Broken Hill crime rate and Crime Score · New South Wales council area
Broken Hill is a council area in New South Wales with about 17,515 residents. It has a Crime Score 76 out of 100 (high), 37th of 362 councils nationally.
The score blends national percentile ranks for each published offence category with fixed severity weights; here it is driven most by assault (87th percentile), sexual offences (85th percentile), break-ins (79th percentile). Five years earlier the same basis gave 75.
In 2025-26: violent 3,203 per 100,000 (+10% vs five years earlier); property 5,161 per 100,000 (-6% vs five years earlier); break-ins 776 per 100,000 (-25% vs five years earlier); theft 2,164 per 100,000 (+15% vs five years earlier). For violent crime that is 8th of 129 New South Wales councils with data, highest first.
Unemployment in the Broken Hill council area is 5.5% (New South Wales 4.9%), Census, 10 August 2021. Social housing makes up 2.6% of occupied homes (116 public and 72 community-housing dwellings at the 2021 Census; New South Wales 4.2%). An estimated 33 people were homeless on Census night 2021, 18.7 per 10,000 residents (New South Wales 43.4), apportioned from ABS Statistical Area Level 2 counts. 5.6% of residents were born overseas (New South Wales 31%), most often in Philippines, England, New Zealand. Modelled estimates for 2026-27, not measurements: unemployment about 5.5% (confidence 77 of 100); social housing about 2.3% of homes; about 18.4 homeless people per 10,000 residents; about 5.7% born overseas. Confidence falls with distance from the last published figure, and the map's Estimates toggle shows every year back to 1994-95.
| Offences | Per 100,000 | Count | 5-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent | 3,203 | 561 | +10% |
| Property | 5,161 | 904 | -6% |
| Break-ins | 776 | 136 | -25% |
| Theft | 2,164 | 379 | +15% |
Questions
Is Broken Hill safe?
Broken Hill recorded 3,200 violent offences per 100,000 residents in 2025-26, 2.8 times the New South Wales rate (1,150) and 2.5 times the national rate (1,280). Its Crime Score is 76.4 out of 100 (high), 37th of 362 councils. These are offences recorded by police per resident: they describe the area as a whole, not the risk on any particular street, and places with a busy centre record more because offences are counted where they happen.
How many break-ins are there in Broken Hill?
136 break-ins were recorded in 2025-26: 776 per 100,000 residents, 2.6 times the New South Wales rate (301).
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australiancrimerate.com.au/council/nsw-broken-hill/ · Australian Crime Map