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Suburb profile ·Kempsey LGA · NSW ·2440

East Kempsey NSW 2440

East Kempsey is in Kempsey LGA, NSW, postcode 2440, with population 1,336.

The read

Growth-momentum

The page has enough signal to be useful, but the story is mixed rather than decisive. Use compare mode to pressure-test it against stronger nearby options, then use the calculator if it still makes the shortlist.

$485/wk
Rising
+11.5% YoY
Jun 2025 → Jun 2026 · 13 periods
NSW Fair Trading · postcode 2440 · Jun 2026
$500
$420
Jun 2025Jun 2026
Why it fits

Entry price sits in the lower-cost range for a first-pass screen. Recent price movement shows visible market momentum. Transport coverage adds a practical access signal.

Median house
$630K
House median, latest period
11.0%YoY D3 vs AU
Median rent
$485/wk
Rent context available
11.5%YoY D10 vs AU
Gross yield
4.0%
Moderate yield band
D10 vs AU
Population
1,336
1K local footprint
D8 vs AU
Schools
No matched school data
Drive to city
6h 24m
518.4 km to Sydney CBD · free-flow
Solar
4,782
221 added 12mo · 31MW
Price cycleAt its peak
LowPeak

At / near its all-time high

See trend depth →

Price history

Houses to Q4'25 · Units to Q3'19 — house and unit medians are released on separate cycles, so their latest period can differ.

Trend & investor depth

Cycle positionAt its peak
Low · 2008Peak · 2026

At / near its all-time high

Price growth (compound)% per year
3-yr
+8.4%
5-yr
+9.4%
10-yr
+9.2%
Indicative cashflow-$257/wk (-$13,341/yr) · interest-only @ 6.4%, 80% LVR
Market turnover5.6% of homes traded/yr (34 sales · +29% vs 3-yr avg)
Rent stabilitytypical — rents vary ±3.8% around trend (short window, 13 pts)
Value vs advantage+1% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 2)

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection. Turnover divides recorded sales by an estimated household count (population over average household size).

Investment grade

Bgrade · 72/100 · top 28% of 3,604AU suburbs
Peer distributionstronger than 72% of AU suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Capital growth52
Rental yield79
Stability40
Volatility-12.8ppCycle-2.0

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer · stability drivers signed (+ = steadier)

Relative grade across Australian suburbs, combining qp's capital-growth (multi-year CAGR + cycle timing), rental-yield, and stability (price volatility + cycle + affordability) metrics via a three-pillar property-scoring method with an imbalance penalty. Within-Australia relative, indicative only — not financial advice.

Investor profile

Who invests in East Kempsey

Owner-occupied 65%Rented 35%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared4.4%
496 of 1,320 landlords
Avg rental loss$6,003/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,320
Reported capital gains620
Investor exposure index(high vs national)81/100
The read

Mixed owner-renter market

63% of homes here are owner-occupied and 34% rented, with 4% of landlords negatively geared.

Why it fits

A balanced 63% owner-occupier / 34% renter mix.

ABS Census 2021 tenure (G37), ATO postcode rental statistics, and QuickProperty's investor-exposure index. Owner-occupied = owned outright + with a mortgage.

Mortgage affordability

64%
of household income to service a new loan
14.5 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Severe
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyRenting cheaper

New-loan repayment $3,087/mo vs median rent $2,102/mo (+47% · +$227/wk)

If rates move

At 4.2%: $2,465/mo (-622) · at 6.2% (current): $3,087/mo · at 8.2%: $3,769/mo (+682)

Assumes a 20% deposit and a 30-year principal-and-interest loan at the current RBA new owner-occupier variable rate, against median weekly household income (ABS Census 2021). Stress bands follow the 30% / 45%-of-income thresholds used in ANZ-CoreLogic and AIHW reporting. Rent vs buy compares that repayment with the suburb's median advertised rent; it excludes rates, insurance, maintenance and deposit opportunity cost.

Stronger alternatives nearby

Higher yield

similar price · cross-LGA

Stronger 5-yr growth

similar price · cross-LGA

More affordable

lower price-to-income

Alternatives are similar-priced suburbs (0.7–1.4x this suburb's median) in other council areas that exceed it on the named metric. Indicative — not financial advice.

Affordability

Buying
10.9x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Stretched
Renting
43%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
High stress

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $1,252/mo, while renters pay about $2,102/mo — renting runs $850/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$630K
Household income · yr
$58K
Median rent · wk
$485
Owner mortgage · mo
$1,252
Gross yield
4.0%

Household income

$58K household · yr-29.5% vs NSW suburb median
Personal
$33K
Family
$74K
Household
$58K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)16% could service the median house
Under $300
18
$300-649
119
$650-999
98
$1,000-1,499
96
$1,500-1,999
55
$2,000-2,999
78
$3,000-3,999
23
$4,000+
20

Serviceability line: a household needs about $2,374/wk to hold a new loan on the median house at 30% of income (20% deposit, 30-year P&I, current RBA rate).

At the median asking rent, about 68% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $1,617/wk income).

Housing stock and tenure

Tenure (547 households)2.0% social housing
Owned outright
34%
Owned with mortgage
29%
Rented
34%
Dwelling structure8.2% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
84%
Townhouse / semi
6%
Flat / apartment
9%

Getting to work: 84% drive, 1% public transport, 3% walk or cycle, 7% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Livability

10/ 100 livability index

Top 90% most liveable of 4,565Australian suburbs.

Peer distributionstronger than 10% of Australian suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Everyday access0
Public transport (11 stops)36
Schools & hospitals0

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer

Suburb-level access-density index (not an address-level walk-time score), normalised within Australian suburbs. Method based on the Urban Liveability Index (Higgs et al. 2019) and Walk Score — three equal-weighted domains combined with an imbalance penalty.

Crime April 2025 - March 2026
2,316
7,302 per 100k
D8 vs AU

Crime

Rate · per 100k7,302
Total incidents2,316· April 2025 - March 2026
  • Assault58455%
  • Sexual Offences12111%
  • Robbery81%
  • Break And Enter34533%

Development screen

Could a secondary dwelling be worth investigating?

secondary dwelling / granny flat screening context Medium broad constraint context

Policy position

Official policy reviewed

Permitted in residential zones under the Housing SEPP; may be approved by consent or as complying development when Housing SEPP and Codes SEPP standards are met.

Rental use: Secondary dwelling rental use is allowed as a dwelling use, subject to planning and tenancy rules.

Open official policy source

Separate houses

77.3%

Suburb share of occupied private dwellings recorded as separate houses.

Near the state median

State median 77.5% · 1,253 valid suburbs

Residential-zone context

17.6%

Broad suburb sampling only; the property zoning and overlays can differ.

24.7 pp below the state median

State median 42.3% · 1,245 valid suburbs

Rental households

34.2%

Demand context only; it does not establish permission to rent a secondary dwelling.

8.3 pp above the state median

State median 25.9% · 1,253 valid suburbs

Mapped hazards

bushfire high

The staged suburb layer indicates a broad-area constraint that needs address-level checking. No broad-area layer staged for this suburb.

Approval pathway

Four checks, each with a different evidence threshold.

This is an investigation sequence, not a guarantee that every step applies or that approval will be granted.

  1. 01 Source reviewed

    State policy position

    QuickProperty reviewed the official secondary dwelling / granny flat policy source.

  2. 02 Property dependent

    Planning pathway

    Test consent or complying-development eligibility, including the 450 m² lot marker and all other standards.

  3. 03 Design dependent

    Building approval

    Confirm the building approval route after the design, site classifications, services and construction requirements are known.

  4. 04 Check separately

    Intended use

    Confirm long-term rental, short-stay or family-use rules separately from permission to construct the dwelling.

Property due diligence

Turn the suburb screen into a property checklist.

Every check starts unconfirmed. Progress stays in this browser and suburb evidence never clears an address-level requirement.

0evidence acquired
0evidence missing
0reviews due
0consultant questions

Active record: East Kempsey unnamed property

0/14checked
0issues found

Site controls

Lot area and dimensions

Confirm title dimensions, usable site area and any minimum lot threshold.

Status for Lot area and dimensions
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Setbacks and site coverage

Test setbacks, private open space, landscaping and maximum site coverage against a concept plan.

Status for Setbacks and site coverage
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Slope and ground conditions

Check survey levels, soil classification, retaining needs and likely earthworks.

Status for Slope and ground conditions
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Title and planning

Zoning and overlays

Obtain current property-level zoning, overlays and applicable planning controls.

Status for Zoning and overlays
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Title, easements and covenants

Review the title for easements, covenants, restrictions and common property.

Status for Title, easements and covenants
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Services and access

Sewer and stormwater

Locate assets and connection points, then confirm capacity, clearances and discharge requirements.

Status for Sewer and stormwater
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Power, water and metering

Confirm service routes, upgrade needs and whether separate metering is permitted or practical.

Status for Power, water and metering
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Vehicle access and parking

Test driveway width, gradients, turning, parking and emergency access requirements.

Status for Vehicle access and parking
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Construction constraints

Bushfire exposure

Order an address-level bushfire assessment and determine any BAL construction response.

Status for Bushfire exposure
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Flood and overland flow

Obtain property flood information and check floor levels, flow paths and drainage constraints.

Status for Flood and overland flow
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Wind, corrosion and termite

Confirm site classifications that affect structural design, materials and durability.

Status for Wind, corrosion and termite
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Approval and use

Planning approval pathway

Confirm exemption, complying pathway or permit requirements with the responsible authority.

Status for Planning approval pathway
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Building approval and consultants

Identify required survey, design, engineering, energy, certification and inspection evidence.

Status for Building approval and consultants
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Rental and intended use

Confirm occupation, rental, short-stay and family-use rules plus insurance and tax implications.

Status for Rental and intended use
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

East Kempsey, NSW 2440 · Local browser record

Investigation aid only. Confirm current planning, building, title, service and hazard requirements with qualified professionals and responsible authorities.

Building due diligence

Construction requirements can change by location.

The National Construction Code is the baseline. Local hazards and site classifications can change the required structure, materials, fixings, insulation and detailing.

Known here

SUBURB CONTEXT

Bushfire-prone land

High broad-area context

About 54.3% of the suburb intersects mapped bushfire-prone land.

May affect: External construction · Roof and wall systems · Openings, screens and decks

Check the property

ADDRESS + DESIGN

NCC climate zone

Check the property

Confirm the NCC climate zone used for the building design and energy provisions.

May affect: Insulation and glazing · Condensation control · Roof-space ventilation

Wind class and BAL

Site assessment required

A suburb layer cannot determine the site wind classification or Bushfire Attack Level.

May affect: Structure and tie-downs · Cladding and fixings · Openings and bushfire detailing

Corrosion and termite exposure

Check the property

Confirm marine or corrosive exposure and the applicable termite-management requirements.

May affect: Fasteners and connectors · Roofing and coatings · Termite management

This screen identifies investigation triggers, not building quality or property compliance. Confirm the address, design and current jurisdiction rules with the council, building surveyor or certifier, designer and engineer.

NCC 2022 Housing Provisions: how to use · NCC 2022 Volume Two and Housing Provisions

Bushfire exposure

High exposure ~54.3%
~54.3% of the suburb is Bush Fire Prone Land · ~9.4% Category 1 (highest hazard)

Estimated exposure to NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land (CC BY), point-sampled across the suburb. This shows how much of the suburb sits within the official hazard layer — it is not a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating or a property-level assessment. Obtain a BAL assessment (AS 3959) for an individual property.

Planning zones

Dominant zone Rural Landscape
Rural / Green wedge 65% Residential 16% Public / Open space 9% Other 1%
Residential density: Standard

Land-use mix estimated by point-sampling the suburb against NSW EPI Land Zoning polygons (CC BY 4.0). This is a suburb-level snapshot of planning zones, not a parcel-level zoning certificate or development advice. Check the relevant planning scheme for an individual property.

Population outlook

16,044 people · 202219,400 by 2032 (+20.9%)

ABS population projection (2022 base) for the Kempsey SA2 statistical area — the finest official projection grain available; suburb-level projections do not exist.

Full data detail Census · ATO · ABS · state datasets
East Kempsey NSW — Property Data and Demographics

East Kempsey is a small community in New South Wales within the Kempsey local government area (postcode 2440). It is home to about 1,336 residents, with an established demographic and a median age of 41. Households earn a median income of $58K per year, with an average household size of 2.2 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +0.4% year-on-year at the LGA level. NSW employment has moved +1.2% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 35 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 17 underway, and 67 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are community & personal service, professionals, labourers. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and retail trade. The top ancestries reported are Australian, English, Irish.

Median house prices in East Kempsey stand at $630,000, having climbed sharply by 11% over the last twelve months. Units have a median price of $355,000 (-5.3% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $485. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 4.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,252.

Public transport access includes 1 ferry wharf, 10 bus stops. The crime rate in the Kempsey LGA is moderate at 7,302 incidents per 100,000 population.

On the investment side, The gross rental yield works out to roughly 4.0%, which reads as moderate yield. Property prices sit below the state median ($630K/$1.5M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 10.9x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +11.0% year-on-year. Population growth of +0.4% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.

Market & money
Investment signalsHeuristics
Rental Yield4.0%· Moderate Yield
Price vs State$630K/$1.5M Below Median
Affordability10.9x Stretched
Price Momentum+11.0% Rising
Pop. Growth+0.4%· Stable
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentNSW
Mortgage · mth$1,252
Rent · wk(Census)$300
Market rent · wk(2026-06)$485
Gross yield2.5%
Price / income10.9x
Sales vol (latest Q)(2025-Q4)13
Population growth · Kempsey LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)31,950
5-year growth+0.9% CAGR
YoY change+0.4%
20012025
Development · Kempsey LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)98
Houses 72%Units 28%
YoY change+0%
Employment · Kempsey LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)5.9%
YoY change+0.8pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 2440ATO
Negatively geared4.4%
496 of filers
Avg rental loss$6,003/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,320
Reported capital gains620
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population1,336
Median age41
Household size2.2
HH income · wk$1,116
Personal income · wk$635
Persons / bedroom0.7
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)2/10
Education (IEO)2/10
Economic (IER)2/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)1/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$930 → $1,116
Change+20%
vs NSW median-0.6 pp
Median rent+15.4%
stablevs NSW 2016–21
Area & amenity
TransportGTFS
Bus stops10
Ferry wharves1
Rudder St Opp Ferry St
Hospitals · Kempsey LGAAIHW
Public1
Private0
Kempsey District Hospitalpublic
Aged care · Kempsey LGAGEN
Facilities6
Residential places548
Macleay Valley House172 places
Vincent Court88 places
Bupa Kempsey82 places
Calvary The Mariner80 places
Cedar Place Aged Care Facility66 places
Booroongen Djugun Limited60 places
Childcare · Kempsey LGAACECQA
Services22
Approved places1,006
Exceeding NQS4
Kempsey Preschool Long Day Care Centre120 places
Goodstart Early Learning West Kempsey76 places
Little Adventures Early Learning76 places
Saint Joseph's After School and Vacation Care60 places
Dalaigur Pre-School & Children's Services59 places
Active OOSH Kempsey West56 places
+16 more in Kempsey LGA
Shortlist workspace

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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

East Kempsey has enough direct local evidence for a first-pass decision.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
NSW price medians are parser-guarded official records.

Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
NSW Valuer General · 2025-Q4 · Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records
medium stability · automated · every update · weekly
Available
Market rent
NSW Fair Trading · 2026-06 · State market dataset
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Crime
BOCSAR · April 2025 - March 2026 · Area-level release dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · release-based
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · No local school matches exposed
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Missing
Hospitals
AIHW · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
GTFS feeds · 11 matched stops/stations
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Population growth
ABS ERP · 2025 · Annual estimate series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · 2026 · Annual release series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.

East Kempsey FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is East Kempsey in?

    East Kempsey is in the Kempsey Local Government Area, NSW, postcode 2440. Council-level context for Kempsey LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in East Kempsey?

    The current median house price in East Kempsey, NSW is $630K, based on the latest available sales data from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region.

  3. What is the typical weekly rent in East Kempsey?

    The median weekly rent in East Kempsey is $485/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is rent context available.

  4. What does the rent signal say about East Kempsey?

    Rent context available: East Kempsey has usable rent context. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  5. Is East Kempsey a good investment?

    QuickProperty's investment signals for East Kempsey show: Moderate Yield, Below Median, Stretched. These are computed from price, rent, income, and population data — not an opaque score.

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for East Kempsey?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  7. How often is the East Kempsey data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.