Living in Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie is a city in Australia. Foreign-born residents accounted for 10.8% of the population in August 2021. Its population was 41,920 in August 2021. The city covered 96.3 km² in 2016. Population density was 520.9 people per km² in 2021.

Lower unemployment than 74% of Australian cities that publish it and cleaner air than 84% of Australian cities that publish it.

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Port Macquarie?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Port Macquarie.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median rent was A$330 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,700 in August 2021.

City-level rent is published below; no city-level cost-of-living basket is published for Port Macquarie yet.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Dwellings	17,058 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings	15,616 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Median Weekly Rent Aud	330 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official

Work and income

Median personal income was A$838 per week in August 2021. Median household income was A$1,653 per week in August 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Port Macquarie?

The unemployment rate is 3.6 % (August 2021). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics¹

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Port Macquarie is 3.6%. Of 100 cities with data, 29 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment Full Time Count	12,446 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Employment rate	59.7 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Median Household Income Aud Week	1,653 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Median Personal Income Aud Week	838 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Median gross salary (regional)	1,901 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁷Official
Unemployment rate	3.6 %country median 4.4%	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Port Macquarie. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Port Macquarie. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Language Other Than English At Home Share Percent	7.38 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Port Macquarie. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) — State Language Course

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For eligible migrants, humanitarian entrants.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridfree

Open official information

Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) — Newcomer Adaptation

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For humanitarian entrants.

In Person, Hybridfree

Open official information

Open the full Australia section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Port Macquarie.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Port Macquarie?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 5.1 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 — Appendix 2 Ambient Air Quality PM2.5 tables²

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in AustraliaAnnual PM2.5 in Port Macquarie is 5.1 µg/m³. Of 25 cities with data, 7 have annual PM2.5 of 5 to under 6 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	5.1 µg/m³country median 6.1	31 Dec 2023	NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 — Appendix 2 Ambient Air Quality PM2.5 tables²Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 28.1 · Feb 27.8 · Mar 26.4 · Apr 24.3 · May 21.7 · Jun 19.4 · Jul 19 · Aug 20.4 · Sep 22.7 · Oct 24 · Nov 25.3 · Dec 26.8 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PORT MACQUARIE AIRPORT⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan 18.4 · Feb 18.4 · Mar 16.7 · Apr 13.6 · May 10.2 · Jun 7.9 · Jul 6.1 · Aug 6 · Sep 8.3 · Oct 11.3 · Nov 14.4 · Dec 16.6 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PORT MACQUARIE AIRPORT⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 23.2 · Feb 23.1 · Mar 21.6 · Apr 19 · May 15.9 · Jun 13.7 · Jul 12.5 · Aug 13.2 · Sep 15.5 · Oct 17.6 · Nov 19.8 · Dec 21.7 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PORT MACQUARIE AIRPORT⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 142.7 · Feb 184.2 · Mar 181.9 · Apr 131.3 · May 104.4 · Jun 138.2 · Jul 63.1 · Aug 60.5 · Sep 58.8 · Oct 75.4 · Nov 139.7 · Dec 120.6 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PORT MACQUARIE AIRPORT⁶Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Australia

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Australia cities

Bowral - Mittagong41,600 residents Warragul - Drouin42,827 residents Traralgon - Morwell43,252 residents Forster - Tuncurry40,578 residents Busselton40,544 residents Taree43,874 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Port Macquarie?

The published population was 41,920 people in August 2021. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	96.25 km²	1 Jul 2016	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.⁴Official
Foreign-resident share	16.3 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Foreign residents	7,199 people	10 Aug 2021	Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.³Official
Population density	520.9 people/km²	30 Jun 2021	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁵Official
Population Female	21,582 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Population Male	20,336 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Population	41,920 people	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

Population rose 22.3% between 2001 and 2025, from 35,324 to 43,213.

International community in Port Macquarie

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	41,920	100.0%
Australia	35,067	83.7%
Country of birth not stated	2,345	5.6%
England	675	1.6%
India	497	1.2%
Born elsewhere(d)	484	1.2%
New Zealand	399	1.0%
Philippines	298	0.7%
Nepal	233	0.6%
South Africa	181	0.4%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	177	0.4%

Show 42 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Zimbabwe	109	0.3%
Germany	106	0.3%
United States of America	94	0.2%
Thailand	89	0.2%
Netherlands	84	0.2%
Scotland	83	0.2%
Pakistan	81	0.2%
Italy	76	0.2%
Korea, Republic of (South)	68	0.2%
Sri Lanka	65	0.2%
Canada	63	0.2%
Malaysia	55	0.1%
Fiji	47	0.1%
Vietnam	44	0.1%
Indonesia	41	0.1%
Ireland	36	0.1%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	32	0.1%
Poland	31	0.1%
Bangladesh	28	0.1%
Singapore	28	0.1%
Croatia	26	0.1%
Greece	25	0.1%
Wales	22	0.1%
France	20	0.0%
Japan	20	0.0%
Brazil	19	0.0%
Taiwan	19	0.0%
Iraq	18	0.0%
Papua New Guinea	18	0.0%
Iran	16	0.0%
Afghanistan	12	0.0%
Myanmar	11	0.0%
Samoa	10	0.0%
Chile	9	0.0%
Lebanon	9	0.0%
Malta	9	0.0%
North Macedonia	8	0.0%
Turkey	8	0.0%
Cambodia	7	0.0%
Egypt	7	0.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	4	0.0%
Mauritius	3	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	41,920	100.0%
Australia	35,067	83.7%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	4,507	10.8%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	41,920	100.0%
Australian citizen	37,716	90.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Is Port Macquarie a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker55%strong on work, weak on safety · range 46–64%

Skilled employee61%strong on work, weak on safety · range 53–69%

Student54%strong on education, weak on safety · range 46–62%

Family58%strong on family, weak on safety · range 49–67%

Retirement59%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 48–70%

Foreign residents7,199 people10 Aug 2021Official source · Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.

Population41,920 people10 Aug 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia

Dwellings17,058 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Employment rate59.7 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Median gross salary (regional)1,901 EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Unemployment rate3.6 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	10.75 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Households	15,616 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Labour force participation rate	62 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Median age	37 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Median Monthly Mortgage Repayment Aud	1,700 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Port Macquarie when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Port Macquarie?

The published population was 41,920 people in August 2021. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

Is the air quality good in Port Macquarie?

What is the unemployment rate in Port Macquarie?

The unemployment rate is 3.6 % (August 2021). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics.

What is the typical salary around Port Macquarie?

The median gross salary is 1,901 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

How many foreign residents live in Port Macquarie?

7,199 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality..

Is Port Macquarie a good place to live?

Port Macquarie may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Afghanistan live in Port Macquarie?

The official country of birth distribution records 12 people (0.0%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Port Macquarie, Australia: rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/port-macquarie/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_port-macquarie-australia-rent-salary_093e5c368916,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Port Macquarie, Australia: rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/port-macquarie/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Port Macquarie, Australia: rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/port-macquarie/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-03
NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 — Appendix 2 Ambient Air Quality PM2.5 tables NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 · dcceew.gov.au · checked 2026-07-29
Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-08-10
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PORT MACQUARIE AIRPORT WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.