Median house price
$540k
+8.0% change
NSW · Tenterfield Council
Sandy Flat, 2372
Est. population · Jun 2025
98
Growth (1 yr)
+1.0%
Growth (5 yr)
+6.5%
Median age
48
Median income
$1,333/wk
Employment rate
58.1%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$540,000
Languages at home
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
- Excellent transport
Suburb profile
Sandy Flat offers a slower smaller community life in Tenterfield Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. Weekends tend to revolve around local favourites: a café, a market run, a walk through town.
Open space is thinner than in many comparable suburbs, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield. The local market is more attainable than many surrounding suburbs.
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
Sandy Flat snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$460/wk
Population (ERP)
98
+1.0% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
18.0%
Census unoccupied dwellings
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Safety
67th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
67th
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
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $480
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 35
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $540,000
- Median price change
- +8%
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 (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
98(June 2025)
+1.0% annual · +6.5% over 5 years · 67th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.0%
- 5-year growth
- +6.5%
- Change in 1 year
- +1
- Change in 5 years
- +6
- Growth rank in NSW
- 67th 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 +0.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 97
- Median age
- 48
- Median household income / week
- $1,333
- Dwelling vacancy
- 18%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 9 of 50
- Median monthly mortgage
- $800
- Employment rate
- 58.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 36 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs 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
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian 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)
- 9
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 4
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 91.8
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 48 residents
- State safety percentile
- 66.8th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -30.6%
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault33
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment51
- Malicious Damage To Property59
- Motor Vehicle Theft20
- Trespass35
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- 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
Public transport
7 public transport stops in this suburb
- New England Hwy After Cottesbrook Rd
- New England Hwy After Cottesbrook Rd
- New England Hwy At Cottesbrook Rd
- New England Hwy At Sandy Flat Rd
- New England Hwy Opp Sandy Flat Rd
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
1 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Limited walkable amenities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 11/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0
Other(1)
- Rifle Range HillParking
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Tenterfield Community Hospital (21.0 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 2
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 20.4
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
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
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
- 25° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 356 mm · ~44 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 10°
- Rainfall
- 208 mm · ~26 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 15° / 3°
- Rainfall
- 134 mm · ~17 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 222 mm · ~28 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
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).
4 planning-related records
2025· 1 proposal
April 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Manufactured home; Non-standard Housing; Residential AccommodationNEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY SANDY FLAT 2372Determined
2024· 2 proposals
September 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structureNEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY SANDY FLAT 2372Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure54 BALD ROCK ROAD SANDY FLAT 2372Determined
2023· 1 proposal
March 2023
- DwellingBluff River Road Sandy Flat 2372Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2020–2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
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 overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- New England
- Member of Parliament
- Barnaby JOYCE (The Nationals)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 131,238
- Turnout (2025)
- 91.6%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- -1.9 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 67.1%Labor 32.9%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 77.3 km away).
Coalition 69.3%Labor 30.7%
2.2 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +0.2 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- TenterfieldLabor 29.7% · Coalition 70.3% TPP (2025)21.4 km away
- DeepwaterLabor 28.8% · Coalition 71.2% TPP (2025)28.9 km away
- DrakeLabor 47.0% · Coalition 53.0% TPP (2025)47.7 km away
- EmmavilleLabor 25.3% · Coalition 74.7% TPP (2025)48.3 km away
- Glen InnesLabor 35.5% · Coalition 64.5% TPP (2025)62.1 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
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 4/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 3/10
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
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Tenterfield Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.