New South Wales · Suburb Profile

South Kempsey NSW — Suburb Profile

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

The population of South Kempsey NSW is 2,604 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in South Kempsey is $527 per week ($27,404 per year). Median rent in South Kempsey is $270 per week ($1,170 per month). South Kempsey has a median age of 42 years, older than the national median of 38. South Kempsey has a population density of 39.3 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in South Kempsey is England. The most common religion is No Religion (41% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is IAL Punjabi. The median monthly mortgage repayment in South Kempsey is $1,300.

There were 188 recorded offences in South Kempsey in 2025-26, a rate of 72 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (49 offences).

South Kempsey Map

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South Kempsey Population

residents (Census 2021)

South Kempsey Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$527/wk

$27,404 per year

#7952 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$270/wk

$1,170 per month

#5664 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

42years

4 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,300/mo

Avg household size: 2.6 · 0.8 per bedroom

South Kempsey Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.0% (1,276) Female 51.0% (1,330)

Population Density

39.3

people per km²

2,604 people · 66.3 km²

Households

2.6

Avg household size

0.8

Persons per bedroom

$1,301

Family income/wk

South 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)

South Kempsey Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

54.9% 300 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

45.1% 246 dwellings

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

South Kempsey Country of Birth

Australia

97.2%

England

1.5%

India

0.6%

China

0.5%

Fiji

0.3%

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

South Kempsey Religion

No Religion

40.9%

Catholic

18.8%

Not stated

15.3%

Anglican

14.3%

Uniting Church

5.0%

Christnty Sevnth dy Advntst

2.6%

Christian (other)

1.7%

Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd

1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

South Kempsey Education Level

Year 10 or equivalent

41.6%

Year 12 or equivalent

35.9%

Year 9 or equivalent

13.7%

Year 11 or equivalent

8.9%

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

South Kempsey Languages Spoken at Home

IAL Punjabi

30.8%

Mandarin

19.2%

SAL Tot

19.2%

Other

19.2%

Australian Indigenous

11.5%

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

South Kempsey Employment

💼

Employed full-time

22.9% 401 people

⏰

Employed part-time

20.7% 363 people

🔍

Unemployed

5.5% 96 people

🏠

Not in labour force

50.9% 893 people

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

South Kempsey Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

54.9%

Bachelor Degree

18.7%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

17.0%

Certificate I/II

3.7%

Postgraduate Degree

3.5%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

2.2%

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

South Kempsey Occupation

Professionals

24.4%

Community & Personal Service

24.2%

Technicians & Trade Workers

15.1%

Managers

8.9%

Labourers

8.7%

Clerical & Administrative

8.7%

Sales Workers

5.2%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

4.8%

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

South Kempsey Field of Study

Society & Culture

22.4%

Health

14.5%

Engineering

14.3%

Management & Commerce

13.0%

Education

11.8%

Architecture & Building

8.1%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

6.3%

Agriculture & Environment

4.3%

Creative Arts

2.4%

Natural & Physical Sciences

2.2%

Information Technology

0.6%

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

South Kempsey Dwelling Types

Separate house

99.3%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

South Kempsey Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

2.0%

$1-$149/wk

0.6%

$150-$299/wk

1.7%

$300-$399/wk

3.3%

$400-$499/wk

10.2%

$500-$649/wk

7.4%

$650-$799/wk

10.6%

$800-$999/wk

10.8%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

10.2%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

10.8%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

6.0%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

4.4%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

9.0%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

4.3%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

4.3%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

1.5%

$4,000+/wk

3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

South Kempsey Marital Status

💍

Married

33.9% 700

↔️

Separated

6.2% 127

📋

Divorced

10.5% 217

🕊️

Widowed

5.4% 112

👤

Never married

44.0% 907

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

South Kempsey Ancestry

Australian

32.9%

English

29.8%

Aboriginal Australianralian

15.4%

Irish

6.5%

Scottish

5.7%

Other

3.8%

German

2.4%

Italian

0.9%

Filipino

0.9%

Chinese

0.6%

New Zealander

0.6%

Greek

0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

South Kempsey School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

34.1%

Secondary — Government

20.1%

Vocational Education

10.7%

Pre-school

10.5%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

7.7%

Secondary — Catholic

6.7%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

5.4%

Primary — Catholic

4.8%

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

South Kempsey Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

9.8% 452

✅

No need for assistance

90.2% 4,141

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

South Kempsey Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

13.6% 245

—

Not a volunteer

86.4% 1,560

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

South Kempsey Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

5.2%

$300-$449/mo

7.8%

$450-$599/mo

3.5%

$600-$799/mo

9.1%

$800-$999/mo

8.7%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

25.5%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

18.6%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

13.4%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

5.2%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

3.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

South Kempsey How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

74.5%

Did not go to work

12.4%

Car (passenger)

5.9%

Walked only

3.2%

Truck

2.1%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.7%

Bus

0.5%

Other

0.4%

Taxi/Rideshare

0.4%

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

South Kempsey Car Ownership

0 vehicles

7.8%

1 vehicle

34.0%

2 vehicles

36.6%

3 vehicles

13.5%

4+ vehicles

8.1%

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

South Kempsey Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

4.2%

2 bedrooms

17.8%

3 bedrooms

51.1%

4 bedrooms

19.9%

5 bedrooms

5.7%

6+ bedrooms

1.3%

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

South Kempsey Population Mobility

13.5%

moved in the last year

38.1%

moved in the last 5 years

10.1%

unemployment rate (Census)

45.1%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

South Kempsey Indigenous Population

22.3%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

1,028

Indigenous residents

3,586

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

South Kempsey Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

351

Arthritis

123

Asthma

120

Lung condition

103

Diabetes

Heart disease

Kidney disease

Stroke

Cancer

Dementia

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

South Kempsey Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

9.8%

$1-$149/wk

4.4%

$150-$299/wk

10.5%

$300-$399/wk

10.3%

$400-$499/wk

8.2%

$500-$649/wk

5.8%

$650-$799/wk

11.3%

$800-$999/wk

11.3%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

10.8%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

5.9%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

4.3%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

2.5%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

4.3%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

0.3%

$3,500+/wk

0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

South Kempsey Family Structure

Couple — children under 15

35.2%

Couple — no children

25.9%

One parent — children under 15

18.0%

Couple — no children under 15

11.8%

One parent — no children under 15

9.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

South Kempsey Military Service

🏅

Previously served

3.5% 63

👤

Never served

96.5% 1,742

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

South Kempsey Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

17.6% 314

—

Did not provide

82.4% 1,470

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

South Kempsey Children Ever Born

No children

25.7%

1 child

11.0%

2 children

25.6%

3 children

21.8%

4 children

12.2%

5+ children

3.6%

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

South Kempsey When Migrants Arrived

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1981–1990

1991–2000

2001–2010

2011–2015

2016

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

South Kempsey Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

15.5%

5–14 hours

24.3%

15–29 hours

12.0%

30+ hours

13.0%

Did not do domestic work

35.1%

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

South Kempsey Household Size

1 person

26.5%

2 persons

35.3%

3 persons

13.5%

4 persons

11.2%

5 persons

8.0%

6+ persons

5.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

South Kempsey Where Residents Moved From

Same address

1,952

Moved from NSW

152

Moved — same area (SA2)

110

Moved from QLD

Moved from overseas

Moved from VIC

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

South Kempsey Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

79.0%

Step family — no other children

11.7%

Blended family — no other children

5.1%

Other couple — children only

2.8%

Intact family — other children present

1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

South Kempsey Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 188 total

Theft

Other Against Property

Other Against Person

Assault

Property Damage

Drug Offences

Sexual Offences

Weapons

Traffic

Offence trend by year:

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

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

South Kempsey Schools

schools nearby

government

839

avg ICSEA score

1,030

total students

Kempsey Adventist School Independent

Combined · K-12 · 458 students

953

ICSEA

Melville High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 355 students

849

ICSEA

Macleay Vocational College Independent

Secondary · 9-12 · 88 students

787

ICSEA

Kempsey South Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 129 students

767

ICSEA

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

View all schools in South Kempsey with map →

South Kempsey Rent Prices & Affordability

25%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $1,074/wk

Median Rent $270/wk

Rent-to-Income 25.1%

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

If you earn X in South Kempsey

Your weekly income

≈ $4,654/month

Median rent $270/wk

Left after rent $804/wk

Rent share 25.1%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Bowenfels

Income: $497/wk Rent: $185/wk Save: $85/wk

Yennora

Income: $448/wk Rent: $226/wk Save: $44/wk

Wellington (NSW)

Income: $552/wk Rent: $230/wk Save: $40/wk

Bolton Point

Income: $623/wk Rent: $267/wk Save: $3/wk

Narrandera

Income: $626/wk Rent: $210/wk Save: $60/wk

Culcairn

Income: $623/wk Rent: $220/wk Save: $50/wk

Merriwa (NSW)

Income: $593/wk Rent: $245/wk Save: $25/wk

Uralla (NSW)

Income: $628/wk Rent: $250/wk Save: $20/wk

South Kempsey vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in NSW

Skennars Head

Pop: 1,303 Income: $794/wk Rent: $550/wk

Canada Bay

Pop: 1,308 Income: $1,056/wk Rent: $550/wk

Shelly Beach (NSW)

Pop: 1,313 Income: $801/wk Rent: $423/wk

Bingara

Pop: 1,318 Income: $479/wk Rent: $200/wk

Girards Hill

Pop: 1,318 Income: $677/wk Rent: $290/wk

South Bowenfels

Pop: 1,326 Income: $727/wk Rent: $370/wk

Compare South Kempsey

South Kempsey vs Skennars Head →South Kempsey vs Canada Bay →South Kempsey vs Shelly Beach (NSW) →South Kempsey vs Bingara →

Frequently Asked Questions About South Kempsey

What is the population of South Kempsey NSW?

The population of South Kempsey NSW is 2,604 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 39.3 people per km².South Kempsey is ranked #2,653 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in South Kempsey?

The median personal income in South Kempsey NSW is $527 per week, or $27,404 per year.The median household income is $1,074 per week.Family income is $1,301 per week.South Kempsey is ranked #7,952 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in South Kempsey?

Median rent in South Kempsey NSW is $270 per week ($1,170 per month).Rent represents 25.1% of household income, which is considered moderate.South Kempsey ranks #5,664 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in South Kempsey?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in South Kempsey NSW is $1,300. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in South Kempsey?

The median age in South Kempsey NSW is 42 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is South Kempsey a good suburb to live in?

South Kempsey is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 2,604.The median income is $527/wk, which is below the NSW average of $781/wk.Rent affordability is rated as moderate (25.1% 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: 13604. All dollar figures in AUD.