Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 28° / 19°
- Rainfall
- 370 mm · ~46 rainy days
NSW · Richmond Valley Council
Fairy Hill, 2470
Population
407
Median age
49
Median income
$1,348/wk
Employed
50.3%
Languages at home
1.5%non-English
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Fairy Hill is a quieter smaller community in Richmond Valley, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Life revolves around the local community, with the wider region offering trips and services when needed. Wide horizons and a country quiet give the area a restorative, unhurried atmosphere.
A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. 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.
Homes are relatively affordable, which helps families and first-time residents put down roots. Steady development is bringing new homes and gradual renewal to parts of the suburb.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because growth momentum and local dining and lifestyle amenities lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in housing affordability. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Living here
Desirability
- Desirability score
- 34.2/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4587th in Australia
- State rank
- 1465th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #274 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #579 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
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $375
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $545
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $478
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 80
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
Population
- Population
- 407
- Median age
- 49
- Median household income / week
- $1,348
- Dwelling vacancy
- 5.1%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 8 of 158
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,658
- Employment rate
- 50.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 22 / 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.
Community & culture
1.5% speak a language other than English at home; 4.6% born overseas
- Language at home
- 391 English only · 6 other
- Non-English at home
- 1.5%
- Born overseas
- 18 (4.6%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 17 (4.2%)
- Australian citizens
- 395
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, and Indigenous status (usual residence).
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.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 49
- Against the person
- 14
- Against property
- 16
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 120.4
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 29 residents
- State safety percentile
- 82.3th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -7.3%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order137
- Breach Bail Conditions206
- Domestic Violence Related Assault130
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment175
- Malicious Damage To Property139
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
Family & Lifestyle
Public transport
22 public transport stops in this suburb
- 30 Fairy Hill School Rd
- Fairy Hill School Rd At Fairy Hill Station Rd
- Forest Gr Opp Douglas Cres
- Summerland Way At Humphreys Rd
- Summerland Way Opp Humphreys 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)
Amenities
2 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Well connected by public transport — 22 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 30/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0
Transport(2)
2 bus stops
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived from OpenStreetMap & Census) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 25° / 15°
- Rainfall
- 330 mm · ~41 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 20° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 140 mm · ~18 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 25° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 202 mm · ~25 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Period: seasonal · Updated on site · Static grid from WorldClim monthly averages
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
27 planning-related records
2026· 1 proposal
March 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation3 VIEW STREET FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
2025· 2 proposals
September 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure14 FOREST GROVE FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
January 2025
- Shed; Erection of a new structure15 FAIRY HILL SCHOOL ROAD FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
2024· 6 proposals
December 2024
- Subdivision10 SHEPHARDS ROAD FAIRY HILL 2470Rejected
September 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure15 FAIRY HILL SCHOOL ROAD FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
August 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure3 DOUGLAS CRESCENT FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure11 DAISY PLACE FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
June 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure53 MARIGOLD DRIVE FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
May 2024
- Subdivision2 FOREST GROVE FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
2023· 4 proposals
November 2023
- Erection of a new structure; Agriculture9 HUMPHREYS ROAD FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
August 2023
- Pools / decks / fencing11 DAISY PLACE FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
March 2023
- Shed16 FOREST GROVE FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
February 2023
- Other30 DRONEYS BRIDGE ROAD FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
2022· 4 proposals
December 2022
- Subdivision of land90 O'CONNORS ROAD FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
May 2022
- Shed10 FOREST GROVE FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
April 2022
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs54 MARIGOLD DRIVE FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
- Pools / decks / fencing7 ZINNIA COURT FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
2021· 10 proposals
December 2021
- Shed7 ZINNIA COURT FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
- Pools / decks / fencing6 COLLINS ROAD FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
September 2021
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs17 ZINNIA COURT FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces15 ZINNIA COURT FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
July 2021
- Shed5 HARVEST VIEW PLACE FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
- Shed6 COLLINS ROAD FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
June 2021
- Secondary dwelling3 HILLSIDE DRIVE FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
- Pools / decks / fencing14 DAISY PLACE FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
May 2021
- Dwelling6 COLLINS ROAD FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
March 2021
- Subdivision of land12 FOREST GROVE FAIRY HILL 2470Determined
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)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
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
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 3/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 4/10
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
Recent changes
- Summerland Way at Fairy Hill Station Rdamenitiesbus_stop
- Summerland Way at Humphreys Rdamenitiesbus_stop
- Breach Apprehended Violence Ordercrime137
- Breach Bail Conditionscrime206
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime130
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime175
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime139
- 30 Fairy Hill School Rdtransport
- Fairy Hill School Rd At Fairy Hill Station Rdtransport
- Forest Gr Opp Douglas Crestransport
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)
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
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.