Harrington is a rural locality in New South Wales, in Mid-Coast Council. The Manning River is part of the surrounding geography.
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. Health access is an exceptional strength, with health access 100% above the peer median. Open-space access is better than in most comparable places, well above typical levels for rural localities. Reported crime is lower than in most comparable places. Reported offences have risen 17% year on year, and recorded road crashes are a relative strength, with recorded road crashes 75% below the peer median. Employment is a relative weakness, with employment 52% below the peer median.
Harrington is a better fit for people who value daily services and lower crime more than employment.
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
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
Reported crime is lower than in most comparable places
Open-space access is better than in most comparable places
Health-facility access is stronger than in comparable places
Recorded road crashes are a relative strength
Weaknesses
Employment is a relative weakness
What stands out
Harrington Beach
Manning 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 Harrington compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$752k
-2.3% change
Median rent
$520/wk
Population (ERP)
3,440
+1.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
15.5%
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
#380
among Country & regional · Mature
Crime rate
23rd
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
71st
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
19%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
24th
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
39.1/100 — Below average
National rank
4641st in Australia
State rank
1581st in NSW
Peer rank
#380 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#667 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
94%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Houses (January to March 2026)
$540
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$752,000
Median price change
-2.3%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
+1.1% annual · +5.6% over 5 years · 71th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.1%
5-year growth
+5.6%
Change in 1 year
+39
Change in 5 years
+183
Growth rank in NSW
71th 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 (~3,600), extrapolated at +1.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
3,381
Median age
64
Median household income / week
$883
Dwelling vacancy
15.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
293 of 1,893
Median monthly mortgage
$1,517
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$340
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
66.7% / 14.8% / 18.5%
Employment rate
27.7%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
12.1% / 0.3% / 69.3%
Walked or cycled to work
3.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,300 / 120 / 74 (+ 105 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.
10% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 23.2% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified10% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified7.8% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational23.2% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below58.9% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies24.6%
Management and commerce19.3%
Health11.8%
Society and culture10.9%
Education10.5%
Architecture and building8.3%
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)
$40,839
5th percentile in NSW · -30% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$52,462
14th percentile in NSW · -19% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
12.0%
36th percentile in NSW · -13% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$114,684
87th percentile in NSW · +81% vs Australia
Residents with business income
9.0%
31st percentile in NSW · -13% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2427 — 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
1,715
Taxpayers reporting net rent
213
Median net rent
$3,822
Taxpayers reporting business income
149
Taxable income vs state median
-27%
Salary / wages vs state median
-16%
Rental investment vs state median
-14%
Super vs state median
+63%
Business income vs state median
-10%
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
2.4% speak a language other than English at home; 10.8% born overseas
Language at home
3,160 English only · 78 other
Non-English at home
2.4%
Born overseas
343 (10.8%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
140 (4.1%)
Australian citizens
3,170
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
5
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
German5 · 26.3%
Hindi5 · 26.3%
Australian Indigenous languages3 · 15.8%
Italian3 · 15.8%
Portuguese3 · 15.8%
Religion
61%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 61%, while 31.3% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
31.3%
32.8%
Christianity
61%
47.6%
Other / not stated
7.7%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Anglican
28.5%
11.9%
Catholic
19.6%
22.4%
Uniting Church
4.4%
2.1%
Presbyterian and Reformed
3.2%
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 2427, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
146
Against the person
63
Against property
50
Rate per 1,000 residents
42.4
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 54 residents
State crime-rate percentile
22.6th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+17.1%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
17
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
4.94
Most common offence types
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment23
Breach Apprehended Violence Order10
Break And Enter Dwelling10
Domestic Violence Related Assault16
Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault13
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
949
Median ICSEA percentile
24th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
3
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
2
School list
Harrington Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 949 · 24th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 83 students · Top SEA quarter 6%View on My School →
School catchments
Chatham HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Coopernook PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Harrington PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Mitchells Island PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Taree HSGovernment 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
NSW government school intake zones — NSW Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published
Well connected by public transport — 109 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
1.18
Sport & outdoors(2)
Harrington BeachBeach
Heritage RiverwalkCycling route
Camping & holiday parks(3)
Harrington Beach Holiday ParkCampground
BIG4 Colonial Holiday ParkCaravan park
716 Harrington Road
Oxyley Anchorage Caravan ParkCaravan park
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
Health access
Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
4
Nearest hospital
Manning Base Hospital (20.6 km)
Nearest hospital type
Public hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
GP clinics in suburb
2
GPs tagged bulk billing (OSM)
0 of 2
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Harrington Waters Medical ClinicGP
HealthHubCaledonia StreetGP
PharmacyPharmacy
Village PharmacyPharmacy
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)
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
27° / 18°
Rainfall
417 mm · ~52 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
24° / 14°
Rainfall
459 mm · ~57 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
19° / 8°
Rainfall
256 mm · ~32 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
23° / 13°
Rainfall
273 mm · ~34 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
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 16.2 km away).
Coalition 64.3%Labor 35.8%
4.5 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +3.3 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
HarringtonLabor 34.1% · Coalition 65.9% TPP (2025)3.2 km away
CoopernookLabor 40.3% · Coalition 59.7% TPP (2025)7.3 km away
Mitchells IslandLabor 39.2% · Coalition 60.8% TPP (2025)8.1 km away
MoorlandLabor 32.9% · Coalition 67.1% TPP (2025)10.0 km away
Johns RiverLabor 30.9% · Coalition 69.1% TPP (2025)14.2 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.
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%)