New South Wales · Suburb Profile

Bellingen NSW — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Bellingen, New South Wales. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Bellingen NSW is 3,923 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Bellingen is $651 per week ($33,852 per year). Median rent in Bellingen is $390 per week ($1,690 per month). Bellingen has a median age of 44 years, older than the national median of 38. Bellingen has a population density of 88 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Bellingen is England. The most common religion is No religion (59.4% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is German. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Bellingen is $1,477.

There were 72 recorded offences in Bellingen in 2025-26, a rate of 18 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was assault (22 offences).

Bellingen Map

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Bellingen Population

3,923

residents (Census 2021)

Bellingen Median Income & Rent

Median Income

$651/wk

$33,852 per year

#6316 of 14,663

Median Rent

$390/wk

$1,690 per month

#2258 of 14,663

Median Age

44years

6 years older than national median

Mortgage

$1,477/mo

Avg household size: 2.4 · 0.8 per bedroom

Bellingen Demographics

Gender Split

Male 46.2% (1,811) Female 53.8% (2,111)

Population Density

people per km²

3,923 people · 44.6 km²

Households

2.4

Avg household size

0.8

Persons per bedroom

$1,535

Family income/wk

Bellingen Age Distribution

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85+

♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Bellingen Home Ownership

Of owner-occupied homes in Bellingen, 54.4% are owned outright and 45.6% have a mortgage.

Owned outright

54.4%

Owned with mortgage

45.6%

Rented homes are not included in this breakdown.

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
Germany
France
India
Canada

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Bellingen Religion

No religion

59.4%

Not stated

10.0%

Catholic

9.4%

Anglican

8.1%

Uniting Church

2.8%

Buddhism

1.8%

Christian (other)

1.6%

Presbyterian and Reformed

1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Bellingen Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

61.9%

Year 10 or equivalent

24.4%

Year 11 or equivalent

7.3%

Year 9 or equivalent

6.4%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

German
Italian
French
Spanish
Indonesian
Nepali
Punjabi

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Bellingen Employment

Employed full-time

25.2% 696 people

Employed part-time

29.9% 825 people

Unemployed

3.8% 106 people

Not in labour force

41.0% 1,131 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Bellingen Qualifications

Bachelor Degree

31.6%

Certificate III/IV

29.9%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

19.6%

Postgraduate Degree

10.0%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

7.0%

Certificate I/II

1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Bellingen Occupation

Professionals

38.7%

Community & Personal Service

15.1%

Managers

12.4%

Technicians & Trade Workers

12.4%

Clerical & Administrative

9.3%

Labourers

5.0%

Sales Workers

4.7%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Bellingen Field of Study

Society & Culture

18.5%

Health

15.7%

Education

12.8%

Management & Commerce

11.9%

Engineering

9.6%

Creative Arts

8.6%

Architecture & Building

6.8%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

6.0%

Agriculture & Environment

5.0%

Natural & Physical Sciences

3.0%

Information Technology

2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Bellingen Dwelling Types

Separate house

94.3%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

4.7%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Bellingen Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

1.7%

$1-$149/wk

0.6%

$150-$299/wk

1.2%

$300-$399/wk

3.5%

$400-$499/wk

8.7%

$500-$649/wk

5.9%

$650-$799/wk

8.8%

$800-$999/wk

8.4%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

10.0%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

9.6%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

6.5%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

7.0%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

10.3%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

5.9%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

4.5%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

3.1%

$4,000+/wk

4.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Bellingen Marital Status

Married

37.2% 1,151

Separated

4.3% 134

Divorced

14.2% 441

Widowed

6.4% 197

Never married

37.9% 1,172

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Bellingen Ancestry

English

44.0%

Australian

37.0%

Irish

15.2%

Scottish

13.4%

German

5.4%

Australian Aboriginal

4.2%

Dutch

2.4%

Italian

2.4%

Welsh

1.1%

New Zealander

0.9%

French

0.9%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Bellingen School & University Attendance

Secondary — Government

29.7%

Primary — Government

24.6%

Vocational Education

11.8%

Primary — Catholic

10.0%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

8.7%

Pre-school

7.6%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

6.2%

Secondary — Catholic

1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Bellingen Need for Assistance

Needs assistance

6.4%

No need for assistance

93.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Bellingen Volunteering

Volunteer

24.9% 705

Not a volunteer

75.1% 2,125

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Bellingen Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

5.8%

$300-$449/mo

3.8%

$450-$599/mo

3.8%

$600-$799/mo

4.5%

$800-$999/mo

8.7%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

20.4%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

18.2%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

20.9%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

9.6%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

4.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Bellingen How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

67.3%

Did not go to work

15.6%

Walked only

8.5%

Car (passenger)

4.9%

Truck

1.6%

Bicycle

1.2%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.6%

Other

0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Bellingen Car Ownership

0 vehicles

3.5%

1 vehicle

42.2%

2 vehicles

38.1%

3 vehicles

11.4%

4+ vehicles

4.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Bellingen Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

4.2%

2 bedrooms

17.0%

3 bedrooms

46.6%

4 bedrooms

26.1%

5 bedrooms

5.4%

6+ bedrooms

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Bellingen Population Mobility

13.9%

moved in the last year

42.1%

moved in the last 5 years

6.1%

unemployment rate (Census)

55.5%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Bellingen Indigenous Population

4.6%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Bellingen Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

440

Asthma

133

Arthritis

131

Lung condition

Heart disease

Cancer

Diabetes

Stroke

Kidney disease

Dementia

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Bellingen Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

10.9%

$1-$149/wk

5.2%

$150-$299/wk

7.8%

$300-$399/wk

5.8%

$400-$499/wk

4.9%

$500-$649/wk

4.3%

$650-$799/wk

12.4%

$800-$999/wk

12.0%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

10.7%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

7.5%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

4.9%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

4.7%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

6.5%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

1.5%

$3,500+/wk

1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Bellingen Family Structure

Couple — children under 15

39.8%

Couple — no children

25.9%

One parent — children under 15

15.6%

Couple — no children under 15

11.6%

One parent — no children under 15

7.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Bellingen Military Service

Previously served

2.6% 74

Never served

97.4% 2,769

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Bellingen Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance

16.0% 453

Did not provide

84.0% 2,380

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Bellingen Children Ever Born

No children

28.6%

1 child

11.5%

2 children

31.8%

3 children

17.5%

4 children

9.2%

5+ children

1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Bellingen When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1981–1990

100

1991–2000

2001–2010

101

2011–2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Bellingen Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

19.4%

5–14 hours

34.1%

15–29 hours

17.9%

30+ hours

11.3%

Did not do domestic work

17.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Bellingen Household Size

1 person

29.2%

2 persons

33.4%

3 persons

15.4%

4 persons

13.6%

5 persons

5.7%

6+ persons

2.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Bellingen Where Residents Moved From

Same address

3,089

Moved from NSW

233

Moved — same area (SA2)

173

Moved from VIC

Moved from QLD

Moved from overseas

Moved from NT

Moved from ACT

Moved from SA

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Bellingen Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

78.6%

Step family — no other children

11.8%

Blended family — no other children

8.0%

Intact family — other children present

1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Bellingen Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 72 total

Assault

Other Against Person

Theft

Property Damage

Other Against Property

Sexual Offences

Domestic Violence

Drug Offences

Offence trend by year:

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR — bocsar.nsw.gov.au

Bellingen Schools

schools nearby

government

1014

avg ICSEA score

926

total students

St Mary's Primary School Catholic

Primary · K-6 · 123 students

1039

ICSEA

Bellingen High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 584 students

1006

ICSEA

Bellingen Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 219 students

998

ICSEA

Chrysalis School for Rudolf Steiner Education Stage 5 Campus Independent

Secondary

Chrysalis School for Rudolf Steiner Education - Bellingen Campus Independent

Primary

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Bellingen with map →

Bellingen Rent Prices & Affordability

31%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $1,268/wk

Median Rent $390/wk

Rent-to-Income 30.8%

Rent is between 25–35% of household income — moderate housing costs.

If you earn X in Bellingen

Your weekly income

≈ $5,495/month

Median rent $390/wk

Left after rent $878/wk

Rent share 30.8%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Hamilton South

Income: $770/wk Rent: $162/wk Save: $228/wk

Darlington Point

Income: $736/wk Rent: $200/wk Save: $190/wk

Narrandera

Income: $626/wk Rent: $210/wk Save: $180/wk

Culcairn

Income: $623/wk Rent: $220/wk Save: $170/wk

Guyra

Income: $639/wk Rent: $260/wk Save: $130/wk

Cooma (NSW)

Income: $771/wk Rent: $290/wk Save: $100/wk

Coutts Crossing

Income: $536/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $90/wk

Budgewoi

Income: $663/wk Rent: $350/wk Save: $40/wk

Bellingen vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Bellingen is $651 a week, 15% below the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 1,565th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $390 a week, $5 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 30.8% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 44, 1 year older than in the typical NSW suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
Measure	Bellingen	Typical NSW	Typical Australia
Personal income	$651/wk	$765/wk	$766/wk
Household income	$1,268/wk	$1,704/wk	$1,637/wk
Rent	$390/wk	$385/wk	$330/wk
Mortgage repayment	$1,477/mo	$1,965/mo	$1,733/mo
Median age	44	43	42
Rent share of household income	30.8%	22.6%	20.3%

Suburbs near Bellingen

The closest suburb to Bellingen is Urunga, 11.8 km away.

Urunga

11.8 km away · income $590/wk · rent $340/wk

Bonville

14.9 km away · income $733/wk · rent $465/wk

Valla

15.8 km away · income $674/wk · rent $310/wk

Valla Beach

18.5 km away · income $597/wk · rent $400/wk

Compare Bellingen

Frequently Asked Questions About Bellingen

What is the population of Bellingen NSW?

The population of Bellingen NSW is 3,923 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 88 people per km².Bellingen is ranked #1,955 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Bellingen?

The median personal income in Bellingen NSW is $651 per week, or $33,852 per year.The median household income is $1,268 per week.Family income is $1,535 per week.Bellingen is ranked #6,316 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Bellingen?

Median rent in Bellingen NSW is $390 per week ($1,690 per month).Rent represents 30.8% of household income, which is considered moderate.Bellingen ranks #2,258 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Bellingen?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Bellingen NSW is $1,477. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Bellingen?

The median age in Bellingen NSW is 44 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Bellingen a good suburb to live in?

Bellingen is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 3,923.The median income is $651/wk, which is below the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk).Rent affordability is rated as moderate (30.8% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Sydney Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 10273. All dollar figures in AUD.