🚔 The 10 Most Dangerous LGAs in NSW

The 10 New South Wales Local Government Areas with the highest weighted crime rate in 2025, ranked using BOCSAR recorded incidents per 100,000 residents.

Published 19 May 2026 · BOCSAR recorded incidents, Jan–Dec 2025

Out of 111 NSW Local Government Areas with reliable 2025 BOCSAR rate data and at least 5,000 residents, these are the 10 with the highest weighted crime score. The score sums 20 personal-safety offence rates per 100,000 residents, weighted by severity.

High-ranking LGAs typically combine elevated rates of violent offences (assault, sexual offences) with high property crime. Many are regional centres where a transient or visiting population inflates the rate denominator; a few are dense metropolitan councils with concentrated daytime populations.

Walgett 5,253 residents

Safety score 45553 (weighted sum of offence rates per 100k — lower is safer)

Break & enter (dwelling)

1,673.6 /100k

Stable

Motor vehicle theft

545.8 /100k

Stable

Non-DV assault

1,419 /100k

Stable

Robbery (unarmed)

nc /100k

—

Steal from vehicle

764.1 /100k

Stable

Biggest score drivers: Intimidation, stalking and harassment 4202/100k Domestic violence related assault 2711/100k Non-domestic violence related assault 1419/100k

Moree Plains 12,751 residents

Safety score 40956 (weighted sum of offence rates per 100k — lower is safer)

Break & enter (dwelling)

1,849.3 /100k

Stable

Motor vehicle theft

593 /100k

Stable

Non-DV assault

1,240.6 /100k

Stable

Robbery (unarmed)

31.2 /100k

—

Steal from vehicle

639.8 /100k

Stable

Biggest score drivers: Break and enter dwelling 1849/100k Domestic violence related assault 2333/100k Non-domestic violence related assault 1241/100k

Broken Hill 17,588 residents

Safety score 23236 (weighted sum of offence rates per 100k — lower is safer)

Break & enter (dwelling)

706.9 /100k

Stable

Motor vehicle theft

182.4 /100k

Stable

Non-DV assault

667 /100k

Stable

Robbery (unarmed)

5.7 /100k

—

Steal from vehicle

621.4 /100k

Stable

Biggest score drivers: Domestic violence related assault 1705/100k Intimidation, stalking and harassment 1699/100k Non-domestic violence related assault 667/100k

Kempsey 30,688 residents

Safety score 22213 (weighted sum of offence rates per 100k — lower is safer)

Break & enter (dwelling)

781.9 /100k

Down 26.6%

Motor vehicle theft

539.1 /100k

Stable

Non-DV assault

687.3 /100k

Stable

Robbery (unarmed)

12.6 /100k

—

Steal from vehicle

353.1 /100k

Stable

Biggest score drivers: Domestic violence related assault 1151/100k Non-domestic violence related assault 687/100k Break and enter dwelling 782/100k

Narrandera 5,698 residents

Safety score 21681 (weighted sum of offence rates per 100k — lower is safer)

Break & enter (dwelling)

580.3 /100k

Stable

Motor vehicle theft

457.2 /100k

Stable

Non-DV assault

984.7 /100k

Stable

Robbery (unarmed)

nc /100k

—

Steal from vehicle

404.4 /100k

Stable

Biggest score drivers: Non-domestic violence related assault 985/100k Sexual assault 317/100k Intimidation, stalking and harassment 1477/100k

Dubbo Regional 54,922 residents

Safety score 21318 (weighted sum of offence rates per 100k — lower is safer)

Break & enter (dwelling)

491.3 /100k

Down 32.0%

Motor vehicle theft

300 /100k

Down 20.8%

Non-DV assault

782.5 /100k

Down 23.2%

Robbery (unarmed)

19.3 /100k

—

Steal from vehicle

435.1 /100k

Down 41.1%

Biggest score drivers: Non-domestic violence related assault 783/100k Domestic violence related assault 1179/100k Intimidation, stalking and harassment 1707/100k

Gunnedah 12,929 residents

Safety score 20156 (weighted sum of offence rates per 100k — lower is safer)

Break & enter (dwelling)

612.3 /100k

Stable

Motor vehicle theft

492.8 /100k

Stable

Non-DV assault

552.6 /100k

Stable

Robbery (unarmed)

nc /100k

—

Steal from vehicle

1,194.7 /100k

Stable

Biggest score drivers: Non-domestic violence related assault 553/100k Intimidation, stalking and harassment 1359/100k Sexual assault 254/100k

Muswellbrook 16,357 residents

Safety score 19985 (weighted sum of offence rates per 100k — lower is safer)

Break & enter (dwelling)

481.7 /100k

Stable

Motor vehicle theft

267.6 /100k

Stable

Non-DV assault

606.5 /100k

Stable

Robbery (unarmed)

17.8 /100k

—

Steal from vehicle

356.8 /100k

Stable

Biggest score drivers: Sexual assault 321/100k Intimidation, stalking and harassment 1564/100k Non-domestic violence related assault 607/100k

Narromine 6,360 residents

Safety score 19901 (weighted sum of offence rates per 100k — lower is safer)

Break & enter (dwelling)

295.4 /100k

—

Motor vehicle theft

466.4 /100k

Stable

Non-DV assault

419.8 /100k

Stable

Robbery (unarmed)

nc /100k

—

Steal from vehicle

419.8 /100k

Stable

Biggest score drivers: Sexual assault 389/100k Domestic violence related assault 1228/100k Intimidation, stalking and harassment 1679/100k

#10

Lachlan 6,094 residents

Safety score 19876 (weighted sum of offence rates per 100k — lower is safer)

Break & enter (dwelling)

425.3 /100k

Stable

Motor vehicle theft

474.4 /100k

Stable

Non-DV assault

588.9 /100k

Stable

Robbery (unarmed)

nc /100k

—

Steal from vehicle

785.2 /100k

Stable

Biggest score drivers: Intimidation, stalking and harassment 1914/100k Domestic violence related assault 1211/100k Non-domestic violence related assault 589/100k

📊 How the safety score works

For each NSW Local Government Area we take BOCSAR's 2025 recorded incident rates (per 100,000 residents) for 20 offences that materially affect personal safety, multiply each by a severity weight, and sum the result. Higher scores rank as less safe.

Offences classified as nc (counts too small for a reliable BOCSAR rate) contribute 0. LGAs with fewer than 5,000 residents are excluded because small populations make rates statistically noisy.

This is an ordinal ranking, not a victimisation estimate. It reflects recorded police incidents, which understate some offences (sexual assault, DV) and overstate others where reporting culture or police presence varies between LGAs.

Show offence weights

Offence	Weight
Murder *	50
Manslaughter *	30
Attempted murder	30
Robbery with a firearm	12
Sexual assault	10
Robbery with a weapon not a firearm	10
Robbery without a weapon	8
Sexual touching, sexual act and other sexual offences	5
Non-domestic violence related assault	5
Break and enter dwelling	4
Domestic violence related assault	3
Assault Police	3
Motor vehicle theft	3
Intimidation, stalking and harassment	2
Steal from dwelling	2
Steal from person	2
Arson	2
Break and enter non-dwelling	1
Steal from motor vehicle	1
Malicious damage to property	1

Source: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) · Reference: LGA_trends25Q4