Taree is a major regional centre in New South Wales, in Mid-Coast Council. It is close to the Manning River and the Myall Lakes.
Housing is a little more affordable than typical for similar places, with median house prices 13% below the peer median. Green cover is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for major regional centres. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. The main trade-offs are lower school ICSEA scores and lower socio-economic advantage.
Overall, Taree suits people prioritising more affordable housing over school quality.
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
Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in New South Wales (276)
Strengths
Housing is a little more affordable than typical for similar places
Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
Weaknesses
School ICSEA scores are a relative weakness
Socio-economic advantage is well below comparable places
What stands out
Manning River
Myall Lakes
Space is a strength, but car dependence is high
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 Taree compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$690k
+4.5% change
Median rent
$510/wk
Houses $550 · Units $400
Population (ERP)
17,086
-0.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
6.4%
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
#396
among Country & regional · Mature
Crime rate
74th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
8th
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
39%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
1/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
28th
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
38.4/100 — Below average
National rank
4806th in Australia
State rank
1637th in NSW
Peer rank
#396 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#700 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
95%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$400
Houses (January to March 2026)
$550
All types (January to March 2026)
$510
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
263
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$690,000
Median price change
+4.5%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
-0.1% annual · +0.8% over 5 years · 8th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
-0.1%
5-year growth
+0.8%
Change in 1 year
-15
Change in 5 years
+135
Growth rank in NSW
8th 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 (~17,250), extrapolated at +0.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
16,715
Median age
45
Median household income / week
$968
Dwelling vacancy
6.4%
Unoccupied private dwellings
461 of 7,149
Median monthly mortgage
$1,300
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$289
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
38.2% / 23.1% / 38.7%
Employment rate
40.1%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
5% / 0.5% / 78.1%
Walked or cycled to work
3.8%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
5,223 / 794 / 643 (+ 14 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.
9.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 19.4% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified9.3% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified6.6% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational19.4% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below64.8% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce18.7%
Health17.3%
Engineering and related technologies15.7%
Society and culture15.6%
Education10.1%
Food, hospitality and personal services8.1%
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)
$49,146
26th percentile in NSW · -16% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$55,015
24th percentile in NSW · -15% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
12.0%
36th percentile in NSW · -13% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$71,220
51st percentile in NSW · +12% 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 2430 — 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
19,420
Taxpayers reporting net rent
2,331
Median net rent
$2,483
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,812
Taxable income vs state median
-12%
Salary / wages vs state median
-12%
Rental investment vs state median
-14%
Super vs state median
+1%
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
5.1% speak a language other than English at home; 9.8% born overseas
Language at home
14,513 English only · 780 other
Non-English at home
5.1%
Born overseas
1,486 (9.8%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
2,121 (12.7%)
Australian citizens
14,815
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
27
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Malayalam47 · 16.1%
Mandarin22 · 7.5%
Nepali19 · 6.5%
Punjabi18 · 6.2%
Arabic17 · 5.8%
Tagalog16 · 5.5%
Filipino14 · 4.8%
Urdu14 · 4.8%
Religion
51.9%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 51.9%, while 36.1% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
36.1%
32.8%
Christianity
51.9%
47.6%
Other / not stated
12%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Anglican
20.5%
11.9%
Catholic
15.2%
22.4%
Uniting Church
4.1%
2.1%
Presbyterian and Reformed
3%
1.9%
Christian (not further defined)
2.6%
2.4%
Baptist
2.3%
1.2%
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 2430, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
1,724
Against the person
503
Against property
570
Rate per 1,000 residents
100.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 33 residents
State crime-rate percentile
73.6th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-10.7%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
179
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
10.48
Most common offence types
Breach Apprehended Violence Order109
Breach Bail Conditions243
Domestic Violence Related Assault141
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment176
Malicious Damage To Property163
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
2
Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
869.5
Median ICSEA percentile
28th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
9
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
3
School list
Manning Gardens Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 724 · 2th percentile · LBOTE 1% · 207 students · Top SEA quarter 1% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
MidCoast Christian CollegeCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1015 · 54th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 787 students · Top SEA quarter 20% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Chatham HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Chatham PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Cundletown PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Lansdowne PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Manning Gardens PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Taree HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Taree PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Taree WPSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Tinonee PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Wingham Brush 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
Great for outdoor family life — 29 parks mapped in suburb
Well connected by public transport — 602 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
1.73
Shopping(2)
Town HeadGreengrocer
Bunnings WarehouseHardware store
Everyday services(1)
AstronPetrol station
Community(1)
Manning Gardens Public SchoolSchool
Taree
Health & services(2)
Mayo Private HospitalHospital
Colin Dry & Associates Vetinary ClinicVeterinary
Sport & outdoors(6)
Apex ParkNature reserve
Bayview ReserveNature reserve
Coocumbac Island Nature ReserveNature reserve
Edinburgh Drive ReserveNature reserve
Nathan ReserveNature reserve
Boronia ReservePark
Transport(6)
6 bus stops
Other(2)
Parking (10)
One Life Church TareePlace of worship
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
Places of worship
1 places of worship within ~1.5 km
One Life Church Taree
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
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
28° / 16°
Rainfall
372 mm · ~46 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
23° / 12°
Rainfall
329 mm · ~41 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
17° / 6°
Rainfall
148 mm · ~18 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
23° / 11°
Rainfall
218 mm · ~27 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport
23 BURRAWONG CRESCENT TAREE 2430Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
21 BUTEA DRIVE TAREE 2430Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
13 BALMARINGA PLACE TAREE 2430Under Assessment
Commercial development; Advertising and signage; Erection of a new structure
276 WINGHAM ROAD TAREE 2430On Exhibition
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
50 OXLEY STREET TAREE 2430Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
66 KING VALLEY DRIVE TAREE 2430Determined
Industrial development; Warehouse or distribution centre; Erection of a new structure
15 FLAMETREE CLOSE TAREE 2430Under Assessment
Shed; Erection of a new structure
20 BURRI STREET TAREE 2430Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
191 TARRUMBI WAY TAREE 2430On Exhibition
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
8 RAILTON AVENUE TAREE 2430Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
9 ALBAN STREET TAREE 2430Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces
19 BUTEA DRIVE TAREE 2430Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal)
138 COMMERCE STREET TAREE 2430Determined
August 2026
Independent living units; Residential care facility; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia
60 EDINBURGH DRIVE TAREE 2430Under Assessment
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
142 MANNING STREET TAREE 2430Under Assessment
Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Early Education and Care Facility; Centre-based child care
1-3 MILL CLOSE TAREE 2430Determined
Demolition; Shed; Erection of a new structure
4 BURRI STREET TAREE 2430Determined
Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure
89 PULTENEY STREET TAREE 2430Determined
Erection of a new structure; Telecommunications facility
16 LAWSON CRESCENT TAREE 2430Additional Information Requested
Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Rainwater tanks; Swimming pool
53 KING VALLEY DRIVE TAREE 2430Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
31 URARA LANE TAREE 2430Determined
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
26 HAYES LANE TAREE 2430Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
166 CEDAR PARTY ROAD TAREE 2430Determined
Signage; Advertising and signage; Business identification sign
202 BUSHLAND DRIVE TAREE 2430Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
93 BUSHLAND DRIVE TAREE 2430Additional Information Requested
Subdivision
TALAWONG DRIVE TAREE 2430Under Assessment
July 2026
Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure
15 MULDOON STREET TAREE 2430Determined
Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
14 KILLAWARRA DRIVE TAREE 2430Under Assessment
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
8 BOYCE STREET TAREE 2430Determined
Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
5 KILLAWARRA DRIVE TAREE 2430Determined
Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
9 KILLAWARRA DRIVE TAREE 2430Determined
Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
5 KILLAWARRA DRIVE TAREE 2430Determined
Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Retail Premise; Vehicle Sales or Hire Premises
37 ARKWRIGHT CRESCENT TAREE 2430Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
2 PATANGA CLOSE TAREE 2430Determined
Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Vehicle Sales or Hire Premises
15 OXLEY STREET TAREE 2430Additional Information Requested
Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space
121 EDINBURGH DRIVE TAREE 2430Determined
Erection of a new structure; Fences
7 PEPPER TREE WAY TAREE 2430Determined
Erection of a new structure; Landscaping structures; Supporting Development
42 MARIE AVENUE TAREE 2430Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure; Carport; Driveways and hard stand spaces
13 ROBUSTA PARADE TAREE 2430Determined
June 2026
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
Taree Railway Station GroupNorth Coat railway tareeSHR
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Heritage listings as established streetscape
Data sources & freshness
State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
Hazards
Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
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
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 7.4 km away).
Coalition 57.2%Labor 42.8%
2.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +1.5 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
Taree NorthLabor 42.2% · Coalition 57.8% TPP (2025)1.5 km away
Taree WestLabor 43.0% · Coalition 57.0% TPP (2025)1.7 km away
TareeLabor 43.7% · Coalition 56.3% TPP (2025)2.6 km away
ChathamLabor 42.3% · Coalition 57.7% TPP (2025)3.4 km away
TinoneeLabor 41.6% · Coalition 58.4% TPP (2025)5.4 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%)