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Aerial view of Paterson (NSW), NSW

Aerial view

Imagery © Esri

The quick read on

Paterson

NSW 2421 · Dungog

What homes cost, how rents have moved, and a feel for the people who call it home.

Median house
$950,000

latest suburb median

Population
960

ABS 2021

Postcode
2421

Paterson, New South Wales

Property market insights for Paterson (NSW)

Median sale price and rental income of properties in Paterson (NSW) NSW

Median price trend for houses

Based on 17 sales in the preceding 12 months

$950,000

Down 4.0% over 12 months

$1.2m$1m$800k20212023202420252026
3 bed
$778k
4 bed
$952k

Median rent trend for houses

Based on 2 rental listings in the preceding 12 months

$525 per week

Down 19.2% over 12 months

$1k$800$600$40020212023202420252026

Market data updated October 2026.

The median house price in Paterson (NSW), NSW is currently $950,000, based on the latest 12 months of sales. Paterson (NSW) has a 12-month growth rate of -4.0% for houses.

Three-bedroom houses have a median sale price of $778,000, Four-bedroom houses have a median sale price of $952,000 in Paterson (NSW).

If you're looking to lease, the median rent for houses in Paterson (NSW) is $525 per week. The median house rent has decreased 19.2% over the last 12 months.

Crime and safety

Is Paterson safe?

The overall rate for Paterson is 9,416 offences per 100,000 residents — 185% above the Rest of NSW benchmark.

That is the clearest suburb-wide answer. Open the detailed profile to see how the pattern changes across offence types and different parts of Paterson.

Overall crime rate

9,416

offences per 100,000 residents

185% aboveRest of NSW

PatersonRest of NSW: 3,298

Suburb-wide estimate from Microburbs' public crime model; it is not an address-level measure.

The people behind the postcode

Who lives in Paterson?

Paterson NSW 2421 is in New South Wales, within Rest of NSW.

960 people call Paterson home, with an average of 2.7 people per household and a median household income of $1,907 a week.

Public ABS 2021 Census figures. The bars compare the local share with the capital-region benchmark.

Population
960
Median age
41 years
Median mortgage
$2,000 / month
2021 household rent
$300 / week
Above the benchmarkBelow the benchmarkIn lineRest of NSW benchmark

Age profile

Share of residents in each age band.

Under 1520.2%Above
15–3417.4%Below
35–5428.4%Above
55–7425.4%In line
75 and over7.5%Below

Homes

Share of occupied private dwellings.

Separate houses99.1%Above
Townhouses0.0%Below
Apartments0.0%Below

Ownership

Share of homes with a stated ownership or rental status.

Owned outright37.4%Below
Paying a mortgage49.2%Above
Renting13.4%Below

Cars at home

Vehicles available to occupied households.

No car1.2%Below
One car19.5%Below
Two cars43.5%Above
Three or more35.6%Above

Getting to work

Selected ways residents worked or travelled on Census day.

Worked from home24.9%Above
Drove to work52.5%Below
Train, tram or bus0.0%Below
Walked or cycled3.4%In line

What stands out in Paterson

24.9% of workers in Paterson worked from home on Census day — noticeably more common than across Rest of NSW.

36.9% of people in Paterson described themselves as having no religion in the 2021 Census.

A closer look at the Census

Questions people ask about Paterson

Open any question for a plain-English reading of the public 2021 Census for Paterson NSW 2421.

Is Paterson family-friendly?Age, family structure and household size describe the community families would be joining.

20.2% of Paterson's residents were children under 15 in the 2021 Census. That is close to the Rest of NSW average.

276 family households lived in Paterson; 46.4% were couple families and 9.4% were one-parent families.

39.5% of local families included children under 15. That is somewhat above the Rest of NSW average.

These are suburb-wide household figures, not school or childcare ratings.

What is the age profile of Paterson?The balance between younger adults, families and older residents changes how a suburb feels day to day.

Paterson had 960 residents at the 2021 Census.

23.8% of residents were aged 25 to 44.

32.9% were 55 or older. That is somewhat below the Rest of NSW average.

Age shares use the suburb’s total Census population.

What kind of homes are in Paterson?The dwelling mix shows whether the suburb is mostly detached homes, townhouses or apartments.

Separate houses made up 99.1% of occupied private dwellings in Paterson.

Townhouses and other attached homes represented 0.0% of occupied private dwellings.

Flats and apartments accounted for 0.0% of occupied private dwellings.

All three shares use occupied private dwellings as the denominator.

Do people own or rent in Paterson?Tenure shows how many households own outright, have a mortgage or rent.

37.4% of households with a stated tenure owned their home outright. That is close to the Rest of NSW average.

49.2% were buying their home with a mortgage.

13.4% rented their home. That is about half the Rest of NSW rate.

Tenure shares include households that stated one of these three arrangements.

How large are households in Paterson?Household-size data shows the mix behind the suburb-wide average.

The average household in Paterson had 2.7 people.

One-person households made up 20.9% of occupied homes. That is well below the Rest of NSW average.

Two-person households represented 33.2%, while 27.6% had four or more usual residents.

Household size counts usual residents in occupied homes.

How do people get to work in Paterson?Census-day travel shows the balance between home, road, public transport and active travel.

24.9% of workers worked from home on Census day. That is well above the Rest of NSW average.

52.5% drove a car as their only travel method. That is well below the Rest of NSW average.

0.0% used only a train, tram or bus, while 3.4% walked or cycled.

Travel figures are a 2021 Census-day snapshot.

How many cars do households have in Paterson?Vehicle availability helps describe the routines local households can support.

1.2% of occupied households had no motor vehicle available. That is about half the Rest of NSW rate.

One-car households formed 19.5% of the total.

79.0% of households had two or more vehicles.

Vehicle counts refer to occupied households, not individual residents.

Who's moving to Paterson, and who stays?Address history shows how settled or recently mobile residents were at the Census date.

63.2% were at the same address five years earlier, while 36.8% reported a different address.

5.7% of residents were born outside Australia. That is about half the Rest of NSW rate.

Mobility figures cover residents who answered the relevant Census question.

What languages are spoken in Paterson?Language at home gives a direct view of the community’s everyday linguistic mix.

94.8% of residents used only English at home.

0.7% used a language other than English at home.

0.0% spoke Mandarin at home, 0.0% spoke Cantonese and 0.3% spoke Hindi.

Home language is separate from English proficiency.

Where were Paterson residents born?Birthplace adds another layer to the local story, separate from ancestry and language.

5.7% of Paterson's population was born outside Australia, while roughly 94.3% was born in Australia.

0.0% of residents were born in China.

0.0% were born in India, while Australian citizenship across the whole suburb stood at 93.9%.

Birthplace, citizenship and ancestry describe different parts of identity.

What ancestries shape Paterson?Ancestry responses show how residents describe family and cultural background.

English ancestry accounted for 43.1% of ancestry responses in Paterson.

Australian ancestry made up 47.3% of responses.

Chinese ancestry represented 0.5% of responses.

People may nominate more than one ancestry, so these are shares of responses.

What work do people do in Paterson?Occupation describes a person’s role; industry describes the sector employing them.

15.2% of employed residents worked in professional occupations. That is somewhat below the Rest of NSW average.

Managers accounted for 17.0% of employed residents, while clerical and administrative workers made up 14.2%.

Health care and social assistance employed 11.6% of workers, and education and training employed 8.3%.

Occupation and industry figures describe employed residents of the suburb.

How active is the workforce in Paterson?Participation, employment pattern and unemployment describe the resident labour force.

The labour-force participation rate was 66.9%, compared with 56.4% across Rest of NSW.

36.7% of residents aged 15 and over worked full time, while 22.2% worked part time.

Unemployment was 2.8%, compared with 4.6% across Rest of NSW.

Labour-force figures come from the 2021 Census.

What does the health profile of Paterson show?Selected long-term health conditions help describe community service needs.

58.9% reported no selected long-term health condition.

8.8% reported a long-term mental health condition, including depression or anxiety.

9.9% reported asthma, 9.3% arthritis and 4.1% diabetes excluding gestational diabetes.

These are self-reported suburb-wide Census figures, not address-level health risks.

How educated is Paterson?Qualifications describe the study pathways represented among local residents.

17.9% of people in the qualifications table held a bachelor degree. That is close to the Rest of NSW average.

Postgraduate degrees accounted for 5.2% of qualification responses.

Diploma-level qualifications represented 15.9%, while certificate-level qualifications represented 47.8%.

Qualification categories are reported separately and are not school ratings.

What do incomes and housing costs look like in Paterson?Census income and household payments give historical context for local living costs.

Median household income was $1,907 per week in the 2021 Census.

The median monthly mortgage repayment reported by local households was $2,000.

Occupied renting households reported a median rent of $300 per week.

These household figures are from 2021; current sale and asking-rent medians appear in the market section.

How does Paterson compare with Rest of NSW?A few clear differences place the suburb in its wider metropolitan context.

Working from home was 24.9% in Paterson, compared with 15.7% across Rest of NSW.

Outright ownership was 37.4% locally and 39.6% across Rest of NSW. That is close to the Rest of NSW average.

Renting accounted for 13.4% in Paterson, against 27.9% across Rest of NSW.

Capital-region comparisons use the same Census definitions and year.

Three useful questions

A buyer’s quick guide to Paterson (NSW)

Is Paterson (NSW) expensive?

The median house price is $950,000. Bedroom count, land and condition still create a wide range around those suburb medians.

Is Paterson (NSW) good for families?

The Census counted 276 local families, and 20.2% of residents were under 15. That describes the community; school quality, travel times and the right fit for a particular family need separate research.

What can I get for $1.5m in Paterson (NSW)?

4-bedroom houses have a median around $952,000, the closest bedroom benchmark we hold to a $1.5m budget. Individual homes can differ substantially with block size, renovation and location.

Medians describe recorded market activity across the suburb; they are historical context, not a valuation or forecast for an individual home.

Explore the area

Streets and suburbs around Paterson (NSW)

30 streets in Paterson (NSW)

Street-by-street reports are not published yet. The streets below are the ones this suburb covers.

  • Albert St
  • Barford Ln
  • Boulton Drive
  • Brisbane Gr
  • Church St
  • Count St
  • Duke St
  • Dungog Rd
  • George St
  • Glenburn Rd
  • Gresford Rd
  • Keppies Rd
  • King St
  • Lomandra Circuit
  • Main St
  • Maitland Rd
  • Marquis St
  • Martins Creek Rd
Show all 30 streets
  • Mowbray Ln South
  • Paterson Rd
  • Prince St
  • Queen St
  • Railway St
  • Sloane St
  • Summer Hill Road
  • Tocal Rd
  • Victoria St
  • Webbers Creek Rd
  • William St
  • Woodglen Cl

Keep exploring

Is Paterson (NSW) right for your search?

Use the finders to compare places and properties, or open the full report when you need the street, risk, schools and growth research.

Figures update as new market and census data arrives. This suburb overview is general information, not a valuation or financial advice.