NSW · Gwydir Council
North Star, 2408
Current weather
16.1°CClear sky
85% humidity · 8.8 km/h wind · 20.4° / 14° today · 8.9 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
North Star is a quieter smaller community in Gwydir, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Set in the wider countryside, it offers distance from the capital and a strong sense of place. Wide horizons and a country quiet give the area a restorative, unhurried atmosphere.
Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with family life visible on every street. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Public transport is a genuine asset, linking residents to work, study and nearby neighbourhoods.
Homes here are sought-after, with many people drawn to the lifestyle the area offers. A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.
The desirability score is below average, weighed down by weaker housing affordability and local dining and lifestyle amenities against similar regional towns, even with transport and access and community and employment holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 214
- Median age
- 38
- Median household income / week
- $1,786
- Dwelling vacancy
- 41%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 41 of 100
- Median monthly mortgage
- $0
- Employment rate
- 57.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 0 / 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.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 8
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 3
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 37.4
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 107 residents
- State safety percentile
- 12.9th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +33.7%
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Break And Enter Dwelling2
- Domestic Violence Related Assault1
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment2
- Other Offences2
- Steal From Motor Vehicle2
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
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 973
- North Star Public SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
54 public transport stops in this suburb
- David St After Cleveland St
- David St After North Star Rd
- David St Before Cleveland St
- David St Before North Star Rd
- Goat Rd At Forest Creek 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
2025· 3 proposals
September 2025
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Intensive livestock agriculture; Feedlot2513 GETTA GETTA ROAD NORTH STAR 2408Determined
April 2025
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Intensive livestock agriculture; Feedlot2513 GETTA GETTA ROAD NORTH STAR 2408Determined
January 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential AccommodationXM/185/2021/BDetermined
2024· 4 proposals
August 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structureB/DP306003Determined
- Subdivision18 WILBY STREET NORTH STAR 2408Determined
July 2024
- Office Premise; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structureB/-/DP154125Determined
- DemolitionB//DP385215Determined
2023· 1 proposal
April 2023
- Telecommunications and communication facilities6226 North Star Road, North Star NSW 2408Determined
2022· 2 proposals
December 2022
- Telecommunications and communication facilitiesI B BORE ROAD NORTH STAR 2408Determined
September 2022
- Telecommunications and communication facilitiesI B BORE ROAD NORTH STAR 2408Determined
2021· 2 proposals
November 2021
- Other1767 GETTA GETTA ROAD NORTH STAR 2408Determined
September 2021
- Other5535 NORTH STAR ROAD NORTH STAR 2408Determined
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
Parks & reserves
2 parks and public open space in this suburb
- North Star Community Park / Railway ParkPark
- North Star War Memorial Park / ANZAC ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
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
- 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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 2
- Parks (OSM)
- 2
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 28.2/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 5611th in Australia
- State rank
- 1759th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #283 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #779 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 78%
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 Dwellingcrime2
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime1
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime2
- Other Offencescrime2
- Steal From Motor Vehiclecrime2
- David St After Cleveland Sttransport
- David St After North Star Rdtransport
- David St Before Cleveland Sttransport
- David St Before North Star Rdtransport
- Goat Rd At Forest Creek 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 Gwydir Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.