Coffs Harbour, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Coffs Harbour NSW is 27,089 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Coffs Harbour is $652 per week ($33,904 per year). Median rent in Coffs Harbour is $355 per week ($1,538 per month). Coffs Harbour has a median age of 43 years, older than the national median of 38. Coffs Harbour has a population density of 588 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Coffs Harbour is England. The most common religion is No religion (38.6% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Punjabi. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Coffs Harbour is $1,733.

There were 1,241 recorded offences in Coffs Harbour in 2025-26, a rate of 46 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was other against property (378 offences).

Population
27,089
Census 2021
Median income
$652/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$355/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
43years
Census 2021

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

Coffs Harbour vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Coffs Harbour is $652 a week, 15% below the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 1,561st of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $355 a week, $30 less than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 28.8% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 43, the same age as in the typical NSW suburb.

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureCoffs HarbourTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$652/wk$765/wk −15%$766/wk
Household income$1,231/wk$1,704/wk −28%$1,637/wk
Rent$355/wk$385/wk −8%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,733/mo$1,965/mo −12%$1,733/mo
Median age4343 0 yrs42
Rent share of household income28.8%22.6% +6.3 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 Coffs Harbour, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Coffs Harbour Population

27,089 residents at the 2021 Census.

Coffs Harbour Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$652/wk
$33,904 per year
Ranked 6,309 of 14,663
Median Rent
$355/wk
$1,538 per month
Ranked 3,058 of 14,663
Median Age
43years
5 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg household size: 2.3 · 0.8 per bedroom

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

Coffs Harbour Rent Prices & Affordability

29% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $1,231/wk
Median rent $355/wk
Rent to income 28.8%

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

Median rent in Coffs Harbour against your income

About $5,334 a month
Median rent $355/wk
Left after rent $876/wk
Rent share 28.8%

Coffs Harbour Schools

13
schools nearby
6
government
965
avg ICSEA score
6,411
total students
Bishop Druitt College Independent
Combined · K-12 · 1,351 students
1109
ICSEA
St John Paul College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,062 students
1044
ICSEA
Coffs Harbour Senior College Government
Secondary · 11-12 · 454 students
1038
ICSEA
St Augustine's Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 738 students
1036
ICSEA
Boambee Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 383 students
996
ICSEA
Allegra School Coffs Harbour Independent
Secondary · 9-10 · 83 students
984
ICSEA
Narranga Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 669 students
948
ICSEA
Coffs Harbour Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 474 students
897
ICSEA
Orara High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 858 students
896
ICSEA
Tyalla Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 258 students
872
ICSEA
Maam Giingana Gumbaynggirr Independent
Combined · K-8 · 81 students
798
ICSEA
Coffs Harbour Christian Community School - Junior Campus Independent
Primary
Lismore Diocese Online Education Centre Catholic
Secondary

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

All schools near Coffs Harbour, with a map

Coffs Harbour Map

Coffs Harbour, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
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Coffs Harbour, New South Wales: 30.3084°S, 153.0994°E

Coffs Harbour Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (13)

People in Coffs Harbour

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 47.4% (12,843) Female 52.6% (14,250)

Population Density

588
people per km²
27,089 people · 46.0 km²

Households

2.3
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$1,542
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
2.9%
Myanmar
1.5%
Iraq
1.4%
New Zealand
1.3%
India
1.1%
Philippines
0.7%
Malaysia
0.5%

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

Most common languages at home other than English

Punjabi
1.1%
Arabic
0.5%
Mandarin
0.4%
Spanish
0.4%
Australian Indigenous Languages
0.4%
German
0.3%
French
0.3%

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

Ancestry

English
39.1%
Australian
35.8%
Irish
11.2%
Scottish
9.8%
Australian Aboriginal
6.4%
German
3.8%
Italian
2.3%
Dutch
1.5%
Indian
1.2%
Chinese
1.0%
Filipino
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

Religion

No religion
38.6%
Catholic
17.6%
Anglican
13.8%
Not stated
8.7%
Presbyterian and Reformed
3.1%
Other religions
3.1%
Christian (other)
2.6%
Baptist
2.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

6.5%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
39.4% 8,873
Separated
4.2% 955
Divorced
12.2% 2,745
Widowed
7.1% 1,593
Never married
37.1% 8,368

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
35.5%
Couple: no children
30.6%
One parent: children under 15
12.8%
Couple: no children under 15
12.1%
One parent: no children under 15
9.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
33.3%
2 persons
34.7%
3 persons
13.4%
4 persons
10.7%
5 persons
4.8%
6+ persons
3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Coffs Harbour

Housing Tenure

Of the 10,666 occupied private dwellings in Coffs Harbour at the 2021 Census, 39.6% were rented, 33.0% owned outright and 24.3% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.2% 132 dwellings
Owned outright
33.0% 3,520 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
24.3% 2,590 dwellings
Rented
39.6% 4,220 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.9% 203 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
77.3%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
11.6%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
11.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
5.9%
2 bedrooms
24.8%
3 bedrooms
42.1%
4 bedrooms
21.7%
5 bedrooms
4.6%
6+ bedrooms
0.9%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
4.9%
$300-$449/mo
1.8%
$450-$599/mo
1.8%
$600-$799/mo
4.0%
$800-$999/mo
6.2%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
18.5%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
22.0%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
27.7%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
8.3%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
4.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
9.1%
1 vehicle
43.1%
2 vehicles
33.0%
3 vehicles
10.0%
4+ vehicles
4.9%

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

Work, income and education in Coffs Harbour

Employment

Employed full-time
29.3% 5,868 people
Employed part-time
22.5% 4,518 people
Unemployed
3.6% 727 people
Not in labour force
44.5% 8,928 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
27.2%
Community & Personal Service
16.2%
Technicians & Trade Workers
14.8%
Clerical & Administrative
13.3%
Managers
11.2%
Labourers
7.5%
Sales Workers
7.0%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
2.8%

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
2.0%
$300-$399/wk
3.3%
$400-$499/wk
9.2%
$500-$649/wk
7.8%
$650-$799/wk
8.5%
$800-$999/wk
8.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
9.3%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.7%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.4%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.8%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
9.9%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
5.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
3.8%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
2.5%
$4,000+/wk
5.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
8.0%
$1-$149/wk
4.5%
$150-$299/wk
7.9%
$300-$399/wk
6.2%
$400-$499/wk
5.8%
$500-$649/wk
5.4%
$650-$799/wk
11.6%
$800-$999/wk
12.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
12.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.7%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.8%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.3%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
5.3%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
0.9%
$3,500+/wk
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
73.4%
Did not go to work
12.3%
Car (passenger)
6.8%
Walked only
3.1%
Bicycle
1.1%
Bus
0.9%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.8%
Truck
0.7%
Other
0.5%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.3%
Train
0.1%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
50.2%
Year 10 or equivalent
32.8%
Year 9 or equivalent
8.7%
Year 11 or equivalent
8.3%

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
42.9%
Bachelor Degree
24.5%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
19.5%
Postgraduate Degree
6.1%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
3.7%
Certificate I/II
3.4%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
21.6%
Health
16.4%
Society & Culture
15.2%
Engineering
11.8%
Education
9.4%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
8.7%
Architecture & Building
6.4%
Agriculture & Environment
3.0%
Creative Arts
3.0%
Information Technology
2.3%
Natural & Physical Sciences
2.2%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
25.3%
Secondary: Government
20.3%
Vocational Education
18.7%
Pre-school
10.3%
Primary: Catholic
8.2%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
6.3%
Secondary: Catholic
5.5%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
5.3%

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
8.1%
Need for assistance not stated
7.3%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
3,209
Arthritis
1,177
Asthma
988
Lung condition
872
Heart disease
868
Diabetes
692
Cancer
519
Kidney disease
385
Stroke
357
Dementia
129

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
13.7% 2,834
Did not provide
86.3% 17,865

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
14.8% 3,080
Not a volunteer
85.2% 17,662

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.0% 4
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 12
Previously served
3.4% 705
Never served
96.5% 20,062

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
31.3%
1 child
12.8%
2 children
27.9%
3 children
18.0%
4 children
7.5%
5+ children
2.5%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
76
1951: 1960
272
1961: 1970
415
1971: 1980
365
1981: 1990
382
1991: 2000
321
2001: 2010
744
2011: 2015
662
2016
196
2017
282
2018
308
2019
391
2020
112
2021
79

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

Population Mobility

16.7%
moved in the last year
46.4%
moved in the last 5 years
6.1%
unemployment rate (Census)
52.8%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
20,633
Moved from NSW
2,497
Moved: same area (SA2)
972
Moved from QLD
197
Moved from overseas
152
Moved from VIC
112
Moved from WA
27
Moved from ACT
25
Moved from SA
20
Moved from TAS
13
Moved from NT
8

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
20.7%
5: 14 hours
28.1%
15: 29 hours
12.9%
30+ hours
8.8%
Did not do domestic work
29.6%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
79.6%
Step family: no other children
12.2%
Blended family: no other children
5.7%
Intact family: other children present
1.2%
Other couple: children only
1.2%
Step family: other children present
0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Coffs Harbour Crime Statistics

1,241 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Other Against Property
378
Theft
332
Assault
130
Other Against Person
124
Property Damage
94
Drug Offences
83
Weapons
50
Sexual Offences
43
Robbery
6
Homicide
1

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

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

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Bolton Point
Income: $623/wk Rent: $267/wk $88/wk less rent
Molong
Income: $727/wk Rent: $270/wk $85/wk less rent
Casino
Income: $591/wk Rent: $280/wk $75/wk less rent
Denman
Income: $721/wk Rent: $280/wk $75/wk less rent
Boggabri
Income: $695/wk Rent: $300/wk $55/wk less rent
Maitland (NSW)
Income: $635/wk Rent: $320/wk $35/wk less rent
Bega
Income: $660/wk Rent: $320/wk $35/wk less rent
Lake Illawarra
Income: $608/wk Rent: $328/wk $27/wk less rent

Suburbs near Coffs Harbour

The closest suburb to Coffs Harbour is North Boambee Valley, 2.6 km away.

North Boambee Valley
2.6 km away · income $655/wk · rent $465/wk
Boambee East
4.6 km away · income $706/wk · rent $410/wk
Boambee
4.8 km away · income $809/wk · rent $315/wk
Toormina
5.2 km away · income $590/wk · rent $335/wk
Sawtell
6.5 km away · income $750/wk · rent $380/wk
Korora
6.6 km away · income $834/wk · rent $450/wk

Compare Coffs Harbour

Frequently Asked Questions About Coffs Harbour

What is the population of Coffs Harbour NSW?

The population of Coffs Harbour NSW is 27,089 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 588 people per km². Coffs Harbour is ranked #61 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Coffs Harbour?

The median personal income in Coffs Harbour NSW is $652 per week, or $33,904 per year. The median household income is $1,231 per week. Family income is $1,542 per week. Coffs Harbour is ranked #6,309 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Coffs Harbour?

Median rent in Coffs Harbour NSW is $355 per week ($1,538 per month). Rent represents 28.8% of household income, which is considered moderate. Coffs Harbour ranks #3,058 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Coffs Harbour?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Coffs Harbour 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 Coffs Harbour?

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

Is Coffs Harbour a good suburb to live in?

Coffs Harbour is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 27,089. The median income is $652/wk, which is below the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as moderate (28.8% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Sydney Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 10959. All dollar figures in AUD.