NSW · Hilltops Council
Harden, 2587
Current weather
11.8°CClear sky
70% humidity · 13.9 km/h wind · 14.7° / 8.8° today · 3 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Harden is a regional centre in Hilltops that balances local services with a more relaxed pace of life. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood.
The town centre holds its own, with enough local flavour to make staying close to home appealing. There is enough green space nearby for walks, picnics and after-school play. Public transport is a genuine asset, linking residents to work, study and nearby neighbourhoods.
Homes are relatively affordable, which helps families and first-time residents put down roots. A busy pipeline of new development is gradually changing the look and feel of the streets.
The desirability score is around average, weighed down by weaker community and employment and schools and education against similar regional towns, even with safety and growth momentum holding up better.
Population
- Population
- 1,900
- Median age
- 52
- Median household income / week
- $973
- Dwelling vacancy
- 15.9%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 153 of 963
- Median monthly mortgage
- $910
- Employment rate
- 44%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 85 / 19 / 13
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)
- $450
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)
- 101
- Against the person
- 42
- Against property
- 29
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 53.2
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 45 residents
- State safety percentile
- 30.1th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -9.6%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault17
- Fraud10
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment27
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault10
- Trespass11
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
- 915
- Murrumburrah High SchoolSecondary
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
28 public transport stops in this suburb
- Albury St At East St
- Albury St At East St
- Harden Station
- Harden Station, Coach Stop
- Harden Town Coach Stop
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).
117 planning-related records
2026· 9 proposals
June 2026
- Restaurant or cafe; Small bar; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Footpaths - outdoor dining; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Retail Premise; Food and drink premise; Take away food and drink; Shop1/-/DP1324738 - 76-88 NEILL STREET, HARDEN 2587Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure25 SCOTT STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
May 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Service station96 ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Additional Information Requested
April 2026
- SubdivisionALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space25 CATTLEYARDS ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space18 ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
March 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space6 ALLSOP STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Supporting Development232 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Additional Information Requested
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure158 GLOAMING ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
2025· 25 proposals
December 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space77 STATION STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
November 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space72 CLARKE STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Demolition; Shed; Erection of a new structure76 BARWANG ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
September 2025
- Demolition; Shed; Erection of a new structure91 BINALONG STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
August 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space75 SWIFT STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure5 REDBANK STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
July 2025
- Shed; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia72 CLARKE STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Farm buildings; Erection of a new structure7 GLOAMING ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space17 REDBANK STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Carport6 CLARKE STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
June 2025
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Carport60 BARWANG ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space87 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
May 2025
- Home business; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure203 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure131 CLARKE STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space39 ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Garage, carport or carparking space3 EAST STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
April 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation229A ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Subdivision12 SMITH STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
March 2025
- Shed; Erection of a new structure144 ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Home business; Home occupation; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia204 ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Educational establishment; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structureALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
February 2025
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space59 LUCAN STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation236 ALBURY STREET HARDEN 2587Rejected
January 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space155 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
- Farm buildings; Erection of a new structure305 BARWANG ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
2024· 6 proposals
November 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space171 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
September 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space56 EAST STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
August 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation21 DOOLAN ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
- Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure27 BOBBARA STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
July 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation21 DOOLAN ROAD HARDEN 2587Determined
June 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure146 NEILL STREET HARDEN 2587Determined
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
45 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Kennett RuralAgrarian
- Thompson's Rural SuppliesAgrarian
- Supabarn & Local LiquorAlcohol
49 Neill Street, Harden
- Bendigo BankBank
Neill Street
- Commonwealth BankBank
- Prestige BeautyBeauty salon
54 Neill Street, Harden
- Albury St at East StBus stop
- Ziems Quality MeatsButcher
24 Neill Street, Harden
- Jackson's Bakery & CafeCafe
- Harden Bearings and HardwareCar repair
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
3 parks and public open space in this suburb
- George Coddington ParkPark
- Newson ParkPark
- Roberts ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 3
- Emergency department
- On site
- Kruger Health & Wellness Complexyes
- Murrumburrah-Harden Multi-Purpose ServiceSwift Streethospital
- TerryWhite ChemmartNeill 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)
- 2/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
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
- Harden Railway Station and Yard GroupMain Southern railway, HardenSHR
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
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)
- 4
- Parks (OSM)
- 4
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
- 46.5/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 35% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 2379th in Australia
- State rank
- 740th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #62 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #170 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
- Albury St at East Stamenitiesbus_stop
- At Hairamenitieshairdresser
- Australia Postamenitiespost_box
- Bendigo BankamenitiesNeill Streetbank
- Carrington HotelamenitiesNeill Street, Hardenpub
- Commonwealth Bankamenitiesbank
- Convenience storeamenitiesconvenience
- Explorenamenitiescharging_station
- Gymamenitiesfitness_centre
- Hardenamenitiestrain_station
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Hilltops Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.