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Suburb profile ·Dungog LGA · NSW ·2321

Clarence Town NSW 2321

Clarence Town is in Dungog LGA, NSW, postcode 2321, with population 2,265.

The read

Livability-led

The page has enough signal to be useful, but the story is mixed rather than decisive. Use compare mode to pressure-test it against stronger nearby options, then use the calculator if it still makes the shortlist.

$635/wk
Rising
+2.4% YoY
Mar 2025 → May 2026 · 15 periods
NSW Fair Trading · postcode 2321 · May 2026
$670
$600
Mar 2025May 2026
Why it fits

Transport coverage adds a practical access signal.

Median house
$825K
House median, latest period
9.3%YoY D5 vs AU
Median rent
$635/wk
Rent context available
2.4%YoY D10 vs AU
Gross yield
4.0%
Moderate yield band
D10 vs AU
Population
2,265
2K local footprint
D9 vs AU
Schools
2
Matched school context
D8 vs AU
Drive to city
2h 26m
175.8 km to Sydney CBD · free-flow
Solar
4,958
437 added 12mo · 37MW
Price cycleRising
LowPeak

9.3% below peak · 162.9% above its low

See trend depth →

Price history

Trend & investor depth

Cycle positionRising
Low · 2008Peak · 2025

9.3% below peak · 162.9% above its low

Price growth (compound)% per year
3-yr
-0.9%
5-yr
+4.9%
10-yr
+5.7%
Indicative cashflow-$311/wk (-$16,155/yr) · interest-only @ 6.2%, 80% LVR
Market turnover4.6% of homes traded/yr (37 sales · -1% vs 3-yr avg)
Rent stabilitystable — rents vary ±2.2% around trend (short window, 15 pts)
Value vs advantage-17% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 6)

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection. Turnover divides recorded sales by an estimated household count (population over average household size).

Investment grade

Bgrade · 65/100 · top 35% of 3,605AU suburbs
Peer distributionstronger than 65% of AU suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Capital growth36
Rental yield78
Stability50
Volatility-15.5ppCycle+2.0

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer · stability drivers signed (+ = steadier)

Relative grade across Australian suburbs, combining qp's capital-growth (multi-year CAGR + cycle timing), rental-yield, and stability (price volatility + cycle + affordability) metrics via a three-pillar property-scoring method with an imbalance penalty. Within-Australia relative, indicative only — not financial advice.

Investor profile

Who invests in Clarence Town

Owner-occupied 91%Rented 10%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared5.5%
711 of 1,326 landlords
Avg rental loss$7,674/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,326
Reported capital gains826
Investor exposure index(low vs national)32.7/100
The read

Owner-occupier stronghold

89% of homes here are owner-occupied and 9% rented, with 6% of landlords negatively geared.

Why it fits

89% owner-occupied — owner-occupiers hold longer and absorb rate shocks, supporting price stability.

ABS Census 2021 tenure (G37), ATO postcode rental statistics, and QuickProperty's investor-exposure index. Owner-occupied = owned outright + with a mortgage.

Mortgage affordability

47%
of household income to service a new loan
10.9 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Severe
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyRenting cheaper

New-loan repayment $3,957/mo vs median rent $2,752/mo (+44% · +$278/wk)

If rates move

At 4.0%: $3,151/mo (-806) · at 6.0% (current): $3,957/mo · at 8.0%: $4,843/mo (+886)

Assumes a 20% deposit and a 30-year principal-and-interest loan at the current RBA new owner-occupier variable rate, against median weekly household income (ABS Census 2021). Stress bands follow the 30% / 45%-of-income thresholds used in ANZ-CoreLogic and AIHW reporting. Rent vs buy compares that repayment with the suburb's median advertised rent; it excludes rates, insurance, maintenance and deposit opportunity cost.

Stronger alternatives nearby

Higher yield

similar price · cross-LGA

Stronger 5-yr growth

similar price · cross-LGA

More affordable

lower price-to-income

Alternatives are similar-priced suburbs (0.7–1.4x this suburb's median) in other council areas that exceed it on the named metric. Indicative — not financial advice.

Affordability

Buying
8.2x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Moderate
Renting
33%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
Stretched

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $1,993/mo, while renters pay about $2,752/mo — renting runs $759/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$825K
Household income · yr
$101K
Median rent · wk
$635
Owner mortgage · mo
$1,993
Gross yield
4.0%

Household income

$101K household · yr+22.2% vs NSW suburb median
Personal
$41K
Family
$111K
Household
$101K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)24% could service the median house
Under $300
13
$300-649
76
$650-999
77
$1,000-1,499
108
$1,500-1,999
88
$2,000-2,999
176
$3,000-3,999
94
$4,000+
81

Serviceability line: a household needs about $3,044/wk to hold a new loan on the median house at 30% of income (20% deposit, 30-year P&I, current RBA rate).

At the median asking rent, about 54% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $2,117/wk income).

Housing stock and tenure

Tenure (784 households)
Owned outright
35%
Owned with mortgage
54%
Rented
9%
Dwelling structure7.9% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
98%
Townhouse / semi
1%
Flat / apartment
0%

Getting to work: 74% drive, 0% public transport, 2% walk or cycle, 22% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Schools

Total2
Avg ICSEA962
Students185
Government2
  • Clarence Town Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 980
  • Glen William Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 945

Livability

76/ 100 livability index

Top 24% most liveable of 4,565Australian suburbs.

Peer distributionstronger than 76% of Australian suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Everyday access66
Public transport (56 stops)87
Schools & hospitals56

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer

Suburb-level access-density index (not an address-level walk-time score), normalised within Australian suburbs. Method based on the Urban Liveability Index (Higgs et al. 2019) and Walk Score — three equal-weighted domains combined with an imbalance penalty.

Crime April 2025 - March 2026
209
2,110 per 100k
D3 vs AU

Crime

Rate · per 100k2,110
Total incidents209· April 2025 - March 2026
  • Assault5859%
  • Sexual Offences1717%
  • Robbery00%
  • Break And Enter2323%

Bushfire exposure

Severe exposure ~69.7%
~69.7% of the suburb is Bush Fire Prone Land · ~47.9% Category 1 (highest hazard)

Estimated exposure to NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land (CC BY), point-sampled across the suburb. This shows how much of the suburb sits within the official hazard layer — it is not a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating or a property-level assessment. Obtain a BAL assessment (AS 3959) for an individual property.

Planning zones

Dominant zone Primary Production
Rural / Green wedge 47% Public / Open space 33% Residential 19% Other 1%
Residential density: Low

Land-use mix estimated by point-sampling the suburb against NSW EPI Land Zoning polygons (CC BY 4.0). This is a suburb-level snapshot of planning zones, not a parcel-level zoning certificate or development advice. Check the relevant planning scheme for an individual property.

Population outlook

9,722 people · 202211,556 by 2032 (+18.9%)

ABS population projection (2022 base) for the Dungog SA2 statistical area — the finest official projection grain available; suburb-level projections do not exist.

Full data detail Census · ATO · ABS · state datasets
Clarence Town NSW — Property Data and Demographics

Located in New South Wales within the Dungog local government area, Clarence Town is a smaller residential area (postcode 2321). It is home to about 2,265 residents, with an established demographic and a median age of 39. Households earn a median income of $101K per year, with an average household size of 2.8 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement into the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.9% year-on-year at the LGA level. NSW employment has moved +1.2% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 35 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 17 underway, and 67 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are technicians & trades, professionals, clerical & administrative. Employment in the area leans toward construction and healthcare. The top ancestries reported are Australian, English, Scottish.

Clarence Town has a median house price of $825,000, which has declined steeply by 9.3% year-on-year. The current median weekly rent is $635. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 4.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,993.

Clarence Town is served by 2 schools, including 2 primary. The average ICSEA score is 962, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 56 bus stops. The crime rate in the Dungog LGA is below average at 2,110 incidents per 100,000 population.

From an investment perspective, Gross rental yield sits at around 4.0% (moderate yield). Property prices sit below the state median ($825K/$1.5M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 8.2x is considered moderate. House prices have moved -9.3% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.9% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.

Market & money
Investment signalsHeuristics
Rental Yield4.0%· Moderate Yield
Price vs State$825K/$1.5M Below Median
Affordability8.2x· Moderate
Price Momentum-9.3% Falling
Pop. Growth+1.9%· Stable
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentNSW
Mortgage · mth$1,993
Rent · wk(Census)$365
Market rent · wk(2026-05)$635
Gross yield2.3%
Price / income8.2x
Sales vol (latest Q)(2025-Q4)6
Population growth · Dungog LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)10,102
5-year growth+1.3% CAGR
YoY change+1.9%
20012025
Development · Dungog LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)47
Houses47
YoY change+0%
Employment · Dungog LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)3.4%
YoY change+0pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 2321ATO
Negatively geared5.5%
711 of filers
Avg rental loss$7,674/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,326
Reported capital gains826
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population2,265
Median age39
Household size2.8
HH income · wk$1,934
Personal income · wk$794
Persons / bedroom0.8
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)6/10
Education (IEO)3/10
Economic (IER)8/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)5/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$1,578 → $1,934
Change+22.6%
vs NSW median+2 pp
Median rent+30.4%
stablevs NSW 2016–21
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets1
Pharmacies1
GP / clinics2
Fuel stations0
Cafes & dining1
iga1
TransportGTFS
Bus stops56
Hospitals · Dungog LGAAIHW
Public1
Private0
Dungog Hospitalpublic
Aged care · Dungog LGAGEN
Facilities1
Residential places65
Lara Aged Care65 places
Childcare · Dungog LGAACECQA
Services8
Approved places260
Exceeding NQS3
Joeys Pre-School & Early Learning Centre59 places
Thrive Kids Clarence Town OOSH44 places · in suburb
Dungog Community Pre-School Kindergarten35 places
Paterson OOSH35 places
Hunter Mobile Preschool - Vacy OSHC30 places
Paterson Valley Community Pre-School27 places
+2 more in Dungog LGA
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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

Clarence Town has enough direct local evidence for a first-pass decision.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
NSW price medians are parser-guarded official records.

Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
NSW Valuer General · 2025-Q4 · Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records
medium stability · automated · every update · weekly
Available
Market rent
NSW Fair Trading · 2026-05 · State market dataset
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Crime
BOCSAR · April 2025 - March 2026 · Area-level release dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · release-based
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · 2 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Hospitals
AIHW · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
GTFS feeds · 56 matched stops/stations
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Population growth
ABS ERP · 2025 · Annual estimate series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · 2026 · Annual release series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.

Clarence Town FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Clarence Town in?

    Clarence Town is in the Dungog Local Government Area, NSW, postcode 2321. Council-level context for Dungog LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Clarence Town?

    The current median house price in Clarence Town, NSW is $825K, based on the latest available sales data from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region.

  3. What is the typical weekly rent in Clarence Town?

    The median weekly rent in Clarence Town is $635/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is rent context available.

  4. What does the rent signal say about Clarence Town?

    Rent context available: Clarence Town has usable rent context. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  5. Is Clarence Town a good investment?

    QuickProperty's investment signals for Clarence Town show: Moderate Yield, Below Median, Moderate. These are computed from price, rent, income, and population data — not an opaque score.

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Clarence Town?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  7. How often is the Clarence Town data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.