South Arm is a rural locality in New South Wales, 499 km from Sydney CBD, around 5 hours 50 minutes by car. Population is 311; the median age is 49 and the median household income is $46,800 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $178 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $921. The area shows high bushfire risk. 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 311. 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 South Arm?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Median House Price
Q4 2025South Arm's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.66 million in the December 2025 quarter, roughly 82% above where it sat a year earlier. That said, only four sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level. Zoom out: prices have climbed roughly 288% over the past decade — 14.5% per year on average.
Houses
$1,659,700
Based on only 4 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Land
$335,000
Based on only 4 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Short-Stay Rentals
1 active Airbnb listing: 1 whole home and 0 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.8% 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.
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20252 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
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
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
Walkability
South Arm is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside South Arm.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 3.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 0.7 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 0.0 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 2 min
- Span of service
- 8.5 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 South Arm.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 13%
- Premises covered
- 151
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
Nambucca 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
South Arm is home to 311 residents, with a median age of 49, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $47,000 a year, with unemployment at 17.6%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
311
Median Age
49
Median Household Income
$46,800/yr
Census Median Rent
$178/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$921/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$23,400/yr
Unemployment Rate
17.6%
Unoccupied Dwellings
17.4%
Total Dwellings
109
Owner-Occupier Rate
69.3%
Houses
99.1%
Rental Stress
19.8%
Mortgage Stress
23.6%
Work From Home
26.2%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
3 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 13 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 31 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 78.5%
- English Spoken at Home
- 83.0%
- Employment Rate
- 34.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 23.5%
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 $1,175 a year through Nambucca Valley based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 91%
- Environmental 9%
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: Nambucca Valley
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.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Bowraville 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
- 133 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 24.0 km
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 2449, 0 of 1,901 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.0% (19 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.0%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2449, 601 rooftop-solar systems totalling 3.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 907 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 32 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
Q4-2025 medianTransfer 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 $1,659,700 this is $1,059,700 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 locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
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 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 South Arm?
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 311 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
Bowraville NSW 2449
Congarinni North NSW 2447
Talarm NSW 2447
Yarranbella NSW 2447
Taylors Arm NSW 2447
Upper Taylors Arm NSW 2447
Compare South Arm 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 South Arm
What natural hazards affect South Arm?
South Arm has a high recorded bushfire history (77/100, 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 South Arm?
South Arm, NSW had a population of 311 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for South Arm, NSW?
The postcode for South Arm, NSW is 2449.
How far is South Arm from Sydney?
South Arm is 499 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 348 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in South Arm?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in South Arm was $46,800 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 South Arm?
There are too few current rental listings in South Arm for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $178, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in South Arm?
The median age of residents in South Arm was 49 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is South Arm at risk of bushfire?
South Arm has a high recorded bushfire history (77/100). 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.
What is the median house price in South Arm?
The median sale price for houses in South Arm was $1,659,700 in the Q4 2025 quarter, based on a small sample of 4 sales — take as indicative.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in South Arm?
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 South Arm belong to?
South Arm 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 South Arm?
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 South Arm?
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 South Arm in?
South Arm 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 · Q4 2025
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- 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.