Crookwell
At a median age of 52, Crookwell sits 12 years above the national figure, placing it among the most age-skewed rural townships in NSW. A population of 2,686 spread across 207 square kilometres gives a density of just 13 residents per square kilometre. Despite this, the housing market posted a 17% price rise from $530,000 in 2024 to $620,000 in 2025. Household income in the 25th percentile nationally explains why 56% of residents own outright, free of mortgage pressure. University qualifications at 16.3% are 13.8 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a workforce weighted towards trades, agriculture, and community services.
Population
2,686
Median Age
52.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,196/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
41
Median House
$580K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $580,000 reflects a market that moved from $530,000 in 2024 to $620,000 in 2025, a one-year gain of 17%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,356, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.2% stays below the 30% stress threshold, making purchasing more manageable than most NSW coastal markets. Detached houses dominate at 94.3% of dwellings, with 3-bedroom homes at 47% and 4-plus bedroom at 36.5%, giving buyers strong choice in family-sized stock. Outright owners account for 56%, well above national norms, because the older, settled population has paid off debt over time. Apartments represent just 0.6% of dwellings.
For Buyers
The median house price of $580,000 reflects a market that moved from $530,000 in 2024 to $620,000 in 2025, a one-year gain of 17%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,356, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.2% stays below the 30% stress threshold, making purchasing more manageable than most NSW coastal markets. Detached houses dominate at 94.3% of dwellings, with 3-bedroom homes at 47% and 4-plus bedroom at 36.5%, giving buyers strong choice in family-sized stock. Outright owners account for 56%, well above national norms, because the older, settled population has paid off debt over time. Apartments represent just 0.6% of dwellings.
For Investors
Weekly rent of $280 against a $580,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.5%, low by regional standards. The vacancy rate of 12.8% is the main risk, signalling soft rental demand relative to dwelling stock. Renters account for only 17.6% of households, a thin tenant pool. On the upside, 37 development applications were lodged in 12 months, including subdivisions and new builds, and the 17% price rise from 2024 to 2025 exceeded many NSW regional markets. Investors should weigh that capital growth signal against the high vacancy and limited renter base, as the small population of 2,686 constrains demand volume.
Development Activity
Total DAs
242
Last 12 Months
41
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-6.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Crookwell iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Mary's Primary School
K-6 · 144 students
Crookwell Public School
K-6 · 220 students
Crookwell High School
7-12 · 182 students
Demographics
The median age of 52 is 12 years above the national average. Overseas-born residents at 6.9% are 14.7 percentage points below national, making Crookwell one of the least internationally diverse communities in NSW. Ancestry leans heavily Anglo-Celtic: English (1,215 residents), Irish (424), and Scottish (288) are the top three groups. Average household size of 2.2 is 0.3 below national, reflecting couples without children at 36.6% of families. The volunteering rate of 20% is above typical suburban rates, while 8.6% of residents require daily assistance, consistent with the older age profile. Christianity is by far the dominant religion at 1,795 residents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.3%
Houses
4.5%
Townhouse
0.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership structure is exceptional: 56% own outright, well above the national figure, and only 26.4% carry a mortgage, with 17.6% renting. This reflects a long-settled, older population that has accumulated equity over decades. Stock is almost entirely detached at 94.3%, with apartments at 0.6% and semi-detached at 4.5%. Bedroom distribution skews large, with 47% at 3 bedrooms and 36.5% at 4-plus bedrooms. Prices rose from $530,000 in 2024 to $620,000 in 2025, a 17% one-year move. Rent-to-income of 23.4% keeps renters below stress levels, while the $280 weekly rent is lower than comparable NSW regional centres.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,356
Rent / wk
$280
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$639
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.8%
Unoccupied
163
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.6%
Couples, no children
2,044
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 20% of the local workforce (129 workers), followed by Public Administration at 11.8% (76) and Education at 11.6% (75), forming a public-sector core typical of a regional service town. Construction accounts for 10.7% and Agriculture for 8.9%, reflecting the surrounding pastoral economy. By occupation, Managers lead at 168, followed by Labourers (159) and Community/Personal workers (154). The participation rate of 47.8% is below national norms because 973 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the aging profile. Unemployment sits at 4.1%, and household income in the 25th percentile nationally reflects the public-sector and agricultural wage base.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.1%
Part-time
32.8%
Participation
47.8%
Employed
1,047
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.3%
Postgraduate
3.3%
Born Overseas
6.9%
Dwellings
1,115
Transport to Work
Car dependency reaches 86.9% of commuters, above the national average and expected given the 207 square kilometre area with public transport used by only 0.8% of residents. Walking and cycling account for 6.8% of trips, plausible for the compact town centre. No schools are recorded in the suburb dataset. Crime data is not available for a direct rate comparison. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.2% and rent-to-income of 23.4% are both below the 30% stress threshold, pointing to manageable cost of living compared to most NSW coastal markets where both ratios regularly exceed 30%.
Drive
86.9%
Public Transport
0.8%
Walk / Cycle
6.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Crookwell compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Crookwell a good suburb to live in?
Crookwell suits established households and retirees well. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.2% and rent-to-income of 23.4% are both below the 30% stress threshold, making the cost of living manageable compared to most NSW markets. With 56% of residents owning outright and a median age of 52, it is a stable, low-turnover community. Car ownership is essential as public transport is used by only 0.8% of commuters.
What is the median house price in Crookwell?
The current median house price is $580,000. Prices rose from $530,000 in 2024 to $620,000 in 2025, a 17% one-year increase. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,356, below the stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $280, lower than comparable NSW regional centres.
What schools are in Crookwell?
No schools are recorded inside the Crookwell suburb boundary in this dataset. The local population has university qualifications at 16.3%, which is 13.8 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the regional and trade-sector workforce composition.
Is Crookwell safe?
Crime rate data is not available for Crookwell in this dataset. As a contextual indicator, housing stress is low: the mortgage-to-income ratio is 26.2% and rent-to-income is 23.4%, both below the 30% threshold. The volunteering rate of 20% and a stable population turnover of 16.6% are consistent with a settled, cohesive community.
Is Crookwell good for property investment?
The 17% price rise from $530,000 to $620,000 between 2024 and 2025 is notable. However, a vacancy rate of 12.8% and a thin renter base of 17.6% of households limit yield potential. Weekly rent of $280 against a $580,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.5%. The small population of 2,686 constrains rental demand volume.
How is Crookwell's population changing?
Crookwell's population of 2,686 is spread across 207 square kilometres. The median age of 52 is 12 years above the national average, and 83.4% of residents stayed in place between Census periods, indicating low churn and an aging, established base rather than growth-driven arrivals. No forward forecast data is available.
How much development is happening in Crookwell?
There were 37 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including subdivisions and new builds such as swimming pools. This is moderate for a town of 2,686 residents, reflecting incremental rural growth rather than large-scale housing development.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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