Orange, NSW 2800

Orange has all the facilities of the big city. Food is great, easy to get around. Plenty of shops and local amenities. Good schools, family friendly. Heaps of indoor and outdoor sport options. Lots of work available especially with the support of the gold mine and associated industries spreading money through the town. Some crime has increased as the town has increased it's general wealth (attracts some out of town opportunists). The downside of this is the higher cost of living especially for rent and to purchase a house when compared to similar sized towns. Still close enough to Sydney for a weekend away. The major concern in Orange is the water supply or lack of it. The water is fine there just isn't enough of it. Dams are at 25% but there are actions underway to increase supply through alternative means. The council isn't particularly great. They are often blinkered and do have double standards. Often backflip on decisions as they make the wrong one to start with. Rates are one of the highest in NSW but this is the price you pay in a growing city. Overall through it a great spot due to it's location (even if it can get a bit cold, it actually has 4 seasons), facilities, general community spirit, shopping, medical care, etc.

Moved out here thinking rentals would be easy to get, nope, not even with great rental references and tenancy history. Over priced homes that don't have any heating or cooling, rather run down unless you want to pay over $600pw when a single parent. Forget it. Good for a holiday sure. Good to retire sure, but trying to start over in a new place, unless you are on a crazy yearly income. Forget it. Probably the most unfriendly place to try and start a new life.

I grew up here and moved back with my young family just before covid, after spending most of the time in between in Sydney’s inner west. We LOVE it here! It’s a very pretty town, with huge European trees with stunning autumn colour lining every street in the cbd. Fantastic dining options, excellent shopping for a country town and lots of food and wine festivals throughout the year. Feels like a wealthy town for the most part, very beautifully kept federation homes around and great facilities.

I visited orange with someone who is a previous local and may I just say, loved it, loved it from the beautiful scenery, and then when I saw the all you can eat Pizza Hut, I decided I must move to this town. The Bunnings parking lot was a fun time and the perfect place to enjoy the delicious charcoal chicken and there are some lovely Chinese restaurants. Wasn’t a fan of the kids wanting cigarettes at hungry jacks though. Although the hungry jacks food shat all over Melbourne fast food.

Loved Orange. Had a great time enjoying the food, scenery and wine, the only let down was the constant P platers that hoon up and down the main streets at night.
Shame to spoil a great town.

Purchased land and built in North Orange and I cannot be happier. Personally, I enjoy the cooler weather, especially in summer. It is a delight to be free from the traffic congestion in Sydney, along with the agitated drivers and pollution. Orange is picturesque, the locals are welcoming, the wine and food to be had is second to none! (hence Orange food and wine festival). The city seems to be booming and features one of the most modern public hospitals in NSW and a new private hospital complex. In terms of local industry, the Cadia mine has 30-40 years of life in it and much more scope for resource upgrade to increase the mine life. There is also the new McPhillamys gold mine proposal for the Kings plain near Blayney. If you're retired or you work from home, Orange will be the perfect tree change location for you with all the benefits of a large city without the negatives.

For newcomers Orange is hard to find work, the locals have already filled the positions. If you buy/rent in orange be ready to fight for a job.

My family moved to orange NSW from sydney in 2011 and I spent two years there when I was younger. (17 now). As such, I know a thing or too about the place. First off if you are thinking of moving here and you hate the cold, don't even think about it. I personally loved the frosty weather, but it definitely is extremely cold if you come from a warmer climate. Coldest night was about -10c, and on many occasions friends at school would complain of pipes on the side of the house freezing lol. Using proper coolant is a must, as water will freeze solid in the radiator, also bring out the window ice scrapers. The wind also makes it feel way colder. Often the car would say it's -4 when the official temp was like 2. Anyway, we ultimately moved back to sydney as there is simply not many employment opportunities for many sectors in Orange. My dad was an electrician, and whilst he did work in the gold mine during the boom, once that boom wore off, unemployment occured. He worked multiple other jobs, all of which were low pay and long hours compared to Sydney. In country towns, it's who you know, not what you can do. We found that no matter how long you live there, unless you are born there, you will never really truly be a "local". All the good jobs are filled by locals who never leave them. However, if you work in healthcare or services (ie firefighters), then there is greater employment outlook. The new hospital at Bloomfield apparently has many vacancies. The mine has been slowing down and the Electrolux factory has all but disappeared, leaving many out of work. Be very careful to check security of employment before moving to a place like this. Being retired is the best option, as the town itself is beautiful. Cook park is awesome with the avairy, and there is adventure playground up in North orange for any young kids. Plenty of decent public and private schools. RSL had good food last time and there are plenty of shops, with a brand new Bunnings up in North orange. I would avoid the areas such as Bowen as they are the typically "lower class" areas with higher crime rates and drug use. Bogans around but that's everywhere. Newer parts of Clare, Bletchington and Poplars Estate are the best places IMO. Ultimately, we ended up moving back to sydney for my father's employment reasons, and looking back on it, it was the best decision we've made to date. Nevertheless, I enjoyed a different country lifestyle for a change.

This rating for orange nsw needs to be updated, Orange is a horrible place to live, there is a lot of crime in this town, I wouldn’t recommend living in this area