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Suburb Insights · NSW 2444

Port Macquarie, NSW 2444 Property Profile

ABS 2021 Census · Updated 21 May 2026

Suburb Overview

Port Macquarie is a coastal suburb in New South Wales, Australia, with a population of approximately 47,693, making it a sizeable community. Located approximately 311 km from the Sydney CBD, Port Macquarie is a coastal area in New South Wales. The median household income is $66,664 per year.

Investment Score

49 / 100 Moderate

Lower income levels in Port Macquarie typically translate to more affordable entry points for investors. Coastal lifestyle appeal adds a premium that supports long-term demand.

Location

Sydney
Port Macquarie
New South Wales · 2444
311 km from Sydney CBD
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Key Indicators

Postcode
2444

Official Australia Post postcode for Port Macquarie. A postcode may cover multiple suburbs.

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Population
47,693

Usual resident population at the most recent census.

Median weekly rent
$380/wk

Weekly median rent for occupied homes. Live rental data integration coming soon.

Median household income
$66,664/yr

Annual median household income (before tax) across all households.

Distance to CBD
311 km

Straight-line distance from the suburb centroid to the nearest capital city CBD. Actual driving distance will be longer.

Lifestyle & Amenities

Schools nearby
12

Estimated 12 schools within or near this suburb.

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Parks & green spaces
19

Estimated 19 parks and green spaces near this suburb.

Median monthly mortgage
$1,751/mo

Monthly median mortgage repayment for households currently paying off a mortgage.

Home type
60% houses

Proportion of separate houses versus units, townhouses, and other home types. Useful for investors assessing rental demand mix.

Why People Like Living in Port Macquarie

Who Port Macquarie Suits

👨‍👩‍👧Families12 schools nearby, 60% separate houses.
📊InvestorsRent covers a solid share of the median mortgage.
🏡First-home buyersEntry costs sit at or below the New South Wales median.
💼ProfessionalsLonger commute to the CBD.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Mortgage costs are lower than the New South Wales median, improving cash-flow margins.
  • Access to several schools nearby (around 12).
  • Local parks and reserves (around 19) add to liveability.
  • Solid transport links into employment hubs.

Cons

  • Long distance to the CBD (311 km) — plan for commute time or local employment.
  • Traffic can build during peak hours, especially on arterial roads.

Investment Insight

With 47,693 residents, Port Macquarie is one of New South Wales's more populous suburbs — roughly 9.0× the state median of 5,325 — giving it a deep buyer and tenant pool that typically supports higher transaction volumes and shorter average days on market. Port Macquarie's median household income of $66,664/year is 32% below the New South Wales suburb median ($97,552) — this is an affordability play where returns lean on yield and patient capital growth rather than demographic premium. Median weekly rent of $380 equates to $1,647/month — about 94% of the median mortgage repayment of $1,751/month — meaning rental income covers most of a typical owner's repayment and this is a genuine cash-flow suburb before tax benefits. Port Macquarie is 311 km from Sydney, so the local market tracks regional employment and lifestyle drivers more than CBD-driven commuter demand. Only 60% of dwellings are separate houses (vs 76% state median), so this is a unit-heavy market where body-corporate decisions and strata supply meaningfully shape investor returns.

Investment Tip

This suburb can suit investors targeting renter demand driven by lifestyle. Insurance, climate risk, and seasonal rental patterns all warrant a close look. Local rents consume roughly 30% of household income — a useful sanity check on tenant affordability.

Port Macquarie vs New South Wales Median

How Port Macquarie stacks up against the median of all New South Wales suburbs in our dataset. Positive values mean Port Macquarie sits above the state median; negative means below.

MetricPort MacquarieNSW medianΔ vs state
Population47,6935,325+796%
Median household income$66,664/yr$97,552/yr-32%
Median rent (weekly)$380$430-12%
Median mortgage (monthly)$1,751$2,167-19%
Distance to CBD311 km45 km+591%
Separate houses60%76%-16pp

Investor Checklist

Pre-inspection briefing for Port Macquarie — every item is derived from public datasets, with full citations in our data sources page.

Investment Strategy

Buy & Hold

Limited buy-and-hold upside: household incomes 32% below the NSW median ($66,664 vs $97,552) means liquidity is thin and capital growth tends to lag the wider New South Wales market over full cycles.

Rental Yield

Strong rental coverage: $380/week (~$1,647/month) covers 94% of the $1,751/month median mortgage repayment, so the shortfall sits at just $104/month. Investors targeting positive cash flow should shortlist this suburb.

Renovation / Flip

Only 60% of dwellings are separate houses (vs 76% NSW median) — this is a unit and townhouse market, where cosmetic flips struggle against body-corporate restrictions, thinner after-reno uplift and competing new supply.

Risk Factors

Run the numbers on a Port Macquarie property

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30-year projections for Port Macquarie

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2026 Outlook

Growth: Low Rental Demand: Moderate Investor Sentiment: Low

Capital-growth expectations for Port Macquarie are modest for 2026 — incomes 32% below the NSW median of $97,552 suggest gains will lag headline metro markets. Rental coverage runs at ~94% of the typical mortgage ($1,647/month rent vs $1,751/month repayment), keeping cash flow in positive or near-neutral territory. The EquitySight investment score of 49/100 places Port Macquarie in the mid tier of Australian suburbs we profile, and overall investor sentiment is cautious heading into the second half of 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Port Macquarie a good suburb for investment?

Port Macquarie scores 49/100 on our EquitySight investment framework — a moderate rating. That score is driven by a population of 47,693, median household income of $66,664/year and median weekly rent of $380. Whether it fits your portfolio depends on whether you are targeting cash flow, capital growth, or a value-add renovation — all three are scored with suburb-specific numbers elsewhere on this page.

What drives property demand in Port Macquarie?

The main demand drivers in Port Macquarie are a median household income of $66,664/year, a dwelling mix that is 60% separate houses, roughly 12 schools and 19 parks within the catchment. Together these shape both owner-occupier and tenant demand and are the factors we weight most heavily in the suburb's investment score.

What is the population of Port Macquarie?

Port Macquarie has a usual resident population of approximately 47,693, compared with a New South Wales suburb median of 5,325 — placing it in the upper half of the state's suburbs by size. Population is the clearest proxy for market depth: more residents mean more transactions and typically a shorter average days-on-market on resale.

How far is Port Macquarie from the Sydney CBD?

Port Macquarie sits 311 km straight-line from the Sydney CBD. This is a regional market where CBD distance is only indicative — local industry diversity and commute alternatives matter more.

What is the median rent in Port Macquarie?

The most recent census recorded a median weekly rent of $380 in Port Macquarie, equating to approximately $19,760/year in gross rental income (state median $430/week). Market rents have typically drifted above the recorded figure — verify against current listings on realestate.com.au and Domain before making an offer.

What is the typical mortgage repayment in Port Macquarie?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Port Macquarie is $1,751, or approximately $21,012/year (vs $2,167/month state median). Stress-test your own borrowing at rates 1–2 percentage points above today's to make sure you can still service the loan through an RBA tightening cycle.

Is Port Macquarie cash-flow positive for investors?

A median weekly rent of $380 works out to $1,647/month, covering 94% of the median mortgage repayment of $1,751/month. That leaves a $104/month shortfall (around $1,248/year before tax benefits), so a typical owner-occupier-priced property here is negatively geared. Actual cash flow depends on your deposit, loan terms, ownership costs and marginal tax rate — run the full numbers in our rental yield calculator.

What are the main risks of investing in Port Macquarie?

The main risks are interest-rate sensitivity on the $1,751 median mortgage, below-median household incomes ($66,664 vs $97,552 state median), the broader New South Wales market cycle. Each of these is covered in the Risk Factors section above with suburb-specific numbers rather than generic warnings.

How we built this Port Macquarie profile

Every number on this page comes from the ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing, Australia Post postcode reference data, and OpenStreetMap amenity tiles. The investment score, strategy verdicts, and comparison table are computed deterministically from those inputs — no opinion, no estimation. See our full methodology and the data sources and licences for the formulas we use.

Nearby Suburbs

New South Wales Property Resources