NSW · Lismore Council

Eltham, 2480

Est. population · Jun 2025

325

Growth (1 yr)

+0.3%

Growth (5 yr)

+3.2%

Median age

48

Median income

$1,978/wk

Employment rate

62.6%

University qualified

31.7%

Work from home

26.7%

Median house price · October to December 2025

$730,000

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

38.9/100
Below average

1598th in NSW

Verified 94% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Agricultural
  • Rural living
What Eltham is known for: Agricultural, Rural living

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Eltham, NSW suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Cite this suburb snapshot

Suburb Guide, “Eltham, NSW Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/nsw/eltham-nsw

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Suburb profile

Eltham is a rural locality in New South Wales, in Lismore Council.

Public transport is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for rural localities. Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group. Socio-economic advantage is among the highest in the peer group, and university qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, and working from home is another of the suburb's defining strengths, with working from home 32% above the peer median. Green cover is a relative weakness.

Overall, Eltham suits people prioritising school quality and socio-economic advantage.

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

Rural locality · compared with rural localities in New South Wales (2685)

Strengths

  • Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group
  • Socio-economic advantage is among the highest in the peer group
  • University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group
  • Public transport is a relative strength
  • Working from home is a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Green cover is a relative weakness

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Eltham compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

$730k

+11% change

Median rent

$550/wk

Houses $620 · Units $425

Population (ERP)

325

+0.3% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

11.2%

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

#386

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

74th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

44th

percentile in NSW

Rented dwellings

14%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

10/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

77th

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
38.9/100 — Below average
National rank
4690th in Australia
State rank
1598th in NSW
Peer rank
#386 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#679 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
94%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$425
Houses (January to March 2026)
$620
All types (January to March 2026)
$550
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
252
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$730,000
Median price change
+11.4%

Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

325(June 2025)

+0.3% annual · +3.2% over 5 years · 44th percentile in NSW

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.3%
5-year growth
+3.2%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
+10
Growth rank in NSW
44th 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 (~350), extrapolated at +0.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
332
Median age
48
Median household income / week
$1,978
Dwelling vacancy
11.2%
Unoccupied private dwellings
14 of 125
Median monthly mortgage
$2,058
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$400
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
48.6% / 36.9% / 14.4%
Employment rate
62.6%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
26.7% / 0% / 60.5%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
108 / 0 / 0

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.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

31.7% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 11.9% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified31.7% · 27.8% NSW
  • Diploma qualified12.6% · 9.3% NSW
  • Trade / vocational11.9% · 15% NSW
  • Year 12 or below43.9% · 47.9% NSW

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Management and commerce18.5%
  • Health14.3%
  • Society and culture13.7%
  • Engineering and related technologies13.1%
  • Creative arts12.5%
  • Education11.9%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 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)
$50,499

30th percentile in NSW · -14% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$55,981

27th percentile in NSW · -14% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
13.0%

42nd percentile in NSW · -6% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$64,649

40th percentile in NSW · +2% vs Australia

Residents with business income
15.0%

91st percentile in NSW · +44% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2480 — 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
26,413
Taxpayers reporting net rent
3,502
Median net rent
$3,061
Taxpayers reporting business income
3,876
Taxable income vs state median
-10%
Salary / wages vs state median
-11%
Rental investment vs state median
-7%
Super vs state median
-8%
Business income vs state median
+50%

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

Seasonal & agricultural work

12.8% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 5.6× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.0% across New South Wales.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
12.8%

64th percentile in NSW · +457% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
22
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 2480

Occupation mix in this industry

2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.

  • Managers19

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 2480 (Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.

Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)

Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for Richmond - Tweed (SA4 112), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12131,103
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212608
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419549
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415284
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412265
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211167
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1214107
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841320
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841610
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110

Richmond - Tweed is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.

Census employed residents counted in G54: 172 · AFF share +540% vs the state.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
  • Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0

Community & culture

12% born overseas

Language at home
300 English only · 0 other
Non-English at home
0%
Born overseas
38 (12%)
Australian citizens
303

Religion

55.1%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 55.1%, while Christianity accounts for 33.1%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion55.1%32.8%
Christianity33.1%47.6%
Other / not stated11.7%19.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic12.3%22.4%
Anglican9%11.9%
Presbyterian and Reformed3.6%1.9%
Uniting Church3.3%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 2480, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
33
Against the person
9
Against property
13
Rate per 1,000 residents
101.5
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 37 residents
State crime-rate percentile
74th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-8.1%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
7
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
21.54

Most common offence types

  • Breach Bail Conditions4
  • Domestic Violence Related Assault2
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment3
  • Malicious Damage To Property3
  • Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault2

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
1,075
Median ICSEA percentile
77th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
3
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
  • Eltham Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1075 · 77th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 59 students · Top SEA quarter 31% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Bexhill PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Clunes PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Eltham PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • TRSC KadinaGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_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

Public transport

41 public transport stops in this suburb

  • 622 Eltham Rd
  • Cowlong Rd After McKenzie Rd
  • Cowlong Rd Opp McKenzie Rd
  • Johnston Rd At Rainforest Dr
  • Pearson Rd At Laureldale Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

  • Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed

Amenities

1 mapped amenities

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily needs
  • Well connected by public transport — 41 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
30/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Community(1)
  • Eltham Public SchoolSchool

    Eltham

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
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
0
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
28°C

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

Health access

Nearest hospital
Lismore Base Hospital (12.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
10
Participants per 1,000 residents
30.8

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.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

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° / 19°
Rainfall
569 mm · ~71 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
25° / 16°
Rainfall
612 mm · ~76 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
20° / 10°
Rainfall
289 mm · ~36 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 14°
Rainfall
300 mm · ~38 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Planning & development

Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.

2026· 7 proposals
  • August 2026

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
    64 FEDERATION DRIVE ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • June 2026

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    629 COWLONG ROAD ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • May 2026

  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external); Swimming pool
    64 FEDERATION DRIVE ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • Entertainment facility; Temporary building, structure or use
    441 ELTHAM ROAD ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • Pub; Commercial development; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure
    441 ELTHAM ROAD ELTHAM 2480Under Assessment
  • March 2026

  • Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
    846 ELTHAM ROAD ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • February 2026

  • Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
    629 COWLONG ROAD ELTHAM 2480Determined
2025· 2 proposals
  • March 2025

  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Swimming pool
    59 FEDERATION DRIVE ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • January 2025

  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool
    1 MCKENZIE ROAD ELTHAM 2480Determined
2024· 3 proposals
  • September 2024

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport
    55 FEDERATION DRIVE ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • June 2024

  • Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)
    756 COWLONG ROAD ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • May 2024

  • Shed; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport
    732 COWLONG ROAD ELTHAM 2480Determined
2023· 3 proposals
  • September 2023

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    44 FEDERATION DRIVE ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • May 2023

  • Pools / decks / fencing
    8 MAYFIELD STREET ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • April 2023

  • Dual occupancy
    629 COWLONG ROAD ELTHAM 2480Determined
2022· 6 proposals
  • December 2022

  • Alterations and additions to residential development
    32 ALEXANDER LANE ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • July 2022

  • Shed
    65 FEDERATION DRIVE ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • Other
    441 ELTHAM ROAD ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • April 2022

  • Dual occupancy; Change of use
    712 BOATHARBOUR ROAD ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • March 2022

  • Pools / decks / fencing; Alterations and additions to residential development
    64 FEDERATION DRIVE ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • January 2022

  • Shed
    645 ELTHAM ROAD ELTHAM 2480Determined
2021· 3 proposals
  • November 2021

  • Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs
    10 MAYFIELD STREET ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • October 2021

  • Pools / decks / fencing
    796 BOATHARBOUR ROAD ELTHAM 2480Determined
  • August 2021

  • Shed
    31 ALEXANDER LANE ELTHAM 2480Determined

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
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
Page
Member of Parliament
Kevin HOGAN (The Nationals)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
129,373
Turnout (2025)
91.8%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+1.4 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 59.3%Labor 40.7%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 10.6 km away).

Coalition 46.5%Labor 53.5%

12.8 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -0.7 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • ElthamLabor 53.5% · Coalition 46.5% TPP (2025)0.5 km away
  • ClunesLabor 66.1% · Coalition 33.9% TPP (2025)3.8 km away
  • Mcleans RidgesLabor 47.2% · Coalition 52.8% TPP (2025)4.8 km away
  • BexhillLabor 46.1% · Coalition 53.9% TPP (2025)6.1 km away
  • WollongbarLabor 42.1% · Coalition 57.9% TPP (2025)7.3 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.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
10/10
IRSD decile (2021)
10/10

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%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

More in Lismore Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.