Armidale, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Armidale is a city in the New England region of northern New South Wales, set on the Northern Tablelands at almost 1,000 metres above sea level, roughly midway between Sydney and Brisbane. It lies on the country of the Anaiwan people. The Crown Lands commissioner George MacDonald named it after Armadale on the Isle of Skye, the ancestral home of his clan, and the town was surveyed in 1848. Armidale is a cathedral city, seat of both Anglican and Catholic bishops, and a noted centre of learning, home to the University of New England and several boarding schools. Its high elevation gives it four distinct seasons and vivid autumn colour, and it serves as the administrative hub of the tablelands.
Around the national middle
Armidale is more socio-economically advantaged than about 44% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 977, 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.
Armidale at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 23,967
- Median age
- 36
- Median weekly household income
- $1,432
- SEIFA score
- 977
- Coordinates
- -30.5019, 151.6713
Armidale demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Armidale 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 young adults (25–44) at 25%, 38% of homes are rented, and 18% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 4,269 | 18% |
| Youth (15–24) | 4,139 | 17% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 5,877 | 25% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 5,281 | 22% |
| Seniors (65+) | 4,394 | 18% |
Share of the 23,960 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,818 | 32% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,377 | 27% |
| Rented | 3,312 | 38% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 7,185 | 82% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,082 | 12% |
| Flats & apartments | 455 | 5% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 8,785 occupied private dwellings in Armidale.
- Median weekly rent
- $290
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,500
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,893
- Median weekly personal income
- $730
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 3,937 (18%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 2,802 (13%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 1,896 (8%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 10,729 (57%)
- Labour-force participation
- 56%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.7%
- Employed full-time
- 5,908
- Employed part-time
- 3,822
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 Armidale
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Armidale is January (average daytime high around 25.4°C) and the coolest is July (around 11.7°C). The area receives roughly 705 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25.4°C | 14.4°C | 83 mm |
| Feb | 23.8°C | 13.7°C | 86 mm |
| Mar | 22.1°C | 12.8°C | 115 mm |
| Apr | 18.5°C | 9°C | 30 mm |
| May | 15°C | 5.4°C | 31 mm |
| Jun | 11.9°C | 3.3°C | 42 mm |
| Jul | 11.7°C | 2.4°C | 33 mm |
| Aug | 13.3°C | 2.9°C | 36 mm |
| Sep | 16.7°C | 5.5°C | 37 mm |
| Oct | 20.2°C | 8.5°C | 61 mm |
| Nov | 22.3°C | 10.7°C | 64 mm |
| Dec | 24.3°C | 13°C | 87 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Armidale
Where is Armidale?
Armidale is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Armidale?
At the 2021 Census, Armidale had a population of about 23,967.
Is Armidale an advantaged area?
Armidale has an ABS SEIFA score of 977, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 44 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 44% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Armidale?
Armidale has average daytime highs of about 18.8°C and overnight lows of about 8.5°C, with roughly 705 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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