Kootingal among best towns in state for property crime rates, Tamworth near bottom

The town was ranked the 17th safest suburb in the state, with a rate of just 13 property crimes per 1000 households.

The news not so good for neighbouring Tamworth, which came in at 524 on the list, with a rate of 72 property crimes per 1000 households - almost double the state average of just 38, and 15 places worse than in 2019.

It is however, an improvement on 2017, when the property crime rate sat at 92 per 1000 households.

In that time, the NSW average has gone from 48 to 38.

On the flip side, Tamworth was well short of the worst-ranked suburb in the state, West Newcastle, which recorded a crime rate of 651.

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The country music capital was only slightly worse than nearby Gunnedah, which was at 511 on the list.

While Armidale ranked 534, with a crime rate of 78 property offences per 1000 households.

Walcha was a goody-two-shoes compared to its larger neighbours, recording a rate of just 21, and ranking inside the top 150 safest suburbs statewide.

The best behaving region in NSW was the postcode that represents Gumble, Manildra and Bocobra, three rural areas about an hour west of Orange.

The north-west community of Boggabilla was second worst in the state, with a crime rate of 387.

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