Located in New South Wales, Sawtell sits 522 km from Sydney CBD, around 5 hours 40 minutes by car. The suburb has 3,788 residents, a median age of 47, and a median household income of $73,060 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the middle range nationally. The suburb grew 2.9% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $380 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. Sawtell is characterised by high crime risk and high coastal erosion risk. 1 school sits within the suburb boundary, and walkability is moderate.
Is Sawtell a good suburb?
Sawtell scores a C (36/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on prices and safety.
Mixed results
1 school
Some car dependence
Walkability 56/100 · 521.7 km · 340 min drive to Sydney
Above the state median
Median $1.24M
High crime risk
Fire 50/100 · Crime 73/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 6/10 · median age 47 · 3,788 residents
Liveability Rating
36 / 100 · Ranked #1127 in NSWEach bar is Sawtell'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 Sawtell?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
36 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataSawtell's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $1.24 million, about 3% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,240,000
48% above its 3 neighbours (median $840,000)
Based on 85 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 74 days — median across 35 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 6 sales $1.02M
- 3 bed 34 sales $1.14M
- 4 bed 32 sales $1.39M
- 5 bed 8 sales $1.28M
Units
$675,000
Based on 32 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 123 days — median across 10 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 5 sales $399K
- 2 bed 18 sales $652K
- 3 bed 6 sales $1.59M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Sawtell are currently listed at around $1.23 million on average, with the typical listing on the market for 2 days. Based on 25 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.23M
25 houses listed in the last 6 months — typical time on market 2 days.
Units
$660K
7 units listed in the last 6 months.
32 of the suburb's 1,559 dwellings (2.1%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Sawtell rent for around $695 a week on average, based on 13 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$695/wk
13 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$575/wk
4 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
17 rentals advertised against an estimated 519 rented homes (3.3%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $690/wk
- 24 bonds
- +31% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $510/wk
- 24 bonds
- +38% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2452 (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 202591 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 33% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2452.
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$695/week ($36,000 a year) on a $1.23 million median
$575/week ($30,000 a year) on a $660,000 median
Based on a small sample (4 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
137 active Airbnb listings: 134 whole homes and 3 rooms. Whole homes are about 7.4% 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 Sawtell safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Sawtell sits in the high band, with 218 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 16% on the prior year.
218 offences
16.0% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20255 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
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
Coffs Harbour City Council has published 13 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
- 728 m
- Rate
- -0.36 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -10.7 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
One school serve Sawtell, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 293 students in one school (avg 293)
Primary
Walkability
Sawtell is somewhat walkable on foot — at 56/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Sawtell.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 25.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 17.6 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 11.4 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 13.6 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 Sawtell.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 100%
- Premises covered
- 2,149
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
Coffs Harbour: 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 11 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 7 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Sawtell is home to about 3,800 residents, with a median age of 47, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $73,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.6%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
3,788
Median Age
47
Median Household Income
$73,060/yr
Census Median Rent
$380/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$39,000/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.6%
Unoccupied Dwellings
16.2%
Total Dwellings
1,559
Owner-Occupier Rate
66.7%
Houses
68.6%
Rental Stress
27.0%
Mortgage Stress
28.5%
Work From Home
17.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
26 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 55 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 506 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 83.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 90.9%
- Employment Rate
- 53.4%
- Completed Year 12
- 42.8%
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.
60 residents (1.6%) 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 (327) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (205).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 3,610 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 (25 of 1,694).
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 862 people work here; 1,694 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.5 jobs per working resident. At least 46% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
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 $1,437 a year through Coffs Harbour based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 42%
- Parks and recreation 41%
- Environmental 14%
- Infrastructure and transport 1%
- Not zoned 1%
Planning zones cover 99% of the suburb's area. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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: Coffs Harbour
In the year to August 2026, 356 new dwellings were approved across Coffs Harbour. That mix is 208 houses and 148 units. Approvals are up 61.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Coffs Harbour 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
CLEANPM2.5 averaged 4.3 µg/m³ in 2025 — below the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 10.8 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.22 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Coffs Harbour monitoring station, 8.1 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Lower Bucca, 23.0 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 13 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 736 m
- 801 m to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 1,827 mm
- 115 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
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.
EV adoption
In postcode 2452, 40 of 10,781 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.0% (219 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.4%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2452, 3,219 rooftop-solar systems totalling 18.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 6,556 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 139 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
2 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 3 across postcode 2452.
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 $1,240,000 this is $640,000 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 Gurmesh Singh The Nationals
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Gurmesh Singh NP | 63.2% |
| 2019 | Gurmesh Singh NP | 60.3% |
| 2015 | Andrew Fraser NP | 64.3% |
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 Sawtell?
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 3,788 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.
Featured in
- #2 in Coffs Harbour suburbs with the most apartments
- #2 in The best beachside suburbs in Coffs Harbour
- #2 in Coffs Harbour suburbs with the best NBN connectivity
- #3 in Coffs Harbour suburbs with the most parkland nearby
- #3 in Coffs Harbour's most educated suburbs
- #3 in Coffs Harbour suburbs where the most residents moved from a capital city
- #3 in Coffs Harbour suburbs that suit young professionals
- #4 in Best Coffs Harbour suburbs to rent in
- #4 in Best Coffs Harbour suburbs for first-home buyers (units)
- #4 in Most walkable suburbs in Coffs Harbour
- #4 in Coffs Harbour suburbs where seniors live
- #4 in Coffs Harbour suburbs with the best public transport
- #5 in Coffs Harbour suburbs with the deepest rental markets
- #5 in Coffs Harbour suburbs with the largest non-religious population
- #6 in Coffs Harbour suburbs with the biggest house blocks
- #6 in Best Coffs Harbour suburbs for first-home buyers (houses)
- #6 in Coffs Harbour suburbs where the most homes are owned outright
- #6 in Sportiest Coffs Harbour suburbs
- #8 in The most liveable suburbs in Coffs Harbour
- #9 in Coffs Harbour's highest-income suburbs
- #10 in Coffs Harbour suburbs where young families live
- #11 in Coffs Harbour's most owner-occupied suburbs
- #12 in Coffs Harbour suburbs that added the most residents, 2016-2021
- #12 in The safest suburbs in Coffs Harbour
Nearby suburbs
Compare Sawtell 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 Sawtell
Is Sawtell a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Sawtell is high (73/100, 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 Sawtell?
Sawtell has a moderate recorded bushfire history (50/100, 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 Sawtell a good place to live?
Sawtell has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (36/100), 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 Sawtell?
Sawtell, NSW had a population of 3,788 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Sawtell, NSW?
The postcode for Sawtell, NSW is 2452.
How far is Sawtell from Sydney?
Sawtell is 522 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 340 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Sawtell?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Sawtell was $73,060 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 Sawtell?
The median advertised rent in Sawtell is $695 a week for houses (13 listings) and $575 a week for units (4 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Sawtell?
The median age of residents in Sawtell was 47 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Sawtell at risk of bushfire?
Sawtell has a moderate recorded bushfire history (50/100). 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 Sawtell?
There is 1 school inside the Sawtell boundary: 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Sawtell walkable?
Sawtell 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 Sawtell?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Sawtell (Coffs Harbour) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 4.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 10.8 µg/m³. That puts Sawtell below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Sawtell?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Sawtell, Lower Bucca (23 km away), 1,827 mm of rain a year over 115 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Sawtell?
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 Sawtell belong to?
Sawtell sits within the Coffs Harbour local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Sawtell?
The average residential rates bill through Coffs Harbour is $1,437 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Sawtell?
Across Coffs Harbour, 356 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 61.0% 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 Sawtell in?
Sawtell sits within the federal Division of Cowper, currently held by Pat Conaghan (The Nationals).
Search another suburb or address
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
- 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.