Nhill
A 942.87 sq km footprint supports 2,401 residents at only 2.5 people per sq km, making Nhill a very dispersed Wimmera service town. The median age is 47, or 7 years above the national figure, and population momentum is slower than national growth. Compared with nearby Dimboola, Nhill presents a broader rural setting, with healthcare, agriculture and education central to local employment.
Local council: Hindmarsh
Population
2,401
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,296/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
9
Median House
$218K
October to December 2025
Only a handful of houses sold here in this period, so this median can jump sharply from one quarter to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with the market. Treat it as a rough guide, not a settled price.
Nhill suits buyers seeking a detached house at a lower entry price than many Victorian markets. Housing is overwhelmingly separate-house based at 93.1%, while 3-bedroom homes account for 56.8% and 4-bedroom-or-larger homes for 22.2%. Mortgage costs equal 13.8% of household income, lower than the 15.4% rent-to-income figure, which supports manageable holding costs for many established buyers.
For Buyers
Nhill suits buyers seeking a detached house at a lower entry price than many Victorian markets. Housing is overwhelmingly separate-house based at 93.1%, while 3-bedroom homes account for 56.8% and 4-bedroom-or-larger homes for 22.2%. Mortgage costs equal 13.8% of household income, lower than the 15.4% rent-to-income figure, which supports manageable holding costs for many established buyers.
For Investors
Nhill presents an affordable but higher-risk investment profile. A 12.2% vacancy rate is high enough to make tenant demand a central concern because available properties can reduce rental competition and lengthen leasing times. Rents have grown 36.0%, but the wider growth outlook is weak at -0.67% annually and the population change measure is -3.3% over 10 years. Nine development applications were recorded over 12 months, suggesting some subdivision activity, although this is modest compared with larger growth corridors. Overseas migration is the stated primary migration driver.
Development Activity
Total DAs
13
Last 12 Months
9
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+350.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Nhill
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Nhill College
Wimmera Lutheran College
St Patrick's School
Demographics
Nhill has an older and more settled population profile than the national average. The median age is 47, 7 years above the national figure, while 82.1% of residents stayed at the same address and turnover was 17.9%. University attainment is 20.4%, or 9.7 percentage points below the national comparison, and 16.8% of residents were born overseas, 4.8 points below the national figure. English ancestry is recorded for 904 people and German ancestry for 313, while Christianity accounts for 1,358 residents and no religion for 732. Average household size is 2.3, 0.2 below the national comparison, consistent with 48.5% of families being couples without children. Compared with nearby Dimboola, Nhill's large rural footprint reinforces its settled service-town character.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
93.1%
Houses
6.1%
Townhouse
0.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Nhill's housing stock is dominated by established detached homes, with 93.1% separate houses, 6.1% semi-detached dwellings and only 0.8% apartments. Ownership is more common than renting: 47.9% of homes are owned outright, compared with 26.8% with a mortgage and 23.2% rented. Across 20 quarters, the long-run compound annual growth rate was 3.7% over 19 years. Three-bedroom homes make up 56.8% of stock, so the market is better suited to conventional family housing than apartment-led demand. A 12.2% vacancy rate is higher than the ownership figures might suggest because the broad rural housing supply is not fully absorbed.
Mortgage / mo
$774
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$200
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$717
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.2%
Unoccupied
133
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
13.8%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
38.8%
Couples with children
48.5%
Couples, no children
12.1%
Single parent
627
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Nhill's largest industry at 28.9%, or 190 workers, followed by agriculture at 19.3% and 127 workers, education at 12.2% and 80, construction at 6.2% and 41, and public administration at 5.8% and 38. The occupational mix is led by labourers at 230 and managers at 227, ahead of professionals at 152 and trades at 126. Unemployment is 2.4%, but labour-force participation is 56.1%, so the low unemployment figure sits alongside a substantial group outside the labour force. Household income is $1,296 per week, at the 30.7th percentile and below the midpoint, which helps explain the suburb's affordable housing profile. SEIFA education and occupation deciles are 4, while disadvantage and advantage are both decile 3, below the middle decile, indicating fewer broad socioeconomic resources than higher-decile areas.
Unemployment
2.4%
Labour Force
1,143
Unemployed
28
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.6%
Part-time
31.7%
Participation
56.1%
Employed
1,115
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.4%
Postgraduate
3.2%
Born Overseas
16.8%
Dwellings
954
Transport to Work
Nhill's low density makes private transport important. Car drivers account for 70.8% of commuting, compared with only 0.5% using public transport, while 12.5% walk or cycle and 11.1% work from home. Three local schools provide a mix of options: St Patrick's School is Catholic primary, Nhill College is government primary and secondary, and Wimmera Lutheran College is independent primary and secondary. Families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because they can cut across suburb boundaries. Recorded crime totalled 120 incidents, equivalent to 50.0 per 1,000 residents, led by property and deception offences at 56, justice procedures at 32 and crimes against the person at 21. The IRSAD score is decile 3, below the midpoint, while volunteering is 31.2%, supporting local participation despite the area's dispersed layout.
Drive
70.8%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
12.5%
Work from Home
11.1%
Growth Outlook
Nhill is moving through an aging trajectory rather than a rapid expansion cycle. The forecast annual trend is -0.67%, and population change across the wider area is -3.3% over 10 years, so growth is below that of active regional growth markets. The shift profile records a 3.9% increase in the senior share and a 3.0% decline in the young share, consistent with the median age of 47. Overseas migration is identified as the primary migration driver, although it has not offset the broader slow-growth pattern. Affordability is improving, moving from 28.1% in 2011 to 25.8% in 2021, while rents have grown 36.0%. Gentrification signals are mixed: the main rating is score 0, Not gentrifying, while a separate shift indicator records score 32 and Early signs. This points to limited renewal rather than a clear transformation.
Population trend: Hindmarsh council area
Nhill sits in the Hindmarsh council area. These are the council area's residents, not Nhill's.
Residents 2025
5,447
Growth, 5 yr average
-0.8%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.2%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
120
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
50.0
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Nhill compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Nhill?
Nhill has 3 listed schools across several sectors and year levels. St Patrick's School is a Catholic primary school, Nhill College is a government primary and secondary school, and Wimmera Lutheran College is an independent primary and secondary school. Confirm enrolment zones and available places for the specific address.
Is Nhill safe?
Safety in Nhill deserves a measured assessment rather than a simple yes or no. Recorded crime totalled 120 incidents, or 50.0 per 1,000 residents, including 56 property and deception offences and 21 crimes against the person. Review recent local incident patterns and speak with residents before making a decision.
How is Nhill's population changing?
Nhill has an aging population trajectory. Its current population is 2,401, while population change across the wider area is -3.3% over 10 years and the annual trend is -0.67%. The senior share rose 3.9% and the young share fell 3.0%, with overseas migration identified as the primary migration driver.
What is rent like in Nhill?
The recorded weekly rent is $200, making Nhill cheaper than many urban markets, but the 12.2% vacancy rate signals softer rental competition. Rents have grown 36.0%, while 23.2% of households rent and 47.9% own outright. Prospective tenants should compare property condition, heating and commuting costs as well as the advertised weekly price.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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