NSW · Inverell Council
Ashford, 2361
Current weather
14.7°CClear sky
94% humidity · 6 km/h wind · 18° / 13° today · 9.9 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- National parks
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
In Inverell, Ashford keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Distance from the capital is noticeable, but the trade-off is space, calm and a community that knows its neighbours. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.
A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. Life here is grounded in local routine rather than big-city choice, and that is part of the charm. Buses and nearby services make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward.
Homes are relatively affordable, which helps families and first-time residents put down roots. A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.
The desirability score is below average, weighed down by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and community and employment against similar regional towns, even with transport and access holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 659
- Median age
- 54
- Median household income / week
- $855
- Dwelling vacancy
- 13.7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 43 of 315
- Median monthly mortgage
- $658
- Employment rate
- 39.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 36 / 9 / 5
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 56
- Against the person
- 14
- Against property
- 22
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 85
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 47 residents
- State safety percentile
- 60.1th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -1.5%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order11
- Breach Bail Conditions6
- Domestic Violence Related Assault9
- Malicious Damage To Property15
- Trespass5
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 808
- Ashford Central SchoolCombined
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
57 public transport stops in this suburb
- Albury St At Duff St
- Ashford Central School, Martyn St
- Bukkulla Rd Before Pindari Dam Rd
- Duff St At Albury St
- Emmaville Rd At Coffin Ck Rd
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
21 planning-related records
2026· 5 proposals
June 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure29-33 DUFF STREET ASHFORD 2361Under Assessment
April 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Supporting Development51 INVERELL STREET ASHFORD 2361Determined
February 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Manufactured home29-33 DUFF STREET ASHFORD 2361Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Manufactured home29-33 DUFF STREET ASHFORD 2361Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Residential Accommodation12 KNEIPP STREET ASHFORD 2361Under Assessment
2025· 1 proposal
July 2025
- Shed; Erection of a new structure26 FROME STREET ASHFORD 2361Determined
2024· 1 proposal
April 2024
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)51-53 INVERELL STREET ASHFORD 2361Determined
2023· 6 proposals
August 2023
- Demolition; Shed; Other19 FRAZER STREET ASHFORD 2361Determined
- Farm buildings138 BONSHAW ROAD ASHFORD 2361Determined
July 2023
- Educational establishment; Mixed use development; Independent living units2000 Emmaville Rd Ashford 2361Determined
May 2023
- Dwelling1750 EMMAVILLE ROAD ASHFORD 2361Determined
February 2023
- Subdivision of land974 LIMESTONE ROAD ASHFORD 2361Determined
January 2023
- Dwelling3 DUFF STREET ASHFORD 2361Determined
2022· 4 proposals
October 2022
- Dwelling52 ELY STREET ASHFORD 2361Determined
May 2022
- Subdivision of land974 LIMESTONE ROAD ASHFORD 2361Determined
April 2022
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces33 ALBURY STREET ASHFORD 2361Determined
March 2022
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces25 ALBURY STREET ASHFORD 2361Determined
2021· 4 proposals
November 2021
- Dwelling3 Cook St AshfordDetermined
September 2021
- DwellingBUKKULLA ROAD ASHFORD 2361Determined
August 2021
- Other76 ASHFORD CEMETERY ROAD ASHFORD 2361Determined
June 2021
- Dwelling3 DUFF STREET ASHFORD 2361Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
3 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Apex Park - Ashford Garden ClubPark
- Kwiambal CCA Zone 1 National ParkNature reserve
- McRae ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 2
- Emergency department
- Not in suburb
- Ashford Community Health CentreJubilee Streetclinic
- Health and Beauty - Campbell FreebairnAlbury Streetpharmacy
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 1/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 1/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 2
- Parks (OSM)
- 2
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 29.1/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 5463rd in Australia
- State rank
- 1720th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #393 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #753 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 82%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Breach Apprehended Violence Ordercrime11
- Breach Bail Conditionscrime6
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime9
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime15
- Trespasscrime5
- Albury St At Duff Sttransport
- Ashford Central School, Martyn Sttransport
- Bukkulla Rd Before Pindari Dam Rdtransport
- Duff St At Albury Sttransport
- Emmaville Rd At Coffin Ck Rdtransport
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
More in Inverell Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.