NSW · Armidale Regional Council
Black Mountain, 2365
Current weather
10.8°CMainly clear
91% humidity · 19 km/h wind · 14.6° / 9.5° today · 7.2 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- National parks
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Set among the hills of Armidale Regional, Black Mountain is a smaller community with bushland views and a cooler, leafier feel. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. Ridge-top pockets and tree cover give the area a cooler, greener hillside feel.
Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with family life visible on every street. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. Buses and nearby services make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward.
Homes here are sought-after, with many people drawn to the lifestyle the area offers. Steady development is bringing new homes and gradual renewal to parts of the suburb.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and schools and education lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in housing affordability and community and employment. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 291
- Median age
- 47
- Median household income / week
- $1,768
- Dwelling vacancy
- 4.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 5 of 110
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,000
- Employment rate
- 60.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 3 / 0 / 0
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.
Housing
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $440
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 19
- Against the person
- 7
- Against property
- 7
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 65.3
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 42 residents
- State safety percentile
- 43.7th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -9.3%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order20
- Breach Bail Conditions16
- Domestic Violence Related Assault25
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment30
- Malicious Damage To Property28
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
- 807
- Black Mountain Public SchoolPrimary
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
46 public transport stops in this suburb
- 391 Toms Gully Rd
- Black Mountain Public School, Black Mountain Rd
- Black Mountain Rd Opp Rosewood Property
- New England Hwy At Black Mountain Rd
- Rosewood Property, Black Mountain 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)
Roadworks & transport
1 active roadworks / incidents
- RoadworksNew England Highway, Thunderbolts Cave Road30 Mar 2026 – 03 Oct 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
32 planning-related records
2026· 4 proposals
May 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Awnings, blinds and canopies; Carport4 ELAINE CLOSE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure763 BLACK MOUNTAIN ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
February 2026
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Rainwater tanks5 MARTIN DRIVE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
January 2026
- Subdivision743 BLACK MOUNTAIN ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Additional Information Requested
2025· 3 proposals
September 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure763 BLACK MOUNTAIN ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
June 2025
- Dual occupancy; Medium Density Housing; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Residential Accommodation236 THUNDERBOLTS CAVE ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
January 2025
- Industrial development; Advertising and signage; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Extractive Industries (non-mining)12029 NEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Additional Information Requested
2024· 3 proposals
November 2024
- Dual occupancy; Medium Density Housing; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Garage, carport or carparking space; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development832 BLACK MOUNTAIN ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
August 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure12 MARTIN DRIVE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
April 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure821 BLACK MOUNTAIN ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
2023· 3 proposals
October 2023
- Shed; Erection of a new structure821 BLACK MOUNTAIN ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
September 2023
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space9 MARTIN DRIVE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
July 2023
- Dwelling236 THUNDERBOLTS CAVE ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
2022· 10 proposals
November 2022
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces3 ELAINE CLOSE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
October 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing1 ELAINE CLOSE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces54 TOMS GULLY ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces825 BLACK MOUNTAIN ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
July 2022
- Other82 HOLYWELL ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
June 2022
- Restaurant or cafe; Other643 BLACK MOUNTAIN ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
April 2022
- Farm buildings10 MARTIN DRIVE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
March 2022
- Shed3 MARTIN DRIVE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
February 2022
- Dwelling; Shed4 ELAINE CLOSE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
- Dwelling11 MARTIN DRIVE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
2021· 9 proposals
November 2021
- Dwelling8 ELDER LANE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Withdrawn
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces; Shed1 ELAINE CLOSE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
October 2021
- Dwelling; Shed51 HOLYWELL ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
- Other82 HOLYWELL ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
September 2021
- Pools / decks / fencing; Retaining walls, protection of trees82 THORPES LANE BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
August 2021
- Dwelling; Shed232 THUNDERBOLTS CAVE ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
- Dwelling75 HOLYWELL ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
May 2021
- Dwelling75 HOLYWELL ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
April 2021
- Subdivision of land743 BLACK MOUNTAIN ROAD BLACK MOUNTAIN 2365Determined
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
2 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Parking
- Picnic Table
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
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
2 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Lyn Raanhuis-Winter Railway ParkPark
- New England Tableland (Gazettal in Progress)Nature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
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
Heritage
1 state heritage place
- Black Mountain Railway StationMain Northern railway Black MountainSHR
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
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)
- 1
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
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
- 38.0/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 3816th in Australia
- State rank
- 1202nd in NSW
- Peer rank
- #171 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #413 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 78%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Parkingamenitiesparking
- Picnic Tableamenitiespicnic_table
- Breach Apprehended Violence Ordercrime20
- Breach Bail Conditionscrime16
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime25
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime30
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime28
- 391 Toms Gully Rdtransport
- Black Mountain Public School, Black Mountain Rdtransport
- Black Mountain Rd Opp Rosewood Propertytransport
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)
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Armidale Regional Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.