suburb.guide

NSW · Nambucca Valley Council

South Arm, 2449

Current weather

15.5°CClear sky

95% humidity · 4.6 km/h wind · 21.1° / 10.2° today · 0.8 mm rain

Updated

Desirability score

23.1/100
Below average

1954th in NSW

60% data confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Excellent transport
  • High desirability
  • Green suburb
What South Arm is known for: Excellent transport, High desirability, Green suburb

Suburb profile

In Nambucca Valley, South Arm keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. The community is self-contained in the best sense. Local life comes first, with the region opening up beyond. Wide horizons and a country quiet give the area a restorative, unhurried atmosphere.

Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. 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. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.

On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and growth momentum lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in transport and access. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

Population

Population
311
Median age
49
Median household income / week
$900
Dwelling vacancy
15.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
19 of 126
Median monthly mortgage
$921
Employment rate
34.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
7 / 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)
27
Against the person
11
Against property
8
Rate per 1,000 residents
86.8
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 28 residents
State safety percentile
60.8th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate)
+0.3%

Reported offences are unchanged compared with the previous period.

Reported offences by period

Most common offence types

  • Breach Apprehended Violence Order17
  • Domestic Violence Related Assault16
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment27
  • Malicious Damage To Property27
  • Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault21

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

40 public transport stops in this suburb

  • 1073 South Arm Rd
  • 1136 South Arm Rd
  • 1137 South Arm Rd
  • 957 South Arm Rd
  • Mchughs Creek Rd At South Arm 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).

4 planning-related records

2024· 1 proposal

  • December 2024

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    06//1299354Determined
2021· 3 proposals

  • October 2021

  • Other
    160 mchughs creek rd south arm bowravilleDetermined

  • July 2021

  • Dwelling
    Lot 59 Angler Court, Bonville NSW 2450Determined

  • June 2021

  • Signage
    michael@beattiesfurniture.com.auDetermined

Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)

Development and planning activity

Data sources & freshness

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)
1/10

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

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
23.1/100 — Below average
National rank
6271st in Australia
State rank
1954th in NSW
Peer rank
#498 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#921 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 Ordercrime17
  • Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime16
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime27
  • Malicious Damage To Propertycrime27
  • Non-Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime21
  • 1073 South Arm Rdtransport
  • 1136 South Arm Rdtransport
  • 1137 South Arm Rdtransport
  • 957 South Arm Rdtransport
  • Mchughs Creek Rd At South Arm Rdtransport

Data sources & freshness

More in Nambucca 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.