Kalaru NSW 2550
Kalaru is a rural locality in New South Wales, 520 km from Sydney CBD, around 6 hours by car. Population is 820; the median age is 44 and the median household income is $75,816 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population grew 15.8% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $375 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. Walkability is low.
Is Kalaru a good place to live?
Kalaru scores a C (38/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit.
Car-dependent
Walkability 14/100 · 520.4 km · 360 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $968K
Moderate bushfire risk
Fire 58/100 · Crime 26/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 5/10 · median age 44 · 820 residents
Liveability Rating
38 / 100 · Ranked #1066 in NSWEach bar is Kalaru's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Kalaru?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
38 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataKalaru's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $968,000, about 7% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$967,500
Based on 22 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 58 days — median across 6 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 10 sales $952K
- 4 bed 9 sales $950K
Land
$410,000
Based on only 7 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 83 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
Rental Market
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $550/wk
- 35 bonds
- +34% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $420/wk
- 13 bonds
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2550 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025110 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 27% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2550.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Is Kalaru safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Kalaru sits in the low band, with 12 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 100% on the prior year.
12 offences
100.0% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20255 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
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
Bega Valley Shire 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.
Schools
Walkability
Kalaru is very car-dependent on foot — at 14/100, nearly all errands require a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Kalaru.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 8.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 2.4 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 0.0 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 9.0 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 Kalaru.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 14%
- Premises covered
- 385
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
Bega 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
Kalaru is home to 820 residents, with a median age of 44, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $76,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.5%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
820
Median Age
44
Median Household Income
$75,816/yr
Census Median Rent
$375/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$42,172/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.5%
Unoccupied Dwellings
6.1%
Total Dwellings
312
Owner-Occupier Rate
88.4%
Houses
93.3%
Rental Stress
25.7%
Mortgage Stress
27.4%
Work From Home
17.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 82.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 90.6%
- Employment Rate
- 59.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 38.7%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
6 residents (0.7%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
6.7% of residents (53) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (23).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 786 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (5 of 389).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,767 a year through Bega Valley based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Environmental 88%
- Rural and farming 10%
- Zones under 1% 2%
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: Bega Valley
In the year to August 2026, 109 new dwellings were approved across Bega Valley. That mix is 99 houses and 10 units. Approvals are down 32.1% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Bega 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 Bega (Newtown Road), 9.4 kmModerate rainfall.
- Elevation
- 40 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 4.5 km
- 4.7 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 768 mm
- 69 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.
EV adoption
In postcode 2550, 111 of 15,607 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.9% (289 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.6%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2550, 4,621 rooftop-solar systems totalling 26.2 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,614 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 250 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
3 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 2550.
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 $967,500 this is $367,500 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 Kristy Mcbain Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kristy Mcbain | 57.2% | 42.8% | +1.1 |
| 2022 | Kristy Mcbain | 58.2% | 41.8% | -7.3 |
| 2019 | Mike Kelly | 50.9% | 49.1% | +2.1 |
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 Holland Labor
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Michael Holland ALP | 60.4% |
| 2019 | Andrew Constance LP | 56.9% |
| 2015 | Andrew Constance LP | 58.2% |
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 Kalaru?
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 820 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 Kalaru 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 Kalaru
Is Kalaru a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Kalaru is low (26/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Kalaru?
Kalaru has a moderate recorded bushfire history (58/100, 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.
Is Kalaru a good place to live?
Kalaru has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (38/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Kalaru?
Kalaru, NSW had a population of 820 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Kalaru, NSW?
The postcode for Kalaru, NSW is 2550.
How far is Kalaru from Sydney?
Kalaru is 520 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 360 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Kalaru?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Kalaru was $75,816 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 Kalaru?
There are too few current rental listings in Kalaru for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $375, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Kalaru?
The median age of residents in Kalaru was 44 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Kalaru at risk of bushfire?
Kalaru has a moderate recorded bushfire history (58/100). 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 Kalaru walkable?
Kalaru scores 14/100 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 Kalaru?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Kalaru, Bega (Newtown Road) (9.4 km away), 768 mm of rain a year over 69 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Kalaru?
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 Kalaru belong to?
Kalaru sits within the Bega Valley local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Kalaru?
The average residential rates bill through Bega Valley is $1,767 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Kalaru?
Across Bega Valley, 109 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 32.1% 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 Kalaru in?
Kalaru sits within the federal Division of Eden-monaro, currently held by Kristy Mcbain (Australian Labor Party).
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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
- 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.