New South Wales · Suburb Profile

Palmers Island NSW — Suburb Profile

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

The population of Palmers Island NSW is 482 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Palmers Island is $706 per week ($36,712 per year). Median rent in Palmers Island is $313 per week ($1,356 per month). Palmers Island has a median age of 49 years, older than the national median of 38. Palmers Island has a population density of 13.8 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Palmers Island is England. The most common religion is No Religion (42% of residents). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Palmers Island is $1,733.

There were 2 recorded offences in Palmers Island in 2025-26, a rate of 4 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (1 offences).

Palmers Island Map

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Palmers Island Population

residents (Census 2021)

Palmers Island Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$706/wk

$36,712 per year

#5380 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$313/wk

$1,356 per month

#4302 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

49years

11 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,733/mo

Avg household size: 2.6 · 0.9 per bedroom

Palmers Island Demographics

Gender Split

Male 51.0% (245) Female 49.0% (235)

Population Density

13.8

people per km²

482 people · 34.8 km²

Households

2.6

Avg household size

0.9

Persons per bedroom

$1,694

Family income/wk

Palmers Island 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)

Palmers Island Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

60.7% 88 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

39.3% 57 dwellings

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

Palmers Island Country of Birth

Australia

97.2%

England

2.8%

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

Palmers Island Religion

No Religion

41.9%

Catholic

20.8%

Anglican

19.2%

Not stated

9.3%

Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd

4.4%

Uniting Church

2.7%

Christian (other)

0.8%

Christnty Sevnth dy Advntst

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Palmers Island Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

46.2%

Year 10 or equivalent

34.7%

Year 9 or equivalent

10.3%

Year 11 or equivalent

8.8%

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

Palmers Island Employment

💼

Employed full-time

36.4% 126 people

⏰

Employed part-time

22.8% 79 people

🔍

Unemployed

3.5% 12 people

🏠

Not in labour force

37.3% 129 people

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

Palmers Island Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

56.8%

Bachelor Degree

19.9%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

19.9%

Certificate I/II

3.4%

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

Palmers Island Occupation

Managers

24.3%

Technicians & Trade Workers

19.4%

Professionals

16.7%

Clerical & Administrative

11.8%

Community & Personal Service

11.8%

Labourers

8.3%

Sales Workers

4.9%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

2.8%

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

Palmers Island Field of Study

Engineering

19.7%

Management & Commerce

16.9%

Architecture & Building

16.9%

Education

11.3%

Society & Culture

9.2%

Health

9.2%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

8.5%

Natural & Physical Sciences

4.2%

Agriculture & Environment

2.1%

Creative Arts

2.1%

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

Palmers Island Dwelling Types

Separate house

97.3%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

2.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Palmers Island Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

3.2%

$1-$149/wk

2.6%

$300-$399/wk

3.9%

$400-$499/wk

5.8%

$500-$649/wk

2.6%

$650-$799/wk

7.8%

$800-$999/wk

11.0%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

7.1%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

11.0%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

5.2%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

6.5%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

11.0%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

5.8%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

4.5%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

1.9%

$4,000+/wk

9.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Palmers Island Marital Status

💍

Married

53.3% 209

↔️

Separated

1.5% 6

📋

Divorced

12.8% 50

🕊️

Widowed

4.8% 19

👤

Never married

27.6% 108

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Palmers Island Ancestry

Australian

32.9%

English

30.8%

Scottish

12.4%

Irish

10.7%

Other

2.9%

Italian

2.7%

German

2.6%

Aboriginal Australianralian

1.8%

Dutch

1.4%

Chinese

0.8%

Maltese

0.6%

French

0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Palmers Island School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

27.3%

Secondary — Government

17.0%

Primary — Catholic

15.9%

Secondary — Catholic

14.8%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

11.4%

Pre-school

6.8%

Vocational Education

6.8%

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

Palmers Island Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

2.6% 23

✅

No need for assistance

97.4% 858

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

Palmers Island Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

12.3% 44

—

Not a volunteer

87.7% 315

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Palmers Island Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$600-$799/mo

7.4%

$800-$999/mo

5.6%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

7.4%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

38.9%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

35.2%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

5.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Palmers Island How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

74.9%

Did not go to work

12.6%

Walked only

6.8%

Car (passenger)

4.2%

Truck

1.6%

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

Palmers Island Car Ownership

0 vehicles

1.9%

1 vehicle

20.6%

2 vehicles

51.2%

3 vehicles

19.4%

4+ vehicles

6.9%

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

Palmers Island Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

6.6%

2 bedrooms

13.3%

3 bedrooms

42.2%

4 bedrooms

29.5%

5 bedrooms

5.4%

6+ bedrooms

3.0%

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

Palmers Island Population Mobility

14.1%

moved in the last year

31.5%

moved in the last 5 years

5.2%

unemployment rate (Census)

58.7%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Palmers Island Indigenous Population

1.9%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Indigenous residents

861

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Palmers Island Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

Arthritis

Heart disease

Diabetes

Asthma

Lung condition

Stroke

Cancer

Kidney disease

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

Palmers Island Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

10.6%

$1-$149/wk

3.8%

$150-$299/wk

4.5%

$300-$399/wk

6.5%

$400-$499/wk

4.1%

$500-$649/wk

5.8%

$650-$799/wk

9.6%

$800-$999/wk

12.7%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

13.0%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

8.9%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

5.5%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

4.1%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

6.8%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

1.0%

$3,500+/wk

3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Palmers Island Family Structure

Couple — children under 15

44.8%

Couple — no children

35.9%

Couple — no children under 15

13.5%

One parent — no children under 15

4.3%

One parent — children under 15

1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Palmers Island Military Service

🏅

Previously served

2.5% 9

👤

Never served

97.5% 353

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Palmers Island Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

15.6% 56

—

Did not provide

84.4% 304

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Palmers Island Children Ever Born

No children

26.9%

1 child

9.6%

2 children

34.1%

3 children

21.6%

4 children

7.8%

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

Palmers Island When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1981–1990

1991–2000

2011–2015

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

Palmers Island Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

20.9%

5–14 hours

34.1%

15–29 hours

13.5%

30+ hours

12.4%

Did not do domestic work

19.2%

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

Palmers Island Household Size

1 person

21.7%

2 persons

38.9%

3 persons

12.8%

4 persons

18.9%

5 persons

5.0%

6+ persons

2.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Palmers Island Where Residents Moved From

Same address

378

Moved — same area (SA2)

Moved from NSW

Moved from QLD

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

Palmers Island Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

83.9%

Step family — no other children

16.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Palmers Island Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 2 total

Theft

Weapons

Offence trend by year:

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

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

Palmers Island Schools

schools nearby

government

944

avg ICSEA score

total students

Palmers Island Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 56 students

944

ICSEA

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

View all schools in Palmers Island with map →

Palmers Island Rent Prices & Affordability

22%

of income

Affordable

Household Income $1,404/wk

Median Rent $313/wk

Rent-to-Income 22.3%

Rent is under 25% of household income — generally considered affordable.

If you earn X in Palmers Island

Your weekly income

≈ $6,084/month

Median rent $313/wk

Left after rent $1,091/wk

Rent share 22.3%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Batlow

Income: $602/wk Rent: $180/wk Save: $133/wk

Walcha

Income: $701/wk Rent: $203/wk Save: $110/wk

Lithgow

Income: $602/wk Rent: $280/wk Save: $33/wk

Howlong

Income: $673/wk Rent: $290/wk Save: $23/wk

Waterview Heights

Income: $582/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $13/wk

Coonabarabran

Income: $594/wk Rent: $210/wk Save: $103/wk

Canowindra

Income: $609/wk Rent: $220/wk Save: $93/wk

Moonbi

Income: $660/wk Rent: $220/wk Save: $93/wk

Palmers Island vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in NSW

Budgee Budgee (NSW)

Pop: 241 Income: $739/wk Rent: $485/wk

Stuart Town

Pop: 241 Income: $531/wk Rent: $200/wk

Yetholme

Pop: 241 Income: $719/wk Rent: $365/wk

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

Compare Palmers Island

Palmers Island vs Budgee Budgee (NSW) →Palmers Island vs Stuart Town →Palmers Island vs Yetholme →Palmers Island vs Blueys Beach →

Frequently Asked Questions About Palmers Island

What is the population of Palmers Island NSW?

The population of Palmers Island NSW is 482 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 13.8 people per km².Palmers Island is ranked #5,092 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Palmers Island?

The median personal income in Palmers Island NSW is $706 per week, or $36,712 per year.The median household income is $1,404 per week.Family income is $1,694 per week.Palmers Island is ranked #5,380 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Palmers Island?

Median rent in Palmers Island NSW is $313 per week ($1,356 per month).Rent represents 22.3% of household income, which is considered affordable.Palmers Island ranks #4,302 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Palmers Island?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Palmers Island NSW is $1,733. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Palmers Island?

The median age in Palmers Island NSW is 49 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Palmers Island a good suburb to live in?

Palmers Island is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 482.The median income is $706/wk, which is below the NSW average of $781/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (22.3% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 13147. All dollar figures in AUD.