NSW · Kempsey Council
Arakoon, 2431
Current weather
18.4°CClear sky
83% humidity · 12.1 km/h wind · 22.9° / 15.6° today · 1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Coastal
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Arakoon wears its coastal identity openly, a smaller community built around sand, sea and an easy outdoor rhythm. Set on the coast at a distance from the capital, it trades city proximity for a slower, beach-led rhythm. There is a lightness to the air here, with the coast never far from mind.
Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Transport options are solid enough for daily errands and regular trips further afield. Homes here are sought-after, with many people drawn to the lifestyle the area offers.
Infill and new builds are slowly updating the area without overwhelming its existing character.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, with local dining and lifestyle amenities and transport and access the main drags compared with similar coastal suburbs. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 445
- Median age
- 59
- Median household income / week
- $1,321
- Dwelling vacancy
- 22.4%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 54 of 241
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Employment rate
- 42.4%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 16 / 4 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $405
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $590
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $550
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 40
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 35
- Against the person
- 9
- Against property
- 17
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 78.7
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 49 residents
- State safety percentile
- 56.1th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -2.5%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Break And Enter Dwelling29
- Break And Enter Non-Dwelling28
- Domestic Violence Related Assault32
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment41
- Malicious Damage To Property33
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Public transport
8 public transport stops in this suburb
- Arakoon Rd At Cockatoo Pl
- Arakoon Rd At Rocks View Cres
- Bullock Quarry Rd SWR
- Bullock Quarry Rd SWR
- Wilson St At Francis Dimond St
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
29 planning-related records
2026· 2 proposals
June 2026
- Shed; Erection of a new structure28 WONGA PLACE ARAKOON 2431Under Assessment
January 2026
- Dwelling house; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia436 ARAKOON ROAD ARAKOON 2431Under Assessment
2025· 3 proposals
October 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Garage, carport or carparking space; Residential Accommodation62 SMOKY RIDGE DRIVE ARAKOON 2431Determined
April 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure3 WILSON STREET ARAKOON 2431Determined
February 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Garage, carport or carparking space41-43 CARDWELL STREET ARAKOON 2431Determined
2024· 9 proposals
December 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (detached)2 70 CARDWELL STREET ARAKOON 2431Withdrawn
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)5 CARRON CLOSE ARAKOON 2431Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure2-4 GREY STREET ARAKOON 2431Determined
September 2024
- Demolition; Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Rainwater tanks; Swimming pool270 ARAKOON ROAD ARAKOON 2431Determined
July 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure3 CARRI STREET ARAKOON 2431Determined
June 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure9 CARRI STREET ARAKOON 2431Determined
February 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure47 GAP BEACH ROAD ARAKOON 2431Determined
- Pools / decks / fencing32 FERN TREE CLOSE ARAKOON 2431Deferred Commencement
January 2024
- Subdivision35B ROSELLA PLACE ARAKOON 2431Withdrawn
2023· 10 proposals
November 2023
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation20 WONGA PLACE ARAKOON 2431Determined
October 2023
- Alterations and additions to residential developmentCOCKATOO PLACE ARAKOON 2431Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure35D ROSELLA PLACE ARAKOON 2431Determined
September 2023
- Secondary dwelling5 CARRON CLOSE ARAKOON 2431Determined
- Subdivision of landROSELLA PLACE ARAKOON 2431Determined
August 2023
- Dwelling; Pools / decks / fencing45 PALM GROVE ARAKOON 2431Determined
July 2023
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs7 CABBAGE TREE LANE ARAKOON 2431Determined
April 2023
- Pools / decks / fencing25 RUSSELL STREET ARAKOON 2431Determined
January 2023
- Alterations and additions to residential development70 CARDWELL STREET ARAKOON 2431Withdrawn
- Retaining walls, protection of trees45 CARDWELL STREET ARAKOON 2431Determined
2022· 2 proposals
October 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing6-8 GREY STREET ARAKOON 2431Determined
July 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development10 WONGA PLACE ARAKOON 2431Determined
2021· 3 proposals
October 2021
- Shed47 GAP BEACH ROAD ARAKOON 2431Determined
August 2021
- Alterations and additions to residential development2 70 CARDWELL STREET ARAKOON 2431Determined
July 2021
- Secondary dwelling3 RAINFOREST LANE ARAKOON 2431Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 6/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 6/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Heritage
2 state heritage places
- Smoky Cape Lighthouse GroupSouth West Rocks 10km east of KempseySHR
- Trial Bay Gaol, Breakwater and EnvironsCardwell Street, ArakoonSHR
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 17.9/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6692nd in Australia
- State rank
- 2076th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #121 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #198 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 60%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Break And Enter Dwellingcrime29
- Break And Enter Non-Dwellingcrime28
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime32
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime41
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime33
- Arakoon Rd At Cockatoo Pltransport
- Arakoon Rd At Rocks View Crestransport
- Bullock Quarry Rd SWRtransport
- Bullock Quarry Rd SWRtransport
- Wilson St At Francis Dimond Sttransport
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
More in Kempsey Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.