Located in New South Wales, Deer Vale sits 569 km from Sydney CBD, around 6 hours 35 minutes by car. The locality has 128 residents, a median age of 47, and a median household income of $58,500 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population fell 21.5% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $280 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,230. The area shows high bushfire risk and high crime risk. Walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 128. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
How do you rate the liveability in Deer Vale?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Short-Stay Rentals
2 active Airbnb listings: 2 whole homes and 0 rooms.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months.
Is Deer Vale safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Deer Vale sits in the moderate band, with 7 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 133% on the prior year.
7 offences
133.3% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20251 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Bellingen Shire Council has published 9 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Schools
Walkability
Deer Vale is very car-dependent on foot — at 17/100, nearly all errands require a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Deer Vale.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 52
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Bellingen: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Deer Vale is home to 128 residents, with a median age of 47, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $58,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
128
Median Age
47
Median Household Income
$58,500/yr
Census Median Rent
$280/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,230/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$29,172/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
30.8%
Total Dwellings
52
Owner-Occupier Rate
89.4%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
24.9%
Mortgage Stress
25.2%
Work From Home
34.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 82.8%
- English Spoken at Home
- 87.5%
- Employment Rate
- 56.4%
- Completed Year 12
- 35.2%
Occupations
Religion
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,592 a year through Bellingen based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 74%
- Environmental 26%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Bellingen
In the year to August 2026, 40 new dwellings were approved across Bellingen. That mix is 36 houses and 4 units. Approvals are up 12.5% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Dorrigo Plateau Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Setting
- Elevation
- 1,174 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Near high-voltage lines
- 4.9% of addresses
- 7 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
Elevation is the ground at the locality centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 2453, 10 of 2,555 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.5% (38 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2453, 795 rooftop-solar systems totalling 4.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,438 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 41 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Pat Conaghan The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Pat Conaghan | 40.9% | 59.1% | +0.5 |
| 2022 | Pat Conaghan | 40.5% | 59.5% | -2.4 |
| 2019 | Pat Conaghan | 38.1% | 61.9% | -0.7 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Michael Kemp The Nationals
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Michael Kemp NP | 62.8% |
| 2019 | Melinda Pavey NP | 64.9% |
| 2015 | Melinda Pavey NP | 60.9% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Deer Vale?
Every figure above is a locality average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 128 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Deer Vale to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Deer Vale
Is Deer Vale a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Deer Vale is moderate (64/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Deer Vale?
Deer Vale has a high recorded bushfire history (84/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Deer Vale?
Deer Vale, NSW had a population of 128 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Deer Vale, NSW?
The postcode for Deer Vale, NSW is 2453.
How far is Deer Vale from Sydney?
Deer Vale is 569 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 394 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Deer Vale?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Deer Vale was $58,500 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Deer Vale?
There are too few current rental listings in Deer Vale for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $280, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Deer Vale?
The median age of residents in Deer Vale was 47 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Deer Vale at risk of bushfire?
Deer Vale has a high recorded bushfire history (84/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
Is Deer Vale walkable?
Deer Vale scores 17/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Deer Vale?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Deer Vale belong to?
Deer Vale sits within the Bellingen local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Deer Vale?
The average residential rates bill through Bellingen is $1,592 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Deer Vale?
Across Bellingen, 40 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 12.5% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Deer Vale in?
Deer Vale sits within the federal Division of Cowper, currently held by Pat Conaghan (The Nationals).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2023
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.