Northern Rivers, NSW
About the Northern Rivers region
This region of New South Wales is situated in along the coast in the north-eastern corner of the state, bounded by the Queensland state border to the north, the Mid North Coast region to the south and the Northern Inland region to the east. It is a place of great natural beauty, boasting lush green rainforests, exquisite coastline and untouched hinterland.
The region is home to the regional centres of Ballina, Lismore, Casino and Kyogle, along with the immensely popular tourist hotspot of Byron Bay. There are also a host of laid-back coastal and inland communities waiting to welcome visitors to the region.
The Bundjalung, Yaegl and Gumbaynggirr Aboriginal nations are the traditional owners of the lands on which the Northern Rivers region now stands, and they maintain important custodial links to it.
Local councils
NSW's Northern Rivers region includes 7 municipalities: Ballina Shire Council, Byron Shire Council, Clarence Valley Council, Kyogle Council, Lismore City Council, Richmond Valley Council, and Tweed Shire Council.
Climate information
The climate and weather patterns vary across the Northern Rivers region. In summer, average temperatures range from 16–18 °C along the Great Dividing Range to 24–26 °C north of Grafton. In winter, the average falls to 4–6 °C in the mountainous reaches of the region and to 14–16 °C along the far north coast.
Rainfall also varies across over the region, generally decreasing as you travel farther from the coast. Parts of the far north coast receive approximately 1600 mm annually, while the Great Dividing Range receives closer to 800–1200 mm.
Population
The estimated population of the Northern Rivers region is reported as 304,325 as of 2019.
Education
There are a range of primary and secondary schools in the region, both religious and secular, giving parents plenty of choice when it comes to deciding where to send their children.
Those who intend to pursue tertiary qualifications can do so at Southern Cross University, which has a campus in the region, or at one of the local TAFE NSW campuses.
Employment and local businesses
The Northern Rivers region has a Gross Regional Product of approximately $17.3 billion, and supports nearly 110,000 local jobs. The construction sector makes the greatest contribution to the region's economic output, while the healthcare & social assistance sector is the Northern Rivers' largest employer. However, the region is also experiencing growth in the sectors of tourism, hospitality, retail and primary industry.
Housing
The Northern Rivers region has a median house price of $410,000 as of 2019. It also has a median weekly rental (for a three-bedroom home) of $410. Both values are slightly below the state average.
Events
Where: Yelgun, NSW
When: Annually, in July
What: Don’t miss out on Australia’s largest music festival this July! Splendour is a celebration of pop music and renowned contemporary artists, domestic and international alike. The festival has hosted notable guests like Arctic Monkeys and Lorde, as well as exciting emerging acts and artists. The three-day event is open to all music lovers, offering a camping area as well as family-friendly zone for those who want their kids to enjoy the festival life alongside everyone else.
Where: Murwillumbah, NSW
When: Annually, in November
What: Celebrated annually for almost a century and a half, the Murwillumbah Show is one of the longest running agricultural shows in Australia. The event aims to highlight the best local agriculture and produce, as well as bringing together the community in the name of these pursuits. All sorts of events are held across the festival weekend, with showjumping, sideshow alleys, and trade displays on display to name just a few.
Where: Byron Bay, NSW
When: Annually, in April
What: Attracting crowds of visitors every Easter Long Weekend, the Byron Bay Bluesfest showcases musical blues and roots talent from across Australia and the world. Alongside the incredible performances, audiences are also welcome to enjoy the bars, beer gardens and food stalls on the site. There’s nothing quite like the joy of live music and good food together – and if you’re camping on site, it makes for an unbeatable five days.
Additional Information
Northern Rivers has 7 subregions. Use the list below or the map above to learn more about individual subregions.
Northern Rivers Schools
- Government Schools
- Independent Schools
Combined
- Bonalbo Central School BONALBO NSW 2469
- Evans River Community School EVANS HEAD NSW 2473
- Nimbin Central School NIMBIN NSW 2480
- Southern Cross School of Distance Education EAST BALLINA NSW 2478
- Woodenbong Central School WOODENBONG NSW 2476
Primary
- Afterlee Public School AFTERLEE NSW 2474
- Albert Park Public School EAST LISMORE NSW 2480
- Alstonville Public School ALSTONVILLE NSW 2477
- Ballina Public School BALLINA NSW 2478
- Bangalow Public School BANGALOW NSW 2479
- Banora Point Public School BANORA POINT NSW 2486
- Barkers Vale Public School WADEVILLE NSW 2474
- Baryulgil Public School BARYULGIL NSW 2460
- Bexhill Public School BEXHILL NSW 2480
- Bilambil Public School BILAMBIL NSW 2486
- Blakebrook Public School BLAKEBROOK NSW 2480
- Bogangar Public School BOGANGAR NSW 2488
- Broadwater Public School BROADWATER NSW 2472
- Brunswick Heads Public School BRUNSWICK HEADS NSW 2483
- Burringbar Public School BURRINGBAR NSW 2483
- Byron Bay Public School BYRON BAY NSW 2481
- Cabbage Tree Island Public School CABBAGE TREE ISLAND NSW 2477
- Caniaba Public School LISMORE NSW 2480
- Carool Public School CAROOL NSW 2486
- Casino Public School CASINO NSW 2470
- Casino West Public School CASINO NSW 2470
- Centaur Public School BANORA POINT NSW 2486
- Chatsworth Island Public School CHATSWORTH NSW 2469
- Chillingham Public School CHILLINGHAM NSW 2484
- Clunes Public School CLUNES NSW 2480
- Coffee Camp Public School COFFEE CAMP NSW 2480
- Collins Creek Public School COLLINS CREEK NSW 2474
- Condong Public School CONDONG NSW 2484
- Coolangatta State School COOLANGATTA QLD 4225
- Coorabell Public School COORABELL NSW 2479
- Copmanhurst Public School COPMANHURST NSW 2460
- Coraki Public School CORAKI NSW 2471
- Corndale Public School CORNDALE NSW 2480
- Coutts Crossing Public School COUTTS CROSSING NSW 2460
- Cowper Public School COWPER NSW 2460
- Crabbes Creek Public School CRABBES CREEK NSW 2483
- Crystal Creek Public School CRYSTAL CREEK NSW 2484
- Cudgen Public School CUDGEN NSW 2487
- Doubtful Creek Public School DOUBTFUL CREEK NSW 2470
- Dundurrabin Public School DUNDURRABIN NSW 2453
- Dungay Public School DUNGAY NSW 2484
- Dunoon Public School DUNOON NSW 2480
- Duranbah Public School DURANBAH NSW 2487
- Durrumbul Public School DURRUMBUL NSW 2482
- Eltham Public School ELTHAM NSW 2480
- Empire Vale Public School EMPIRE VALE NSW 2478
- Eureka Public School EUREKA NSW 2480
- Fernleigh Public School FERNLEIGH NSW 2479
- Fingal Head Public School FINGAL HEAD NSW 2487
- Gillwinga Public School SOUTH GRAFTON NSW 2460
- Glenreagh Public School GLENREAGH NSW 2450
- Goolmangar Public School GOOLMANGAR NSW 2480
- Goonellabah Public School GOONELLABAH NSW 2480
- Goonengerry Public School GOONENGERRY NSW 2482
- Grafton Public School GRAFTON NSW 2460
- Gulmarrad Public School GULMARRAD NSW 2463
- Harwood Island Public School HARWOOD NSW 2465
- Hernani Public School DORRIGO NSW 2453
- Iluka Public School ILUKA NSW 2466
- Jiggi Public School JIGGI NSW 2480
- Kingscliff Public School KINGSCLIFF NSW 2487
- Kyogle Public School KYOGLE NSW 2474
- Larnook Public School LARNOOK NSW 2480
- Lawrence Public School LAWRENCE NSW 2460
- Leeville Public School LEEVILLE NSW 2470
- Lennox Head Public School LENNOX HEAD NSW 2478
- Lismore Heights Public School LISMORE HEIGHTS NSW 2480
- Lismore Public School LISMORE NSW 2480
- Lismore South Public School SOUTH LISMORE NSW 2480
- Maclean Public School MACLEAN NSW 2463
- Main Arm Upper Public School UPPER MAIN ARM NSW 2482
- Manifold Public School BENTLEY NSW 2480
- Modanville Public School LISMORE NSW 2480
- Mullumbimby Public School MULLUMBIMBY NSW 2482
- Mummulgum Public School MUMMULGUM NSW 2469
- Murwillumbah East Public School MURWILLUMBAH NSW 2484
- Murwillumbah Public School MURWILLUMBAH NSW 2484
- Newrybar Public School NEWRYBAR NSW 2479
- Nymboida Public School NYMBOIDA NSW 2460
- Ocean Shores Public School OCEAN SHORES NSW 2483
- Old Bonalbo Public School OLD BONALBO NSW 2469
- Palmers Island Public School PALMERS ISLAND NSW 2463
- Pottsville Beach Public School POTTSVILLE NSW 2489
- Rappville Public School RAPPVILLE NSW 2469
- Rosebank Public School ROSEBANK NSW 2480
- Rous Public School ALSTONVILLE NSW 2477
- Rukenvale Public School RUKENVALE NSW 2474
- South Grafton Public School SOUTH GRAFTON NSW 2460
- Southern Cross Public School EAST BALLINA NSW 2478
- Stokers Siding Public School STOKERS SIDING NSW 2484
- Stratheden Public School STRATHEDEN NSW 2470
- Tabulam Public School TABULAM NSW 2469
- Terranora Public School TERRANORA NSW 2486
- Teven-Tintenbar Public School TINTENBAR NSW 2478
- The Channon Public School THE CHANNON NSW 2480
- The Pocket Public School THE POCKET NSW 2483
- The Risk Public School THE RISK NSW 2474
- Tregeagle Public School TREGEAGLE NSW 2480
- Tucabia Public School TUCABIA NSW 2462
- Tumbulgum Public School TUMBULGUM NSW 2490
- Tuntable Creek Public School TUNTABLE CREEK NSW 2480
- Tweed Heads Public School TWEED HEADS NSW 2485
- Tweed Heads South Public School TWEED HEADS SOUTH NSW 2486
- Tyalgum Public School TYALGUM NSW 2484
- Uki Public School UKI NSW 2484
- Ulmarra Public School ULMARRA NSW 2462
- Upper Coopers Creek Public School UPPER COOPERS CREEK NSW 2482
- Urbenville Public School URBENVILLE NSW 2475
- Wardell Public School WARDELL NSW 2477
- Westlawn Public School GRAFTON NSW 2460
- Whian Whian Public School WHIAN WHIAN NSW 2480
- Wiangaree Public School WIANGAREE NSW 2474
- Wilsons Creek Public School MULLUMBIMBY NSW 2482
- Wollongbar Public School WOLLONGBAR NSW 2477
- Woodburn Public School WOODBURN NSW 2472
- Wooli Public School WOOLI NSW 2462
- Wyrallah Public School WYRALLAH NSW 2480
- Wyrallah Road Public School LISMORE NSW 2480
- Yamba Public School YAMBA NSW 2464
Secondary
- Alstonville High School ALSTONVILLE NSW 2477
- Ballina Coast High School BALLINA NSW 2478
- Banora Point High School BANORA POINT NSW 2486
- Byron Bay High School BYRON BAY NSW 2481
- Casino High School CASINO NSW 2470
- Grafton High School GRAFTON NSW 2460
- Kingscliff High School KINGSCLIFF NSW 2487
- Kyogle High School KYOGLE NSW 2474
- Maclean High School MACLEAN NSW 2463
- Mullumbimby High School MULLUMBIMBY NSW 2482
- Murwillumbah High School MURWILLUMBAH NSW 2484
- South Grafton High School SOUTH GRAFTON NSW 2460
- The Rivers Secondary College, Kadina High Campus GOONELLABAH NSW 2480
- The Rivers Secondary College, Lismore High Campus LISMORE NSW 2480
- The Rivers Secondary College, Richmond River High Campus NORTH LISMORE NSW 2480
- Tweed River High School TWEED HEADS SOUTH NSW 2486
- Wollumbin High School MURWILLUMBAH NSW 2484
Special
- Caldera School TWEED HEADS SOUTH NSW 2486
- Dorroughby Environmental Education Centre DORROUGHBY NSW 2480
- Induna School SOUTH GRAFTON NSW 2460
- Wilson Park School LISMORE NSW 2480
Combined
- Aetaomah School TERRAGON NSW 2484
- Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula School EUNGELLA NSW 2484
- Blue Hills College GOONELLABAH NSW 2480
- Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School BYRON BAY NSW 2481
- Casino Christian School NORTH CASINO NSW 2470
- Clarence Valley Anglican School CLARENZA NSW 2460
- Emmanuel Anglican College BALLINA NSW 2478
- Hinterland Christian College MULLUMBIMBY NSW 2482
- Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School TERRANORA NSW 2486
- Pacific Coast Christian School TWEED HEADS SOUTH NSW 2486
- Pacific Hope School TWEED HEADS SOUTH NSW 2486
- Pacific Valley Christian School TOWNSEND NSW 2463
- Rainbow Ridge School for Steiner Education LILLIAN ROCK NSW 2480
- Richmond Christian College BALLINA NSW 2478
- Shearwater, the Mullumbimby Steiner School MULLUMBIMBY NSW 2482
- St Andrew's Christian School GRAFTON NSW 2460
- Summerland Christian College GOONELLABAH NSW 2480
- Tweed Valley Adventist College MURWILLUMBAH NSW 2484
Primary
- Byron Community Primary School BYRON BAY NSW 2481
- Clarence Valley Anglican School, Grafton Campus GRAFTON NSW 2460
- Coffs Harbour Christian Community School, Sherwood Cliffs Campus GLENREAGH NSW 2450
- Holy Family Catholic Primary School SKENNARS HEAD NSW 2478
- Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School, Junior School TWEED HEADS SOUTH NSW 2486
- Mount St Patrick Primary School MURWILLUMBAH NSW 2484
- Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School LISMORE SOUTH NSW 2480
- Sathya Sai College MURWILLUMBAH NSW 2484
- Shearwater Steiner School, Little Shearwater MULLUMBIMBY NSW 2482
- St Ambrose Catholic Primary School POTTSVILLE NSW 2489
- St Anthony's Primary School KINGSCLIFF NSW 2487
- St Brigid's Primary School KYOGLE NSW 2474
- St Carthage's Primary School LISMORE NSW 2480
- St Carthage's Primary School, Our Lady of Lourdes campus LISMORE NSW 2480
- St Finbarr's Primary School BYRON BAY NSW 2481
- St Francis Xavier Primary School BALLINA NSW 2478
- St James' Primary School BANORA POINT NSW 2486
- St James' Primary School YAMBA NSW 2464
- St John's Primary School MULLUMBIMBY NSW 2482
- St Joseph's Primary School ALSTONVILLE NSW 2477
- St Joseph's Primary School CORAKI NSW 2471
- St Joseph's Primary School SOUTH GRAFTON NSW 2460
- St Joseph's Primary School MACLEAN NSW 2463
- St Joseph's Primary School SOUTH MURWILLUMBAH NSW 2484
- St Joseph's Primary School TWEED HEADS NSW 2485
- St Joseph's Primary School WOODBURN NSW 2472
- St Mary's Primary School CASINO NSW 2470
- St Mary's Primary School GRAFTON NSW 2460
- The Small School MURWILLUMBAH NSW 2484
- Tuntable Falls Community School TUNTABLE FALLS VIA NIMBIN NSW 2480
- Vistara Primary School RICHMOND HILL NSW 2480
Secondary
- McAuley Catholic College CLARENZA NSW 2460
- Mount St Patrick College MURWILLUMBAH NSW 2484
- Sathya Sai College Secondary Campus, Dungay DUNGAY NSW 2484
- St John's College LISMORE NSW 2480
- St Joseph's College BANORA POINT NSW 2486
- St Mary's Catholic College CASINO NSW 2470
- Trinity Catholic College Lismore LISMORE NSW 2480
- Trinity Catholic College Lismore, St Joseph's Campus LISMORE NSW 2480
- Xavier Catholic College Ballina SKENNARS HEAD NSW 2478
Special
- Aspect Macarthur School, Northern Rivers ALSTONVILLE NSW 2477
- Biala Special School BALLINA NSW 2478
- Valley Hope School TOWNSEND NSW 2463
Northern Rivers Housing
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Houses in Northern Rivers
The price of a house in Northern Rivers ranges from around $222,000 to $12,000,000.
A typical house in has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms & parking for 2 cars.
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Apartments in Northern Rivers
The price of a apartment in Northern Rivers ranges from around $88,000 to $2,495,000.
A typical apartment in has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms & parking for 2 cars.
Northern Rivers Census Information
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Dwelling Type
What types of residential properties are available in Northern Rivers?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Tenure Type
Which residential properties in Northern Rivers are owned, mortgaged or rented out?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Change in Residence
Did people in Northern Rivers change address in the last year?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Working Population
What age groups are most strongly represented in Northern Rivers?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Top 5 Industries
What industries do people in Northern Rivers work in?
- Health care and social assistance
- Retail trade
- Education and training
- Accommodation and food services
- Construction
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Family Size
How many people live in a household in Northern Rivers?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP
Jobs in Northern Rivers
What's happening in Northern Rivers
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Properties in Northern Rivers
- For Sale
- For Rent