Best-performing councils in New South Wales

NSW councils ranked by overall performance across sustainability, community services, lifestyle and core operations. See the full table and how each council compares.

Last updated: September 2026 · How these rankings are calculated

Ranked by Composite score

  1. Bland — NSW · regional · Composite score: 74/100 · composite 74/100
  2. Sydney — NSW · metro · Composite score: 74/100 · composite 74/100
  3. Waverley — NSW · metro · Composite score: 74/100 · composite 74/100
  4. Northern Beaches — NSW · metro · Composite score: 71/100 · composite 71/100
  5. Gwydir — NSW · regional · Composite score: 70/100 · composite 70/100
  6. Lane Cove — NSW · metro · Composite score: 70/100 · composite 70/100
  7. Woollahra — NSW · metro · Composite score: 70/100 · composite 70/100
  8. Moree Plains — NSW · regional · Composite score: 66/100 · composite 66/100
  9. Mosman — NSW · metro · Composite score: 66/100 · composite 66/100
  10. Murray River — NSW · regional · Composite score: 66/100 · composite 66/100
  11. Kyogle — NSW · regional · Composite score: 65/100 · composite 65/100
  12. Temora — NSW · regional · Composite score: 65/100 · composite 65/100
  13. Central Darling — NSW · rural · Composite score: 64/100 · composite 64/100
  14. Uralla — NSW · regional · Composite score: 64/100 · composite 64/100
  15. Brewarrina — NSW · rural · Composite score: 63/100 · composite 63/100

How we rank

Rankings are calculated from Council Scorer's four performance dimensions (Sustainability, Community Services, Lifestyle & Amenity, Core Operations), each derived from statutory data submitted to state and federal regulators. We compare within state and peer group so that metro, regional and rural councils are judged like-for-like. Read the full methodology.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a council score well?

Councils score well when they combine sound financial health with reliable service delivery — strong sustainability indicators, well-used community services, good lifestyle and amenity provision, and dependable core operations like roads, waste and planning. Every dimension is weighted and normalised so metro, regional and rural councils are compared like-for-like. How these rankings are calculated.

How often is this updated?

Scores are refreshed whenever new statutory reporting is released by state and federal regulators, and the page is rebuilt with each data update. The 'last updated' date above reflects the current data build. How these rankings are calculated.

Where does the data come from?

All inputs come from official public sources — state local-government performance reporting, audited council financial statements and ABS datasets. We do not use survey data, and councils cannot pay to change a score. How these rankings are calculated.