Narrabri (NSW 2388) in Focus 2026: Is It a Good Investment? R-Score 84/100, 6.2% Yield & Best Streets

Market Classification: High-Yield & Momentum Sweet Spot · R-Score: 84/100 (National Rank #2,514 of 15,286) · Street Average: 27/100 across 189 streets.

In a 6%+ interest rate environment, most Australian suburbs force investors to choose between capital growth momentum and holding cashflow. Narrabri is one of the rare markets in NSW currently delivering both: a 84/100 R-Score paired with a 6.2% gross rental yield at a $470,000 median price. That yield profile preserves bank borrowing serviceability so investors can sequence their next acquisition without a punishing cashflow deficit.

“I would not treat the 6.2% gross yield as the whole story. With houses taking 149 days to sell and 96 of 140 streets scoring below 50, I would be fussy about the exact street, tenant appeal and resale depth. The headline yield is useful, but the suburb is clearly uneven.”

Looking for the live, monthly-updated numbers? The Narrabri (NSW) suburb profile tracks the current median house price, rent, vacancy and R-Score, and the Narrabri street-by-street scores rank every street. This article is our investment analysis of what those numbers mean.

Below is our full October 2026 quantitative and street-level breakdown for Narrabri (NSW 2388), combining 36 months of settled price and rental history from our Aurora research warehouse, council-level supply and employment data for Narrabri (NSW), and block-by-block ABS 2021 Census SA1 tenure and yield rankings across 5,442 residential addresses.

1. Narrabri (NSW) 3-Year Market Trajectory & 27-Indicator R-Score (October 2026)

Over the past 12 months, Narrabri’s median house price moved +5.6% (from $445,000 to $470,000), bringing its 3-year cumulative price movement to -4.7% (from $493,000 three years ago). On the rental side, median weekly asking rents moved +0% over the past year to $560/wk (+15% over 36 months), equating to a 6.2% gross rental yield. Compared with 12 months ago—when Narrabri carried an R-Score of 86/100—its current composite R-Score of 84/100 represents a -2-point shift in underlying market pressure.

Indicator / R-Score Pillar	Narrabri (NSW) Current	12-Month / 36-Month Context
Composite Suburb R-Score	84 / 100	Ranked #2,514 of 15,286 suburbs (was 86/100 12m ago)
Median House Price	$470,000	12m change: +5.6% · 36m change: -4.7%
Median Weekly Rent & Gross Yield	$560/wk (6.2%)	12m rent change: +0% · 36m rent change: +15%
Rental Vacancy & Days on Market	2% vacancy	Median selling time: 149 days on market (1.5% vacancy is the tight-market line)
Pillar 1: Buyer Demand	24 / 100	Measures days-on-market compression, vendor discounting & sales velocity
Pillar 2: Supply & Ownership	33 / 100	Measures stock on market, building approvals vs stock & owner-occupier share
Pillar 3: Price Momentum	76 / 100	Measures short/medium-term price velocity vs Narrabri & NSW
Pillar 4: Yield Pressure	61 / 100	Measures gross rental yield, rent trajectory & vacancy compression

2. The “Two-Speed Suburb” Test: Best & Worst Streets in Narrabri (NSW)

Why do two 4-bedroom houses in Narrabri achieve completely different bank valuations and tenant quality? Because suburb medians blend every pocket together. When we map all 5,442 addresses across 189 streets in Narrabri through G-NAF to their ABS 2021 Census SA1 blocks, the suburb splits into three distinct tiers:

• Strong Street Profile (Score 75–100): 24 streets (17% of scored streets) pass both ABS Census tenure tests (owner-occupiers >65% and public housing ≤5%) plus at least one—or both—of the Narrabri rent and yield benchmarks.
• Mid / Mixed Street Profile (Score 50–74): 20 streets pass the core owner-occupier and public-housing thresholds but sit below the suburb median on weekly rent or yield.
• Weaker / Caution Street Profile (Score 0–25): 96 streets fail one or both census tenure thresholds—meaning either owner-occupation sits at or below 65% or state/community public housing exceeds 5% on those specific SA1 blocks.

Top 5 Highest-Scoring Streets in Narrabri (NSW)

These streets sit in SA1 census blocks with high homeowner pride of ownership, minimal social housing concentration, and strong block-level rents (inspect all 189 streets in Narrabri):

Top Street in Narrabri	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Rent & Yield
#1 Selina Street	100/100	26	69%	0%	$500/wk (7.5%)
#2 Beatrice Street	100/100	15	69%	0%	$500/wk (7.5%)
#3 Mcclintock Street	100/100	13	69%	0%	$500/wk (7.5%)
#4 Doody Street	100/100	12	69%	0%	$500/wk (7.5%)
#5 Kate Street	100/100	23	68%	4.1%	$500/wk (11.8%)

Streets Where Block-Level Tenure Trails the Narrabri Average

By contrast, the streets below run through SA1 census blocks that fail one or more of our tenure or rental tests. A lower Street Score is not a judgement of any individual house, but it highlights where higher renter turnover or public housing concentration exists within Narrabri:

Caution Street Sample	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Median Rent
Park Crescent	0/100	28	34%	37.7%	—
Elliott Street	0/100	17	34%	37.7%	—
Cedar Crescent	0/100	14	34%	37.7%	—

3. Economic & Supply Drivers in Narrabri Council (New South Wales)

Narrabri sits within the Narrabri Local Government Area, which has a residential population of approximately 12,797 (+0.2% population movement over the past 3 years) and 6,008 total dwellings. Three council-level fundamentals shape Narrabri’s medium-term outlook:

• Local Employment Diversity (ABS Census): The largest employment sectors across Narrabri are Mining (18%), Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (16%), Health Care and Social Assistance (9%), Retail Trade (8%). Multi-sector employment reduces reliance on any single employer or commodity cycle.
• New Building Approvals vs. Existing Stock: Over the latest 12-month financial year, Narrabri approved 0.2% new dwelling stock (~12.645 dwellings). Because annual additions sit under 1.8% of stock, incoming supply is constrained relative to tenant and buyer demand.
• Tracked Infrastructure Pipeline: Narrabri currently has $5.8 billion in tracked major infrastructure projects (placing it in the 76th percentile of Australian councils).

4. Worked Cashflow, Deposit & 80% LVR Stress-Test for Narrabri (October 2026)

What does it actually cost to acquire and hold a typical house in Narrabri at today’s median price of $470,000 and median rent of $560/wk? Below is the baseline 80% Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) model we use to stress-test serviceability before shortlisting a property:

Cashflow & Capital Item	Narrabri Worked Figure	Assumptions & Notes
Purchase Price (Suburb Median)	$470,000	Settled house median as of October 2026
20% Deposit + Est. Stamp Duty & Costs	$116,560	$94,000 deposit (80% LVR) + ~$22,560 stamp duty, legal & inspection allowance (can be funded via usable home equity)
80% LVR Loan Amount	$376,000	Standard no-LMI investor loan threshold
Gross Annual Rental Income	$29,120/yr ($560/wk)	6.2% gross rental yield before vacancies and expenses
Est. Annual Interest + Operating Costs	$28,670/yr	Assumes 6.25% interest-only ($23,500/yr) + ~1.1% for council rates, insurance & property management ($5,170/yr)
Pre-Tax Weekly Cashflow Position	+$9/wk surplus	Before tax deductions / depreciation (confirm post-tax position with your accountant)

5. Who Should Buy in Narrabri—And 3 Rules Before You Make an Offer

Rare Convergence of 5%+ Gross Rental Yield and Top-Quartile Demand. Based on our October 2026 data, Narrabri is best suited to first-time property investors, homeowners unlocking $150k–$250k in equity, and second/third property buyers who need strong rental yield (6.2%) to preserve bank borrowing capacity while capturing capital growth.

1. Never Buy Blind on the Suburb Median: In Narrabri, 96 streets score below 50/100 on our census tenure and yield tests. Always run the exact street through the Narrabri Street Score Hub and target the 24 streets scoring 75–100/100.
2. Check Lot-Level Overlays (Flood, Bushfire, Slope & Easements): Even on a 100/100 streetlike Selina Street, individual lots can carry overland flow paths, steep gradients, or sewer easements that restrict granny-flat additions or spike insurance premiums.
3. Price Against Street-Matched Settled Comparables: Do not let a selling agent justify an asking price on a 25/100 street using comparable sales from a 100/100 street. Compare settled sales within the same SA1 Street Score band.