Crescent Head vs South Kempsey

South Kempsey is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 50 in Crescent Head. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Crescent Head, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Crescent Head: a median of $1.2 million, against $415,000 in South Kempsey, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Crescent Head tends to suit people living alone, while South Kempsey suits families with children 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

South Kempsey

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • is already more of a family suburb (56% vs 46%)
  • But Crescent Head carries lower crime risk (84/100 vs 97/100)

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

First-home buyers

South Kempsey

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($415,000 vs $1,200,000)
  • has cheaper land ($320,000 vs $783,500)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

South Kempsey

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($270/wk vs $320/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

South Kempsey

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (421.4 km vs 437.8 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (289 min vs 296 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Crescent Head

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 19%)
  • carries lower crime risk (84/100 vs 97/100)

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

Investors

South Kempsey

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.7% vs 2.3%)
  • is growing faster (13.1% vs 6.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Crescent Head and South Kempsey 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 South Kempsey
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 South Kempsey
Walkability 0 / 0
Crescent Head — Walkability: 0/100 South Kempsey — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 16 / 3
Crescent Head — Safety: 16/100 South Kempsey — Safety: 3/100
Low fire risk 24 / 33
Crescent Head — Low fire risk: 24/100 South Kempsey — Low fire risk: 33/100

Demographics

South Kempsey has more residents (2,604 vs 1,633); Crescent Head has higher household incomes ($68,484 vs $55,848).

Crescent Head South Kempsey
Population 1,633 2,604
+59% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.7% +13.1%
Median age 50 42
Median household income $68,484/yr
+18% vs other
 $55,848/yr
Median weekly rent $320/wk
+16% vs other
 $270/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Crescent Head South Kempsey
0-4 4.8% / 5.6%
Crescent Head — 0-4: 4.8% South Kempsey — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 10.4% / 15.4%
Crescent Head — 5-14: 10.4% South Kempsey — 5-14: 15.4%
15-19 4.3% / 7.0%
Crescent Head — 15-19: 4.3% South Kempsey — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 3.4% / 4.6%
Crescent Head — 20-24: 3.4% South Kempsey — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 9.0% / 10.5%
Crescent Head — 25-34: 9.0% South Kempsey — 25-34: 10.5%
35-44 10.1% / 10.8%
Crescent Head — 35-44: 10.1% South Kempsey — 35-44: 10.8%
45-54 12.9% / 12.9%
Crescent Head — 45-54: 12.9% South Kempsey — 45-54: 12.9%
55-64 18.7% / 14.2%
Crescent Head — 55-64: 18.7% South Kempsey — 55-64: 14.2%
65-74 17.5% / 11.6%
Crescent Head — 65-74: 17.5% South Kempsey — 65-74: 11.6%
75-84 6.5% / 6.1%
Crescent Head — 75-84: 6.5% South Kempsey — 75-84: 6.1%
85+ 1.6% / 1.4%
Crescent Head — 85+: 1.6% South Kempsey — 85+: 1.4%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Crescent Head 46.5% lone person
Crescent Head — Lone Person: 46.5% Crescent Head — Couple Families: 30.0% Crescent Head — One Parent Families: 16.3% Crescent Head — Group Household: 6.3% Crescent Head — Other Families: 0.9%
South Kempsey 34.7% lone person
South Kempsey — Lone Person: 34.7% South Kempsey — Couple Families: 31.2% South Kempsey — One Parent Families: 24.9% South Kempsey — Group Household: 7.1% South Kempsey — Other Families: 2.2%
Lone Person Couple Families 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%
South Kempsey 34.5% renting
South Kempsey — Owned Outright: 36.0% South Kempsey — Mortgage: 29.5% South Kempsey — Renting: 34.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Crescent Head South Kempsey
Certificate III & IV 19.4% / 15.6%
Crescent Head — Certificate III & IV: 19.4% South Kempsey — Certificate III & IV: 15.6%
Bachelor Degree 12.6% / 5.1%
Crescent Head — Bachelor Degree: 12.6% South Kempsey — Bachelor Degree: 5.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 5.0%
Crescent Head — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% South Kempsey — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0%
Postgraduate Degree 2.3% / 1.2%
Crescent Head — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3% South Kempsey — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 0.3%
Crescent Head — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% South Kempsey — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.4%).

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 South Kempsey
England 3.3% / 1.0%
Crescent Head — England: 3.3% South Kempsey — England: 1.0%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.0%
Crescent Head — New Zealand: 1.2% South Kempsey — New Zealand: 1.0%
Philippines 0.8% / 0.8%
Crescent Head — Philippines: 0.8% South Kempsey — Philippines: 0.8%
Germany 0.7% / 0.4%
Crescent Head — Germany: 0.7% South Kempsey — Germany: 0.4%
South Africa 0.6% / —
Crescent Head — South Africa: 0.6% South Kempsey — South Africa: not among its largest
China — / 0.3%
Crescent Head — China: not among its largest South Kempsey — China: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Crescent Head 82.3% houses
Crescent Head — Houses: 82.3% Crescent Head — Flats / Apartments: 8.8% Crescent Head — Townhouses: 8.9%
South Kempsey 90.4% houses
South Kempsey — Houses: 90.4% South Kempsey — Flats / Apartments: 8.9% South Kempsey — Townhouses: 0.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Crescent Head South Kempsey
Median house price $1,200,000 $415,000
Median unit price $665,000 —
Median land price $783,500 $320,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 80 days
from 14 sales
 52 days
from 28 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Crescent Head South Kempsey
3 bed $1.07M / $408K
Crescent Head — 3 bed: $1.07M (11 sales) South Kempsey — 3 bed: $408K (43 sales)

11 vs 43 sales

4 bed $1.39M / $384K
Crescent Head — 4 bed: $1.39M (12 sales) South Kempsey — 4 bed: $384K (12 sales)

12 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

Crescent Head has more land zoned for conservation (60% vs 11%); South Kempsey has more rural and farming land (64% vs 39%).

Crescent Head South Kempsey
Rural and farming 39% 64%
Environmental 60% 11%
Residential 1% 14%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 5%
Industrial 0% 4%
Parks and recreation 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 South Kempsey
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 South Kempsey
Houses 2.3%
$600/wk on $1.38M
 4.7%
$550/wk on $610K
Units 3.5%
$465/wk on $686K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Crescent Head South Kempsey
House price Higher than 53% of NSW Higher than 13% of NSW
Income Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 16% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 28% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 8% of NSW Higher than 35% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 80% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 8% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 4% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 11% of NSW —

Liveability

Crescent Head scores higher overall (17 vs 8).

Crescent Head South Kempsey
Grade D
same for both
Score 17/100 8/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

South Kempsey carries more crime risk (97 vs 84).

Crescent Head South Kempsey
Bushfire High
76/100
 Moderate
67/100
Crime High
84/100
 High
97/100
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
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Crescent Head South Kempsey
Inside the suburb 1 4
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 1 2

Schools in Crescent Head

  • Crescent Head Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in South Kempsey

  • Kempsey Adventist School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Melville High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Kempsey South Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Macleay Vocational College Independent · Secondary · Special school below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Crescent Head South Kempsey
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 5 3
Childcare 2
same for both
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 0 5
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 9 10

Mobility

Crescent Head sits further from the CBD (437.8 km vs 421.4 km).

Crescent Head South Kempsey
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 437.8 km
+4% vs other
 421.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 296 min 289 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2440
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 2440
same for both

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 South Kempsey
Car (driver) 72.8% / 81.3%
Crescent Head — Car (driver): 72.8% South Kempsey — Car (driver): 81.3%
Worked from Home 16.5% / 8.3%
Crescent Head — Worked from Home: 16.5% South Kempsey — Worked from Home: 8.3%
Car (passenger) 4.3% / 6.4%
Crescent Head — Car (passenger): 4.3% South Kempsey — Car (passenger): 6.4%
Walked Only 6.4% / 3.5%
Crescent Head — Walked Only: 6.4% South Kempsey — Walked Only: 3.5%
Bus — / 0.6%
Crescent Head — Bus: not among its largest South Kempsey — Bus: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.3%).

Setting

Crescent Head South Kempsey
Elevation 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 34 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 South Kempsey
Connectivity score 61/100 54/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 18%
971 premises
 26%
1,298 premises

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Crescent Head South Kempsey
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

South Kempsey

Acreage Affordable

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Crescent Head

Crescent Head vs Kundabung Crescent Head vs Cooperabung Crescent Head vs Belmore River

Other comparisons with South Kempsey

South Kempsey vs West Kempsey South Kempsey vs East Kempsey South Kempsey vs Dondingalong South Kempsey vs Kundabung South Kempsey vs Kempsey South Kempsey vs Euroka
Full data on Crescent Head Full data on South Kempsey
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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