suburb.guide

NSW · Kempsey Council

Gladstone, 2440

Est. population · Jun 2025

411

Growth (1 yr)

+0.7%

Growth (5 yr)

+2.5%

Median age

47

Median income

$1,281/wk

Employment rate

47.9%

University qualified

11.6%

Work from home

7.1%

Median house price · October to December 2025

$550,000

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

39.9/100
Below average

1502nd in NSW

Verified 94% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Country town
What Gladstone is known for: Country town

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Gladstone, NSW suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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

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Suburb profile

Gladstone is a regional town in New South Wales, in Kempsey Council. It is primarily residential, without a particularly distinct commercial centre or landmark identity.

The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places, placing it among the highest-ranked regional towns. Dining and café access is another area where the suburb performs particularly well. School access, parks and housing affordability are all relative strengths. Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places, with recorded road crashes 80% below the peer median. The main trade-offs are lower socio-economic advantage and limited health access, with health access 60% below the peer median.

Gladstone's appeal is better explained by housing, access and location than by a strong standalone precinct or destination.

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

Regional town · compared with regional towns in New South Wales (192)

Strengths

  • School access, parks and housing affordability are all relative strengths
  • The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places
  • Dining and café access is a relative strength
  • Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median
  • Health-facility access is relatively limited

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Gladstone compares

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

Median house price

$550k

-8.3% change

Median rent

$480/wk

Houses $490 · Units $380

Population (ERP)

411

+0.7% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

9.1%

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

#350

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

94th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

58th

percentile in NSW

Rented dwellings

11%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

2/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

29th

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
39.9/100 — Below average
National rank
4407th in Australia
State rank
1502nd in NSW
Peer rank
#350 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#617 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)
$380
Houses (January to March 2026)
$490
All types (January to March 2026)
$480
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
112
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$550,000
Median price change
-8.3%

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

411(June 2025)

+0.7% annual · +2.5% over 5 years · 58th percentile in NSW

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.7%
5-year growth
+2.5%
Change in 1 year
+3
Change in 5 years
+10
Growth rank in NSW
58th 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 (~400), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
437
Median age
47
Median household income / week
$1,281
Dwelling vacancy
9.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
15 of 165
Median monthly mortgage
$1,437
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$355
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
53.2% / 36% / 10.8%
Employment rate
47.9%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
7.1% / 0% / 74.6%
Walked or cycled to work
4.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
151 / 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

11.6% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 25.6% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified11.6% · 27.8% NSW
  • Diploma qualified5.7% · 9.3% NSW
  • Trade / vocational25.6% · 15% NSW
  • Year 12 or below57.1% · 47.9% NSW

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies20.1%
  • Management and commerce17.5%
  • Health16.9%
  • Society and culture16.2%
  • Architecture and building9.1%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services9.1%
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)
$48,150

22nd percentile in NSW · -18% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$53,739

18th percentile in NSW · -17% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
12.0%

28th percentile in NSW · -13% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$53,652

25th percentile in NSW · -15% vs Australia

Residents with business income
12.0%

69th percentile in NSW · +15% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2440 — 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
11,261
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,304
Median net rent
$1,460
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,338
Taxable income vs state median
-14%
Salary / wages vs state median
-14%
Rental investment vs state median
-14%
Super vs state median
-24%
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

4.8% born overseas

Language at home
402 English only · 0 other
Non-English at home
0%
Born overseas
19 (4.8%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
36 (8.2%)
Australian citizens
395

Religion

51.3%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 51.3%, while 38% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion38%32.8%
Christianity51.3%47.6%
Other / not stated10.8%19.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Anglican18.3%11.9%
Catholic16.7%22.4%
Uniting Church9.6%2.1%
Presbyterian and Reformed3.7%1.9%

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 2440, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
67
Against the person
18
Against property
26
Rate per 1,000 residents
163
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 24 residents
State crime-rate percentile
94.1th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+5%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
1
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
2.43

Most common offence types

  • Breach Apprehended Violence Order4
  • Breach Bail Conditions9
  • Domestic Violence Related Assault5
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment7
  • Malicious Damage To Property6

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
2
Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
944.5
Median ICSEA percentile
29th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
4
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
  • Gladstone Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1004 · 49th percentile · LBOTE 17% · 19 students · Top SEA quarter 9% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
  • Smithtown Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 885 · 8th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 54 students · Top SEA quarter 4% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Gladstone PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Kempsey EPSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Kinchela PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Melville HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Smithtown 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

Public transport

16 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Bernard St At Ashton St
  • Darkwater St Opp Gladstone Lane
  • Gladstone Public School, Kinchela St
  • Kinchela St Opp Macleay St
  • Verge St Gladstone

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

17 mapped amenities

1 pharmacies · 1 bakeries · 1 petrol stations · 1 post offices

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily needs
  • Great for outdoor family life — 2 parks mapped in suburb
  • Reasonable bus and transport access — 16 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
41/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
2.29
Parks per 1,000 residents
4.58
Food & drink(1)
  • Crusty's BakeryBakery

    Unit 3 4 Ashton Street

Shopping(4)
  • The Valley ButcheryButcher
  • Gladstone General Store and NewsagencyConvenience store
  • Gladstone Fruit and VegetablesGreengrocer
Everyday services(2)
  • LibertyPetrol station

    52 Barnard Street

  • Australia PostPost office
Health & services(1)
  • Gladstone PharmacyPharmacy

    4 Ashton Street

Sport & outdoors(1)
  • Gladstone Pioneer ParkPark

    92 Kinchela Street

Transport(1)

1 bus stops

Other(4)
  • Gladstone-Smithtown Rural Fire BrigadeFire station

    Kinchela Street

  • Cascade Garden CentreGarden Centre
  • Parking (5)
  • Margaret's Treasure TroveSecond Hand

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

Parks & reserves

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Gladstone Pioneer ParkPark
  • Memorial ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0.1%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
2
Parks (OSM)
2
Typical summer maximum
27°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

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
1
Nearest hospital
Kempsey District Hospital (14.5 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
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).

  • Gladstone PharmacyAshton StreetPharmacy

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
15
Participants per 1,000 residents
36.5

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
27° / 19°
Rainfall
439 mm · ~55 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
24° / 16°
Rainfall
494 mm · ~62 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
19° / 10°
Rainfall
252 mm · ~32 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
23° / 14°
Rainfall
279 mm · ~35 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· 2 proposals

  • September 2026

  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
    39 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Under Assessment

  • May 2026

  • Demolition; Pub; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Retail Premise; Food and drink premise
    21 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined
2025· 2 proposals

  • November 2025

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
    89 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • February 2025

  • Pub; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Outdoor dining - general; Food and drink premise
    21 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined
2024· 2 proposals

  • April 2024

  • Shed; Erection of a new structure; Temporary building, structure or use
    73 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • March 2024

  • Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Retail Premise
    11 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined
2023· 7 proposals

  • October 2023

  • Retail premises
    19 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Withdrawn
  • Shed; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
    364 SOUTH WEST ROCKS ROAD GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • June 2023

  • Earthworks / change in levels; Shed
    364 SOUTH WEST ROCKS ROAD GLADSTONE 2440Determined
  • Pools / decks / fencing; Shed
    24 DARKWATER STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • April 2023

  • Home business
    91 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • March 2023

  • Dwelling
    7 NORTH STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • January 2023

  • Dwelling; Demolition
    6 MEMORIAL AVENUE GLADSTONE 2440Determined
2022· 10 proposals

  • November 2022

  • Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs; Alterations and additions to residential development
    13 DARKWATER STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined
  • Change of use
    68-72 BARNARD STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • September 2022

  • Change of use
    68-72 BARNARD STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined
  • Alterations and additions to residential development
    49 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • August 2022

  • Alterations and additions to commercial development
    21 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • June 2022

  • Dwelling; Mixed use development
    14 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Withdrawn

  • May 2022

  • Dwelling
    SOUTH WEST ROCKS ROAD GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • April 2022

  • Earthworks / change in levels
    1380 SOUTH WEST ROCKS ROAD GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • February 2022

  • Earthworks / change in levels; Business premises
    91 BARNARD STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • January 2022

  • Garages, carports and car parking spaces
    58 BARNARD STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined
2021· 3 proposals

  • October 2021

  • Alterations and additions to commercial development
    21 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • September 2021

  • Dwelling; Alterations and additions to commercial development
    20 KINCHELA STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined

  • August 2021

  • Pools / decks / fencing
    15 DARKWATER STREET GLADSTONE 2440Determined

Data sources & freshness

Roadworks & transport

1 active roadworks / incidents

  • Check signage. Follow directions on site. Exercise caution. <strong>Reseal works, </strong>commencing from 30 September 2026 - Scheduled pending weather/operational requirements. Please drive to the conditions, observe all signage, and follow directions from traffic controllers for the safety of workers and road users. Short delays expected.Wednesday/Thursday: Southwest Rocks Road, from House No. 1598 towards Gladstone (approximately 2.7 km) – 2nd SealSouth West Rocks Road18 Sep 2026 – 02 Oct 2026

Data sources & freshness

  • Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated

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
Cowper
Member of Parliament
Pat CONAGHAN (The Nationals)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
131,639
Turnout (2025)
90.8%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+0.5 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 59.1%Labor 40.9%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 16.0 km away).

Coalition 73.6%Labor 26.4%

14.5 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -2.4 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • GladstoneLabor 24.9% · Coalition 75.1% TPP (2025)1.8 km away
  • FredericktonLabor 27.6% · Coalition 72.4% TPP (2025)8.0 km away
  • Hat HeadLabor 40.2% · Coalition 59.8% TPP (2025)9.5 km away
  • Kempsey EastLabor 35.5% · Coalition 64.5% TPP (2025)13.1 km away
  • KempseyLabor 41.6% · Coalition 58.4% TPP (2025)13.2 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)
2/10
IRSD decile (2021)
2/10

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

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Kempsey Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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