Harwood is a rural locality in New South Wales, 649 km from Sydney CBD, around 7 hours by car. Population is 346; the median age is 45 and the median household income is $57,252 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The locality grew 18.9% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $330 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,300. Harwood is characterised by high crime risk. 1 school sits within the locality boundary, and 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 346. 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 Harwood?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataHarwood's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $705,000, roughly 50% above where it sat a year earlier. That said, only six sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.
$705,000
Based on only 6 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Short-Stay Rentals
2 active Airbnb listings: 2 whole homes and 0 rooms. Whole homes are about 1.4% of the locality's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Harwood safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Harwood sits in the high band, with 19 incidents recorded in 2025 — up about 6% on the prior year.
19 offences
5.6% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20251 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
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
Clarence Valley Council has published 10 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 3.0 km
- Rate
- -0.18 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -4.6 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
One school serve Harwood, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 34 students in one school (avg 34)
Primary
Walkability
Harwood is very car-dependent on foot — at 15/100, nearly all errands require a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Harwood.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 2.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 0.9 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 0.2 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 5 min
- Span of service
- 9.7 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Harwood.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 163
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
Clarence Valley: 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
Harwood is home to 346 residents, with a median age of 45, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $57,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
346
Median Age
45
Median Household Income
$57,252/yr
Census Median Rent
$330/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,300/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$30,836/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
11.1%
Total Dwellings
135
Owner-Occupier Rate
71.3%
Houses
99.3%
Rental Stress
30.0%
Mortgage Stress
27.2%
Work From Home
6.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 87.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 91.0%
- Employment Rate
- 53.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 24.9%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,380 a year through Clarence Valley based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 73%
- Environmental 25%
- Infrastructure and transport 2%
- Zones under 1% 1%
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: Clarence Valley
In the year to August 2026, 246 new dwellings were approved across Clarence Valley. That mix is 213 houses and 33 units. Approvals are down 80.4% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Yaegl 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.
Climate & Setting
from Harwood Island (Harwood Sugar Mill), 1.2 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 1 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 3.0 km
- Annual rainfall
- 1,408 mm
- 108 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
1 facility within 5 km- 1.1 kmSugar ManufacturingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
EV adoption
In postcode 2465, 3 of 282 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.5% (7 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2465, 64 rooftop-solar systems totalling 0.5 MW have been installed since 2001, against 148 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 2 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).
Mortgage repayments
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $705,000 this is $105,000 above the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Kevin Hogan The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kevin Hogan | 40.7% | 59.3% | +1.4 |
| 2022 | Kevin Hogan | 39.3% | 60.7% | +1.3 |
| 2019 | Kevin Hogan | 40.5% | 59.5% | +7.2 |
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 Richie Williamson The Nationals
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Richie Williamson NP | 64.2% |
| 2019 | Chris Gulaptis NP | 64.5% |
| 2015 | Chris Gulaptis NP | 59.7% |
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 Harwood?
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 346 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
Maclean NSW 2463
Palmers Island NSW 2463
Ashby NSW 2463
Ashby Heights NSW 2463
James Creek NSW 2463
Chatsworth NSW 2469
Compare Harwood 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 Harwood
Is Harwood a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Harwood is high (74/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Harwood?
Harwood has a low recorded bushfire history (12/100, 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 Harwood?
Harwood, NSW had a population of 346 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Harwood, NSW?
The postcode for Harwood, NSW is 2465.
How far is Harwood from Sydney?
Harwood is 649 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 421 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Harwood?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Harwood was $57,252 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 Harwood?
There are too few current rental listings in Harwood for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $330, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Harwood?
The median age of residents in Harwood was 45 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Harwood at risk of bushfire?
Harwood has a low recorded bushfire history (12/100). 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.
How are the schools in Harwood?
There is 1 school inside the Harwood boundary: 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Harwood walkable?
Harwood scores 15/100 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.
What is the weather like in Harwood?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Harwood, Harwood Island (Harwood Sugar Mill) (1.2 km away), 1,408 mm of rain a year over 108 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Harwood?
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 Harwood belong to?
Harwood sits within the Clarence Valley local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Harwood?
The average residential rates bill through Clarence Valley is $1,380 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Harwood?
Across Clarence Valley, 246 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 80.4% 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 Harwood in?
Harwood sits within the federal Division of Page, currently held by Kevin Hogan (The Nationals).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- 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.