Coutts Crossing
At 1,053 residents, Coutts Crossing is a low-density rural locality where 94.8% of homes are separate houses and 45.5% are owned outright. Its median age of 44 is 4 years above the national figure, while household income sits at the 22.3rd percentile. Compared with nearby Grafton, the setting is more detached and car dependent, with 83.9% driving to work. The locality is stable rather than transient: 86.4% stayed at the same address, and 6.5% were born overseas.
Local council: Clarence Valley
Population
1,053
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,157/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
8
Buyers are choosing a strongly detached housing market: 94.8% of dwellings are separate houses, with 51.1% containing 3 bedrooms and 32.5% containing 4 or more. Ownership is established, with 45.5% owned outright and 40.7% under mortgage. Renting accounts for 13.8%, below both outright ownership and mortgage tenure. Mortgage payments are $1,300 a month and mortgage to income is 25.9%, with no mortgage stress flag. Compared with nearby Grafton, Coutts Crossing suits buyers prioritising land and space over apartment choice, but car access matters because 83.9% drive.
For Buyers
Buyers are choosing a strongly detached housing market: 94.8% of dwellings are separate houses, with 51.1% containing 3 bedrooms and 32.5% containing 4 or more. Ownership is established, with 45.5% owned outright and 40.7% under mortgage. Renting accounts for 13.8%, below both outright ownership and mortgage tenure. Mortgage payments are $1,300 a month and mortgage to income is 25.9%, with no mortgage stress flag. Compared with nearby Grafton, Coutts Crossing suits buyers prioritising land and space over apartment choice, but car access matters because 83.9% drive.
For Investors
Investors face a small, mainly owner-occupied rental market. Only 13.8% of occupied dwellings are rented, weekly rent is $300, and vacancy is 4.2%, so the tenant pool is narrower than in a larger centre. Development activity totals 9 applications over 12 months, making near-term supply appear modest and property selection more important than scale. The annual trend is 1.37% with migration labelled Balanced, while rent growth is recorded at 83.0% across the shift indicators. Compared with Grafton, Coutts Crossing has less rental depth, so investors should verify tenant demand and resale liquidity.
Development Activity
Total DAs
60
Last 12 Months
8
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-27.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Coutts Crossing
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Coutts Crossing has an older, locally rooted population: median age is 44, which is 4 years above the national comparison, and 86.4% stayed at the same address over the reference period. Overseas born residents account for 6.5%, 15.1 percentage points below the national figure, while university participation is 9.3%, 20.8 points below national levels. English, Scottish and Irish are the leading ancestries at 465, 149 and 104 people. Christianity records 508 people identifying with it versus 445 reporting no religion, giving the social profile a more established Anglo-Celtic shape than a migrant-majority suburb.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.8%
Houses
3.4%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is overwhelmingly detached and family sized. Separate houses account for 94.8%, while 3 bedroom homes make up 51.1% and 4 or more bedroom homes 32.5%, a lower-density pattern than apartment-oriented centres. Tenure is split between 45.5% outright ownership and 40.7% mortgages, leaving 13.8% renting. The $300 weekly rent and $1,300 monthly mortgage figure sit alongside a 25.9% mortgage to income ratio, while average household size is 2.6. Compared with nearby Grafton, Coutts Crossing is better suited to buyers seeking detached space, but its smaller rental pool can limit investor choice.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $300.
$500
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $520 · units $415
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$536
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.2%
Unoccupied
17
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
37.7%
Couples with children
44.3%
Couples, no children
18.0%
Single parent
289
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is concentrated in practical and locally essential sectors. Healthcare leads at 22.9% with 53 workers, followed by Public Administration at 14.7% and 34, while Retail is 11.7% and 27. Construction and Education each contribute 10.8% and 25. Occupations are similarly grounded in Community and Personal services and Labourers at 61 each, Trades at 56, and Machinery and Drivers at 50. Unemployment is 7.2% and participation is 49.6%, while household income is at the 22.3rd percentile, below the median. SEIFA places education and occupation in decile 5, economic resources in decile 4, disadvantage in decile 4 and area advantage in decile 5. That mix is lower on resources than on area advantage, pointing to moderate socioeconomic capacity.
Unemployment
7.2%
Labour Force
419
Unemployed
30
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.3%
Part-time
37.0%
Participation
49.6%
Employed
389
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
9.3%
Postgraduate
0.6%
Born Overseas
6.5%
Dwellings
386
Transport to Work
Livability suits residents who prefer space, driving and a quieter settlement pattern. Coutts Crossing Public School is the local government primary option; families should check enrolment zones and secondary access against the exact address. Daily travel is car led, with 83.9% driving and only 2.6% walking or cycling, while 7.8% work from home. The suburb spans 59.18 square kilometres at 17.8 people per square kilometre, so services are more dispersed than in a denser centre. Volunteering is 17.2%, need for assistance is 7.6%, and IRSAD sits at decile 5, placing area advantage around the middle rather than the top decile. Check current NSW Police and council information for a safety view.
Drive
83.9%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
2.6%
Work from Home
7.8%
Growth Outlook
Growth is positive but paired with an ageing trajectory. The annual trend is 1.37%, and population change across the wider area is 17.4% over 10 years, while migration is labelled Balanced rather than driven by a single stream. The shift indicators show a 5.4% increase in the senior share and a 3.9% fall in the young share, helping explain why demand may favour established homes and services over rapid family formation. Affordability worsened from 21.2% in 2011 to 29.5% in 2021. The gentrification score is 22 at the Early signs stage, compared with a shift score of 63 marked Active, so change signals are mixed.
Population trend: Clarence Valley council area
Coutts Crossing sits in the Clarence Valley council area. These are the council area's residents, not Coutts Crossing's.
Residents 2025
56,874
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.5%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.2%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Coutts Crossing compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Coutts Crossing a good suburb to live in?
For residents who value detached housing and space, yes, but it is car dependent and services are dispersed. The suburb has 1,053 residents, 94.8% separate houses and 83.9% car drivers. Its median age of 44 is above the national comparison, so it may suit established households more than people seeking a dense urban setting.
What is the median house price in Coutts Crossing?
Use recent settled sales to establish the current median, especially because 94.8% of homes are separate houses and 51.1% have 3 bedrooms. As an affordability guide, rent is $300 a week and the monthly mortgage figure is $1,300, but acreage, condition and land size can make individual sales diverge.
What schools are in Coutts Crossing?
Coutts Crossing Public School is the local government primary school. Confirm the enrolment zone and ask about secondary pathways before buying, particularly because the locality covers 59.18 square kilometres and 83.9% of workers drive. School availability should be checked by exact address rather than assumed from the suburb name.
Is Coutts Crossing safe?
For a current safety view, check NSW Police and council information for the exact locality, then visit at different times and ask nearby residents about lighting and incident patterns. Coutts Crossing has 1,053 residents across 59.18 square kilometres, so conditions can vary between roads more than in a compact centre.
Is Coutts Crossing good for property investment?
It can suit a long-term, selective strategy rather than a high-volume rental approach. Renting is 13.8%, weekly rent is $300, vacancy is 4.2% and 9 development applications were recorded over 12 months. The annual growth trend is 1.37%, but investors should verify tenant depth and resale evidence before relying on a small local market.
How is Coutts Crossing's population changing?
The population is changing gradually while ageing. The annual trend is 1.37%, population change across the wider area is 17.4% over 10 years, and the shift trajectory is Aging. The senior share rose 5.4% while the young share fell 3.9%, so future demand is likely to lean more toward established households, care access and practical services than rapid youth-led growth.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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