The numbers
The cheapest coastal council areas in NSW, ranked
South Valla Beach from Valla Beach Road, 2023. Photo: Neegzistuoja, CC BY-SA 4.0
We ranked 21 NSW coastal council areas, from the Tweed to the Bega Valley, by the median price of non-strata homes (mostly houses) sold from January to March 2026, using the NSW Government's own figures. The cheapest four are all on the North Coast and Mid North Coast.
The ranking
| # | Council area | Median price, non-strata homes (mostly houses) | All homes | House rent a week | Change in a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond Valley | $573,000 | $570,000 | $550 | +10.6% |
| 2 | Kempsey | $615,000 | $605,000 | $520 | -5.4% |
| 3 | Clarence Valley | $700,000 | $675,000 | $578 | +16.7% |
| 4 | Nambucca Valley | $765,000 | $725,000 | $575 | +2.0% |
| 5 | Mid-Coast | $795,000 | $750,000 | $580 | +4.6% |
| 6 | Bega Valley | $870,000 | $828,000 | $580 | +2.7% |
| 7 | Bellingen | $878,000 | $875,000 | $575 | +0.9% |
| 8 | Shoalhaven | $882,000 | $855,000 | $600 | -0.3% |
| 9 | Eurobodalla | $894,000 | $828,000 | $600 | +4.9% |
| 10 | Port Macquarie-Hastings | $935,000 | $873,000 | $675 | +9.4% |
| 11 | Coffs Harbour | $985,000 | $865,000 | $700 | +18.7% |
| 12 | Port Stephens | $998,000 | $928,000 | $670 | +7.3% |
| 13 | Lake Macquarie | $1,025,000 | $995,000 | $720 | +13.3% |
| 14 | Shellharbour | $1,065,000 | $950,000 | $780 | +13.3% |
| 15 | Central Coast | $1,089,000 | $990,000 | $690 | +8.6% |
| 16 | Newcastle | $1,100,000 | $985,000 | $720 | +10.6% |
| 17 | Ballina | $1,200,000 | $1,030,000 | $850 | +8.6% |
| 18 | Wollongong | $1,210,000 | $1,060,000 | $750 | +11.0% |
| 19 | Tweed | $1,400,000 | $1,165,000 | $900 | +12.0% |
| 20 | Byron | $1,503,000 | $1,403,000 | $1,100 | -11.6% |
| 21 | Kiama | $1,690,000 | $1,550,000 | $850 | +16.6% |
NSW Rent and Sales Report: sales January to March 2026 (NSW Valuer General data), house rents for new leases April to June 2026. Non-metropolitan coastal council areas from Tweed to Bega Valley, plus Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Central Coast and the Illawarra.
What the ranking shows
The four cheapest are neighbours. Richmond Valley ($573,000), Kempsey ($615,000), Clarence Valley ($700,000) and the Nambucca Valley ($765,000) had the lowest median prices for non-strata homes. Counting all homes, the first three were below the $715,000 median for regional NSW outside the big cities; the Nambucca Valley, at $725,000, was just above it.
Council areas are not just their beaches. Each figure covers the whole council area. Richmond Valley takes in Casino as well as Evans Head; Clarence Valley takes in Grafton as well as Yamba; Kempsey takes in its inland town as well as South West Rocks. A beachfront street in any of them will cost more than the median. In the Nambucca Valley, most homes are in or near the coastal towns: see where to buy in the valley.
The dearest coast is south and north. Kiama ($1.69 million), Byron ($1.50 million) and Tweed ($1.40 million) topped the list.
Rents follow, more gently. Median house rents for new leases ranged from $520 a week in Kempsey to $1,100 in Byron. The Nambucca Valley's was $575.
How we built it
We took the NSW Department of Communities and Justice's Rent and Sales Report for the January to March 2026 quarter, the latest sales release, and read the median sale price for "non-strata" dwellings (houses and other homes not on a strata title) in every non-metropolitan coastal council area from the Queensland border to Victoria, plus Port Stephens, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Central Coast and the Illawarra. Sydney's coastal council areas are left out. Rents are from the April to June 2026 rent tables. A single quarter can move with the mix of homes that sell, so treat close neighbours in the ranking as level.
Common questions
What is the cheapest coastal town in NSW?
By council area, Richmond Valley had the lowest median price for non-strata homes from January to March 2026, $573,000, followed by Kempsey, Clarence Valley and the Nambucca Valley. Individual towns within each area vary.
Is the Nambucca Valley affordable?
For the coast, yes. Its median for non-strata homes was $765,000 from January to March 2026, the fourth lowest of 21 coastal council areas, and $725,000 across all homes against $965,000 for NSW.
How often is this updated?
Each quarter, when the NSW Government publishes a new Rent and Sales Report.