Rainbow Reach vs Fishermans Reach
Rainbow Reach is the younger of the two, with a median age of 56 against 59 in Fishermans Reach. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Rainbow Reach, about half of households are people living alone. In Fishermans Reach, the large majority of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Rainbow Reach: a median of $1.25 million, against $885,000 in Fishermans Reach, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Fishermans Reach tends to suit people living alone 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
Rainbow Reach
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (39% vs 24%)
- carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 96/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
They split
one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here
- Rainbow Reach leaves households under less mortgage stress (10% vs 30%)
- Fishermans Reach has cheaper houses ($885,000 vs $1,250,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Fishermans Reach
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $300/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Rainbow Reach
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (447.3 km vs 467.7 km)
- has a shorter drive in (300 min vs 313 min)
- But Fishermans Reach is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here
- Rainbow Reach carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 96/100)
- Fishermans Reach is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Rainbow Reach
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (1.2% vs -8.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Rainbow Reach and Fishermans Reach drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Fishermans Reach has more residents (144 vs 84); Rainbow Reach has higher household incomes ($53,300 vs $38,428).
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 84 | 144 +71% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +1.2% | -8.3% |
| Median age | 56 | 59 |
| Median household income | $53,300/yr +28% vs other | $38,428/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk +17% vs other | $250/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.8%).
Property market
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,250,000 | $885,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $550,000 | — |
Zoning mix
Rainbow Reach has more rural and farming land (71% vs 25%); Fishermans Reach has more land zoned for conservation (74% vs 29%).
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental | 29% | 74% |
| Rural and farming | 71% | 25% |
| 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
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 144 across Kempsey same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +380% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 65% of NSW | Higher than 34% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 13% of NSW | Higher than 3% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 24% of NSW | Higher than 54% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 10% of NSW | Higher than 15% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 7% of NSW | Higher than 35% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 56% of NSW | Higher than 60% of NSW |
Liveability
Fishermans Reach is more walkable (8 vs 0).
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Fishermans Reach carries more bushfire risk (74 vs 13); Fishermans Reach carries more crime risk (96 vs 64).
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 13/100 | High 74/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 64/100 | High 96/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 | Low 28/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 3 same for both | |
Mobility
Fishermans Reach sits further from the CBD (467.7 km vs 447.3 km).
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 8/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 447.3 km | 467.7 km +5% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 300 min | 313 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.7%).
Setting
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 1 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 2 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 5.7 km | 1.7 km 3.4 km to a named beach |
NBN connectivity
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 39 premises | 0% 100 premises |
Council rates
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,447/yr same for both | |
| Council | Kempsey same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Cowper same for both | |
| Member | Pat Conaghan same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Rainbow Reach | Fishermans Reach | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Rainbow Reach
Other comparisons with Fishermans Reach
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.