Port Macquarie NSW 2444
Port Macquarie is a suburb in New South Wales, 386 km from Sydney CBD, around 4 hours 20 minutes by car. Population is 47,693; the median age is 48 and the median household income is $66,664 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The suburb grew 6.4% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $380 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,751. Port Macquarie is characterised by high coastal erosion risk and high crime risk. Of 20 schools within the suburb boundary, 4 rank above the state average, and walkability is moderate.
Is Port Macquarie a good suburb?
Port Macquarie scores a C (32/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on safety.
Mixed results
20 schools · 4 above peer schools
Some car dependence
Walkability 56/100 · 385.5 km · 262 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $892K
High crime risk
Fire 69/100 · Crime 80/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 4/10 · median age 48 · 47,693 residents
Liveability Rating
32 / 100 · Ranked #1214 in NSWEach bar is Port Macquarie's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
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 Port Macquarie?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
32 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataPort Macquarie's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $892,000, about 4% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$892,000
Based on 953 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 27 days — median across 468 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 5 sales $1.38M
- 2 bed 51 sales $640K
- 3 bed 420 sales $816K
- 4 bed 332 sales $1.01M
- 5 bed 61 sales $1.17M
- 6 bed 7 sales $1.18M
Units
$590,000
Based on 405 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 30 days — median across 148 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 20 sales $424K
- 2 bed 230 sales $540K
- 3 bed 105 sales $830K
- 4 bed 7 sales $800K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Port Macquarie are currently listed at around $875,000 on average. Based on 359 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$875K
359 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$616K
102 units listed in the last 6 months.
461 of the suburb's 19,702 dwellings (2.3%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Port Macquarie rent for around $650 a week on average, based on 195 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$650/wk
195 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$510/wk
82 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
277 rentals advertised against an estimated 6,462 rented homes (4.3%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $650/wk
- 141 bonds
- +26% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $490/wk
- 109 bonds
- +25% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2444 (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 202596 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 31% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2444.
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$650/week ($34,000 a year) on a $875,000 median
$510/week ($27,000 a year) on a $616,000 median
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
405 active Airbnb listings: 378 whole homes and 27 rooms. Whole homes are about 1.7% of the suburb'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 Port Macquarie safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Port Macquarie sits in the high band, with 3,631 incidents recorded in 2025 — up 0.8% on the prior year.
3,631 offences
0.8% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202576 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 3 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb 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
Port Macquarie-Hastings 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.
- Camden Haven River and Lakes System Flood Study Update (2025) 2026
- North Brother Local Catchments Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2021
- North Brother Local Catchments Flood Study 2020
- Hastings River Floodplain Risk Management Plan 2014
- Dunbogan - Report for Flood Access Investigation & Design Route Options Feasibility 2008
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 2.9 km
- Rate
- -0.08 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -8.2 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
20 schools serve Port Macquarie, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Hastings Public School and Hastings Secondary College, Port Macquarie Campus lead the pack.
- • 8,238 students across 18 schools (avg 458)
- • Sectors: 8 Independent, 7 Government, 5 Catholic
- • ICSEA 833-1116, median 1018 (around the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: St Columba Anglican School (1,221 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Walkability
Port Macquarie is somewhat walkable on foot — at 56/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car. Within the suburb there are 9 supermarkets, 48 parks and 90 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Port Macquarie.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 434.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 289.9 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 213.6 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 16.3 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 Port Macquarie.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 34%
- Premises covered
- 26,896
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
Port Macquarie-Hastings: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 111 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 10 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Port Macquarie is home to about 47,700 residents, with a median age of 48, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $67,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
47,693
Median Age
48
Median Household Income
$66,664/yr
Census Median Rent
$380/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,751/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$35,308/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
10.1%
Total Dwellings
19,702
Owner-Occupier Rate
67.2%
Houses
66.1%
Rental Stress
29.6%
Mortgage Stress
31.5%
Work From Home
14.6%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
353 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 501 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 6,129 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 80.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 90.2%
- Employment Rate
- 49.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 39.1%
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.
787 residents (1.7%) 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.
9.1% of residents (4,158) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (3,021).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 45,652 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 (198 of 20,063).
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.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 23,368 people work here; 20,063 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.2 per resident). At least 13% 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
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,325 a year through Port Macquarie-Hastings based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 41%
- Environmental 34%
- Infrastructure and transport 7%
- Parks and recreation 7%
- Rural and farming 7%
- Industrial 3%
- Commercial 2%
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Port Macquarie-Hastings
In the year to August 2026, 546 new dwellings were approved across Port Macquarie-Hastings. That mix is 357 houses and 189 units. Approvals are up 32.7% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Birpai 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.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 5.1 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 4 days exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 11.3 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.92 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 1 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Port Macquarie monitoring station, 0.5 km away.
Setting
- Elevation
- 7 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 2.9 km
- 3.4 km to a named beach
Elevation is the ground at the suburb 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
4 facilities within 5 km- 0.8 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 1.1 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
- 1.1 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 3.4 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Toluene (methylbenzene) · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers)
EV adoption
In postcode 2444, 278 of 41,185 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.4% (1,398 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2444, 11,794 rooftop-solar systems totalling 74.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 22,958 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 730 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
16 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 17 across postcode 2444.
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 $892,000 this is $292,000 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 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 suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Robert Dwyer Liberal — elected at the Mar 2025 by-election, after the results below
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Leslie Williams LP | 60.8% |
| 2019 | Leslie Williams NP | 70.3% |
| 2015 | Leslie Williams NP | 69.0% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Port Macquarie?
Every figure above is a suburb 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 47,693 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 Port Macquarie 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 Port Macquarie
Is Port Macquarie a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Port Macquarie is high (80/100, 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 Port Macquarie?
Port Macquarie has a moderate recorded bushfire history (69/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Port Macquarie a good place to live?
Port Macquarie has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (32/100), 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 Port Macquarie?
Port Macquarie, NSW had a population of 47,693 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Port Macquarie, NSW?
The postcode for Port Macquarie, NSW is 2444.
How far is Port Macquarie from Sydney?
Port Macquarie is 386 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 262 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Port Macquarie?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Port Macquarie was $66,664 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 Port Macquarie?
The median advertised rent in Port Macquarie is $650 a week for houses (195 listings) and $510 a week for units (82 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Port Macquarie?
The median age of residents in Port Macquarie was 48 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Port Macquarie at risk of bushfire?
Port Macquarie has a moderate recorded bushfire history (69/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb 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 Port Macquarie?
There are 20 schools inside the Port Macquarie boundary: 4 above, 7 at, and 4 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Port Macquarie walkable?
Port Macquarie scores 56/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Port Macquarie?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Port Macquarie (Port Macquarie) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.1 µg/m³ and PM10 of 11.3 µg/m³. That puts Port Macquarie below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Port Macquarie?
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 Port Macquarie belong to?
Port Macquarie sits within the Port Macquarie-Hastings local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Port Macquarie?
The average residential rates bill through Port Macquarie-Hastings is $1,325 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Port Macquarie?
Across Port Macquarie-Hastings, 546 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 32.7% 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 Port Macquarie in?
Port Macquarie sits within the federal Division of Cowper, currently held by Pat Conaghan (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
- Air quality · 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.