NSW · Richmond Valley Council
Doonbah, 2473
Current weather
18.2°CMainly clear
81% humidity · 13.6 km/h wind · 22.1° / 12.7° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Doonbah offers a slower smaller community life in Richmond Valley, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.
A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric. Life here is grounded in local routine rather than big-city choice, and that is part of the charm. Buses and nearby services make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward.
The area offers approachable housing costs alongside a lifestyle that still feels complete. A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, with growth momentum and local dining and lifestyle amenities the main drags compared with similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 298
- Median age
- 68
- Median household income / week
- $876
- Dwelling vacancy
- 9.6%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 15 of 156
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,538
- Employment rate
- 29.9%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 21 / 0 / 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
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $600
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)
- 19
- Against the person
- 6
- Against property
- 8
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 63.8
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 50 residents
- State safety percentile
- 42.3th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -9.3%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order18
- Domestic Violence Related Assault17
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment19
- Malicious Damage To Property31
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault17
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
20 public transport stops in this suburb
- 345 Woodburn Evans Head Rd
- 385 Woodburn Evans Head Rd
- 485 Woodburn Evans Head Rd
- Woodburn Evans Head Rd After Golf Links Rd
- Woodburn Evans Head Rd Opp Golf Links Rd
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).
12 planning-related records
2026· 1 proposal
February 2026
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure7 WALLUM DRIVE DOONBAH 2473Determined
2023· 2 proposals
April 2023
- Shed9 WALLUM DRIVE DOONBAH 2473Determined
January 2023
- Pools / decks / fencing3 WALLUM DRIVE DOONBAH 2473Determined
2022· 7 proposals
November 2022
- Other2 WALLUM DRIVE DOONBAH 2473Determined
September 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development528 WOODBURN EVANS HEAD ROAD DOONBAH 2473Determined
August 2022
- Other2 WALLUM DRIVE DOONBAH 2473Determined
- Alterations and additions to residential development370 WOODBURN EVANS HEAD ROAD DOONBAH 2473Withdrawn
- Pools / decks / fencing3 WALLUM DRIVE DOONBAH 2473Determined
March 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing8 WALLUM DRIVE DOONBAH 2473Determined
January 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing355 WOODBURN EVANS HEAD ROAD DOONBAH 2473Determined
2021· 2 proposals
August 2021
- Signage570 WOODBURN EVANS HEAD ROAD DOONBAH 2473Withdrawn
April 2021
- Dwelling2 WALLUM DRIVE DOONBAH 2473Determined
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)
- 2/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
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
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
- 26.1/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 5907th in Australia
- State rank
- 1845th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #452 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #844 among Country & regional 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
- Breach Apprehended Violence Ordercrime18
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime17
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime19
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime31
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime17
- 345 Woodburn Evans Head Rdtransport
- 385 Woodburn Evans Head Rdtransport
- 485 Woodburn Evans Head Rdtransport
- Woodburn Evans Head Rd After Golf Links Rdtransport
- Woodburn Evans Head Rd Opp Golf Links Rdtransport
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 Richmond Valley Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.