Kempsey vs Pola Creek

Pola Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 43 in Kempsey. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Kempsey, about half of households rent and most households are people living alone. In Pola Creek, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Kempsey tends to suit renters and people living alone, while Pola Creek suits families with children, couples, and older residents.

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

Pola Creek

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 100/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (80% vs 40%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 68%)
  • But Kempsey has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Pola Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 31%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Kempsey

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (54% vs 12%)
  • has cheaper rent ($253/wk vs $280/wk)
  • But Pola Creek leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 29%)

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

Commuting to the city

Kempsey

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (423 km vs 425.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Kempsey is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)
  • Pola Creek carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 100/100)

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

Investors

Pola Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (28.4% vs 1.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kempsey Pola Creek
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.

Kempsey Pola Creek
Walkability 15 / 0
Kempsey — Walkability: 15/100 Pola Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 0 / 89
Kempsey — Safety: 0/100 Pola Creek — Safety: 89/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Kempsey — Low fire risk: 100/100 Pola Creek — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Kempsey has more residents (483 vs 86); Pola Creek has higher household incomes ($121,316 vs $45,812).

Kempsey Pola Creek
Population 483
+82% vs other
 86
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.9% +28.4%
Median age 43 40
Median household income $45,812/yr $121,316/yr
+165% vs other
Median weekly rent $253/wk $280/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kempsey Pola Creek
0-4 5.0% / 4.7%
Kempsey — 0-4: 5.0% Pola Creek — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 11.2% / 16.3%
Kempsey — 5-14: 11.2% Pola Creek — 5-14: 16.3%
15-19 5.6% / 3.5%
Kempsey — 15-19: 5.6% Pola Creek — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 5.8% / 4.7%
Kempsey — 20-24: 5.8% Pola Creek — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 13.5% / 10.5%
Kempsey — 25-34: 13.5% Pola Creek — 25-34: 10.5%
35-44 10.8% / 10.5%
Kempsey — 35-44: 10.8% Pola Creek — 35-44: 10.5%
45-54 14.7% / 10.5%
Kempsey — 45-54: 14.7% Pola Creek — 45-54: 10.5%
55-64 16.6% / 11.6%
Kempsey — 55-64: 16.6% Pola Creek — 55-64: 11.6%
65-74 10.1% / 15.1%
Kempsey — 65-74: 10.1% Pola Creek — 65-74: 15.1%
75-84 6.8% / 11.6%
Kempsey — 75-84: 6.8% Pola Creek — 75-84: 11.6%
85+ 1.2% / —
Kempsey — 85+: 1.2% Pola Creek — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kempsey 16.4% couple families
Kempsey — Couple Families: 16.4% Kempsey — Lone Person: 55.0% Kempsey — One Parent Families: 24.0% Kempsey — Group Household: 4.7%
Pola Creek 80.0% couple families
Pola Creek — Couple Families: 80.0% Pola Creek — Lone Person: 20.0% Pola Creek — One Parent Families: 0.0% Pola Creek — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kempsey 53.6% renting
Kempsey — Owned Outright: 30.4% Kempsey — Mortgage: 16.0% Kempsey — Renting: 53.6%
Pola Creek 12.0% renting
Pola Creek — Owned Outright: 36.0% Pola Creek — Mortgage: 52.0% Pola Creek — Renting: 12.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Kempsey Pola Creek
Thailand 0.8% / 4.7%
Kempsey — Thailand: 0.8% Pola Creek — Thailand: 4.7%
China 1.0% / —
Kempsey — China: 1.0% Pola Creek — China: not among its largest
Philippines 0.8% / —
Kempsey — Philippines: 0.8% Pola Creek — Philippines: not among its largest
Germany 0.8% / —
Kempsey — Germany: 0.8% Pola Creek — Germany: not among its largest
Nepal 0.8% / —
Kempsey — Nepal: 0.8% Pola Creek — Nepal: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

Qualifications

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

Kempsey Pola Creek
Certificate III & IV 15.1% / 20.9%
Kempsey — Certificate III & IV: 15.1% Pola Creek — Certificate III & IV: 20.9%
Bachelor Degree 5.2% / 7.0%
Kempsey — Bachelor Degree: 5.2% Pola Creek — Bachelor Degree: 7.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.8% / 3.5%
Kempsey — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8% Pola Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.0% / —
Kempsey — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0% Pola Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest
Postgraduate Degree 0.6% / —
Kempsey — Postgraduate Degree: 0.6% Pola Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kempsey 68.0% houses
Kempsey — Houses: 68.0% Kempsey — Flats / Apartments: 27.0% Kempsey — Townhouses: 5.0%
Pola Creek 100.0% houses
Pola Creek — Houses: 100.0% Pola Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Pola Creek — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Kempsey Pola Creek
Median house price $375,000 —
Median unit price $330,000 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 85 days
from 7 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Pola Creek has more rural and farming land (88% vs 52%); Kempsey has more land zoned for conservation (34% vs 9%).

Kempsey Pola Creek
Rural and farming 52% 88%
Environmental 34% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 3%
Commercial 4% 0%
Parks and recreation 3% 0%
Residential 1% 0%
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

Kempsey Pola Creek
New dwellings approved 144
across Kempsey
same for both
Approvals change year on year +380%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Kempsey Pola Creek
House price Higher than 12% of NSW —
Income Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 65% of NSW Higher than 43% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 69% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 8% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW

Liveability

Kempsey is more walkable (15 vs 0).

Kempsey Pola Creek
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Kempsey carries more crime risk (100 vs 11).

Kempsey Pola Creek
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
100/100
 Low
11/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Kempsey Pola Creek
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Kempsey Pola Creek
Supermarkets 5 0
Cafes & restaurants 9 0
Parks & reserves 4 0
Childcare 2 0
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 5 0
Fuel stations 6 0
Waterways 1 3

Mobility

Pola Creek sits further from the CBD (425.3 km vs 423 km).

Kempsey Pola Creek
Walkability score 15/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 423 km 425.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 284 min 285 min
Public transport score 45/100
Bus
 20/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 12.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 2.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 5 min
scheduled, not actual
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.

Kempsey Pola Creek
Car (driver) 64.2% / 85.7%
Kempsey — Car (driver): 64.2% Pola Creek — Car (driver): 85.7%
Walked Only 20.3% / —
Kempsey — Walked Only: 20.3% Pola Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest
Worked from Home 4.9% / 14.3%
Kempsey — Worked from Home: 4.9% Pola Creek — Worked from Home: 14.3%
Car (passenger) 10.6% / —
Kempsey — Car (passenger): 10.6% Pola Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.7%).

Setting

Kempsey Pola Creek
Elevation -1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 16.5 km 14.8 km

NBN connectivity

Kempsey Pola Creek
Connectivity score 55/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 19%
678 premises
 0%
29 premises

Council rates

Kempsey Pola Creek
Average residential rate $1,447/yr
same for both
Council Kempsey
same for both

Federal electorate

Kempsey Pola Creek
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kempsey Pola Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kempsey

Affordable Easy Commute

Pola Creek

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kempsey

Kempsey vs West Kempsey Kempsey vs South Kempsey Kempsey vs Frederickton Kempsey vs East Kempsey Kempsey vs Austral Eden Kempsey vs Hampden Hall

Other comparisons with Pola Creek

Pola Creek vs Frederickton Pola Creek vs Verges Creek Pola Creek vs Austral Eden Pola Creek vs Hampden Hall
Full data on Kempsey Full data on Pola Creek
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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