South Kempsey vs West Kempsey

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in West Kempsey: a median of $470,000, against $415,000 in South Kempsey, and rent is higher there too.

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

West Kempsey

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (7 vs 2)
  • has more parks and reserves (10 vs 3)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

South Kempsey

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($415,000 vs $470,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

South Kempsey

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (25% vs 31%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • South Kempsey sits closer to the CBD (421.4 km vs 423.9 km)
  • West Kempsey is more walkable (55/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

West Kempsey

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (55/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • South Kempsey is growing faster (13.1% vs 3.1%)
  • West Kempsey returns a higher gross yield on houses (5.2% vs 4.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

South Kempsey and West 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.

South Kempsey West 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.

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Walkability 0 / 55
South Kempsey — Walkability: 0/100 West Kempsey — Walkability: 55/100
Safety 3 / 4
South Kempsey — Safety: 3/100 West Kempsey — Safety: 4/100
Low fire risk 33 / 63
South Kempsey — Low fire risk: 33/100 West Kempsey — Low fire risk: 63/100

Demographics

West Kempsey has more residents (5,073 vs 2,604); South Kempsey has higher household incomes ($55,848 vs $48,100).

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Population 2,604 5,073
+95% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +13.1% +3.1%
Median age 42 40
Median household income $55,848/yr
+14% vs other
 $48,100/yr
Median weekly rent $270/wk $290/wk
+7% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

South Kempsey West Kempsey
0-4 5.6% / 6.5%
South Kempsey — 0-4: 5.6% West Kempsey — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 15.4% / 14.2%
South Kempsey — 5-14: 15.4% West Kempsey — 5-14: 14.2%
15-19 7.0% / 7.3%
South Kempsey — 15-19: 7.0% West Kempsey — 15-19: 7.3%
20-24 4.6% / 5.7%
South Kempsey — 20-24: 4.6% West Kempsey — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 10.5% / 10.5%
South Kempsey — 25-34: 10.5% West Kempsey — 25-34: 10.5%
35-44 10.8% / 9.9%
South Kempsey — 35-44: 10.8% West Kempsey — 35-44: 9.9%
45-54 12.9% / 10.5%
South Kempsey — 45-54: 12.9% West Kempsey — 45-54: 10.5%
55-64 14.2% / 11.6%
South Kempsey — 55-64: 14.2% West Kempsey — 55-64: 11.6%
65-74 11.6% / 11.6%
South Kempsey — 65-74: 11.6% West Kempsey — 65-74: 11.6%
75-84 6.1% / 8.3%
South Kempsey — 75-84: 6.1% West Kempsey — 75-84: 8.3%
85+ 1.4% / 3.9%
South Kempsey — 85+: 1.4% West Kempsey — 85+: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

South Kempsey 34.7% lone person
South Kempsey — Lone Person: 34.7% South Kempsey — One Parent Families: 24.9% South Kempsey — Couple Families: 31.2% South Kempsey — Group Household: 7.1% South Kempsey — Other Families: 2.2%
West Kempsey 42.5% lone person
West Kempsey — Lone Person: 42.5% West Kempsey — One Parent Families: 29.7% West Kempsey — Couple Families: 21.7% West Kempsey — Group Household: 3.4% West Kempsey — Other Families: 2.8%
Lone Person One Parent Families Couple Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

South Kempsey 34.5% renting
South Kempsey — Owned Outright: 36.0% South Kempsey — Mortgage: 29.5% South Kempsey — Renting: 34.5%
West Kempsey 40.7% renting
West Kempsey — Owned Outright: 34.0% West Kempsey — Mortgage: 25.3% West Kempsey — Renting: 40.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Certificate III & IV 15.6% / 15.8%
South Kempsey — Certificate III & IV: 15.6% West Kempsey — Certificate III & IV: 15.8%
Bachelor Degree 5.1% / 4.0%
South Kempsey — Bachelor Degree: 5.1% West Kempsey — Bachelor Degree: 4.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.0% / 4.0%
South Kempsey — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0% West Kempsey — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.0%
Postgraduate Degree 1.2% / 0.7%
South Kempsey — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2% West Kempsey — Postgraduate Degree: 0.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.3% / 0.8%
South Kempsey — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.3% West Kempsey — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

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.

South Kempsey West Kempsey
England 1.0% / 1.6%
South Kempsey — England: 1.0% West Kempsey — England: 1.6%
New Zealand 1.0% / 0.6%
South Kempsey — New Zealand: 1.0% West Kempsey — New Zealand: 0.6%
Philippines 0.8% / 0.8%
South Kempsey — Philippines: 0.8% West Kempsey — Philippines: 0.8%
Germany 0.4% / 0.3%
South Kempsey — Germany: 0.4% West Kempsey — Germany: 0.3%
India 0.2% / 0.5%
South Kempsey — India: 0.2% West Kempsey — India: 0.5%
China 0.3% / 0.2%
South Kempsey — China: 0.3% West Kempsey — China: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

South Kempsey 90.4% houses
South Kempsey — Houses: 90.4% South Kempsey — Flats / Apartments: 8.9% South Kempsey — Townhouses: 0.7%
West Kempsey 88.5% houses
West Kempsey — Houses: 88.5% West Kempsey — Flats / Apartments: 9.1% West Kempsey — Townhouses: 2.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Median house price $415,000 $470,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $320,000 $357,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 52 days
from 28 sales
 38 days
from 44 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.

South Kempsey West Kempsey
2 bed $402K / $406K
South Kempsey — 2 bed: $402K (10 sales) West Kempsey — 2 bed: $406K (14 sales)

10 vs 14 sales

3 bed $408K / $475K
South Kempsey — 3 bed: $408K (43 sales) West Kempsey — 3 bed: $475K (67 sales)

43 vs 67 sales

4 bed $384K / $547K
South Kempsey — 4 bed: $384K (12 sales) West Kempsey — 4 bed: $547K (15 sales)

12 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

South Kempsey has more rural and farming land (64% vs 43%).

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Rural and farming 64% 43%
Residential 14% 31%
Environmental 11% 13%
Parks and recreation 1% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 3%
Industrial 4% 1%
Commercial 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

South Kempsey West 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.

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Houses 4.7%
$550/wk on $610K
 5.2%
$500/wk on $499K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

South Kempsey West Kempsey
House price Higher than 13% of NSW
same for both
Income Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 9% of NSW
Schools Higher than 28% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 8% of NSW Higher than 7% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 71% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW

Liveability

West Kempsey is more walkable (55 vs 0); West Kempsey scores higher overall (26 vs 8).

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Grade D
same for both
Score 8/100 26/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

South Kempsey carries more bushfire risk (67 vs 37).

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Bushfire Moderate
67/100
 Low
37/100
Crime High
97/100
 High
96/100
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 3
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

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

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

Schools in West Kempsey

  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Kempsey West Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Paul's College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Kempsey High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 1 3
Parks & reserves 3 10
Childcare 2 7
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 5 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 10 1

Mobility

West Kempsey sits further from the CBD (423.9 km vs 421.4 km).

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Walkability score 0/100 55/100
Distance to Sydney 421.4 km 423.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 289 min 286 min
Public transport score 47/100
Bus
 63/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 21.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 53.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 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.

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Car (driver) 81.3% / 81.2%
South Kempsey — Car (driver): 81.3% West Kempsey — Car (driver): 81.2%
Car (passenger) 6.4% / 10.0%
South Kempsey — Car (passenger): 6.4% West Kempsey — Car (passenger): 10.0%
Worked from Home 8.3% / 3.4%
South Kempsey — Worked from Home: 8.3% West Kempsey — Worked from Home: 3.4%
Walked Only 3.5% / 4.2%
South Kempsey — Walked Only: 3.5% West Kempsey — Walked Only: 4.2%
Bus 0.6% / 0.9%
South Kempsey — Bus: 0.6% West Kempsey — Bus: 0.9%

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

Setting

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Elevation 34 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 13.7 km 18.0 km

NBN connectivity

South Kempsey West Kempsey
Connectivity score 54/100 63/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 26%
1,298 premises
 33%
2,508 premises

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

South Kempsey

Acreage Affordable

West Kempsey

Affordable Large Blocks Parks

More comparisons

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South Kempsey vs Crescent Head South Kempsey vs East Kempsey South Kempsey vs Dondingalong South Kempsey vs Kundabung South Kempsey vs Kempsey South Kempsey vs Euroka

Other comparisons with West Kempsey

West Kempsey vs Frederickton West Kempsey vs Greenhill West Kempsey vs Collombatti West Kempsey vs Kempsey West Kempsey vs Euroka
Full data on South Kempsey Full data on West Kempsey
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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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