Crescent Head vs Kundabung

Kundabung is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 50 in Crescent Head. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Crescent Head, about half of households are people living alone. In Kundabung, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Crescent Head: a median of $1.2 million, against $940,000 in Kundabung, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Crescent Head tends to suit people living alone, while Kundabung suits families with children, couples, and buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Kundabung

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 46%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 82%)
  • But Crescent Head has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Crescent Head has cheaper land ($783,500 vs $1,082,500)
  • Kundabung has cheaper houses ($940,000 vs $1,200,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Kundabung

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($280/wk vs $320/wk)
  • But Crescent Head has a bigger rental market to choose from (25% vs 9%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Kundabung

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (269 min vs 296 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (406.3 km vs 437.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Crescent Head has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 19%)
  • Kundabung is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Crescent Head

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.7% vs -2.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Crescent Head and Kundabung drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Crescent Head Kundabung
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Crescent Head Kundabung
Walkability 0 / 10
Crescent Head — Walkability: 0/100 Kundabung — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 16 / 25
Crescent Head — Safety: 16/100 Kundabung — Safety: 25/100
Low fire risk 24 / 37
Crescent Head — Low fire risk: 24/100 Kundabung — Low fire risk: 37/100

Demographics

Crescent Head has more residents (1,633 vs 616); Crescent Head rents higher ($320/wk vs $280/wk).

Crescent Head Kundabung
Population 1,633
+62% vs other
 616
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.7% -2.2%
Median age 50 45
Median household income $68,484/yr $75,296/yr
+10% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk
+12% vs other
 $280/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Crescent Head Kundabung
0-4 4.8% / 6.2%
Crescent Head — 0-4: 4.8% Kundabung — 0-4: 6.2%
5-14 10.4% / 13.3%
Crescent Head — 5-14: 10.4% Kundabung — 5-14: 13.3%
15-19 4.3% / 8.3%
Crescent Head — 15-19: 4.3% Kundabung — 15-19: 8.3%
20-24 3.4% / 4.9%
Crescent Head — 20-24: 3.4% Kundabung — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 9.0% / 6.8%
Crescent Head — 25-34: 9.0% Kundabung — 25-34: 6.8%
35-44 10.1% / 10.4%
Crescent Head — 35-44: 10.1% Kundabung — 35-44: 10.4%
45-54 12.9% / 16.1%
Crescent Head — 45-54: 12.9% Kundabung — 45-54: 16.1%
55-64 18.7% / 16.2%
Crescent Head — 55-64: 18.7% Kundabung — 55-64: 16.2%
65-74 17.5% / 11.9%
Crescent Head — 65-74: 17.5% Kundabung — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 6.5% / 5.7%
Crescent Head — 75-84: 6.5% Kundabung — 75-84: 5.7%
85+ 1.6% / 1.3%
Crescent Head — 85+: 1.6% Kundabung — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Crescent Head 30.0% couple families
Crescent Head — Couple Families: 30.0% Crescent Head — Lone Person: 46.5% Crescent Head — One Parent Families: 16.3% Crescent Head — Group Household: 6.3% Crescent Head — Other Families: 0.9%
Kundabung 56.7% couple families
Kundabung — Couple Families: 56.7% Kundabung — Lone Person: 23.6% Kundabung — One Parent Families: 19.7% Kundabung — Group Household: 0.0% Kundabung — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Crescent Head 24.9% renting
Crescent Head — Owned Outright: 52.0% Crescent Head — Mortgage: 23.0% Crescent Head — Renting: 24.9%
Kundabung 9.1% renting
Kundabung — Owned Outright: 43.5% Kundabung — Mortgage: 47.4% Kundabung — Renting: 9.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Crescent Head Kundabung
Certificate III & IV 19.4% / 21.4%
Crescent Head — Certificate III & IV: 19.4% Kundabung — Certificate III & IV: 21.4%
Bachelor Degree 12.6% / 8.6%
Crescent Head — Bachelor Degree: 12.6% Kundabung — Bachelor Degree: 8.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 8.0%
Crescent Head — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% Kundabung — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Postgraduate Degree 2.3% / 2.1%
Crescent Head — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3% Kundabung — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 1.3%
Crescent Head — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Kundabung — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Crescent Head Kundabung
England 3.3% / 4.4%
Crescent Head — England: 3.3% Kundabung — England: 4.4%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.8%
Crescent Head — New Zealand: 1.2% Kundabung — New Zealand: 1.8%
Philippines 0.8% / —
Crescent Head — Philippines: 0.8% Kundabung — Philippines: not among its largest
Germany 0.7% / —
Crescent Head — Germany: 0.7% Kundabung — Germany: not among its largest
South Africa 0.6% / —
Crescent Head — South Africa: 0.6% Kundabung — South Africa: not among its largest
Indonesia — / 0.6%
Crescent Head — Indonesia: not among its largest Kundabung — Indonesia: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Crescent Head 82.3% houses
Crescent Head — Houses: 82.3% Crescent Head — Townhouses: 8.9% Crescent Head — Flats / Apartments: 8.8%
Kundabung 100.0% houses
Kundabung — Houses: 100.0% Kundabung — Townhouses: 0.0% Kundabung — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Crescent Head Kundabung
Median house price $1,200,000 $940,000
Median unit price $665,000 —
Median land price $783,500 $1,082,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 80 days
from 14 sales
 30 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Kundabung has more rural and farming land (85% vs 39%); Crescent Head has more land zoned for conservation (60% vs 13%).

Crescent Head Kundabung
Rural and farming 39% 85%
Environmental 60% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Crescent Head Kundabung
New dwellings approved 144
across Kempsey
same for both
Approvals change year on year +380%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Crescent Head Kundabung
Houses 2.3%
$600/wk on $1.38M
 —
Units 3.5%
$465/wk on $686K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Crescent Head Kundabung
House price Higher than 53% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Income Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 43% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 8% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 35% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 4% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 11% of NSW —

Liveability

Kundabung is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Crescent Head Kundabung
Grade D
same for both
Score 17/100 19/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Crescent Head carries more bushfire risk (76 vs 63).

Crescent Head Kundabung
Bushfire High
76/100
 Moderate
63/100
Crime High
84/100
 High
75/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
60/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Crescent Head Kundabung
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Crescent Head

  • Crescent Head Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Kundabung

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Crescent Head Kundabung
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 5 1
Childcare 2 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 9
same for both

Mobility

Crescent Head sits further from the CBD (437.8 km vs 406.3 km).

Crescent Head Kundabung
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Sydney 437.8 km
+7% vs other
 406.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 296 min 269 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2440
 0.4%
postcode 2441
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 2440
 72
postcode 2441

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Crescent Head Kundabung
Car (driver) 72.8% / 83.3%
Crescent Head — Car (driver): 72.8% Kundabung — Car (driver): 83.3%
Worked from Home 16.5% / 14.2%
Crescent Head — Worked from Home: 16.5% Kundabung — Worked from Home: 14.2%
Walked Only 6.4% / 1.3%
Crescent Head — Walked Only: 6.4% Kundabung — Walked Only: 1.3%
Car (passenger) 4.3% / 1.3%
Crescent Head — Car (passenger): 4.3% Kundabung — Car (passenger): 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.3%).

Setting

Crescent Head Kundabung
Elevation 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 23 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.7 km
3.9 km to a named beach
 13.7 km

NBN connectivity

Crescent Head Kundabung
Connectivity score 61/100 16/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 18%
971 premises
 0%
98 premises

Air quality (annual mean)

Crescent Head Kundabung
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 11.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.92 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Crescent Head Kundabung
Average residential rate $1,447/yr
same for both
Council Kempsey
same for both

Federal electorate

Crescent Head Kundabung
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Crescent Head Kundabung
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Crescent Head

Retirees Rural

Kundabung

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Crescent Head

Crescent Head vs South Kempsey Crescent Head vs Cooperabung Crescent Head vs Belmore River

Other comparisons with Kundabung

Kundabung vs South Kempsey Kundabung vs Dondingalong Kundabung vs Cooperabung Kundabung vs Gum Scrub
Full data on Crescent Head Full data on Kundabung
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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