New South Wales · Suburb Profile

Kempsey NSW — Suburb Profile

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

The population of Kempsey NSW is 483 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Kempsey is $519 per week ($26,988 per year). Median rent in Kempsey is $253 per week ($1,096 per month). Kempsey has a median age of 43 years, older than the national median of 38. Kempsey has a population density of 69.2 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Kempsey is China. The most common religion is No Religion (41% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Cantonese. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Kempsey is $1,170.

There were 146 recorded offences in Kempsey in 2025-26, a rate of 302 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (68 offences).

Kempsey Map

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Kempsey Population

residents (Census 2021)

Kempsey Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$519/wk

$26,988 per year

#8017 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$253/wk

$1,096 per month

#6093 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

43years

5 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,170/mo

Avg household size: 2 · 0.9 per bedroom

Kempsey Demographics

Gender Split

Male 55.1% (266) Female 44.9% (217)

Population Density

69.2

people per km²

483 people · 7.0 km²

Households

Avg household size

0.9

Persons per bedroom

$1,239

Family income/wk

Kempsey 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)

Kempsey Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

65.6% 59 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

34.4% 31 dwellings

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

Kempsey Country of Birth

Australia

98.6%

China

1.4%

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

Kempsey Religion

No Religion

41.3%

Catholic

21.4%

Anglican

14.7%

Not stated

9.4%

Uniting Church

4.7%

Christian (other)

3.6%

Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd

3.1%

Buddhism

1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Kempsey Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

43.0%

Year 10 or equivalent

36.3%

Year 9 or equivalent

14.6%

Year 11 or equivalent

6.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Kempsey Languages Spoken at Home

Cantonese

43.8%

Other

31.3%

IAL Nepali

25.0%

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

Kempsey Employment

💼

Employed full-time

21.3% 76 people

⏰

Employed part-time

17.9% 64 people

🔍

Unemployed

7.6% 27 people

🏠

Not in labour force

53.2% 190 people

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

Kempsey Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

56.2%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

20.5%

Bachelor Degree

15.1%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

3.4%

Postgraduate Degree

2.7%

Certificate I/II

2.1%

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

Kempsey Occupation

Community & Personal Service

28.0%

Professionals

22.6%

Technicians & Trade Workers

20.4%

Labourers

10.8%

Sales Workers

6.5%

Managers

5.4%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

3.2%

Clerical & Administrative

3.2%

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

Kempsey Field of Study

Society & Culture

29.5%

Management & Commerce

23.2%

Health

12.6%

Education

11.6%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

6.3%

Engineering

6.3%

Creative Arts

4.2%

Architecture & Building

3.2%

Information Technology

3.2%

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

Kempsey Dwelling Types

Separate house

91.9%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

8.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Kempsey Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

1.6%

$1-$149/wk

1.6%

$150-$299/wk

2.1%

$300-$399/wk

8.9%

$400-$499/wk

12.6%

$500-$649/wk

9.9%

$650-$799/wk

6.3%

$800-$999/wk

13.1%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

9.4%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

9.9%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

5.8%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

6.3%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

3.7%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

4.2%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

2.1%

$4,000+/wk

2.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Kempsey Marital Status

💍

Married

19.6% 79

↔️

Separated

6.7% 27

📋

Divorced

18.3% 74

🕊️

Widowed

4.7% 19

👤

Never married

50.7% 205

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Kempsey Ancestry

English

34.5%

Australian

29.4%

Aboriginal Australianralian

9.9%

Irish

8.3%

Scottish

5.1%

Other

3.6%

Chinese

2.0%

Italian

2.0%

Filipino

1.7%

German

1.7%

Greek

1.0%

Hungarian

1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Kempsey School & University Attendance

Secondary — Government

26.5%

Primary — Government

25.3%

Vocational Education

14.5%

Primary — Catholic

12.0%

Pre-school

9.6%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

8.4%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

3.6%

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

Kempsey Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

12.0% 105

✅

No need for assistance

88.0% 769

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

Kempsey Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

11.3% 41

—

Not a volunteer

88.7% 322

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Kempsey Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$600-$799/mo

10.3%

$800-$999/mo

10.3%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

31.0%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

34.5%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

13.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Kempsey How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

54.1%

Did not go to work

17.8%

Walked only

17.1%

Car (passenger)

8.9%

Truck

2.1%

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

Kempsey Car Ownership

0 vehicles

20.0%

1 vehicle

44.4%

2 vehicles

24.9%

3 vehicles

8.3%

4+ vehicles

2.4%

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

Kempsey Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

13.3%

2 bedrooms

34.4%

3 bedrooms

42.8%

4 bedrooms

6.1%

5 bedrooms

3.3%

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

Kempsey Population Mobility

13.3%

moved in the last year

42.6%

moved in the last 5 years

13.8%

unemployment rate (Census)

44.0%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Kempsey Indigenous Population

16.9%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

153

Indigenous residents

750

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Kempsey Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

104

Asthma

Arthritis

Lung condition

Stroke

Heart disease

Diabetes

Cancer

Kidney disease

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

Kempsey Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

9.4%

$1-$149/wk

6.9%

$150-$299/wk

6.2%

$300-$399/wk

10.5%

$400-$499/wk

10.9%

$500-$649/wk

7.6%

$650-$799/wk

12.0%

$800-$999/wk

14.1%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

9.8%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

5.4%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

3.3%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

1.8%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

1.1%

$3,500+/wk

1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Kempsey Family Structure

Couple — children under 15

26.3%

Couple — no children

23.5%

One parent — children under 15

23.5%

One parent — no children under 15

14.2%

Couple — no children under 15

12.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Kempsey Military Service

🏅

Previously served

4.3% 16

👤

Never served

95.7% 360

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Kempsey Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

14.3% 52

—

Did not provide

85.7% 312

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Kempsey Children Ever Born

No children

40.4%

1 child

16.3%

2 children

14.2%

3 children

27.0%

4 children

2.1%

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

Kempsey When Migrants Arrived

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1991–2000

2001–2010

2011–2015

2016

2017

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

Kempsey Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

17.1%

5–14 hours

17.9%

15–29 hours

8.4%

30+ hours

13.6%

Did not do domestic work

42.9%

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

Kempsey Household Size

1 person

45.6%

2 persons

28.2%

3 persons

10.2%

4 persons

6.3%

5 persons

7.3%

6+ persons

2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Kempsey Where Residents Moved From

Same address

377

Moved from NSW

Moved — same area (SA2)

Moved from overseas

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

Kempsey Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

40.0%

Step family — no other children

40.0%

Blended family — no other children

20.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Kempsey Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 146 total

Theft

Other Against Property

Other Against Person

Assault

Drug Offences

Property Damage

Weapons

Sexual Offences

Robbery

Offence trend by year:

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

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

Kempsey Schools

schools nearby

government

880

avg ICSEA score

1,648

total students

St Joseph's Primary School Catholic

Primary · K-6 · 332 students

991

ICSEA

Frederickton Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 130 students

890

ICSEA

Kempsey East Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 180 students

875

ICSEA

Kempsey High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 584 students

848

ICSEA

Kempsey West Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 422 students

794

ICSEA

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

View all schools in Kempsey with map →

Kempsey Rent Prices & Affordability

29%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $881/wk

Median Rent $253/wk

Rent-to-Income 28.7%

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

If you earn X in Kempsey

Your weekly income

≈ $3,818/month

Median rent $253/wk

Left after rent $628/wk

Rent share 28.7%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Yennora

Income: $448/wk Rent: $226/wk Save: $27/wk

Bowenfels

Income: $497/wk Rent: $185/wk Save: $68/wk

Wellington (NSW)

Income: $552/wk Rent: $230/wk Save: $23/wk

Merriwa (NSW)

Income: $593/wk Rent: $245/wk Save: $8/wk

Cowra

Income: $617/wk Rent: $230/wk Save: $23/wk

Portland (NSW)

Income: $576/wk Rent: $250/wk Save: $3/wk

Coolah

Income: $595/wk Rent: $170/wk Save: $83/wk

Gilgandra

Income: $606/wk Rent: $200/wk Save: $53/wk

Kempsey vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in NSW

Blueys Beach

Pop: 242 Income: $641/wk Rent: $255/wk

Bridgman

Pop: 242 Income: $1,100/wk Rent: $435/wk

Mitchells Flat

Pop: 242 Income: $888/wk Rent: $360/wk

Stroud Road

Pop: 242 Income: $677/wk Rent: $223/wk

Talarm

Pop: 242 Income: $612/wk Rent: $300/wk

Darbys Falls

Pop: 243 Income: $441/wk Rent: $220/wk

Compare Kempsey

Kempsey vs Blueys Beach →Kempsey vs Bridgman →Kempsey vs Mitchells Flat →Kempsey vs Stroud Road →

Frequently Asked Questions About Kempsey

What is the population of Kempsey NSW?

The population of Kempsey NSW is 483 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 69.2 people per km².Kempsey is ranked #5,087 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Kempsey?

The median personal income in Kempsey NSW is $519 per week, or $26,988 per year.The median household income is $881 per week.Family income is $1,239 per week.Kempsey is ranked #8,017 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Kempsey?

Median rent in Kempsey NSW is $253 per week ($1,096 per month).Rent represents 28.7% of household income, which is considered moderate.Kempsey ranks #6,093 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Kempsey?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Kempsey NSW is $1,170. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Kempsey?

The median age in Kempsey NSW is 43 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Kempsey a good suburb to live in?

Kempsey is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 483.The median income is $519/wk, which is below the NSW average of $781/wk.Rent affordability is rated as moderate (28.7% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Looking for schools, childcare centres, and playgrounds in this area? See kid.com.au for family facilities data.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 12103. All dollar figures in AUD.