Singleton (NSW), NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Singleton is a historic town on the banks of the Hunter River in the heart of the New South Wales wine and coal country, north-west of Newcastle. This is the country of the Wonnarua people, who have lived across the Upper Hunter Valley for many thousands of years. Established in the 1820s and first known as Patrick's Plains, the town grew quickly once the Main Northern railway arrived in 1863, and it still keeps a fine stock of colonial buildings, among them an 1841 courthouse, old churches and traditional pubs, along with grand pastoral homesteads scattered through the surrounding countryside. Today Singleton sits at the centre of a district known for coal mining, horse studs and the vineyards of the nearby Hunter wine region.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Singleton (NSW) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 17% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 919, 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.
Singleton (NSW) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 5,185
- Median age
- 40
- Median weekly household income
- $1,517
- SEIFA score
- 919
- Coordinates
- -32.5659, 151.1740
Singleton (NSW) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Singleton (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 26%, 33% of homes are rented, and 10% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 946 | 18% |
| Youth (15–24) | 601 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,318 | 25% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,339 | 26% |
| Seniors (65+) | 986 | 19% |
Share of the 5,190 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 670 | 32% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 671 | 32% |
| Rented | 692 | 33% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,733 | 83% |
| Townhouses & semis | 218 | 10% |
| Flats & apartments | 133 | 6% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,087 occupied private dwellings in Singleton (NSW).
- Median weekly rent
- $300
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,076
- Median weekly personal income
- $736
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 476 (10%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 223 (5%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 499 (10%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,459 (36%)
- Labour-force participation
- 59.3%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.4%
- Employed full-time
- 1,422
- Employed part-time
- 784
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.
Weather and climate in Singleton (NSW)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Singleton (NSW) is January (average daytime high around 31.2°C) and the coolest is July (around 17.2°C). The area receives roughly 669 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31.2°C | 19.4°C | 64 mm |
| Feb | 29.6°C | 18.7°C | 61 mm |
| Mar | 27.3°C | 17.5°C | 115 mm |
| Apr | 23.9°C | 13.9°C | 51 mm |
| May | 20.3°C | 10.4°C | 25 mm |
| Jun | 17.2°C | 8.2°C | 40 mm |
| Jul | 17.2°C | 7.3°C | 43 mm |
| Aug | 18.7°C | 7.8°C | 36 mm |
| Sep | 22.1°C | 10.1°C | 36 mm |
| Oct | 25.4°C | 13.2°C | 67 mm |
| Nov | 27.7°C | 15.3°C | 62 mm |
| Dec | 29.9°C | 17.7°C | 69 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Singleton (NSW)
Where is Singleton (NSW)?
Singleton (NSW) is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Singleton (NSW)?
At the 2021 Census, Singleton (NSW) had a population of about 5,185.
Is Singleton (NSW) an advantaged area?
Singleton (NSW) has an ABS SEIFA score of 919, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 17 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 17% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Singleton (NSW)?
Singleton (NSW) has average daytime highs of about 24.2°C and overnight lows of about 13.3°C, with roughly 669 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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