NSW · Clarence Valley Council
Townsend, NSW, 2463
Desirability index
#314 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Suburb snapshot
Townsend is a small locality in the Clarence Valley area, home to around 991 residents (2021 Census). Recent indicators show 496 offences in Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 with relatively stable year-on-year trends (-3%), roughly 500.5 offences per 1,000 residents, median weekly rent around $580, 2 school and preschool sites in the area, strong public transport coverage with many public transport stops, a quieter amenity profile than busier neighbouring suburbs, and notable planning and development activity on record. Use the sections below for detailed population, safety, schools, and local activity data.
Population
- Population
- 991
- Median age
- 42
- Median household income / week
- $1,044
- Dwelling vacancy
- 5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 21 of 419
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,419
- Employment rate
- 47%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 44 / 27 / 0
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $580
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 496
- Against the person
- 167
- Against property
- 189
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 500.5
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 6 residents
- State safety percentile
- 24.5th (lower crime is better)
- Year-on-year change
- -2.6%
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order30
- Domestic Violence Related Assault32
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment63
- Malicious Damage To Property41
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault38
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 2
- Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
- 968
- Pacific Valley Christian SchoolCombined
- Valley Hope Christian SchoolSpecial
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
16 public transport stops in this suburb
- Brooms Head Rd At Armstrong Rd
- Brooms Head Rd Opp Cedar Dr
- Diamond St Opp Sapphire Cl
- Jubilee St At Koala Dr
- Jubilee St At Scullin St
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
112 planning-related records
2026· 8 proposals
June 2026
- Shed; Erection of a new structure32 EDINBURGH DRIVE TOWNSEND 2463Under Assessment
May 2026
- Industrial development; Erection of a new structure; General industry6C IRONBARK DRIVE TOWNSEND 2463Under Assessment
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool8 KINTYRE CLOSE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure21 KINTYRE CLOSE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
March 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure21 BROCKAGH COURT TOWNSEND 2463Determined
January 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Artisan food and drink industry5 RE ROAD TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Carport7 AMBER CLOSE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah22 CYPRESS STREET TOWNSEND 2463Determined
2025· 19 proposals
December 2025
- Demolition; Industrial development; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure107 JUBILEE STREET TOWNSEND 2463Under Assessment
November 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool24 CELTIC CIRCUIT TOWNSEND 2463Determined
September 2025
- Shed; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure25 CELTIC CIRCUIT TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation14 SAPPHIRE CLOSE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
August 2025
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)12 KINTYRE CLOSE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Food and drink premise; Light industry7 IRONBARK DRIVE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
July 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure6 BROCKAGH COURT TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; General industry7 IRONBARK DRIVE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
June 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Carport4 SKYE PLACE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support9 BROCKAGH COURT TOWNSEND 2463Determined
April 2025
- Subdivision7 PINE AVENUE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; General industryRE ROAD TOWNSEND 2463Determined
March 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation3 BROCKAGH COURT TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport7 AMBER CLOSE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool19 SAPPHIRE CLOSE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
February 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure15 BROCKAGH COURT TOWNSEND 2463Determined
January 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Supporting Development8 EDINBURGH DRIVE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Subdivision107 JUBILEE STREET TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Storage premises; Light industry10 THINK ROAD TOWNSEND 2463Determined
2024· 9 proposals
November 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure7 ARMSTRONG ROAD TOWNSEND 2463Determined
October 2024
- Erection of a new structure; CarportJUBILEE STREET TOWNSEND 2463Determined
August 2024
- Educational establishment; Erection of a new structure; School8 EDINBURGH DRIVE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
July 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structureJUBILEE STREET TOWNSEND 2463Determined
March 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure4 DUNKELD PLACE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Vehicle repair station107 JUBILEE STREET TOWNSEND 2463Determined
February 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Community facility114 JUBILEE STREET TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure12 DUNKELD PLACE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
January 2024
- Industrial development; Erection of a new structure; Light industry107 JUBILEE STREET TOWNSEND 2463Determined
2023· 15 proposals
November 2023
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; General industry119 JUBILEE STREET TOWNSEND 2463Determined
October 2023
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure11 KINTYRE CLOSE TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Subdivision19A CELTIC CIRCUIT TOWNSEND 2463Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Highway service centre2 SCHWONBERG STREET TOWNSEND 2463Determined
2022· 32 proposals
32 proposals lodged in 2022. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.
2021· 18 proposals
18 proposals lodged in 2021. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.
2020· 11 proposals
11 proposals lodged in 2020. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020; 2020–2026; 2021… · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
9 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Sanctus Brewing Co.Bar
- Townsend General StoreConvenience store
- MI Organics TownsendGarden Centre
Paperbark Drive, Townsend
- Maclean Community PreschoolKindergarten
- Pacific Valley Christian SchoolKindergarten
- LibertyPetrol station
- Lower Clarence Baptist ChurchPlace of worship
- Playground
- Public toilets
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 1/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Childcare
2 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Maclean Community Preschoolkindergarten
- Pacific Valley Christian Schoolkindergarten
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Desirability index
- Desirability score
- 32.0/100
- Cohort rank
- #314 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Brooms Head Rd At Armstrong Rdtransport
- Brooms Head Rd Opp Cedar Drtransport
- Diamond St Opp Sapphire Cltransport
- Jubilee St At Koala Drtransport
- Jubilee St At Scullin Sttransport
- Maclean Community Preschoolchildcarekindergarten
- Pacific Valley Christian Schoolchildcarekindergarten
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Artisan food and drink industryplanning5 RE ROAD TOWNSEND 2463Lodged 27 Jan 2026 · Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandahplanning22 CYPRESS STREET TOWNSEND 2463Lodged 13 Jan 2026 · Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carportplanning7 AMBER CLOSE TOWNSEND 2463Lodged 20 Mar 2025 · Determined
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
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