NSW · Bellingen Council

North Dorrigo, 2453

Est. population · Jun 2025

188

Growth (1 yr)

+0.5%

Growth (5 yr)

0.0%

Median age

58

Median income

$933/wk

Employment rate

49.1%

Median house price · October to December 2025

$570,000

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Excellent transport
What North Dorrigo is known for: Excellent transport

Suburb profile

In Bellingen Council, North Dorrigo keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Local shops, markets and community spots keep everyday life grounded in the town itself.

Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. Buses make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward. Homes are priced below the dearer neighbouring markets, though not at the bottom of the scale.

Reported crime has been falling recently. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.

At a glance

North Dorrigo snapshot

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

Median house price

$570k

-18% change

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

188

+0.5% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

13.7%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Safety

16th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

50th

percentile in NSW

Advantage (IRSAD)

4/10

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

Median house price (October to December 2025)
$570,000
Median price change
-18.3%

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

188(June 2025)

+0.5% annual · 0.0% over 5 years · 50th percentile in NSW

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.5%
5-year growth
0.0%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
0
Growth rank in NSW
50th 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 (~200), extrapolated at -0.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
186
Median age
58
Median household income / week
$933
Dwelling vacancy
13.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
13 of 95
Median monthly mortgage
$1,192
Employment rate
49.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
83 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Community & culture

No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

Crime & safety

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
7
Against the person
2
Against property
3
Rate per 1,000 residents
37.2
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 93 residents
State safety percentile
15.6th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate)
-12.3%

Most common offence types

  • Arson12
  • Break And Enter Dwelling12
  • Domestic Violence Related Assault13
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment13
  • Malicious Damage To Property15

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • BOCSAR postcode crime statisticsNSW 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

Public transport

28 public transport stops in this suburb

  • 345 Paddys Plains Rd
  • 505 Paddys Plains Rd
  • 68 Paddys Plains Rd
  • Hayden St At Phillips St
  • Rawson St After Hayden St

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

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

No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Health access

Nearest hospital
Dorrigo Multi-Purpose Service (8.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
6
Participants per 1,000 residents
31.9

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
26° / 19°
Rainfall
504 mm · ~63 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
23° / 15°
Rainfall
522 mm · ~65 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
18° / 8°
Rainfall
199 mm · ~25 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
23° / 13°
Rainfall
270 mm · ~34 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Planning & development

Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.

2026· 1 proposal
  • February 2026

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    646 TYRINGHAM ROAD NORTH DORRIGO 2453Determined
2022· 1 proposal
  • March 2022

  • Dwelling; Demolition; Garages, carports and car parking spaces
    478 PADDYS PLAINS ROAD NORTH DORRIGO 2453Determined
2021· 1 proposal
  • November 2021

  • Alterations and additions to residential development
    11 RAWSON STREET NORTH DORRIGO 2453Determined

Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)

Development and planning activity

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlaysState 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 36.5 km away).

Coalition 49.6%Labor 50.4%

9.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +4.3 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • DorrigoLabor 45.0% · Coalition 55.0% TPP (2025)8.9 km away
  • ThoraLabor 62.4% · Coalition 37.6% TPP (2025)20.3 km away
  • GlenifferLabor 57.1% · Coalition 42.9% TPP (2025)24.2 km away
  • BellingenLabor 68.5% · Coalition 31.5% TPP (2025)29.5 km away
  • Bellingen NorthLabor 69.1% · Coalition 30.9% TPP (2025)30.6 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)
4/10
IRSD decile (2021)
5/10

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 (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

More in Bellingen Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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