Forbes (NSW), NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Forbes is a town in the Central West of New South Wales, on the banks of the Lachlan River about 374 kilometres west of Sydney. The district was home to the Wiradjuri people before European settlement, which began around 1834. The town is generally said to be named after Sir Francis Forbes, the first Chief Justice of New South Wales, though by some accounts the name was meant for another place. Forbes grew quickly after gold was discovered nearby in 1861, and a busy mining settlement sprang up along the river. As the gold faded the town turned to farming, and today it sits at the centre of a wheat and grazing district on the Newell Highway, known for its heritage streetscape and the recurring floods of the Lachlan.
Less advantaged than the national average
Forbes (NSW) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 20% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 929, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Forbes (NSW) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 8,157
- Median age
- 42
- Median weekly household income
- $1,221
- SEIFA score
- 929
- Coordinates
- -33.3899, 148.0004
Forbes (NSW) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Forbes (NSW) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 24%, 28% of homes are rented, and 5% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,582 | 19% |
| Youth (15–24) | 904 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,751 | 21% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,947 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,969 | 24% |
Share of the 8,153 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,177 | 37% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 953 | 30% |
| Rented | 887 | 28% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 2,805 | 89% |
| Townhouses & semis | 154 | 5% |
| Flats & apartments | 162 | 5% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 3,169 occupied private dwellings in Forbes (NSW).
- Median weekly rent
- $230
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,257
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,641
- Median weekly personal income
- $706
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 348 (5%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 179 (2%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 1,195 (15%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 2,311 (36%)
- Labour-force participation
- 56.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.1%
- Employed full-time
- 2,218
- Employed part-time
- 1,104
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Common questions about Forbes (NSW)
Where is Forbes (NSW)?
Forbes (NSW) is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Forbes (NSW)?
At the 2021 Census, Forbes (NSW) had a population of about 8,157.
Is Forbes (NSW) an advantaged area?
Forbes (NSW) has an ABS SEIFA score of 929, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 20 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 20% of Australian suburbs.
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