Cohorts and benchmark tables
Last updated:
28 October 2024
Living Learning Libraries uses population-based peer cohorts for benchmarking, allowing easier comparisons among library services based on the populations of their communities.
The cohorts are defined as follows:
- rural small population up to 20,000
- urban small population 20,001 to 50,000
- urban medium population 50,001 to 150,000
- urban large population 150,001 and above
Libraries that are below their cohort median for a given standard are encouraged to consider the median as a target to attain. Libraries are encouraged to aim to be the top of their cohort to demonstrate council is delivering best practice services to the local community.
Cohorts are updated annually.
Cohorts
The 2022/23 cohorts are determined using the ABS population figures for June 2022 as used for the 2022/23 NSW Public Library Statistics. The cohorts are used in conjunction with Living Learning Libraries.
Tables
- Library services by population size
Library service Population Cohort Balranald 2,198 Rural Small Bourke 2,350 Rural Small Grenfell 3,604 Rural Small Cobar 4,052 Rural Small Oberon 5,569 Rural Small Lachlan 6,131 Rural Small Tenterfield 6,877 Rural Small Wentworth 7,555 Rural Small Edward River 8,454 Rural Small Upper Lachlan 8,539 Rural Small Berrigan 8,657 Rural Small Glen Innes Severn 8,935 Rural Small Murray River 13,007 Rural Small Gunnedah 13,125 Rural Small North Western 13,155 Rural Small Upper Hunter Shire 14,292 Rural Small Parkes 14,342 Rural Small Muswellbrook 16,516 Rural Small Yass Valley 17,377 Rural Small Broken Hill 17,567 Rural Small Inverell 17,943 Rural Small Hilltops 19,228 Rural Small Big Sky 19,801 Rural Small Nambucca 20,571 Urban Small Lithgow 20,810 Urban Small Snowy Monaro 21,791 Urban Small Kiama 22,925 Urban Small Singleton 25,075 Urban Small Mid-Western 25,760 Urban Small Mosman 28,100 Urban Small Armidale Regional 29,317 Urban Small Kempsey 31,118 Urban Small Goulburn Mulwaree 32,394 Urban Small Richmond-Upper Clarence 33,089 Urban Small Bega Valley 35,972 Urban Small Eurobodalla 40,732 Urban Small Burwood 40,747 Urban Small Western Riverina 41,907 Urban Small Bathurst 44,074 Urban Small Strathfield 46,129 Urban Small Wingecarribee 52,779 Urban Medium Lane Cove 53,444 Urban Medium Woollahra 53,487 Urban Medium Wollondilly 55,811 Urban Medium Albury City Libraries 56,598 Urban Medium Queanbeyan-Palerang 64,189 Urban Medium Cessnock 65,780 Urban Medium Clarence 67,799 Urban Medium Hawkesbury 67,815 Urban Medium Wagga Wagga 68,227 Urban Medium Waverley 69,218 Urban Medium North Sydney 69,256 Urban Medium Macquarie 71,512 Urban Medium Willoughby 75,409 Urban Medium Blue Mountains 77,905 Urban Medium Shellharbour 78,256 Urban Medium Coffs Harbour 79,598 Urban Medium Central West 87,351 Urban Medium Riverina 87,563 Urban Medium Port Macquarie-Hastings 88,145 Urban Medium Canada Bay 89,139 Urban Medium Maitland 93,497 Urban Medium Midcoast 97,090 Urban Medium Central Northern 98,700 Urban Medium Shoalhaven 109,418 Urban Medium Ku-Ring-Gai 124,108 Urban Medium Camden 127,637 Urban Medium Ryde 130,953 Urban Medium Randwick 135,742 Urban Medium Hornsby 151,713 Urban Large Georges River 153,055 Urban Large Bayside 177,629 Urban Large Campbelltown 180,231 Urban Large Inner West 182,886 Urban Large Hills, The 199,056 Urban Large Fairfield 206,644 Urban Large Wollongong 216,290 Urban Large Lake Macquarie 216,428 Urban Large Sydney 217,748 Urban Large Penrith 220,786 Urban Large Richmond-Tweed 225,078 Urban Large Sutherland 231,723 Urban Large Cumberland 237,129 Urban Large Liverpool 239,430 Urban Large Newcastle 257,563 Urban Large Parramatta 259,878 Urban Large Northern Beaches 263,090 Urban Large Central Coast 348,930 Urban Large Canterbury-Bankstown 371,726 Urban Large Blacktown 410,419 Urban Large Source: The 2022/23 population cohorts are determined using the ABS population figures for June 2022.
- Library services in alphabetical order
Library service Population Cohort Albury City Libraries 56,598 Urban Medium Armidale Regional 29,317 Urban Small Balranald 2,198 Rural Small Bathurst 44,074 Urban Small Bayside 177,629 Urban Large Bega Valley 35,972 Urban Small Berrigan 8,657 Rural Small Big Sky 19,801 Rural Small Blacktown 410,419 Urban Large Blue Mountains 77,905 Urban Medium Bourke 2,350 Rural Small Broken Hill 17,567 Rural Small Burwood 40,747 Urban Small Camden 127,637 Urban Medium Campbelltown 180,231 Urban Large Canada Bay 89,139 Urban Medium Canterbury-Bankstown 371,726 Urban Large Central Coast 348,930 Urban Large Central Northern 98,700 Urban Medium Central West 87,351 Urban Medium Cessnock 65,780 Urban Medium Clarence 67,799 Urban Medium Cobar 4,052 Rural Small Coffs Harbour 79,598 Urban Medium Cumberland 237,129 Urban Large Edward River 8,454 Rural Small Eurobodalla 40,732 Urban Small Fairfield 206,644 Urban Large Georges River 153,055 Urban Large Glen Innes Severn 8,935 Rural Small Goulburn Mulwaree 32,394 Urban Small Grenfell 3,604 Rural Small Gunnedah 13,125 Rural Small Hawkesbury 67,815 Urban Medium Hills, The 199,056 Urban Large Hilltops 19,228 Rural Small Hornsby 151,713 Urban Large Inner West 182,886 Urban Large Inverell 17,943 Rural Small Kempsey 31,118 Urban Small Kiama 22,925 Urban Small Ku-Ring-Gai 124,108 Urban Medium Lachlan 6,131 Rural Small Lake Macquarie 216,428 Urban Large Lane Cove 53,444 Urban Medium Lithgow 20,810 Urban Small Liverpool 239,430 Urban Large Macquarie 71,512 Urban Medium Maitland 93,497 Urban Medium Midcoast 97,090 Urban Medium Mid-Western 25,760 Urban Small Mosman 28,100 Urban Small Murray River 13,007 Rural Small Muswellbrook 16,516 Rural Small Nambucca 20,571 Urban Small Newcastle 257,563 Urban Large North Sydney 69,256 Urban Medium North Western 13,155 Rural Small Northern Beaches 263,090 Urban Large Oberon 5,569 Rural Small Parkes 14,342 Rural Small Parramatta 259,878 Urban Large Penrith 220,786 Urban Large Port Macquarie-Hastings 88,145 Urban Medium Queanbeyan-Palerang 64,189 Urban Medium Randwick 135,742 Urban Medium Richmond-Tweed 225,078 Urban Large Richmond-Upper Clarence 33,089 Urban Small Riverina 87,563 Urban Medium Ryde 130,953 Urban Medium Shellharbour 78,256 Urban Medium Shoalhaven 109,418 Urban Medium Singleton 25,075 Urban Small Snowy Monaro 21,791 Urban Small Strathfield 46,129 Urban Small Sutherland 231,723 Urban Large Sydney 217,748 Urban Large Tenterfield 6,877 Rural Small Upper Hunter Shire 14,292 Rural Small Upper Lachlan 8,539 Rural Small Wagga Wagga 68,227 Urban Medium Waverley 69,218 Urban Medium Wentworth 7,555 Rural Small Western Riverina 41,907 Urban Small Willoughby 75,409 Urban Medium Wingecarribee 52,779 Urban Medium Wollondilly 55,811 Urban Medium Wollongong 216,290 Urban Large Woollahra 53,487 Urban Medium Yass Valley 17,377 Rural Small Source: The 2022/23 population cohorts are determined using the ABS population figures for June 2022.
- Councils in regional library services and their cohorts
Council Population Cohort Regional library service Brewarrina 1,438 Rural Small Big Sky Libraries Moree Plains 12,850 Rural Small Big Sky Libraries Walgett 5,513 Rural Small Big Sky Libraries Gwydir 4,915 Rural Small Central Northern Regional Library Liverpool Plains 7,655 Rural Small Central Northern Regional Library Narrabri 12,692 Rural Small Central Northern Regional Library Tamworth 64,459 Urban Medium Central Northern Regional Library Uralla 5,980 Rural Small Central Northern Regional Library Walcha 2,999 Rural Small Central Northern Regional Library Blayney 7,588 Rural Small Central West Libraries Cabonne 13,825 Rural Small Central West Libraries Cowra 12,690 Rural Small Central West Libraries Forbes 9,342 Rural Small Central West Libraries Orange 43,906 Urban Small Central West Libraries Bellingen 13,219 Rural Small Clarence Regional Library Clarence Valley 54,580 Urban Medium Clarence Regional Library Hunters Hill 13,416 Rural Small Lane Cove Library Service Lane Cove 40,028 Urban Small Lane Cove Library Service Dubbo 55,843 Urban Medium Macquarie Regional Library Narromine 6,425 Rural Small Macquarie Regional Library Warrumbungle 9,244 Rural Small Macquarie Regional Library Dungog 9,707 Rural Small Newcastle Region Library Newcastle 171,316 Urban Large Newcastle Region Library Port Stephens 76,540 Urban Medium Newcastle Region Library Bogan 2,455 Rural Small North Western Library Coonamble 3,823 Rural Small North Western Library Gilgandra 4,300 Rural Small North Western Library Warren 2,577 Rural Small North Western Library Ballina 46,760 Urban Small Richmond-Tweed Regional Library Byron 36,398 Urban Small Richmond-Tweed Regional Library Lismore 44,202 Urban Small Richmond-Tweed Regional Library Tweed 97,718 Urban Medium Richmond-Tweed Regional Library Kyogle 9,418 Rural Small Richmond-Upper Clarence Regional Library Richmond Valley 23,671 Urban Small Richmond-Upper Clarence Regional Library Bland 5,487 Rural Small Riverina Regional Library Coolamon 4,463 Rural Small Riverina Regional Library Cootamundra-Gundagai 11,394 Rural Small Riverina Regional Library Federation 12,852 Rural Small Riverina Regional Library Greater Hume 11,238 Rural Small Riverina Regional Library Hilltops 19,228 Rural Small Riverina Regional Library Junee 6,453 Rural Small Riverina Regional Library Leeton 11,434 Rural Small Riverina Regional Library Lockhart 3,365 Rural Small Riverina Regional Library Snowy Valleys 14,884 Rural Small Riverina Regional Library Temora 5,993 Rural Small Riverina Regional Library Carrathool 2,824 Rural Small Western Riverina Libraries Griffith 26,994 Urban Small Western Riverina Libraries Hay 2,828 Rural Small Western Riverina Libraries Murrumbidgee 3,559 Rural Small Western Riverina Libraries Narrandera 5,702 Rural Small Western Riverina Libraries
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Benchmark tables
Tables listing the ranking and performance data of libraries within their cohorts using the 2022/23 statistics are provided for libraries to use for benchmarking purposes. Individual library benchmark reports are available upon request.
Previous versions
- Cohort tables
- Benchmark tables
The Public Library Services team can assist NSW public libraries to assess their library service against the benchmarks. Contact us for more information.