Moving to Hay NSW 2711
What the official numbers say about living in Hay — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Renting? The census median is $175 a week, against a median household income of $1,152 a week.
About 68% of homes are owner-occupied and 29% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Hay shrank 6% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (2,445 → 2,300 people).
Around 64% of households are families, averaging 2.2 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: New Zealand, India, England; most spoken languages besides English: Afrikaans, Italian, Malayalam.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Hay scores below the national average (decile 2 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (80% of workers), while 9% work from home.
Nearest airport: Hay Airport, 3.5 km south.
The Sydney CBD is roughly 590 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 3 schools · 3 cafes & restaurants · 2 supermarkets · 6 parks — see them all on the Hay profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Hay War Memorial High School 500 m · Hay Public School 600 m · St Mary's Primary School 900 m
Groceries: Harrison's IGA 650 m · Foodworks 1000 m
Parks and reserves: Apex Park 700 m · Hay Park 800 m · Dal Wright Park 1.2 km · Lions Park 1.4 km · Bushy Bend Reserve 1.5 km · Pocock Park 1.9 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Hay, most often seen first: Noisy Miner · Galah · Australian Wood Duck · Yellow Rosella · Magpie-lark · Pacific Black Duck.
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Hay — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Farrer — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 2711 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Hay profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
Renters pay a median $175 a week, and about 29% of homes here are rented.
The population fell 6% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 2,445 people to 2,300. It sits about 590 km from the Sydney CBD in a straight line. Local government is Hay council, and the federal seat is Farrer.
Keep an eye on Hay
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