Macksville NSW 2447

Located in New South Wales, Macksville sits 472 km from Sydney CBD, around 5 hours 10 minutes by car. The town has 2,782 residents, a median age of 47, and a median household income of $49,088 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. Population grew 7.1% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $320 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,300. The area shows high crime risk. Of 3 schools within the town boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is low.

Is Macksville a good town?

Macksville scores a C (34/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit, safety, and community.

Schools

Mixed results

3 schools · 1 above peer schools

Transit

Car-dependent

Walkability 26/100 · 471.6 km · 309 min drive to Sydney

Prices

Around the state median

Median $635K · Cheaper than 79% of NSW

Safety

High crime risk

Fire 16/100 · Crime 88/100

Community

Highly disadvantaged

SEIFA decile 1/10 · median age 47 · 2,782 residents

C

Liveability Rating

34 / 100 · Ranked #1155 in NSW

Each bar is Macksville's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).

Schools quality
69
Some above similar
Safety
36
Bushfire Low · Crime High

No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.

Socio-economic
5
Very disadvantaged
Walkability
30
Car-dependent
CBD access
15
471.6 km · 309 min drive to Sydney
How it's calculated: Schools rank 69 × 25% + Safety rank 36 × 25% + Socio-economic rank 5 × 25% + Walkability rank 30 × 15% + CBD access rank 15 × 10% = 34 / 100. Missing components rebalance the remaining weights.

How do you rate the liveability in Macksville?

Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.

Our score

34 / 100

From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.

Residents say

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Median House Price

Public listings data

Macksville's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $635,000, roughly 13% above where it sat a year earlier.

Houses

$635,000

last 7 quarters
Cheaper than 79% of NSW
↑ +13.3% year-on-year

Based on 95 recorded sales in the last 24 months.

Typically sold in 60 days — median across 37 sales that recorded a listing period

By bedrooms

  • 2 bed 9 sales $455K
  • 3 bed 50 sales $612K
  • 4 bed 27 sales $790K
  • 5 bed 5 sales $950K

Land

$605,000

last 2 quarters

Based on 12 recorded sales in the last 24 months.

Typically sold in 104 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period

Currently for Sale

Last 6 months

Houses in Macksville are currently listed at around $820,000 on average. Based on 15 houses listed in the past six months.

$820K

last 3 months
↑ +7.9% vs previous 6 months from $760K
Since 2022: $636K → $720K (+13%)

15 houses listed in the last 6 months.

15 of the suburb's 1,087 dwellings (1.4%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.

Rental Market

Advertised rents · last 6 months

Houses in Macksville rent for around $600 a week on average, based on 7 houses listed for rent in the past six months.

$600/wk

→ 0.0% vs previous 6 months from $600/wk
Since 2021: $462/wk → $495/wk (+7%)

7 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.

7 rentals advertised against an estimated 329 rented homes (2.1%) in the last 6 months.

Rent agreed on new leases

Jul–Sep 2026
3-bed houses
$595/wk
13 bonds
+29% since 2021

Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2447 (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 2025

100 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 30% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2447.

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.

Gross rental yield

Indicative
House
3.8% around the typical range

$600/week ($31,000 a year) on a $820,000 median

Based on a small sample (7 listings) — indicative only.

Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Short-Stay Rentals

5 active Airbnb listings: 5 whole homes and 0 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.4% of the town'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 Macksville safe? Crime statistics

2025

Crime in Macksville sits in the high band, with 297 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 14% on the prior year.

297 offences

13.8% since 2024
Theft 120 (40.4%)
Assault 43 (14.5%)
Drug Offences 30 (10.1%)
Property Damage 30 (10.1%)
Harassment & Stalking 29 (9.8%)
Weapons Offences 14 (4.7%)
Disorderly Conduct 13 (4.4%)
Sexual Offences 11 (3.7%)
Arson 5 (1.7%)
Robbery 1 (0.3%)
Other Offences Against Person 1 (0.3%)

Crime Trend

Serious Road Crashes

2021–2025

9 crashes

where someone was killed or admitted to hospital

Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town 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

Nambucca Valley Council has published 3 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.

Schools

Three schools serve Macksville, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. St Patrick's Primary School leads the pack.

50
out of 100
Average
3 schools in this town
1 above similar · 1 at similar · 1 below similar
  • • 893 students across 3 schools (avg 298)
  • • Sectors: 2 Government, 1 Catholic
  • • ICSEA 916-1002, median 925 (below the national baseline of 1000)
  • • Largest: Macksville High School (365 students)

Primary

Government · K-6 · 284 students
ICSEA 925 (higher than 17% of Australian schools) · 5% top-SEA students
At similar
Catholic · K-6 · 244 students
ICSEA 1002 (higher than 48% of Australian schools) · 9% top-SEA students
Above similar

Secondary

Government · 7-12 · 365 students
ICSEA 916 (higher than 14% of Australian schools) · 5% top-SEA students
Below similar

Walkability

Macksville is car-dependent on foot — at 26/100, most errands require a car. Within the town there are 2 supermarkets, 4 parks and 12 cafes to anchor that walking radius.

26
out of 100
Car-Dependent
Public Transport within 1 km 48
Schools within 1.5 km 60
Parks within 800 m 0
Supermarkets within 1 km 0
GPs within 1 km 0
Pharmacies within 1 km 0
Childcare within 1 km 0
Hospitals within 5 km 60

Public transport

Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Macksville.

58
out of 100
Bus
Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
24.5 arrivals/hr
Off-peak weekday
10.2 arrivals/hr
Saturday
0.9 arrivals/hr
Median peak wait
1 min
Span of service
16.7 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 Macksville.

62
connectivity score / 100
Most common
Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share
34%
Premises covered
1,711
Technology mix
Fibre to the premises (FTTP) 34%
Fibre to the node (FTTN) 32%
Fixed wireless (WIRELESS) 27%
Fibre to the curb (FTTC) 6%
Satellite (Sky Muster) (SATELLITE) 0%

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

Supermarkets
2 in town
Shopping Centres
None
Cafes & Restaurants
12 in town
Parks & Reserves
4 in town
Sport & Recreation
6 in town
Beaches
None
Waterways
1 in town
Childcare
4 in town
GPs
5 in town
Pharmacies
1 in town
Hospitals
None
Police Stations
1 in town
Banks & Bank@Post
3 in town
Fuel Stations
3 in town
EV Chargers
2 in town
Pubs & Bars
2 in town
Arts & Culture
None
Places of Worship
8 in town

Nambucca Valley: council population

The whole council area, not just Macksville · estimated residents
at 30 June 2025
Residents
21,237
+0.9% in a year
Change
+187
people since 2024
Density
14
people per km² across the council area
What drove the change
Natural increase
-56
births minus deaths
Net internal migration
+210
moves within Australia
Net overseas migration
+33
arrivals minus departures

The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.

Socio-economic profile

ABS SEIFA · ranked against every suburb in Australia, and within the state
2021 census
Advantage and disadvantage
1/10
1/10 within NSW
income, education, jobs and housing together
Economic resources
1/10
1/10 within NSW
income against housing cost and household size
Education and occupation
1/10
1/10 within NSW
qualifications and job type, income excluded
How evenly that is spread

The ABS scores 8 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the town closely.

Macksville is home to about 2,800 residents, with a median age of 47, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $49,000 a year, with unemployment at 7.5%.

2021 Census · change since 2016

Population

2,782

7.1% since 2016

Median Age

47

2.1% since 2016

Median Household Income

$49,088/yr

6.5% since 2016
Bottom 10% in NSW

Census Median Rent

$320/wk

28.0% since 2016

Census Median Mortgage

$1,300/mo

5.3% since 2016

Avg Household Size

2.3

no change since 2016

Median Personal Income

$26,572/yr

6.0% since 2016

Unemployment Rate

7.5%

14.8% since 2016

Unoccupied Dwellings

7.5%

8.5% since 2016

Total Dwellings

1,087

10.6% since 2016

Owner-Occupier Rate

69.7%

1.9% since 2016

Houses

90.8%

2.4% since 2016

Rental Stress

33.9%

20.2% since 2016

Mortgage Stress

31.8%

1.2% since 2016

Work From Home

7.8%

69.6% since 2016

Dwelling Types

Houses 987 (90.8%)
Townhouses 61 (5.6%)
Flats / Apartments 39 (3.6%)

Property Ownership

Owned Outright 452 (43.6%)
Renting 314 (30.3%)
Mortgage 270 (26.1%)
Of those rentals, social housing 65 (20.7%)

21 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 44 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 314 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.

Demographics

Born in Australia
84.7%
English Spoken at Home
89.4%
Employment Rate
40.1%
3.9% since 2016
Completed Year 12
25.9%

Occupations

Community & Personal Service 184 (20.1%)
Labourers 143 (15.6%)
Clerical & Administrative 112 (12.2%)
Technicians & Trades 112 (12.2%)
Professionals 110 (12.0%)
Managers 99 (10.8%)
Sales 78 (8.5%)
Machinery Operators & Drivers 62 (6.8%)

Religion

Christianity 1,527 (54.9%)
No Religion 941 (33.8%)
Other Religions 43 (1.5%)
Sikhism 39 (1.4%)
Hinduism 16 (0.6%)
Buddhism 13 (0.5%)
Islam 5 (0.2%)

Country of Birth (overseas)

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.

England 58 (2.1%)
India 24 (0.9%)
New Zealand 24 (0.9%)
Malaysia 11 (0.4%)
Germany 10 (0.4%)
Philippines 8 (0.3%)
Scotland 8 (0.3%)
Italy 7 (0.3%)

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.

2016-2021 32 (1.2%)
2011-2015 25 (0.9%)
2001-2010 29 (1.0%)
1991-2000 9 (0.3%)
1981-1990 22 (0.8%)
Before 1981 109 (3.9%)

32 residents (1.2%) 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.

3.2% of residents (84) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (51).

Coffs Harbour - Grafton 90 (3.5%)
Overseas 50 (1.9%)
New England and North West 41 (1.6%)

Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 2,608 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.

Punjabi 15 (0.5%)
Mandarin 5 (0.2%)
German 4 (0.1%)
Russian 4 (0.1%)
Hindi 3 (0.1%)
Italian 3 (0.1%)

Age Distribution

0-4 174 (6.3%)
5-14 328 (11.8%)
15-19 155 (5.6%)
20-24 111 (4.0%)
25-34 305 (11.0%)
35-44 249 (9.0%)
45-54 277 (10.0%)
55-64 385 (13.8%)
65-74 377 (13.6%)
75-84 270 (9.7%)
85+ 137 (4.9%)

Family & Household Composition

Lone Person 344 (42.6%)
Couple Families 228 (28.2%)
One Parent Families 185 (22.9%)
Group Household 37 (4.6%)
Other Families 14 (1.7%)

Commute to Work

Car (driver) 592 (79.3%)
Worked from Home 58 (7.8%)
Car (passenger) 46 (6.2%)
Walked Only 44 (5.9%)
Bicycle 7 (0.9%)

Local Jobs

People who work in this town against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.

About 1,962 people work here; 916 employed residents live here.

A jobs hub: 2.1 jobs for every working resident. At least 51% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.

Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.

Education

Certificate III & IV 475 (17.1%)
Bachelor Degree 161 (5.8%)
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 157 (5.6%)
Postgraduate Degree 24 (0.9%)
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 24 (0.9%)

Cars per Dwelling

0 cars 85 (8.0%)
1 car 460 (43.6%)
2 cars 350 (33.1%)
3 cars 97 (9.2%)
4+ cars 64 (6.1%)

Council Rates

Nambucca Valley
FY 2024-25

Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,175 a year through Nambucca Valley based on 2024 figures.

Avg residential rate
$1,175/yr
4% below the NSW average of $1,230 · median of 128 councils
Valuation basis
Unimproved Value
land only

How this land is zoned

Share of Macksville's area by planning zone
2026-09
  • Rural and farming 40%
  • Residential 37%
  • Parks and recreation 8%
  • Industrial 7%
  • Environmental 4%
  • Infrastructure and transport 2%
  • Commercial 1%

Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.

Building Approvals: Nambucca Valley

The whole council area, not just Macksville · new residential dwellings
to 2026-08

In the year to August 2026, 109 new dwellings were approved across Nambucca Valley. That mix is 101 houses and 8 units. Approvals are down 64.4% on the same period a year earlier.

Trailing 12 months
109dwellings
-64.4% YoY
Houses
101
detached dwellings
Units
8
townhouses + apartments

Aboriginal Land Council

Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Unkya 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
6 m
above sea level, at the town centre
Distance to the ocean
6.8 km
Near high-voltage lines
0.6% of addresses
12 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more

Elevation is the ground at the town 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

EV adoption

0.3%
of light vehicles are electric
Up from 0.00% in 2021
+0.1 points this year

In postcode 2447, 23 of 6,996 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.4% (101 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.8%.

Electric share, year by year
2021
0.00%
2022
0.00%
2023
0.11%
2024
0.27%
2025
0.33%

Rooftop solar

62
systems per 100 dwellings
Averaging 6.2 kW each

In postcode 2447, 2,089 rooftop-solar systems totalling 12.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 3,356 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 125 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.

Systems installed, year by year
2019
148
2020
216
2021
177
2022
167
2023
164
2024
153
2025
106
2026
67

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).

Verify eligibility with Revenue NSW

Mortgage repayments

I'm looking for
Deposit
$
%
Monthly repayment
$3,312
Loan amount
$508,000
Total interest over 30 years
$684,241
Deposit
$127,000
Stamp duty
$22,762
Cash needed at settlement
$149,762

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.

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

Division of Cowper

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 town's voters across time.

State Electorate

Oxley District

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 town's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.

Looking at a specific address in Macksville?

Every figure above is a town 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.

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Nearby suburbs

Compare Macksville to another suburb

Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.

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Common questions about Macksville

Is Macksville a safe place to live?

Recorded crime in Macksville is high (88/100, 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 Macksville?

Macksville has a low recorded bushfire history (16/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.

Is Macksville a good place to live?

Macksville has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (34/100), 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 Macksville?

Macksville, NSW had a population of 2,782 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.

What is the postcode for Macksville, NSW?

The postcode for Macksville, NSW is 2447.

How far is Macksville from Sydney?

Macksville is 472 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 309 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.

What is the median household income in Macksville?

At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Macksville was $49,088 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 Macksville?

The median advertised rent in Macksville is $600 a week for houses (7 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.

What is the median age in Macksville?

The median age of residents in Macksville was 47 at the 2021 ABS Census.

Is Macksville at risk of bushfire?

Macksville has a low recorded bushfire history (16/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the town 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 Macksville?

There are 3 schools inside the Macksville boundary: 1 above, 1 at, and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).

Is Macksville walkable?

Macksville scores 26/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it 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 Macksville?

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 Macksville belong to?

Macksville sits within the Nambucca Valley local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.

How much are council rates in Macksville?

The average residential rates bill through Nambucca Valley is $1,175 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.

How much is being built near Macksville?

Across Nambucca Valley, 109 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 64.4% 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 Macksville in?

Macksville sits within the federal Division of Cowper, currently held by Pat Conaghan (The Nationals).

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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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