Question 1

Is Bellingen a nice place to live?

Accepted Answer

Bellingen is a riverside country town on the Bellinger River framed by rainforest and the Dorrigo Plateau. Its compact heritage main street is known for independent cafés, a bookshop, galleries and a relaxed creative atmosphere. Housing ranges from weatherboard cottages to rural properties on fertile valley land. Daily life centres on the outdoors, with river swimming and kayaking, bushwalking to waterfalls, and a strong calendar of markets and live music. It attracts families, artists and people after a slower, nature-oriented pace while keeping essential regional services close.

The community of 3,923 has a median age of 44 and is largely owner-occupied (73.4%), which gives it a settled character. Local works include a sewerage upgrade program, including an upgrade to the Urunga treatment plant, to replace failing septic systems and address odour, overflows and river contamination, major road and bridge upgrades across the shire, an approved affordable housing development for 18 dwellings and maintenance and equipment improvements at Bellingen High School. If you value a small riverside town with creative life and outdoor access alongside regional services, Bellingen could suit you; whether it does depends on what you are after.

Question 2

Is it expensive to live in Bellingen?

Accepted Answer

In Bellingen 2454, housing costs sit notably above what local households reported at the last Census. A median house price of $862,500 is about 13.1 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census. On the rental side, a house rent of $650 a week would take roughly 51.3% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, while a unit rent of $483 a week would take about 38.1%. On these figures, buying a house sits well above local incomes and renting would take a sizeable to large share of a typical local household's income, depending on whether you rent a unit or a house.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Question 3

Is Bellingen a good place to invest?

Accepted Answer

House rents in Bellingen rose 3.2% over the past 12 months, while median house values edged up a marginal 0.1%. On the house side, rental income increased more noticeably than capital value during the year, and which of those outcomes matters most depends on your own investment goals and circumstances.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	$863K	N/A
Change in value Past 12 months	0.1%	N/A
Sold Past 3 months	17	2
Median days on market Past 12 months	116	N/A
Average rent Past 12 months	$650	$483
Change in rent Past 12 months	3.2%	N/A

Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Bellingen

Bellingen suburb profile

Bellingen property market performance

5 year median price trend for houses and units

Bellingen demographics

Suburbs near Bellingen

How does Bellingen compare to nearby suburbs?

Choose the right real estate agents in Bellingen

Get a head start and compare top local agents in Bellingen

Not quite ready to sell?

Suburb and property report

Digital estimate for your property

Navigate the market