NSW · Kempsey Council

Grassy Head, 2441

Est. population · Jun 2025

80

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+2.6%

Median age

59

Median income

$1,124/wk

Employment rate

40.7%

University qualified

33.3%

Work from home

33.3%

Median house price · October to December 2025

$720,000

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Beach
  • Holiday parks
  • Leafy
  • Country town
What Grassy Head is known for: Beach, Holiday parks, Leafy, Country town

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Grassy Head, NSW suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Grassy Head, NSW Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/nsw/grassy-head

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Suburb profile

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

University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, placing it among the highest-ranked regional towns, and recorded road crashes are a relative strength, with recorded road crashes 100% below the peer median, and green cover is an exceptional strength. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. The main trade-offs are thinner park access and weaker employment, with park access 100% below the peer median.

Grassy Head'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

  • University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group
  • Recorded road crashes are a relative strength
  • Green cover is a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Park access is thinner than in comparable places
  • Employment is a relative weakness

What stands out

  • Grassy Beach
  • Middle Beach
  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Grassy Head compares

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

Median house price

$720k

-11% change

Median rent

$525/wk

Population (ERP)

80

0.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

37.5%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Crime rate

56th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

21st

percentile in NSW

Rented dwellings

31%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

3/10

national SEIFA decile

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

Housing

Houses (January to March 2026)
$528
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$720,000
Median price change
-10.7%

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

80(June 2025)

0.0% annual · +2.6% over 5 years · 21th percentile in NSW

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
0.0%
5-year growth
+2.6%
Change in 1 year
0
Change in 5 years
+2
Growth rank in NSW
21th 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 (~100), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
85
Median age
59
Median household income / week
$1,124
Dwelling vacancy
37.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
18 of 48
Median monthly mortgage
$1,650
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$288
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
48.3% / 20.7% / 31%
Employment rate
40.7%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
33.3% / 0% / 46.7%
Walked or cycled to work
13.3%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
29 / 0 / 0 (+ 3 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.

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

Qualifications

33.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 12.3% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified33.3% · 27.8% NSW
  • Diploma qualified9.9% · 9.3% NSW
  • Trade / vocational12.3% · 15% NSW
  • Year 12 or below44.4% · 47.9% NSW

Highest qualification field

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

  • Education28%
  • Engineering and related technologies24%
  • Health16%
  • Management and commerce14%
  • Agriculture and environment6%
  • Creative arts6%
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)
$43,578

9th percentile in NSW · -26% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$52,020

12th percentile in NSW · -20% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
15.0%

56th percentile in NSW · +9% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$62,668

37th percentile in NSW · -1% vs Australia

Residents with business income
16.0%

95th percentile in NSW · +54% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2441 — 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
2,645
Taxpayers reporting net rent
408
Median net rent
$3,938
Taxpayers reporting business income
416
Taxable income vs state median
-22%
Salary / wages vs state median
-17%
Rental investment vs state median
+7%
Super vs state median
-11%
Business income vs state median
+60%

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

15.1% born overseas

Language at home
74 English only · 0 other
Non-English at home
0%
Born overseas
11 (15.1%)
Australian citizens
74

Religion

43.5%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 43.5%, while Christianity accounts for 37.6%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion43.5%32.8%
Christianity37.6%47.6%
Other / not stated18.8%19.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Anglican12.9%11.9%

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 2441, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
6
Against the person
2
Against property
3
Rate per 1,000 residents
75
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 42 residents
State crime-rate percentile
55.8th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-14.1%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
0
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
0

Most common offence types

  • Assault Police0
  • Domestic Violence Related Assault1
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment1
  • Malicious Damage To Property1
  • Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault0

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

School list
School catchments
  • Macksville HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Scotts Head PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Stuarts Pt 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

Public transport

2 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Reserve Rd After Millington Av
  • Reserve Rd After Millington Av

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

13 mapped amenities

2 beaches · 2 caravan parks

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
3/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Sport & outdoors(5)
  • Grassy BeachBeach
  • Middle BeachBeach
  • Grassy Head ReservePicnic area
  • Public toilets
  • Summit to Sea Walking TrackWalking trail
Camping & holiday parks(2)
  • Grassy Head Holiday ParkCaravan park
  • Yarra Adventure ParkCaravan park
Entertainment(1)
  • Viewpoint
Transport(1)

1 bus stops

Other(2)
  • Bench
  • Parking (3)

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
44.1%
Woodland / forest cover
44.1%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
0
Parks (OSM)
0
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

Nearest hospital
Macksville Hospital (10.9 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)
3
Participants per 1,000 residents
37.5

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 (lodged 2020–2026).

3 planning-related records

2025· 1 proposal
  • April 2025

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia
    501 GRASSY HEAD ROAD GRASSY HEAD 2441Determined
2023· 1 proposal
  • January 2023

  • Other
    44 PAVANS ACCESS GRASSY HEAD 2441Determined
2022· 1 proposal
  • May 2022

  • Dwelling
    690 GRASSY HEAD ROAD GRASSY HEAD 2441Determined

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
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 15.5 km away).

Coalition 53.9%Labor 46.1%

5.1 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +0.1 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Scotts HeadLabor 55.0% · Coalition 45.0% TPP (2025)3.7 km away
  • Stuarts PointLabor 42.4% · Coalition 57.6% TPP (2025)4.5 km away
  • Warrell CreekLabor 26.9% · Coalition 73.1% TPP (2025)8.3 km away
  • MacksvilleLabor 34.8% · Coalition 65.2% TPP (2025)10.1 km away
  • Eungai CreekLabor 45.1% · Coalition 54.9% TPP (2025)11.3 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)
3/10
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

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.