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Suburb profile ·Hilltops LGA · NSW ·2587

Harden NSW 2587

Harden is in Hilltops LGA, NSW, postcode 2587, with population 1,900.

The read

Growth-momentum

The page has enough signal to be useful, but the story is mixed rather than decisive. Use compare mode to pressure-test it against stronger nearby options, then use the calculator if it still makes the shortlist.

$440/wk
Jun 2025 → Jun 2026 · 13 periods
NSW Fair Trading · postcode 2587 · Jun 2026 · sparse signal
$480
$268
Jun 2025Jun 2026
Why it fits

Gross yield screens at about 5.2%. Entry price sits in the lower-cost range for a first-pass screen. Recent price movement shows visible market momentum.

Read full evidence → Compare suburb Run calculator
Median house
$440K
House median, latest period
↑20.9%YoY D2 vs AU
Median rent
$440/wk
Rent-led investor candidate
≈D9 vs AU
Gross yield
5.2%
Strong yield band
D10 vs AU
Population
1,900
2K local footprint
D8 vs AU
Schools
1
Matched school context
D1 vs AU
Drive to city
4h 16m
346 km to Sydney CBD · free-flow
Solar
865
100 added 12mo · 6MW
Price cycleAt its peak
LowPeak

At / near its all-time high

See trend depth →

Price history

House and unit medians · ABS + state datasets

Trend & investor depth

Derived from this suburb's own price, rent and income history
Cycle positionAt its peak
Low · 2008Peak · 2026

At / near its all-time high

Price growth (compound)% per year
3-yr
+9.5%
5-yr
+9.3%
10-yr
+10.0%
Indicative cashflow-$103/wk (-$5,368/yr) · interest-only @ 6.4%, 80% LVR
Market turnover3.4% of homes traded/yr (31 sales · -31% vs 3-yr avg)
Value vs advantage-29% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 2)

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection. Turnover divides recorded sales by an estimated household count (population over average household size).

Investor profile

Who invests in Harden

Owner-occupied 81%Rented 19%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared4.5%
68 of 190 landlords
Avg rental loss$6,597/yr
Landlords (rental income)190
Reported capital gains118
Investor exposure index(low vs national)42.7/100
The read

Owner-occupier stronghold

76% of homes here are owner-occupied and 18% rented, with 5% of landlords negatively geared.

Why it fits

76% owner-occupied — owner-occupiers hold longer and absorb rate shocks, supporting price stability.

ABS Census 2021 tenure (G37), ATO postcode rental statistics, and QuickProperty's investor-exposure index. Owner-occupied = owned outright + with a mortgage.

Mortgage affordability

RBA rate · ABS Census 2021 household income
51%
of household income to service a new loan
11.6 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Severe
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyRoughly even

New-loan repayment $2,156/mo vs median rent $1,907/mo (+13% · +$58/wk)

If rates move

At 4.2%: $1,721/mo (-435) · at 6.2% (current): $2,156/mo · at 8.2%: $2,632/mo (+476)

Assumes a 20% deposit and a 30-year principal-and-interest loan at the current RBA new owner-occupier variable rate, against median weekly household income (ABS Census 2021). Stress bands follow the 30% / 45%-of-income thresholds used in ANZ-CoreLogic and AIHW reporting. Rent vs buy compares that repayment with the suburb's median advertised rent; it excludes rates, insurance, maintenance and deposit opportunity cost.

Stronger alternatives nearby

Similar-priced suburbs in other council areas that rate higher on a metric.

Higher yield

similar price · cross-LGA

Stronger 5-yr growth

similar price · cross-LGA

More affordable

lower price-to-income

Alternatives are similar-priced suburbs (0.7–1.4x this suburb's median) in other council areas that exceed it on the named metric. Indicative — not financial advice.

Affordability

Buying & renting · ABS Census + state data
Buying
8.7x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Moderate
Renting
45%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
High stress

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $910/mo, while renters pay about $1,907/mo — renting runs $997/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$440K
Household income · yr
$51K
Median rent · wk
$440
Owner mortgage · mo
$910
Gross yield
5.2%

Household income

ABS Census · ATO
$51K household · yr-38.5% vs NSW suburb median
Personal
$29K
Family
$69K
Household
$51K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)27% could service the median house
Under $300
34
$300-649
185
$650-999
155
$1,000-1,499
132
$1,500-1,999
69
$2,000-2,999
103
$3,000-3,999
31
$4,000+
18

Serviceability line: a household needs about $1,658/wk to hold a new loan on the median house at 30% of income (20% deposit, 30-year P&I, current RBA rate).

At the median asking rent, about 69% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $1,467/wk income).

Housing stock and tenure

ABS Census 2021
Tenure (814 households)2.5% social housing
Owned outright
46%
Owned with mortgage
30%
Rented
18%
Dwelling structure15.9% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
93%
Townhouse / semi
2%
Flat / apartment
2%

Getting to work: 80% drive, 1% public transport, 9% walk or cycle, 7% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Schools

ACARA 2025
Total1
Avg ICSEA915
Students148
Government1
  • Murrumburrah High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 915

Livability

OSM · GTFS · schools + hospitals
56/ 100 livability index

Top 44% most liveable of 4,565Australian suburbs.

Peer distributionstronger than 56% of Australian suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Everyday access62
Public transport (12 stops)37
Schools & hospitals56

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer

Suburb-level access-density index (not an address-level walk-time score), normalised within Australian suburbs. Method based on the Urban Liveability Index (Higgs et al. 2019) and Walk Score — three equal-weighted domains combined with an imbalance penalty.

Crime April 2025 - March 2026
628
3,254 per 100k
D5 vs AU

Crime

lga
Rate · per 100k3,254
Total incidents628· April 2025 - March 2026
  • Assault19661%
  • Sexual Offences7423%
  • Robbery00%
  • Break And Enter5216%

Development screen

Could a secondary dwelling be worth investigating?

Some supporting context
secondary dwelling / granny flat screening context Low broad constraint context

Policy position

Official policy reviewed

Permitted in residential zones under the Housing SEPP; may be approved by consent or as complying development when Housing SEPP and Codes SEPP standards are met.

Rental use: Secondary dwelling rental use is allowed as a dwelling use, subject to planning and tenancy rules.

Open official policy source

Separate houses

78.7%

Suburb share of occupied private dwellings recorded as separate houses.

Near the state median

State median 77.5% · 1,253 valid suburbs

Residential-zone context

37.1%

Broad suburb sampling only; the property zoning and overlays can differ.

5.2 pp below the state median

State median 42.3% · 1,245 valid suburbs

Rental households

18.3%

Demand context only; it does not establish permission to rent a secondary dwelling.

7.6 pp below the state median

State median 25.9% · 1,253 valid suburbs

Mapped hazards

No mapped bushfire exposure

The staged suburb layer shows no mapped exposure; this is not a property-level clearance. No broad-area layer staged for this suburb.

Approval pathway

Four checks, each with a different evidence threshold.

This is an investigation sequence, not a guarantee that every step applies or that approval will be granted.

  1. 01 Source reviewed

    State policy position

    QuickProperty reviewed the official secondary dwelling / granny flat policy source.

  2. 02 Property dependent

    Planning pathway

    Test consent or complying-development eligibility, including the 450 m² lot marker and all other standards.

  3. 03 Design dependent

    Building approval

    Confirm the building approval route after the design, site classifications, services and construction requirements are known.

  4. 04 Check separately

    Intended use

    Confirm long-term rental, short-stay or family-use rules separately from permission to construct the dwelling.

Property due diligence

Turn the suburb screen into a property checklist.

Every check starts unconfirmed. Progress stays in this browser and suburb evidence never clears an address-level requirement.

0evidence acquired
0evidence missing
0reviews due
0consultant questions

Active record: Harden unnamed property

0/14checked
0issues found

Site controls

Lot area and dimensions

Confirm title dimensions, usable site area and any minimum lot threshold.

Status for Lot area and dimensions
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Setbacks and site coverage

Test setbacks, private open space, landscaping and maximum site coverage against a concept plan.

Status for Setbacks and site coverage
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Slope and ground conditions

Check survey levels, soil classification, retaining needs and likely earthworks.

Status for Slope and ground conditions
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Title and planning

Zoning and overlays

Obtain current property-level zoning, overlays and applicable planning controls.

Status for Zoning and overlays
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Title, easements and covenants

Review the title for easements, covenants, restrictions and common property.

Status for Title, easements and covenants
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Services and access

Sewer and stormwater

Locate assets and connection points, then confirm capacity, clearances and discharge requirements.

Status for Sewer and stormwater
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Power, water and metering

Confirm service routes, upgrade needs and whether separate metering is permitted or practical.

Status for Power, water and metering
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Vehicle access and parking

Test driveway width, gradients, turning, parking and emergency access requirements.

Status for Vehicle access and parking
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Construction constraints

Bushfire exposure

Order an address-level bushfire assessment and determine any BAL construction response.

Status for Bushfire exposure
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Flood and overland flow

Obtain property flood information and check floor levels, flow paths and drainage constraints.

Status for Flood and overland flow
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Wind, corrosion and termite

Confirm site classifications that affect structural design, materials and durability.

Status for Wind, corrosion and termite
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Approval and use

Planning approval pathway

Confirm exemption, complying pathway or permit requirements with the responsible authority.

Status for Planning approval pathway
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Building approval and consultants

Identify required survey, design, engineering, energy, certification and inspection evidence.

Status for Building approval and consultants
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Rental and intended use

Confirm occupation, rental, short-stay and family-use rules plus insurance and tax implications.

Status for Rental and intended use
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Harden, NSW 2587 · Local browser record

Investigation aid only. Confirm current planning, building, title, service and hazard requirements with qualified professionals and responsible authorities.

Building due diligence

Construction requirements can change by location.

1 broad-area layer staged

The National Construction Code is the baseline. Local hazards and site classifications can change the required structure, materials, fixings, insulation and detailing.

Known here

SUBURB CONTEXT

Bushfire-prone land

No mapped bushfire exposure

About 0.0% of the suburb intersects mapped bushfire-prone land.

May affect: External construction · Roof and wall systems · Openings, screens and decks

Check the property

ADDRESS + DESIGN

NCC climate zone

Check the property

Confirm the NCC climate zone used for the building design and energy provisions.

May affect: Insulation and glazing · Condensation control · Roof-space ventilation

Wind class and BAL

Site assessment required

A suburb layer cannot determine the site wind classification or Bushfire Attack Level.

May affect: Structure and tie-downs · Cladding and fixings · Openings and bushfire detailing

Corrosion and termite exposure

Check the property

Confirm marine or corrosive exposure and the applicable termite-management requirements.

May affect: Fasteners and connectors · Roofing and coatings · Termite management

This screen identifies investigation triggers, not building quality or property compliance. Confirm the address, design and current jurisdiction rules with the council, building surveyor or certifier, designer and engineer.

NCC 2022 Housing Provisions: how to use · NCC 2022 Volume Two and Housing Provisions

Bushfire exposure

NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land
No mapped exposure ~0.0%
~0.0% of the suburb is Bush Fire Prone Land

Estimated exposure to NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land (CC BY), point-sampled across the suburb. This shows how much of the suburb sits within the official hazard layer — it is not a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating or a property-level assessment. Obtain a BAL assessment (AS 3959) for an individual property.

Planning zones

NSW Land Zoning (EPI)
Dominant zone Primary Production
Rural / Green wedge 47% Residential 35% Industrial 6% Public / Open space 5% Other 3% Commercial / Mixed 1%
Residential density: Standard

Land-use mix estimated by point-sampling the suburb against NSW EPI Land Zoning polygons (CC BY 4.0). This is a suburb-level snapshot of planning zones, not a parcel-level zoning certificate or development advice. Check the relevant planning scheme for an individual property.

Population outlook

ABS projection · Young Surrounds SA2 area · 2022 base
7,682 people · 20227,899 by 2032 (+2.8%)

ABS population projection (2022 base) for the Young Surrounds SA2 statistical area — the finest official projection grain available; suburb-level projections do not exist.

Full data detail Census · ATO · ABS · state datasets
Harden NSW — Property Data and Demographics

Located in New South Wales within the Hilltops local government area, Harden is a small community (postcode 2587). With a population of 1,900, the suburb has an older-leaning population with a median age of 52. Households earn a median income of $51K per year, with an average household size of 2.1 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at -0.2% year-on-year at the LGA level. NSW employment has moved +1.2% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 35 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 17 underway, and 67 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are technicians & trades, community & personal service, labourers. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and public admin & safety. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Irish.

The median house price in Harden is $440,000, having jumped by 20.9% over the past year. The current median weekly rent is $440. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 5.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $910.

Harden is served by 1 school, including 1 secondary. The average ICSEA score is 915, which is below the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 2 rail stations, 10 bus stops. Healthcare facilities include 1 public hospital. The crime rate in the Hilltops LGA is below average at 3,254 incidents per 100,000 population.

Looking at the investment signals, Harden shows a gross rental yield of approximately 5.2%, rated as high yield. Property prices sit below the state median ($440K/$1.5M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 8.7x is considered moderate. House prices have moved +20.9% year-on-year. Population growth of -0.2% year-on-year points to declining demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.

Market & money
Investment signalsHeuristics
Rental Yield5.2%↑ High Yield
Price vs State$440K/$1.5M↑ Below Median
Affordability8.7x· Moderate
Price Momentum+20.9%↑ Rising
Pop. Growth-0.2%↓ Declining
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentNSW
Mortgage · mth$910
Rent · wk(Census)$220
Market rent · wk(2026-06)$440
Gross yield2.6%
Price / income8.7x
Sales vol (latest Q)(2026-Q2)7
Population growth · Hilltops LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)19,347
5-year growth+0.1% CAGR
YoY change-0.2%
20012025
Development · Hilltops LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)50
Houses 92%Units 8%
YoY change+0%
Employment · Hilltops LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)3.4%
YoY change-0.9pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 2587ATO
Negatively geared4.5%
68 of filers
Avg rental loss$6,597/yr
Landlords (rental income)190
Reported capital gains118
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population1,900
Median age52
Household size2.1
HH income · wk$973
Personal income · wk$550
Persons / bedroom0.7
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)2/10
Education (IEO)2/10
Economic (IER)2/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)2/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$829 → $973
Change+17.4%
vs NSW median-3.2 pp
Median rent+22.2%
stablevs NSW 2016–21
Top occupationsCensus
Technicians & Trades117Community & Personal Service106Labourers99Professionals97Clerical & Administrative76
Top industriesCensus
Healthcare101Public Admin & Safety69Agriculture66Education62Transport & Logistics58
Top ancestryCensus
English843Australian836Irish242Scottish155Aboriginal Australian151
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets1
Pharmacies1
GP / clinics0
Fuel stations3
Cafes & dining6
TransportGTFS
Rail stations2
Bus stops10
Harden Station, Coach Stop
Murrumburrah High School, Station St
Hospitals · Hilltops LGAAIHW
Public4
Private0
Boorowa Multi Purpose Servicepublic
Mercy Care Hospital - Youngpublic
Murrumburrah-Harden Hospitalpublic · in suburb
Young Hospitalpublic
Aged care · Hilltops LGAGEN
Facilities6
Residential places250
Southern Cross Care Young Residential Aged Care83 places
Mercy Place Mount St Joseph's65 places
Harden Grange45 places · in suburb
Harden Multi-Purpose Service24 places · in suburb
Burrowa House20 places
Boorowa Multi-Purpose Service13 places
Childcare · Hilltops LGAACECQA
Services13
Approved places741
Exceeding NQS3
Annette's Place110 places
Youngstars Early Learning Centre104 places
Boorowa Early Education Centre91 places
Bunyip Preschool Harden76 places · in suburb
Goodstart Early Learning Young76 places
Milestones Early Learning Young59 places
+7 more in Hilltops LGA
Nearby in Hilltops LGA12
Boorowa$560K · 1,888Young$545K · 10,610Wombat$539K · 280Kingsvale$475K · 233Crowther$475K · 78Reids Flat$335K · 85Rye Park$530K · 230Galong$320K · 235Koorawatha$292K · 450Murringo$683K · 390Monteagle$270K · 213Jugiong$290K · 255
Tax calculatorsaustax.tools
Stamp Duty CalculatorNSW ↗Land Tax CalculatorNSW ↗Capital Gains Tax↗Depreciation Calculator↗Investment Property Tax↗
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

Harden carries enough direct local evidence for a first-pass decision.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
NSW price medians are parser-guarded official records.

Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
NSW Valuer General · 2026-Q2 · Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records
medium stability · automated · every update · weekly
Available
Market rent
NSW Fair Trading · 2026-06 · State market dataset
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Crime
BOCSAR · April 2025 - March 2026 · Area-level release dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · release-based
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · 1 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Hospitals
AIHW · 1 hospitals matched
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Transport
GTFS feeds · 12 matched stops/stations
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Population growth
ABS ERP · 2025 · Annual estimate series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · 2026 · Annual release series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.

Harden FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Harden in?

    Harden is in the Hilltops Local Government Area, NSW, postcode 2587. Council-level context for Hilltops LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Harden?

    The current median house price in Harden, NSW is $440K, based on the latest available sales data from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region.

  3. What is the typical weekly rent in Harden?

    The median weekly rent in Harden is $440/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is rent-led investor candidate.

  4. What does the rent signal say about Harden?

    Rent-led investor candidate: Gross rent yield screens at about 5.2%. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  5. Is Harden a good investment?

    QuickProperty's investment signals for Harden show: High Yield, Below Median, Moderate. These are computed from price, rent, income, and population data — not an opaque score.

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Harden?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  7. How often is the Harden data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.