List of places in New South Wales by population
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This is a list of cities and towns in the Australian state of New South Wales with a population of 5,000 or greater as at the 2021 Census. The below figures represent the populations of the contiguous built-up areas of each city or town.
| Rank | Urban centre | Population | Region[1] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 census[2] | 2006 census[3] | 2011 census[4] | 2016 census[5] | 2021 census[6] | |||
| 1 | Sydney | 3,455,110 | 3,641,422[a] | 3,908,642 | 4,321,535 | 4,698,656 | Greater Sydney |
| 2 | Newcastle | 278,773 | 288,732 | 308,308 | 322,278 | 348,539 | Hunter |
| 3 | Central Coast | 254,579 | 282,726 | 297,713 | 307,742 | 325,255 | Central Coast |
| 4 | Wollongong | 227,522 | 234,482 | 245,942 | 261,896 | 280,153 | Illawarra-Shoalhaven |
| 5 | Maitland | 53,391 | 61,431 | 67,132 | 78,015 | 89,597 | Hunter |
| 6 | Tweed Heads | 44,655 | 51,788[b] | 55,553 | 59,776 | 63,721 | Northern Rivers |
| 7 | Albury | 42,005 | 43,787 | 45,627 | 47,974 | 53,677 | Riverina |
| 8 | Coffs Harbour | 25,828 | 26,353 | 45,580[c] | 48,225 | 51,069 | Mid North Coast |
| 9 | Wagga Wagga | 44,272[d] | 46,735[d] | 46,913 | 48,263 | 49,686 | Riverina |
| 10 | Port Macquarie | 37,696 | 39,219 | 41,491 | 44,814 | 47,793 | Mid North Coast |
| 11 | Orange | 31,923 | 31,544 | 34,992 | 37,182 | 40,127 | Central West |
| 12 | Dubbo | 30,860 | 30,574 | 32,327 | 34,339 | 38,783 | Orana |
| 13 | Queanbeyan | 29,752 | 34,084 | 35,878 | 36,348 | 37,511 | Southern Highlands |
| 14 | Bathurst | 26,920 | 28,992 | 31,294 | 33,587 | 36,230 | Central West |
| 15 | Tamworth | 32,440 | 33,475 | 36,131 | 33,885[e] | 35,415 | New England |
| 16 | Nowra - Bomaderry | 24,700 | 27,478 | 27,988 | 30,853 | 33,583 | Illawarra-Shoalhaven |
| 17 | Blue Mountains | 28,126 | —[a] | 28,769 | 29,319 | 30,049 | Greater Sydney |
| 18 | Lismore | 27,193 | 27,069 | 27,474 | 27,569 | 27,916 | Northern Rivers |
| 19 | Goulburn | 20,846 | 20,127 | 21,484 | 22,419 | 23,963 | Southern Highlands |
| 20 | Bowral - Mittagong | 16,582 | 18,953 | 19,726 | 21,394 | 23,762 | Southern Highlands |
| 21 | Cessnock | 17,791 | 18,316 | 20,013 | 21,725 | 23,211 | Hunter |
| 22 | Morisset - Cooranbong | —[f] | 16,918 | 18,741 | 22,150 | Hunter | |
| 23 | Armidale | 20,068 | 19,485 | 19,818 | 20,386 | 21,312 | New England |
| 24 | Griffith | 15,937 | 16,182 | 17,616 | 18,874 | 20,799 | Riverina |
| 25 | Forster - Tuncurry | 17,939 | 18,372 | 18,904 | 19,918 | 20,554 | Mid North Coast |
| 26 | Kurri Kurri | 12,317 | 12,532 | 13,057 | 16,792 | 20,015 | Hunter |
| 27 | Ballina | 16,517 | 16,477 | 15,963 | 16,506 | 18,532 | Northern Rivers |
| 28 | Taree | 16,621 | 16,517 | 17,820 | 18,117 | 18,110 | Mid North Coast |
| 29 | Broken Hill | 19,753 | 18,854 | 18,430 | 17,589 | 17,456 | Orana |
| 30 | Grafton | 17,380 | 17,501 | 16,598 | 16,787 | 17,155 | Northern Rivers |
| 31 | Kiama | 12,241 | 12,286 | 12,817 | 13,453 | 14,761 | Illawarra-Shoalhaven |
| 32 | Nelson Bay | 7,968 | 8,152 | 11,060 | 13,966 | 14,593 | Hunter |
| 33 | Ulladulla | 9,585 | 10,298 | 12,137 | 13,054 | 14,396 | Illawarra-Shoalhaven |
| 34 | Singleton | 12,495 | 13,665 | 13,961 | 13,214 | 14,229 | Hunter |
| 35 | Raymond Terrace | 12,428 | 12,700 | 13,217 | 13,302 | 14,081 | Hunter |
| 36 | Batemans Bay | 10,181 | 10,845 | 11,334 | 11,294 | 12,263 | Southern Highlands |
| 37 | Mudgee | 8,603 | 8,249 | 9,830 | 10,966 | 11,563 | Central West |
| 38 | Lithgow | 11,023 | 11,298 | 11,143 | 11,530 | 11,197 | Central West |
| 39 | Kempsey | 8,444 | 8,137 | 10,374 | 10,648 | 11,073 | Mid North Coast |
| 40 | St Georges Basin - Sanctuary Point | 7,604 | 8,343 | 9,242 | 10,143 | 11,000 | Illawarra-Shoalhaven |
| 41 | Muswellbrook | 10,010 | 10,222 | 11,042 | 10,404 | 10,901 | Hunter |
| 42 | Byron Bay | 5,919 | 4,981 | 4,956 | 9,246 | 10,538 | Northern Rivers |
| 43 | Medowie | 6,278 | 7,828 | 8,342 | 8,994 | 10,019 | Hunter |
| 44 | Casino | 9,150 | 9,400 | 9,629 | 9,982 | 9,968 | Northern Rivers |
| 45 | Parkes | 9,785 | 9,826 | 10,026 | 9,964 | 9,832 | Central West |
| 46 | Murwillumbah | 7,543 | 7,952 | 8,523 | 9,245 | 9,812 | Northern Rivers |
| 47 | Inverell | 9,525 | 9,749 | 9,347 | 9,547 | 9,654 | New England |
| 48 | Moss Vale | 6,601 | 6,723 | 7,305 | 7,865 | 8,774 | Southern Highlands |
| 49 | Gunnedah | 7,855 | 7,542 | 7,888 | 7,984 | 8,338 | New England |
| 50 | Cowra | 8,691 | 8,430 | 8,107 | 8,225 | 8,254 | Central West |
| 51 | Merimbula | 4,865 | 3,851 | 6,873 | 7,521 | 8,220 | Southern Highlands |
| 52 | Camden Haven | 6,460 | 6,891 | 7,177 | 7,532 | 8,037 | Mid North Coast |
| 53 | Wauchope | 4,759 | 6,002 | 6,372 | 6,881 | 7,982 | Mid North Coast |
| 54 | Young | 6,821 | 7,141 | 6,960 | 7,170 | 7,712 | Southern Highlands |
| 55 | Lennox Head | 5,809 | 5,496 | 5,764 | 6,096 | 7,483 | Northern Rivers |
| 56 | Leeton | 6,898 | 6,828 | 6,733 | 6,931 | 7,437 | Riverina |
| 57 | Pottsville | 2,576 | 3,298 | 5,735 | 6,550 | 7,209 | Northern Rivers |
| 58 | Moree | 9,247 | 8,083 | 7,720 | 7,383 | 7,070 | New England |
| 59 | Forbes | 7,096 | 6,954 | 6,806 | 7,035 | 6,837 | Central West |
| 60 | Estella | —[d] | 2,433 | 3,471 | 6,782 | Riverina | |
| 61 | Nambucca Heads | 6,121 | 5,873 | 6,222 | 6,327 | 6,668 | Mid North Coast |
| 62 | Moama | 2,818 | 3,331 | 4,198 | 5,620 | 6,654 | Riverina |
| 63 | Tumut | 6,197 | 5,925 | 6,086 | 6,154 | 6,518 | Riverina |
| 64 | Cooma | 6,914 | 6,587 | 6,301 | 6,379 | 6,447 | Southern Highlands |
| 65 | Deniliquin | 7,781 | 7,431 | 6,441 | 6,833 | 6,431 | Riverina |
| 66 | Yamba | 5,621 | 5,514 | 6,032 | 6,043 | 6,342 | Northern Rivers |
| 67 | Helensburgh | 5,070 | 5,330 | 5,770 | 6,073 | 6,304 | Illawarra-Shoalhaven |
| 67 | Yass | 4,884 | 5,333 | 5,591 | 5,466 | 5,837 | Southern Highlands |
| 68 | Woolgoolga | 3,793 | 4,356 | 5,050 | 5,290 | 5,797 | Mid North Coast |
| 69 | Cootamundra | 5,486 | 5,566 | 5,579 | 5,669 | 5,732 | Riverina |
| 70 | Salamander Bay - Soldiers Point | 4,957 | 5,232 | 5,101 | 5,279 | 5,605 | Hunter |
| 71 | Narrabri | 6,234 | 6,102 | 5,890 | 5,903 | 5,499 | New England |
| 72 | North Richmond | 3,548 | 3,635 | 3,668 | 3,885 | 5,467 | Greater Sydney |
| 73 | South West Rocks | 4,110 | 4,069 | 4,816 | 5,009 | 5,443 | Mid North Coast |
| 74 | Silverdale - Warragamba | 4,163 | 4,466 | 4,365 | 4,541 | 5,364 | Greater Sydney |
| 74 | Glen Innes | 5,707 | 5,944 | 5,173 | 5,161 | 5,184 | New England |
| 75 | Alstonville | 4,751 | 5,006 | 4,990 | 5,066 | 5,182 | Northern Rivers |
| 76 | Tahmoor | 4,131 | 4,236 | 4,126 | 4,562 | 5,014 | Greater Sydney |
| 77 | Scone | 4,555 | 4,624 | 5,079 | 4,956 | 5,013 | Hunter |
Map
Sydney (4.70m)
Newcastle (349k)
Central Coast (325k)
Wollongong (280k)
Maitland (90k)
Tweed Heads (64k)
Albury (54k)
Coffs Harbour (51k)
Wagga Wagga (50k)
Port Macquarie (48k)
Orange (40k)
Dubbo (39k)
Queanbeyan (38k)
Bathurst (36k)
Tamworth (35k)
Blue Mountains (30k)
Lismore (28k)
Goulburn (24k)
Cessnock (23k)
Armidale (21k)
Griffith (21k)
Cities and towns in New South Wales with populations of 20,000 or greater
See also
- Demographics of Australia
- List of cities in Australia
- List of places in the Northern Territory by population
- List of places in Queensland by population
- List of places in South Australia by population
- List of places in Tasmania by population
- List of places in Victoria by population
- List of places in Western Australia by population
Notes
- In the 2006 census, the Blue Mountains city was counted as a part of Sydney.
- The large increase in population seen here is partly due to the inclusion of the previously separate area of Bogangar.
- The large increase in population here is mostly due to the urban area of Coffs Harbour expanding to incorporate the previously separate area of Sawtell.
- In 2001 and 2006, Estella was counted as a suburb of Wagga Wagga and not as a separate entity.
- The drop in population seen here is largely a result of Tamworth's boundaries changing to no longer include Calala.
- For 2001 and 2006, the urban area of Morisset-Cooranbong was not defined by the Australian government.