Clarence Town is a major regional centre in New South Wales, in Dungog Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development. It is close to the Williams River and the Hunter River.
Public transport is an exceptional strength, with public transport 105% above the peer median. Park access is a very strong feature of the suburb, with park access 50% above the peer median. Household incomes sit well above the peer median, with household incomes 43% above the peer median, and reported crime sits a little below the peer median. The clearer weaknesses are higher rents and limited school access.
Clarence Town is a better fit for people who value lower crime and public transport more than lower rents.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in New South Wales (276)
Strengths
Household incomes sit well above the peer median
Reported crime sits a little below the peer median
Public transport is a relative strength
Park access is a relative strength
Weaknesses
Rents run above those in comparable places
School access is relatively limited
What stands out
Williams River
Hunter River
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★★★☆
Professionals★★☆☆☆
Retirees★★★★☆
Students★★☆☆☆
Budget buyers★★☆☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Clarence Town compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$852k
+15% change
Median rent
$650/wk
Houses $680 · Units $520
Population (ERP)
2,362
+1.9% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
7.9%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#9
among Country & regional · Emerging
Crime rate
27th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
86th
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
10%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
38th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
55.2/100 — Good
State standing
Top 19% of New South Wales' suburbs
National rank
1092nd in Australia
State rank
389th in NSW
Peer rank
#9 among Country & regional · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#52 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
95%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$520
Houses (January to March 2026)
$680
All types (January to March 2026)
$650
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
293
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$852,000
Median price change
+15.1%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
+1.9% annual · +6.9% over 5 years · 86th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.9%
5-year growth
+6.9%
Change in 1 year
+45
Change in 5 years
+152
Growth rank in NSW
86th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~2,500), extrapolated at +1.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
2,265
Median age
39
Median household income / week
$1,934
Dwelling vacancy
7.9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
67 of 853
Median monthly mortgage
$1,993
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$365
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
35.7% / 54.8% / 9.5%
Employment rate
60.7%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
19% / 0% / 65.1%
Walked or cycled to work
1.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
769 / 6 / 0 (+ 14 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
13.5% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 29.2% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified13.5% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified10.5% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational29.2% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below46.8% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies28.4%
Management and commerce18.6%
Health11.3%
Society and culture10.9%
Education9.1%
Architecture and building6.3%
How these groups are defined
Measure
Definition
University qualified
Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified
Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational
Certificate III + IV
Year 12
Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12
Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Tax & income
Median taxable income (2023–24)
$63,948
74th percentile in NSW · +9% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$69,482
71st percentile in NSW · +7% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
10.0%
13th percentile in NSW · -27% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$79,701
64th percentile in NSW · +26% vs Australia
Residents with business income
8.0%
14th percentile in NSW · -23% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2321 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
13,778
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,374
Median net rent
-$1,239
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,091
Taxable income vs state median
+14%
Salary / wages vs state median
+11%
Rental investment vs state median
-29%
Super vs state median
+13%
Business income vs state median
-20%
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary
Community & culture
1.5% speak a language other than English at home; 6% born overseas
Language at home
2,152 English only · 32 other
Non-English at home
1.5%
Born overseas
130 (6%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
196 (8.7%)
Australian citizens
2,167
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
1
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Samoan7 · 100%
Religion
48.7%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 48.7%, while 45% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
45%
32.8%
Christianity
48.7%
47.6%
Other / not stated
6.3%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Anglican
21%
11.9%
Catholic
16.7%
22.4%
Presbyterian and Reformed
3.5%
1.9%
Uniting Church
3.1%
2.1%
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2321, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
110
Against the person
46
Against property
40
Rate per 1,000 residents
46.6
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 49 residents
State crime-rate percentile
26.9th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+9.2%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
21
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
8.89
Most common offence types
Breach Apprehended Violence Order8
Domestic Violence Related Assault14
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment16
Malicious Damage To Property10
Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault6
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
980
Median ICSEA percentile
38th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
6
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
3
School list
Clarence Town Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 980 · 38th percentile · LBOTE 2% · 158 students · Top SEA quarter 7% · 0.7 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Booral PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Bulahdelah CSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Clarence Town PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Dungog HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Dungog PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Glen William PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Hunter River HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Karuah PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Seaham PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Data sources & freshness
NSW government school intake zones — NSW Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published
Great for outdoor family life — 6 parks mapped in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 129 public transport stops
Strong local sport and recreation — 8 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
74/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.44
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.88
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.65
Food & drink(2)
Cafe
Erringhi HotelPub
21 Grey Street
Shopping(5)
Clarence Town IGA + LiquorBottle shop
Erringhi Hotel Bottle Shop - Local LiquorBottle shop
Home Timber & HardwareHardware store
Clarence Town IGA + LiquorSupermarket
Everyday services(2)
NexTATM
Clarence Town LPOPost office
Community(3)
Clarence Town School of Arts Literary InstituteCommunity centre
Clarence Town Senior Citizens CentreCommunity centre
Clarence Town Public SchoolSchool
Clarence Town
Health & services(4)
Clarence Town Medical CentreMedical clinic
40 Grey Street, Clarence Town
Prince Street SurgeryMedical clinic
Clarence Town PharmacyPharmacy
Williams River Veterinary ClinicVeterinary
28 Grey Street, Clarence Town
Sport & outdoors(21)
BBQ
Boat ramp
Wallaroo National ParkNature reserve
Bridge ReservePark
Clarence Town Lions ParkPark
Clarence Town Memorial ParkPark
Park
Wharf ReservePark
Williams River Bridge ReservePark
Picnic area
Playground (2)
Clarence Town School of ArtsPublic toilets
Dungog Shire CouncilPublic toilets
Wharf ReservePublic toilets
Clarence Town Swimming PoolSports centre
Sports field
Swimming pool (4)
Wineries & breweries(1)
Rock Frog GrangeWinery
612 Limeburners Creek Road
Camping & holiday parks(3)
Wharf ReserveCampground
Williams River Caravan ParkCampground
Dungog Shire CouncilDump point
Places to stay(1)
Deptford Garden Holiday LodgeGuest house
Entertainment(1)
Clarence Town and District Historical MuseumMuseum
Transport(3)
3 bus stops
Other(20)
Aspinall ChiropracticAlternative
46 Grey Street, Clarence Town
Artwork (2)
Shine Hair and BeautyBeauty salon
29 Grey Street, Clarence Town
Clarence Town Rural Fire BrigadeFire station
25 Grey Street, Clarence Town
Clarence Town Home HardwareGas
Clarence Town IGA + LiquorGas
St John Anglican GraveyardGrave Yard
34-36 Grey Street, Clarence Town
Shine Hair and BeautyHairdresser
29 Grey Street, Clarence Town
Clarence TownInformation
Clarence Town Lions ParkParking
Parking (3)
Shine Hair and BeautyParking
Picnic Table (2)
Clarence Town Presbyterian ChurchPlace of worship
Marshall Street, Clarence Town
St John's Anglican ChurchPlace of worship
34-36 Grey Street, Clarence Town
St Patrick's Catholic ChurchPlace of worship
Clarence Town PolicePolice
Australia PostPost Box
Shelter (4)
TelstraTelephone
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries
Places of worship
3 places of worship within ~1.5 km
Clarence Town Presbyterian Church
Marshall Street, Clarence Town
St John's Anglican Church
34-36 Grey Street, Clarence Town
St Patrick's Catholic Church
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
Usual max / min
28° / 16°
Rainfall
372 mm · ~46 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
23° / 12°
Rainfall
329 mm · ~41 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
17° / 6°
Rainfall
148 mm · ~18 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
23° / 11°
Rainfall
218 mm · ~27 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Check signage. Follow directions on site. Use an alternative route. <strong>From Monday 10 August, Durham Street at the Duke Street intersection will permanently close as part of the next stage of the Clarence Town Bridge Project.</strong><strong> </strong>This is a permanent road change endorsed by Council following community consultation, and is designed to improve safety for motorists, pedestrians and visitors using the new bridge and the Williams River Holiday Park. The project includes:• A new cul-de-sac on Durham Street• Improved pedestrian footpath connections• Safer access through the town centre Motorists should use Grey Street to access Duke Street. Temporary traffic changes will be in place on Duke Street during construction, including the relocation of the temporary traffic lights that allow motorists to cross the Clarence Town Bridge.Durham St, Duke Street21 Aug 2026 – 30 Nov 2026
Check signage. Reduced speed limit. Allow extra travel time. Works are currently underway along Duke Street, Clarence Town, from the Williams River Holiday Park towards town.Traffic control measures are in place, with traffic lights operating under a single-lane arrangement. Motorists should expect delays and allow additional travel time.These traffic arrangements will remain in place for the duration of the works.Durham Street27 Apr 2025 – 26 Nov 2026
Data sources & freshness
Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Heritage
2 heritage places
Clarence Town Bridge over Williams RiverMain Road 567 Clarence TownSHR
Courthouse and site (former)49 Grey Street Clarence TownSHR
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Heritage listings as established streetscape
Data sources & freshness
State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
Hazards
Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Bushfire and flood hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
Federal electorate
Lyne
Member of Parliament
Alison PENFOLD (The Nationals)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
129,584
Turnout (2025)
92.9%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+4.0 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 59.8%Labor 40.2%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 18.9 km away).
Coalition 59.2%Labor 40.8%
0.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -0.9 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
Clarence TownLabor 40.6% · Coalition 59.4% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
SeahamLabor 47.4% · Coalition 52.6% TPP (2025)8.3 km away
WallarobbaLabor 35.0% · Coalition 65.0% TPP (2025)12.2 km away
Paterson CentralLabor 49.1% · Coalition 50.9% TPP (2025)14.1 km away
WoodvilleLabor 44.7% · Coalition 55.3% TPP (2025)16.9 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)