Northern Rivers, NSW
point-break · surfy · tea-tree-lake · barefoot
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Drive to the coast
4 min
By road
Nearest major hospital
18 min
By road
Airport access
22 min
By road
Schools access
Excellent
Average daytime temp
24.6°C
Rainfall
Very wet
Lennox Head has grown quickly from a surf town into a much more in-demand Northern Rivers community. Around 7,700 people live here and population has risen by roughly 27% since 2016, while the median age is 42. That growth is reflected in the housing market: the median house price is about $1.2 million and three-bedroom rents are around $850 a week.
Surfing, Lake Ainsworth, Seven Mile Beach and Pat Morton Lookout keep the outdoor identity strong, but the town now carries more traffic, housing pressure and visitor activity than its older image suggests. Schools and shopping are strong, healthcare is good and the airport is only about 20 minutes away. Brisbane is just over two hours by road, which keeps the city within reach without making Lennox a simple commuter suburb.
Rainfall is very high and wet periods are part of the regional climate. Lennox Head suits people who want surf culture and a compact coastal community with useful services. The key trade-off is that rapid growth and premium housing have changed the feel; anyone expecting a cheap, sleepy beach town is arriving well after that version of Lennox disappeared.
8 photos
It suits surfers, active families, professionals, remote workers and people who want to walk to cafés and the beach rather than drive everywhere. It also works for those who like the Northern Rivers energy but find Byron Bay too intense, provided the housing budget is comfortable.
Housing and rent are expensive, both above what many regional movers expect. Growth has been rapid and tourism is significant, so traffic and crowds increase at peak times. Healthcare is good rather than comprehensive, and Brisbane is just over two hours away.
Surf Lennox Point
Swim in Lake Ainsworth
Walk Pat Morton Lookout
Visit Seven Mile Beach
Median house price
$1,203,000
8% above the NSW median
Median attached price (townhouse/apartment)
$880,000
Median weekly rent (3-bed house)
$850
≈ $3,683/month
Houses here typically sell from $938,000 to $1,550,000 (25th–75th percentile).
Attached properties typically sell from $751,000 to $1,126,000.
Sourced from NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January - March 2026 quarter
Healthcare access
Good
Shopping & everyday services
Excellent
10+ shopping centres within 20km — a real retail hub
Internet connection
Fixed line
Plus 22 more within 20km — showing the 8 closest.
Job market by industry
Healthcare — 14.7%
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 Byron Bay, Mullumbimby, Evans Head, Ballina and Murwillumbah.
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.
Lennox Head (SAL 12312) · 2021 Census
The age profile is close to the national one, with 17.1% aged 65 or over against 17.2% and 19.9% children against 18.2%. Among households, home ownership is high at 74.8% of dwellings against 65.9% nationally. Lone-person households are less common than average (19.4% against 25.6%).
Population
7,687
Population growth
+27.1%
Lennox Head - Skennars Head (SA2 112011242)
Median age
42 years
Labour force participation
66.4%
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
$937
Per week · ≈ $48,724/year
Median family income
$2,309
Per week
Median household income
$2,081
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
74.8%
Rented
23.6%
Born in Australia
79.6%
Born overseas
15.4%
Doesn't sum to 100% — people who didn't state a birthplace are excluded rather than redistributed.