Orange
With 41,232 residents and a healthcare workforce that absorbs 25.9% of all employment, Orange functions as the medical capital of the NSW Central West rather than a typical mining town. The Cadia gold-copper mine still pulls 6.8% of jobs, but Orange Health Service and the regional cancer centre are the bigger anchor, which is why the suburb skews younger (median age 36, four years below the national figure) than nearby Bathurst. Houses sit at a $650k median with a 3.1% one-year lift, and 492 development applications lodged in the last 12 months show the council is processing change at a pace closer to a metro fringe than a regional town.
Population
41,232
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,641/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
566
Median House
$650K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Orange suits buyers who want detached-house living at a price point Sydney lost a decade ago: 85.9% of stock is separate houses and only 3.6% is apartments, with the median at $650,000 against a $1,690 monthly mortgage. That pegs mortgage-to-income at 23.8%, well below the 30% stress line and lower than Bathurst's typical ratio. Four-bedroom homes account for 40.2% of dwellings, so trade-up families dominate; 0-1 bedroom stock is just 3.9%, which makes the entry tier thin. The catch is mid-grade SEIFA economic resources (decile 2), meaning resale depth narrows in slower cycles compared with coastal NSW LGAs.
For Buyers
Orange suits buyers who want detached-house living at a price point Sydney lost a decade ago: 85.9% of stock is separate houses and only 3.6% is apartments, with the median at $650,000 against a $1,690 monthly mortgage. That pegs mortgage-to-income at 23.8%, well below the 30% stress line and lower than Bathurst's typical ratio. Four-bedroom homes account for 40.2% of dwellings, so trade-up families dominate; 0-1 bedroom stock is just 3.9%, which makes the entry tier thin. The catch is mid-grade SEIFA economic resources (decile 2), meaning resale depth narrows in slower cycles compared with coastal NSW LGAs.
For Investors
Orange tilts more landlord-heavy than most regional NSW towns: 34.8% of households rent, ahead of the 31.0% who own outright, and weekly rent sits at $330 against a $650k median which implies a gross yield near 2.6%, below Dubbo's typical regional yield. The 8.5% vacancy rate is the warning flag, several times higher than Sydney's sub-2% baseline and a sign supply is currently catching up to demand. Working in the investor's favour: 492 DAs in 12 months show construction activity, real incomes have grown 14.2% over the decade, and rents have risen 38.9%. Yield-led buyers should benchmark against Bathurst before committing.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2,721
Last 12 Months
566
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+21.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Orange iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Kinross Wolaroi School
K-12 · 1018 students
Canobolas Public School
K-6 · 136 students
Orange Anglican Grammar School
K-12 · 755 students
Orange Christian School
K-12 · 490 students
Orange Public School
K-6 · 761 students
Demographics
Orange is markedly Anglo-Celtic compared with metro NSW: English (16,565), Irish (5,135) and Scottish (4,095) ancestries dominate, and only 11.5% of residents were born overseas, a full 10.1 percentage points below the national average. The migrant pipeline that does exist is unusual for the bush, led by Malayalam (132 speakers), Nepali (118) and Punjabi (72), reflecting overseas-trained nurses and doctors recruited into Orange Health Service rather than family chain migration. University attainment at 30.5% sits within 0.4 points of national, higher than typical regional towns, and the median age of 36 runs four years younger than nationwide, kept down by the hospital workforce.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
85.9%
Houses
10.1%
Townhouse
3.6%
Apartment
Tenure
The tenure split in Orange is unusually even: 31.0% own outright, 34.3% carry a mortgage, and 34.8% rent, a near-thirds distribution that signals a town with both retirees and a churning hospital-and-mining workforce. Stock skews suburban-detached, with 85.9% separate houses and only 10.1% semi-detached. Median house price is $650,000 with a one-year CAGR of 3.1%, so values track inflation rather than running ahead of it. Mortgage-to-income at 23.8% and rent-to-income at 20.1% both sit below stress thresholds, which is why 4-plus bedroom homes (40.2% of stock) keep clearing despite higher rates than 2019.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,690
Rent / wk
$330
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$836
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.5%
Unoccupied
1,438
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.9%
Couples, no children
31,009
Total families
Economy & Employment
Orange runs a healthcare-anchored economy that few regional towns can match: 3,401 healthcare jobs (25.9% of total), 1,618 in education and 1,256 in public administration, with 891 mining jobs from Cadia adding the cyclical kicker. Professionals are the largest occupation cohort at 4,362, ahead of community/personal services at 2,542, which is why the unemployment rate is 3.8% and full-time participation 67.3%, both healthier than the NSW regional average. The SEIFA paradox is sharp here: education and occupation decile is 4 but economic resources decile is 2, meaning skilled workers earn moderate household incomes (56.8th percentile) compared with metro peers.
Unemployment
4.6%
Labour Force
9,941
Unemployed
457
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.3%
Part-time
28.9%
Participation
58.5%
Employed
18,189
Occupations
Top Industries
University
30.5%
Postgraduate
7.1%
Born Overseas
11.5%
Dwellings
15,363
Transport to Work
Orange's livability rests on a school stack that punches above the regional average: Kinross Wolaroi School (ICSEA 1128, 1,018 students) sits in the top quartile nationally, with Orange Anglican Grammar (ICSEA 1077) and Orange Public (ICSEA 1046) backing it up across 10 schools and roughly 6,600 enrolments. The trade-off is car dependence: 87.9% drive to work and only 0.6% take public transport, well below the metro Sydney baseline. Volunteering at 15.9% runs higher than national, and the IRSAD decile of 3 reflects mid-band advantage. Crime-rate data is unpublished by NSW BOCSAR for this suburb, so claims about safety should be checked against LGA-level statistics.
Drive
87.9%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
3.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.93%/yr
(+465 people/yr)
EstablishedOrange is forecast to grow 1.93% annually, adding around 465 residents per year through 2031, modest beside Sydney's outer suburbs but faster than most NSW Central West towns. The driver flipped over the last decade: net internal migration runs at -84 per year (Australians leaving for the coast or Sydney), while net overseas migration is +134, so population growth is now 100% imported. Population has climbed 36% since 2011, and the trajectory is aging (senior share +3.8 points, working-age -1.4). Gentrification scores 13 of 100, well below thresholds in coastal NSW, so prices should remain anchored to incomes rather than running on speculation.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+134
Net Internal / yr
-84
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +38% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Orange compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Orange a good suburb to live in?
Orange suits households who want regional space without losing services: 85.9% of homes are detached, the median age is 36 (four years younger than national), and healthcare provides 25.9% of jobs, which keeps the town economically steadier than mining-only peers like Cobar. The trade-off is car dependence (87.9% drive to work) and limited public transport at 0.6%.
What is the median house price in Orange?
The median house price in Orange is $650,000 (2024-2025 PSI-derived), up 3.1% over the past year from $640,000. Mortgage-to-income sits at 23.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, and weekly rent averages $330. That makes Orange materially cheaper than coastal NSW regional centres while running on par with Bathurst.
What schools are in Orange?
Orange has 10 schools serving roughly 6,600 students. Kinross Wolaroi School leads with ICSEA 1128 and 1,018 enrolments, followed by Orange Anglican Grammar (ICSEA 1077, 755 students) and Orange Public School (ICSEA 1046, 761 students). The school stack is stronger than typical Central West towns, with three independents above ICSEA 1050.
Is Orange safe?
Crime-rate data for Orange is not published at suburb level in the brief, so suburb-level safety claims should be cross-checked against NSW BOCSAR LGA reports. Indirect signals: the volunteering rate runs at 15.9%, residential turnover is moderate at 24%, and 76% of residents stayed at the same address, all higher than national norms for transient towns.
Is Orange good for property investment?
Orange has a 34.8% renter share and $330 weekly rent against a $650k median, implying a gross yield around 2.6%, below higher-yield regional centres like Dubbo. The 8.5% vacancy rate is materially higher than Sydney's sub-2% benchmark and signals near-term supply pressure. Rents have grown 38.9% over the decade, so cash-flow investors should pair Orange with closer monitoring of the 492 DAs lodged.
How is Orange's population changing?
Orange grows around 1.93% per year, adding 465 residents annually, and is forecast to reach 27,290 by 2031 from 24,059 today. The driver is overseas migration (+134 per year) offsetting net internal departures of -84 per year. The senior share has risen 3.8 points and working-age share fell 1.4 points, so the trajectory is aging despite a 36 median age.
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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