Question 1

Is Lismore a nice place to live?

Accepted Answer

Lismore is a regional city in the Northern Rivers on the Wilsons River, acting as a service and cultural hub for surrounding farming and rainforest hinterland. It has a visible creative scene with galleries, live music and regular markets, and a campus of Southern Cross University gives the town a student presence. The centre mixes heritage buildings and broad retail streets while residential areas show timber Queenslanders, federation cottages and newer subdivisions beneath established trees. Day-to-day life revolves around cafes, community events and riverfront parks, and the city is served by a regional airport and road links.

The community of 3,656 people has a median age of 41 and a median household income of $1,035 a week. Family types are mixed, with couple families (with and without children) together forming a majority and a substantial share of one-parent families, and just over half of homes are owner-occupied while renters make up the rest. Floodplain management and major flood-resilience and recovery works are a visible part of local planning. Whether Lismore suits you will depend on which of these features matter most in your search for a place to live.

Question 2

Is it expensive to live in Lismore?

Accepted Answer

Buying a house in Lismore (NSW 2480) works out to about 9.8 times a typical local household's annual income at the last Census, which sits well above local incomes. On the rental side, $593 a week for a house would take about 57.3% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, and $420 a week for a unit would take about 40.6% of that income. Both rent shares are a large part of a local household's weekly income, and buying is notably more stretched against local incomes than renting on these figures.

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 Lismore a good place to invest?

Accepted Answer

The clearest movement in Lismore over the past year is in unit values, which climbed 32.7% — a strong rise in what units are worth. House values also increased, up 8.1% over the year, a solid gain. On the income side, house rents rose 7.8% while unit rents were up 5.0%.

If rental income is your priority, the rent figures are the most relevant: house rents grew faster than unit rents this year. If capital growth matters more, unit prices were the standout performer, rising much more than house prices. Whether that balance fits your goals and circumstances is for you to weigh up.

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	$530K	N/A
Change in value Past 12 months	8.1%	32.7%
Sold Past 3 months	21	1
Median days on market Past 12 months	50	N/A
Average rent Past 12 months	$593	$420
Change in rent Past 12 months	7.8%	5.0%

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