Crescent Head
A median house price of $1,011,000 in a suburb of just 1,633 people tells the Crescent Head story more clearly than any label. Owner-occupiers dominate, with 52% owning outright, well above state and national norms, while a vacancy rate of 13.9% signals a large share of holiday and lifestyle properties sitting empty between visits. The median age of 50 is 10 years above the national figure, pointing to a settled, semi-retired resident base rather than a young family demographic. With 41 development applications in the past 12 months, quiet does not mean static.
Population
1,633
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,317/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
41
Median House
$1.0M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $1,011,000 median house price reflects buyer demand for a coastal Mid North Coast location, and prices rose 9.7% from $938,750 in 2024 to $1,030,000 in 2025. Separate houses dominate at 82.3% of stock, compared to a typical metro mix, so detached dwellings are the clear primary housing type. The bedroom split leans toward three-bedroom homes at 39.8%, followed by four-plus at 27.7%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,591, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 27.9%, below the 30% stress threshold, partly because many buyers here are older and bring equity from prior properties. At 52% outright ownership, this is a market shaped more by debt-free lifestyle purchasers than by highly leveraged first-home buyers.
For Buyers
The $1,011,000 median house price reflects buyer demand for a coastal Mid North Coast location, and prices rose 9.7% from $938,750 in 2024 to $1,030,000 in 2025. Separate houses dominate at 82.3% of stock, compared to a typical metro mix, so detached dwellings are the clear primary housing type. The bedroom split leans toward three-bedroom homes at 39.8%, followed by four-plus at 27.7%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,591, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 27.9%, below the 30% stress threshold, partly because many buyers here are older and bring equity from prior properties. At 52% outright ownership, this is a market shaped more by debt-free lifestyle purchasers than by highly leveraged first-home buyers.
For Investors
Crescent Head presents a mixed investment picture. Weekly rent of $320 against a $1,011,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.6%, low by national standards. The renter share is 24.9%, thinner than most regional markets, and the 13.9% vacancy rate is elevated, reflecting the high proportion of holiday-use properties that are not consistently tenanted. On the positive side, 41 development applications in the past 12 months signals active land and dwelling activity in the broader locality. For investors targeting yield, the numbers are challenging; for those prioritising capital growth in a tightly held coastal market, the 9.7% price rise over one year is the more relevant data point.
Development Activity
Total DAs
178
Last 12 Months
41
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+13.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Crescent Head iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Crescent Head Public School
K-6 · 167 students
Demographics
The median age of 50 is 10 years above the national median, one of the more pronounced age gaps you find in Australian coastal suburbs. Overseas-born residents make up just 11.9%, which is 9.7 percentage points below the national figure, and ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (756), Irish (211) and Scottish (167). Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, consistent with an older, post-family profile where 36.8% of families are couples without children. University qualifications reach 25.6%, which is 4.5 points below national. Volunteering sits at 18.9%, above typical regional rates, and 5.2% of residents need daily assistance, a figure worth monitoring given the aging trajectory.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.3%
Houses
8.9%
Townhouse
7.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure at Crescent Head is overwhelmingly owner-occupied: 52% own outright and 23% carry a mortgage, while only 24.9% rent. The 52% outright ownership rate is notably above national averages, confirming a mature, equity-rich ownership base. Stock is 82.3% separate houses, with semi-detached at 8.9% and apartments at 7.2%. The price-to-income relationship is stretched by coastal premiums: median house prices at $1,011,000 sit well above what household income in the 32.7th income percentile would typically support. Prices moved from $938,750 in 2024 to $1,030,000 in 2025, a 9.7% one-year rise. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,591 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.9%, below the stress threshold, because most buyers here are established owners rather than highly leveraged newcomers.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,591
Rent / wk
$320
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$674
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.9%
Unoccupied
104
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.8%
Couples, no children
1,123
Total families
Economy & Employment
Education (19.1%, 91 workers) and Healthcare (18.3%, 87 workers) are the top two industries, together accounting for over 37% of local employment, a profile common in regional service towns serving a broader hinterland. Construction follows at 14.9% (71 workers), reflecting ongoing coastal development. By occupation, Professionals lead at 166 workers, followed by Managers (99) and Community and Personal Service (96). The unemployment rate of 5.5% sits above typical metro figures, and the labour force participation rate of 47.1% is low, explained by the older median age of 50 leaving 565 residents outside the workforce. Household income sits at the 32.7th percentile nationally, below median, which sits at odds with the million-dollar house prices and reinforces that asset wealth, not income, is the primary driver of housing demand.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
49.4%
Part-time
45.1%
Participation
47.1%
Employed
615
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.6%
Postgraduate
4.0%
Born Overseas
11.9%
Dwellings
649
Transport to Work
Car dependency is the defining transport characteristic: 87.1% of residents drive to work, above national averages, while 7.7% walk or cycle. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in the broader Kempsey and Port Macquarie region. No crime rate data is available for Crescent Head, though the low population density and predominantly owner-occupied housing at 52% outright are indirect indicators of stability. Rent-to-income at 24.3% sits below the 30% stress threshold, keeping tenants comfortable relative to other coastal markets. The 18.9% volunteering rate is above the national average, reflecting the community involvement that often characterises smaller, established coastal settlements.
Drive
87.1%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
7.7%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Crescent Head compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Crescent Head a good suburb to live in?
Crescent Head suits lifestyle-focused residents. The median age of 50 is 10 years above national and 52% of residents own their homes outright. Rent-to-income sits at 24.3%, below the stress threshold, and volunteering rates of 18.9% reflect a community-engaged population. The trade-off is limited public transport, with 87.1% of residents car-dependent.
What is the median house price in Crescent Head?
The median house price is $1,011,000. Prices rose 9.7% from $938,750 in 2024 to $1,030,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,591 and weekly rent averages $320. Household income sits at the 32.7th percentile nationally, so the price reflects coastal lifestyle demand more than local incomes.
What schools are in Crescent Head?
No schools are recorded inside the Crescent Head suburb boundary in this dataset. Families in the area rely on schools in neighbouring towns such as Kempsey and the Port Macquarie region. Locally, 25.6% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 4.5 percentage points below the national average.
Is Crescent Head safe?
Detailed crime rate statistics are not available for Crescent Head in this dataset. As indirect indicators, 52% of residents own their homes outright and the population density is just 9.0 people per km2, both characteristics associated with stable, low-turnover communities. Only 5.2% of residents need daily assistance.
Is Crescent Head good for property investment?
The investment case has trade-offs. Weekly rent of $320 against a $1,011,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.6%, low by national standards. The 13.9% vacancy rate reflects holiday-property overhang. However, prices rose 9.7% in one year and 41 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, indicating active market interest.
How is Crescent Head's population changing?
Crescent Head has a small, stable population of 1,633. Residential turnover is modest, with 76.6% of residents remaining in place over a 5-year period, compared to higher-churn urban markets. The median age of 50 is 10 years above national, and the low participation rate of 47.1% reflects a largely post-working-age resident base.
How much development is happening in Crescent Head?
There were 41 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, covering demolitions, agricultural subdivisions and new structures such as swimming pools. This level of activity is moderate for a suburb of 1,633 people and reflects gradual coastal-lifestyle development rather than large-scale residential expansion.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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