Grafton, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Grafton NSW is 10,563 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Grafton is $641 per week ($33,332 per year). Median rent in Grafton is $300 per week ($1,300 per month). Grafton has a median age of 44 years, older than the national median of 38. Grafton has a population density of 834 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Grafton is England. The most common religion is No religion (38.1% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Australian Indigenous Languages. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Grafton is $1,348.

There were 516 recorded offences in Grafton in 2025-26, a rate of 49 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was other against property (188 offences).

Population
10,563
Census 2021
Median income
$641/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$300/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
44years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Grafton vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Grafton is $641 a week, 16% below the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 1,592nd of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $300 a week, $85 less than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 25.4% 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.
MeasureGraftonTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$641/wk$765/wk −16%$766/wk
Household income$1,179/wk$1,704/wk −31%$1,637/wk
Rent$300/wk$385/wk −22%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,348/mo$1,965/mo −31%$1,733/mo
Median age4443 +1 yrs42
Rent share of household income25.4%22.6% +2.9 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Grafton, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Grafton Population

10,563 residents at the 2021 Census.

Grafton Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$641/wk
$33,332 per year
Ranked 6,411 of 14,663
Median Rent
$300/wk
$1,300 per month
Ranked 4,529 of 14,663
Median Age
44years
6 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$1,348/mo
Avg household size: 2.2 · 0.7 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Grafton Rent Prices & Affordability

25% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: moderate.

Household income $1,179/wk
Median rent $300/wk
Rent to income 25.4%

Rent is between 25% and 35% of household income: moderate housing costs.

Median rent in Grafton against your income

About $5,109 a month
Median rent $300/wk
Left after rent $879/wk
Rent share 25.4%

Grafton Schools

5
schools nearby
3
government
952
avg ICSEA score
1,970
total students
St Mary's Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 259 students
1020
ICSEA
Grafton High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 768 students
941
ICSEA
Westlawn Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 467 students
940
ICSEA
Grafton Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 476 students
907
ICSEA
Clarence Valley Anglican School, Grafton Campus Independent
Primary

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

All schools near Grafton, with a map

Grafton Map

Grafton, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Grafton, New South Wales: 29.6747°S, 152.9298°E

Grafton Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (5)

People in Grafton

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.0% (5,066) Female 52.0% (5,495)

Population Density

834
people per km²
10,563 people · 12.7 km²

Households

2.2
Avg household size
0.7
Persons per bedroom
$1,509
Family income/wk

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 and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
1.3%
New Zealand
0.8%
India
0.7%
Philippines
0.4%
Scotland
0.2%
United States of America
0.2%
Netherlands
0.2%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Australian Indigenous Languages
0.5%
Punjabi
0.4%
Tagalog
0.3%
Mandarin
0.2%
Hindi
0.2%
Cantonese
0.2%
Spanish
0.2%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

Australian
45.8%
English
40.9%
Irish
11.5%
Scottish
10.2%
Australian Aboriginal
8.7%
German
4.7%
Italian
1.5%
Dutch
0.9%
Indian
0.8%
Filipino
0.8%
Chinese
0.6%

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

Religion

No religion
38.1%
Anglican
21.3%
Catholic
19.4%
Not stated
7.2%
Presbyterian and Reformed
4.3%
Uniting Church
2.4%
Christian (other)
1.6%
Baptist
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

9.1%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
38.1% 3,315
Separated
4.2% 367
Divorced
12.3% 1,069
Widowed
9.6% 836
Never married
35.8% 3,114

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
36.2%
Couple: no children
30.7%
One parent: children under 15
15.0%
Couple: no children under 15
10.5%
One parent: no children under 15
7.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
35.3%
2 persons
33.5%
3 persons
13.7%
4 persons
10.2%
5 persons
4.9%
6+ persons
2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Grafton

Housing Tenure

Of the 4,309 occupied private dwellings in Grafton at the 2021 Census, 33.8% were rented, 35.0% owned outright and 27.7% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.8% 77 dwellings
Owned outright
35.0% 1,510 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
27.7% 1,194 dwellings
Rented
33.8% 1,458 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.7% 72 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
87.7%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
6.4%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
5.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
5.8%
2 bedrooms
21.9%
3 bedrooms
46.5%
4 bedrooms
20.0%
5 bedrooms
4.9%
6+ bedrooms
1.0%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
4.0%
$300-$449/mo
1.6%
$450-$599/mo
2.6%
$600-$799/mo
5.9%
$800-$999/mo
8.0%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
30.5%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
26.0%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
15.7%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
3.1%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
2.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
8.6%
1 vehicle
44.2%
2 vehicles
32.8%
3 vehicles
10.0%
4+ vehicles
4.4%

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

Work, income and education in Grafton

Employment

Employed full-time
30.5% 2,388 people
Employed part-time
19.5% 1,529 people
Unemployed
3.4% 268 people
Not in labour force
46.6% 3,647 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
24.5%
Community & Personal Service
20.3%
Technicians & Trade Workers
15.0%
Clerical & Administrative
13.4%
Managers
9.4%
Labourers
7.1%
Sales Workers
6.1%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
4.2%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.6%
$1-$149/wk
0.7%
$150-$299/wk
1.5%
$300-$399/wk
3.6%
$400-$499/wk
9.3%
$500-$649/wk
8.7%
$650-$799/wk
9.1%
$800-$999/wk
8.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.0%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.2%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.9%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.3%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
10.3%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
5.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
3.9%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
2.0%
$4,000+/wk
3.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
8.4%
$1-$149/wk
4.2%
$150-$299/wk
6.3%
$300-$399/wk
7.1%
$400-$499/wk
6.1%
$500-$649/wk
5.2%
$650-$799/wk
11.7%
$800-$999/wk
12.7%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
12.5%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.6%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.0%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
5.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
0.7%
$3,500+/wk
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
72.7%
Did not go to work
12.3%
Car (passenger)
6.3%
Walked only
4.9%
Bicycle
1.6%
Truck
0.9%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.6%
Other
0.3%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.3%
Bus
0.2%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
44.3%
Year 10 or equivalent
37.7%
Year 9 or equivalent
9.9%
Year 11 or equivalent
8.1%

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

Qualifications

Certificate III/IV
50.4%
Bachelor Degree
20.8%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
16.9%
Certificate I/II
4.4%
Postgraduate Degree
3.9%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
3.5%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
20.5%
Society & Culture
17.4%
Health
15.1%
Engineering
14.1%
Education
11.0%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
7.3%
Architecture & Building
6.8%
Agriculture & Environment
3.2%
Creative Arts
1.9%
Information Technology
1.7%
Natural & Physical Sciences
1.0%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
31.7%
Secondary: Government
25.5%
Vocational Education
13.8%
Pre-school
10.9%
Secondary: Catholic
6.2%
Primary: Catholic
5.9%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
3.7%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
2.3%

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

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
84.6%
Has need for assistance
10.0%
Need for assistance not stated
5.4%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,357
Arthritis
544
Asthma
453
Heart disease
372
Lung condition
360
Diabetes
357
Kidney disease
203
Cancer
191
Stroke
163
Dementia
68

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
15.1% 1,212
Did not provide
84.9% 6,811

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
15.9% 1,281
Not a volunteer
84.1% 6,774

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 7
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 8
Previously served
3.9% 313
Never served
96.0% 7,779

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
26.4%
1 child
12.1%
2 children
29.0%
3 children
20.4%
4 children
9.3%
5+ children
2.8%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
16
1951: 1960
58
1961: 1970
87
1971: 1980
74
1981: 1990
65
1991: 2000
40
2001: 2010
121
2011: 2015
77
2016
24
2017
15
2018
20
2019
24
2020
17

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

Population Mobility

15.3%
moved in the last year
42.9%
moved in the last 5 years
6.0%
unemployment rate (Census)
51.3%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
8,258
Moved: same area (SA2)
717
Moved from NSW
549
Moved from QLD
109
Moved from overseas
30
Moved from VIC
28
Moved from WA
14
Moved from NT
12

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
19.4%
5: 14 hours
27.7%
15: 29 hours
13.1%
30+ hours
9.3%
Did not do domestic work
30.6%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
76.4%
Step family: no other children
13.7%
Blended family: no other children
8.0%
Intact family: other children present
1.0%
Step family: other children present
0.5%
Other couple: children only
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Grafton Crime Statistics

516 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Other Against Property
188
Theft
147
Assault
44
Property Damage
44
Drug Offences
34
Other Against Person
33
Weapons
16
Sexual Offences
10

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Darlington Point
Income: $736/wk Rent: $200/wk $100/wk less rent
Narrandera
Income: $626/wk Rent: $210/wk $90/wk less rent
Culcairn
Income: $623/wk Rent: $220/wk $80/wk less rent
Broken Hill
Income: $650/wk Rent: $220/wk $80/wk less rent
Guyra
Income: $639/wk Rent: $260/wk $40/wk less rent
Trangie
Income: $711/wk Rent: $180/wk $120/wk less rent
Warren
Income: $740/wk Rent: $215/wk $85/wk less rent
Gundagai
Income: $673/wk Rent: $230/wk $70/wk less rent

Suburbs near Grafton

The closest suburb to Grafton is Junction Hill, 4.2 km away.

Junction Hill
4.2 km away · income $668/wk · rent $350/wk
South Grafton
5.8 km away · income $526/wk · rent $280/wk
Waterview Heights
8.0 km away · income $582/wk · rent $300/wk
Glenugie
18.4 km away · income $496/wk · rent $350/wk

Compare Grafton

Frequently Asked Questions About Grafton

What is the population of Grafton NSW?

The population of Grafton NSW is 10,563 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 834 people per km². Grafton is ranked #587 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Grafton?

The median personal income in Grafton NSW is $641 per week, or $33,332 per year. The median household income is $1,179 per week. Family income is $1,509 per week. Grafton is ranked #6,411 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Grafton?

Median rent in Grafton NSW is $300 per week ($1,300 per month). Rent represents 25.4% of household income, which is considered moderate. Grafton ranks #4,529 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Grafton?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Grafton NSW is $1,348. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Grafton?

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

Is Grafton a good suburb to live in?

Grafton is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 10,563. The median income is $641/wk, which is below the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as moderate (25.4% 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: 11739. All dollar figures in AUD.