similarity across price, days on market, yield, ownership cost and cycle phase.
What's the most popular property type in Lightning Ridge?
#The most-transacted segment in Lightning Ridge over the 12 months to June 2026 is 2 bed houses with 4 sales. 3 bed houses come second at 4 sales. The buying-versus-renting section above breaks down the top segments with weekly mortgage, rent and ownership-cost detail.
How many properties were sold and leased in Lightning Ridge last year?
#Lightning Ridge recorded 4 house sales and 0 unit sales over the 12 months to June 2026 — a combined 4 transactions. On the rental side, 1 house and 0 units were leased. Segments with statistically thin samples are excluded from displayed figures.
About the area
Population, income, who lives here, schoolsWhat postcode is Lightning Ridge in?
#Lightning Ridge is in postcode 2834, in the Far West & Orana region of NSW. Addresses there are written as Lightning Ridge, NSW 2834.
What is the population of Lightning Ridge?
#Lightning Ridge, NSW 2834 is home to 1,528 residents (ABS Census 2021). The median resident age is 34, and the average household holds 1.0 people. The "Who lives here" section above breaks the community down by age, life stage and tenure.
What is the median household income in Lightning Ridge?
#The median household in Lightning Ridge earns $484 per week — roughly $25k a year (ABS Census 2021). Median personal income runs $240/week. Income, rent-to-income and mortgage-to-income context sits in the "Who lives here" section above.
What is the unemployment rate in Lightning Ridge?
#The unemployment rate in Lightning Ridge is 50.0% (ABS Census 2021). That sits right around the median for Australian suburbs. The rate counts people who are working or actively looking for work — not a share of all residents. Workforce participation sits at 50%. The local economy section above covers incomes, employment status and the occupation mix.
Do people own or rent in Lightning Ridge?
#Lightning Ridge is mostly owner-occupied: about 100% of households are owner-occupiers and 50% rent (ABS Census 2021). Of owners, 50% own outright and 50% are paying off a mortgage.
What schools are near Lightning Ridge?
#Lightning Ridge has 1 school within reach, 1 of them inside the suburb itself — including Lightning Ridge Central School. The Schools section above maps each one with sector, year range, enrolment, Micromarkets-compiled academic ratings and ICSEA (ACARA).
Is Lightning Ridge a good place to live?
#Lightning Ridge, NSW 2834 has a population of 1,528, a median age of 34, a median household income around $484/week, 50% of households renting (ABS Census 2021). There is 1 school within reach. Whether it's the right fit depends on your priorities — these figures describe the community, housing mix and amenity rather than offer a verdict.
About this data
Methodology and update cadenceWhen was this Lightning Ridge market data last updated?
#This Lightning Ridge market data was last updated July 2026, covering the 12 months to June 2026. Figures are computed monthly from 12-month rolling windows of recorded sales and leases, with five years of monthly history behind the trend charts. Methodology, glossary and data sources are linked in the footer.