Lightning Ridge crime rate and Crime Score · New South Wales
NSW Police (figures published by BOCSAR) recorded 697 offences in Lightning Ridge in 2025-26, including 109 violent offences and 68 break-ins. The rates and Crime Score below are for the whole Walgett council area.
Lightning Ridge is a suburb in the Walgett council area of New South Wales (about 5,437 residents in the council). The council has a Crime Score 89 out of 100 (very high), 6th 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 (93rd percentile), sexual offences (97th percentile), break-ins (93rd percentile). Five years earlier the same basis gave 84.
In 2025-26: violent 5,886 per 100,000 (+36% vs five years earlier); property 9,068 per 100,000 (+28% vs five years earlier); break-ins 2,060 per 100,000 (+80% vs five years earlier); theft 3,108 per 100,000 (+18% vs five years earlier). For violent crime that is 3rd of 129 New South Wales councils with data, highest first.
Unemployment in the Walgett council area is 6.7% (New South Wales 4.9%), Census, 10 August 2021. Social housing makes up 11.1% of occupied homes (81 public and 103 community-housing dwellings at the 2021 Census; New South Wales 4.2%). An estimated 145 people were homeless on Census night 2021, 262 per 10,000 residents (New South Wales 43.4), apportioned from ABS Statistical Area Level 2 counts. 11.5% of residents were born overseas (New South Wales 31%), most often in England, New Zealand, Philippines. Modelled estimates for 2026-27, not measurements: unemployment about 6.6% (confidence 70 of 100); social housing about 10% of homes; about 257.8 homeless people per 10,000 residents; about 11.7% born overseas. Confidence falls with distance from the last published figure, and the map's Estimates toggle shows every year back to 1994-95.
New South Wales publishes suburb-level counts: 697 offences were recorded in Lightning Ridge in 2025-26. The rates and Crime Score above are for the whole Walgett council area.
| Offences | Per 100,000 | Count | 5-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent | 5,886 | 320 | +36% |
| Property | 9,068 | 493 | +28% |
| Break-ins | 2,060 | 112 | +80% |
| Theft | 3,108 | 169 | +18% |
Walgett council area: full statistics · Interactive map of every council.
Crime in postcode 2834: every suburb and council it covers.
Questions
Is Lightning Ridge safe?
Police recorded 697 offences in Lightning Ridge in 2025-26, including 109 violent offences and 68 break-ins. Lightning Ridge is not ranked against other suburbs: with 1,946 residents a handful of incidents would move its rate a lot. The Walgett council area as a whole recorded 5,890 violent offences per 100,000 residents in 2025-26, 5.1 times the New South Wales rate (1,150) and 4.6 times the national rate (1,280). 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.
What is the crime rate in Lightning Ridge?
In 2025-26 police recorded 697 offences in Lightning Ridge, including 109 violent offences and 68 break-ins.
Nearby suburbs
Angledool · Burren Junction · Collarenebri · Come By Chance · Cryon · Cumborah · Grawin Opal Fields · Pilliga · Rowena · Walgett
australiancrimerate.com.au/suburb/nsw/lightning-ridge/ · Australian Crime Map