Sawtell, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Around the national middle
Sawtell is more socio-economically advantaged than about 59% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1002, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Sawtell at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 3,788
- Median age
- 47
- Median weekly household income
- $1,405
- SEIFA score
- 1002
- Coordinates
- -30.3665, 153.0973
Sawtell demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Sawtell using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 29%, 32% of homes are rented, and 12% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 618 | 16% |
| Youth (15–24) | 335 | 9% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 792 | 21% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,089 | 29% |
| Seniors (65+) | 956 | 25% |
Share of the 3,790 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 656 | 42% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 358 | 23% |
| Rented | 506 | 32% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,070 | 68% |
| Townhouses & semis | 194 | 12% |
| Flats & apartments | 260 | 17% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 1,565 occupied private dwellings in Sawtell.
- Median weekly rent
- $380
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,866
- Median weekly personal income
- $750
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 422 (12%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 134 (4%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 141 (4%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,621 (53%)
- Labour-force participation
- 56%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.6%
- Employed full-time
- 867
- Employed part-time
- 712
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Sawtell
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Sawtell is January (average daytime high around 27.1°C) and the coolest is July (around 17.4°C). The area receives roughly 1443 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27.1°C | 18.8°C | 134 mm |
| Feb | 25.8°C | 18.4°C | 224 mm |
| Mar | 24.6°C | 17.7°C | 311 mm |
| Apr | 22.1°C | 14.8°C | 78 mm |
| May | 19.7°C | 11.9°C | 62 mm |
| Jun | 17.3°C | 9.5°C | 76 mm |
| Jul | 17.4°C | 8.3°C | 56 mm |
| Aug | 18.9°C | 8.7°C | 45 mm |
| Sep | 21.1°C | 11°C | 72 mm |
| Oct | 23.5°C | 13.6°C | 117 mm |
| Nov | 25°C | 15.5°C | 95 mm |
| Dec | 26.6°C | 17.5°C | 173 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Sawtell
Where is Sawtell?
Sawtell is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Sawtell?
At the 2021 Census, Sawtell had a population of about 3,788.
Is Sawtell an advantaged area?
Sawtell has an ABS SEIFA score of 1002, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 59 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 59% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Sawtell?
Sawtell has average daytime highs of about 22.4°C and overnight lows of about 13.8°C, with roughly 1,443 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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