Mid North Coast, NSW
camden-haven · riverside · mountain-backed · fishing
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Drive to the coast
9 min
By road
Nearest major hospital
31 min
By road
Airport access
47 min
By road
Schools access
Good
Average daytime temp
23.8°C
Rainfall
Wet
Laurieton is an older, small community set around the Camden Haven system, where river, mountain and coast are all close but the town itself remains practical and low-key. About 2,000 people live here and the median age is 67, one of the oldest profiles among the towns we cover. Growth since 2016 is roughly 18% since 2016, so demand is increasing despite that older age structure.
North Brother Mountain, the river and nearby beaches give residents a strong outdoor setting, particularly for walking, boating and fishing. Shopping is modest and the nearest major hospital is about half an hour away, which is an important consideration in an older community. Port Macquarie draws some larger errands and specialist needs. The airport is around 50 minutes away and Sydney more than four hours by road.
Fixed-line internet supports home-based work and communication. Laurieton suits people who want a quieter regional coast with a small-town social rhythm and easy access to nature. Younger households should look carefully at employment and service depth, while anyone needing frequent specialist healthcare needs to be comfortable with regular travel beyond town.
6 photos
It suits retirees, families and remote workers who want a small coastal base with water and bush close by, but who still value having a real local town for groceries and services. It is particularly strong for people whose free time revolves around fishing, boating, walking or quieter beaches.
A major hospital is about half an hour away and shopping choice is only moderate, so some needs pull you toward Port Macquarie. Sydney is about 4 hours 16 minutes away, and the town's small scale means fewer employment and entertainment options than a regional city.
Walk North Brother Mountain lookout
Cruise the Camden Haven River
Swim at Pilot Beach
Explore Dooragan National Park
Median house price
$903,000
19% below the NSW median
Houses here typically sell from $776,000 to $988,000 (25th–75th percentile).
Sourced from NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January - March 2026 quarter
Healthcare access
Moderate
Shopping & everyday services
Moderate
Supermarket within 10km, limited other retail
Internet connection
Fixed line
Job market by industry
Healthcare — 15.7%
Largest share of local jobs
Employment figures cover this town's wider statistical region, not the town alone — you'll see the same figures for Blueys Beach, Nambucca Heads, Old Bar, Port Macquarie, Seal Rocks, South West Rocks, Taree and Forster-Tuncurry.
The score ranks this region against other regions for the same occupation, not against other jobs here — a low score means it isn't a regional stronghold for that field, not that there are no vacancies. Counts online job advertisements, so trades and farm work hired by word of mouth are undercounted, and outside capital cities this is published at a regional level larger than one town.
Laurieton (SAL 12292) · 2021 Census
Older than the country as a whole: 56.3% are 65 or over against 17.2% nationally, and 6.7% are children against 18.2%. Among households, couples without children outnumber couples with them (69.2% of families against 13.9%). Lone-person households are more common than average (46.6% against 25.6%).
Population
2,012
Population growth
+17.6%
Laurieton - Bonny Hills (SA2 108041162)
Median age
67 years
Labour force participation
26.7%
Growth is measured across the wider area named under the figure, which can be a different size to the town.
Share of total population in each band — rounding means these won't land on exactly 100%.
Couples are a share of total families; lone-person households are a share of total households — different bases, not one breakdown.
Median personal income
$487
Per week · ≈ $25,324/year
Median family income
$1,040
Per week
Median household income
$755
Per week
Personal is one person's income; family and household cover everyone living together — a single-income household will show a lower household figure than its highest earner's personal one. Personal income also covers every resident aged 15 and over, retirees included, so it reads low in a town with an older population even where household income is solid.
Owner-occupied
59.8%
Rented
24.8%
Born in Australia
83.1%
Born overseas
11.1%
Doesn't sum to 100% — people who didn't state a birthplace are excluded rather than redistributed.