Russell Vale, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Russell Vale NSW is 1,593 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Russell Vale is $769 per week ($39,988 per year). Median rent in Russell Vale is $400 per week ($1,733 per month). Russell Vale has a median age of 39 years, older than the national median of 38. Russell Vale has a population density of 721 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Russell Vale is England. The most common religion is No religion (44.3% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Spanish. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Russell Vale is $2,167.

There were 29 recorded offences in Russell Vale in 2025-26, a rate of 18 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (13 offences).

Population
1,593
Census 2021
Median income
$769/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$400/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
39years
Census 2021

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

Russell Vale vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Russell Vale is $769 a week, in line with the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 1,060th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $400 a week, $15 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 23.3% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 39, 4 years younger 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.
MeasureRussell ValeTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$769/wk$765/wk +1%$766/wk
Household income$1,715/wk$1,704/wk +1%$1,637/wk
Rent$400/wk$385/wk +4%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,167/mo$1,965/mo +10%$1,733/mo
Median age3943 −4 yrs42
Rent share of household income23.3%22.6% +0.7 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 Russell Vale, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Russell Vale Population

1,593 residents at the 2021 Census.

Russell Vale Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$769/wk
$39,988 per year
Ranked 4,151 of 14,663
Median Rent
$400/wk
$1,733 per month
Ranked 1,854 of 14,663
Median Age
39years
1 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$2,167/mo
Avg household size: 2.7 · 0.8 per bedroom

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

Russell Vale Rent Prices & Affordability

23% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $1,715/wk
Median rent $400/wk
Rent to income 23.3%

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

Median rent in Russell Vale against your income

About $7,432 a month
Median rent $400/wk
Left after rent $1,315/wk
Rent share 23.3%

Russell Vale Schools

17
schools nearby
12
government
1020
avg ICSEA score
6,948
total students
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 412 students
1121
ICSEA
Waniora Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 264 students
1077
ICSEA
St Columbkille's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 339 students
1073
ICSEA
Woonona Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 519 students
1070
ICSEA
Holy Spirit College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,249 students
1069
ICSEA
Bulli Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 318 students
1069
ICSEA
Bulli High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 979 students
1058
ICSEA
Corrimal East Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 297 students
1046
ICSEA
Russell Vale Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 262 students
1040
ICSEA
Woonona East Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 200 students
1037
ICSEA
Woonona High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 767 students
1030
ICSEA
Aspect South Coast School Independent
Primary · U · 129 students
1017
ICSEA
Corrimal Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 227 students
1013
ICSEA
Tarrawanna Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 164 students
982
ICSEA
Corrimal High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 569 students
940
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 17 schools.

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

All schools near Russell Vale, with a map

Russell Vale Map

Russell Vale, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Russell Vale, New South Wales: 34.3545°S, 150.8964°E

Russell Vale Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (17)

People in Russell Vale

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.9% (793) Female 50.1% (795)

Population Density

721
people per km²
1,593 people · 2.2 km²

Households

2.7
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$2,201
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
2.2%
New Zealand
1.0%
United States of America
0.6%
Scotland
0.5%
Chile
0.4%
Fiji
0.3%
North Macedonia
0.3%

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

Most common languages at home other than English

Spanish
0.7%
French
0.4%
Macedonian
0.4%
Italian
0.3%
Arabic
0.3%
Russian
0.3%
Thai
0.3%

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

Ancestry

English
44.5%
Australian
44.0%
Scottish
13.6%
Irish
11.0%
Italian
3.5%
German
3.0%
Australian Aboriginal
2.8%
Dutch
1.9%
Welsh
1.5%
French
0.9%
Maori
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
44.3%
Catholic
19.0%
Anglican
14.0%
Not stated
5.5%
Uniting Church
4.6%
Presbyterian and Reformed
3.4%
Christian (other)
2.5%
Baptist
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

3.5%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
49.2% 599
Separated
2.6% 32
Divorced
9.4% 115
Widowed
5.1% 62
Never married
33.6% 409

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
46.0%
Couple: no children
22.9%
Couple: no children under 15
16.3%
One parent: children under 15
7.8%
One parent: no children under 15
7.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
21.8%
2 persons
30.7%
3 persons
15.5%
4 persons
20.2%
5 persons
8.5%
6+ persons
3.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Russell Vale

Housing Tenure

Of the 572 occupied private dwellings in Russell Vale at the 2021 Census, 21.5% were rented, 35.5% owned outright and 42.7% owned with a mortgage.

Owned outright
35.5% 203 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
42.7% 244 dwellings
Rented
21.5% 123 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.9% 5 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
84.5%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
11.1%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
4.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
3.0%
2 bedrooms
17.2%
3 bedrooms
48.5%
4 bedrooms
24.8%
5 bedrooms
5.3%
6+ bedrooms
1.2%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
7.1%
$300-$449/mo
2.4%
$450-$599/mo
1.9%
$600-$799/mo
1.4%
$800-$999/mo
2.8%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
8.5%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
15.2%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
23.2%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
19.4%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
18.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
6.8%
1 vehicle
33.2%
2 vehicles
39.9%
3 vehicles
13.7%
4+ vehicles
6.4%

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

Work, income and education in Russell Vale

Employment

Employed full-time
35.2% 389 people
Employed part-time
22.1% 244 people
Unemployed
1.6% 18 people
Not in labour force
41.1% 455 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
26.6%
Technicians & Trade Workers
19.9%
Managers
14.6%
Community & Personal Service
13.0%
Clerical & Administrative
11.2%
Labourers
5.7%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
5.5%
Sales Workers
3.5%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.9%
$150-$299/wk
1.1%
$300-$399/wk
3.8%
$400-$499/wk
9.0%
$500-$649/wk
2.5%
$650-$799/wk
5.5%
$800-$999/wk
6.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
8.0%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
5.7%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.9%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.8%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.6%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
8.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
8.0%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
6.9%
$4,000+/wk
10.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
10.2%
$1-$149/wk
3.3%
$150-$299/wk
4.9%
$300-$399/wk
4.4%
$400-$499/wk
4.9%
$500-$649/wk
4.1%
$650-$799/wk
9.9%
$800-$999/wk
10.1%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
9.3%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.8%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
9.1%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.6%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
10.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.5%
$3,500+/wk
2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
70.7%
Did not go to work
21.9%
Car (passenger)
4.7%
Train
0.8%
Truck
0.8%
Walked only
0.6%
Bus
0.6%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
48.4%
Year 10 or equivalent
36.1%
Year 9 or equivalent
8.7%
Year 11 or equivalent
6.8%

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
47.5%
Bachelor Degree
22.5%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
15.3%
Postgraduate Degree
6.4%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
6.0%
Certificate I/II
2.4%

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

Field of Study

Engineering
20.0%
Society & Culture
15.4%
Management & Commerce
15.2%
Education
12.0%
Architecture & Building
11.4%
Health
9.2%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
7.2%
Creative Arts
4.2%
Natural & Physical Sciences
2.8%
Agriculture & Environment
1.8%
Information Technology
1.0%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
38.6%
Secondary: Government
24.0%
Pre-school
13.3%
Vocational Education
12.1%
Secondary: Catholic
6.1%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
2.9%
Primary: Catholic
1.9%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
1.0%

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
90.1%
Has need for assistance
6.7%
Need for assistance not stated
3.3%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
143
Arthritis
66
Asthma
61
Diabetes
54
Lung condition
45
Heart disease
38
Cancer
27
Stroke
26
Kidney disease
21
Dementia
3

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
15.7% 188
Did not provide
84.3% 1,008

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
15.5% 186
Not a volunteer
84.5% 1,011

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Previously served
2.4% 29
Never served
97.6% 1,167

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
26.4%
1 child
13.6%
2 children
34.4%
3 children
21.0%
4 children
4.5%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
4
1951: 1960
21
1961: 1970
31
1971: 1980
16
1981: 1990
21
1991: 2000
21
2001: 2010
20
2011: 2015
13
2019
8

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

Population Mobility

8.3%
moved in the last year
25.6%
moved in the last 5 years
3.0%
unemployment rate (Census)
60.0%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
1,390
Moved from NSW
85
Moved: same area (SA2)
33
Moved from QLD
4

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
20.2%
5: 14 hours
29.3%
15: 29 hours
15.2%
30+ hours
10.2%
Did not do domestic work
25.1%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
87.3%
Step family: no other children
9.8%
Blended family: no other children
2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Russell Vale Crime Statistics

29 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
13
Other Against Property
9
Sexual Offences
2
Property Damage
2
Assault
1
Other Against Person
1
Drug Offences
1

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

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

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Condobolin
Income: $668/wk Rent: $200/wk $200/wk less rent
Yenda (NSW)
Income: $821/wk Rent: $250/wk $150/wk less rent
Wallerawang
Income: $666/wk Rent: $275/wk $125/wk less rent
Hanwood
Income: $825/wk Rent: $275/wk $125/wk less rent
South Lismore
Income: $638/wk Rent: $300/wk $100/wk less rent
Pelaw Main
Income: $626/wk Rent: $310/wk $90/wk less rent
Coniston
Income: $739/wk Rent: $350/wk $50/wk less rent
Barnsley
Income: $794/wk Rent: $360/wk $40/wk less rent

Suburbs near Russell Vale

The closest suburb to Russell Vale is Woonona, 0.7 km away.

Woonona
0.7 km away · income $788/wk · rent $395/wk
Corrimal
1.8 km away · income $762/wk · rent $365/wk
Bellambi
2.4 km away · income $611/wk · rent $252/wk
Bulli
2.8 km away · income $952/wk · rent $370/wk
Tarrawanna
2.9 km away · income $674/wk · rent $340/wk
East Corrimal
2.9 km away · income $840/wk · rent $361/wk

Compare Russell Vale

Frequently Asked Questions About Russell Vale

What is the population of Russell Vale NSW?

The population of Russell Vale NSW is 1,593 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 721 people per km². Russell Vale is ranked #3,321 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Russell Vale?

The median personal income in Russell Vale NSW is $769 per week, or $39,988 per year. The median household income is $1,715 per week. Family income is $2,201 per week. Russell Vale is ranked #4,151 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Russell Vale?

Median rent in Russell Vale NSW is $400 per week ($1,733 per month). Rent represents 23.3% of household income, which is considered affordable. Russell Vale ranks #1,854 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Russell Vale?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Russell Vale NSW is $2,167. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Russell Vale?

The median age in Russell Vale NSW is 39 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Russell Vale a good suburb to live in?

Russell Vale is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 1,593. The median income is $769/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (23.3% 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: 13463. All dollar figures in AUD.