NSW · Bellingen Council
Thora, 2454
Current weather
13.8°CClear sky
97% humidity · 8.3 km/h wind · 19.5° / 11.6° today · 6.6 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Thora is a quieter smaller community in Bellingen, 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. Open skies and rolling countryside set a calm backdrop to everyday routines.
A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. Buses and nearby services make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward.
Housing carries a premium, but residents tend to feel the lifestyle justifies the commitment. Light infill development is updating a few streets while the wider area stays largely unchanged.
The desirability score is below average, weighed down by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and growth momentum against similar regional towns, even with transport and access holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 311
- Median age
- 49
- Median household income / week
- $1,271
- Dwelling vacancy
- 15%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 19 of 127
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,344
- Employment rate
- 55%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 9 / 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)
- $630
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 39
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
- 61.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 52 residents
- State safety percentile
- 39th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -4.7%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault39
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment53
- Malicious Damage To Property66
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault42
- Other Offences62
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
- 2
- Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
- 1,007.5
- Chrysalis School for Rudolf Steiner EducationCombined
- Orama 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
48 public transport stops in this suburb
- 2211 Waterfall Way
- 2230 Waterfall Way
- 2345 Waterfall Way
- 2345 Waterfall Way
- 2379 Waterfall Way
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)
Roadworks & transport
2 active roadworks / incidents
- RoadworksWaterfall Way31 May 2026 – 17 Jul 2026
- RoadworksWaterfall Way, Myers Bluff21 Jun 2026 – 03 Jul 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
21 planning-related records
2026· 2 proposals
May 2026
- Secondary dwelling; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia2791 WATERFALL WAY THORA 2454Under Assessment
April 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure484 SUMMERVILLES ROAD THORA 2454Determined
2025· 6 proposals
November 2025
- Subdivision420 SUMMERVILLES ROAD THORA 2454Determined
September 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure2086 WATERFALL WAY THORA 2454Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah2481 WATERFALL WAY THORA 2454Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure30 MCGRATHS ROAD THORA 2454Determined
March 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation2727 WATERFALL WAY THORA 2454Determined
January 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Farm stay accommodation484 SUMMERVILLES ROAD THORA 2454Determined
2024· 1 proposal
May 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure538 DARKWOOD ROAD THORA 2454Withdrawn
2023· 8 proposals
December 2023
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure10 DARKWOOD ROAD THORA 2454Determined
August 2023
- Dwelling; Pools / decks / fencing; Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs; Demolition77 MCGRATHS ROAD THORA 2454Under Assessment
July 2023
- Dwelling; Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs; Earthworks / change in levels; Garages, carports and car parking spaces755 SUMMERVILLES ROAD THORA 2454Determined
May 2023
- Dwelling755 SUMMERVILLES ROAD THORA 2454Withdrawn
April 2023
- Secondary dwelling; Shed219 SUMMERVILLES ROAD THORA 2454Determined
March 2023
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces538 DARKWOOD ROAD THORA 2454Determined
- Alterations and additions to residential development484 SUMMERVILLES ROAD THORA 2454Operational consent issued
February 2023
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs; Alterations and additions to residential development10 DARKWOOD ROAD THORA 2454Determined
2022· 3 proposals
August 2022
- Dwelling755 SUMMERVILLES ROAD THORA 2454Determined
February 2022
- Dwelling; Demolition2481 WATERFALL WAY THORA 2454Determined
January 2022
- Dwelling; Secondary dwelling; Pools / decks / fencing77 MCGRATHS ROAD THORA 2454Determined
2021· 1 proposal
August 2021
- Other315 BOGGY CREEK ROAD THORA 2454Withdrawn
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
8 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Thora Access FuelsGas
- Roses Park Rest AreaParking
- Thora Access FuelsPetrol station
- Australia PostPost Box
- Australia PostPost office
- Roses Park Rest AreaPublic toilets
- Shelter
- TelstraTelephone
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
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
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Roses ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 7/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 7/10
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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 1
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
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
- 33.0/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4772nd in Australia
- State rank
- 1533rd in NSW
- Peer rank
- #310 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #633 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
- Australia Postamenitiespost_box
- Australia Postamenitiespost_office
- Roses Park Rest Areaamenitiesparking
- Roses Park Rest Areaamenitiestoilets
- Shelteramenitiesshelter
- Telstraamenitiestelephone
- Thora Access Fuelsamenitiesfuel
- Thora Access Fuelsamenitiesgas
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime39
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime53
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Bellingen Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.