While property crime rates in Inverell are still higher than the NSW average, according to a new 'Safe Suburbs' map from Budget Direct, our property crime rate has dropped an impressive 42 per cent.

In 2019, Inverell had a rate of 87.4 property crime incidents per 1000 properties. Yet in 2020, that rate dropped down to 50.5.

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The numbers are based on Census figures and NSW Police statistics, and takes into account events labelled as 'break and enter dwelling', 'malicious damage to property', 'other theft', and 'steal from dwelling'.

The 'Safe Suburbs' ranking list puts Inverell quite a way down at number 460 out of 570, yet that's a massive 66 rank rise from the previous year.

Added to that, the Sapphire City is safer for property crime than many of its fellow New England North West centres.

It's only beaten by Walcha with its property crime rate of just 21 incidents per 1000 properties, placing it in the top 150 safest NSW postcodes with a rank of 141, and Tenterfield: ranked 380 with a rate of 39 incidents.

Glen Innes comes in ranked at number 483, worse than 2019 and dropping down 50 spots. Its property crime rate: 55 incidents.

Tamworth, coming in at 524 on the list, had a rate of 72 property crimes per 1000 households in 2020 - almost double the state average of just 38, and 15 places worse then the year before.

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Armidale sits ten places down from the Country Music Capital with a rank of 534, and a crime rate of 78.

Moree scrapes into the top 10, but for the most property crime. Its only nine ranks above than the worst NSW has to offer - Newcastle West - with the crime rate sitting at 142. It is a small improvement on the year before however, rising by two ranks.

But neighboring Boggabilla is the second worst in the entire state with a ranking of 569, and 387 property offences per 1000 houses.

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