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New South Wales · Postcode 2422
Wards River postcode and suburb data
New South Wales · Phone area code 02 · 197 km from Sydney
Suburb snapshot
Wards River at a glance vs NSW
Fast facts and benchmark bars show the suburb's key postcode, Census, SEIFA, school and LGA signals in context.
Quick facts
Benchmarks against NSW
Income, rent and SEIFA figures are from the ABS 2021 Census and are reported in 2021 dollars, not adjusted for subsequent inflation.
Where Wards River ranks: household income sits in the bottom 10% of NSW suburbs; SEIFA decile 1 places it in the bottom 20% of Australia for socio-economic advantage.
ABS Census 2021 · SEIFA 2021Detailed comparison table
Wards River vs the NSW average and the national average, using population-weighted 2021 Census data.
| Metric | Wards River | NSW avg | AU avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Household income/wk | $783 -NSW | $1,931 | $1,836 |
| Rent/wk | $270 -NSW | $445 | $390 |
| Mortgage/month | $1,465 -NSW | $2,247 | $1,958 |
| Median age | 55 | 45.0 | 45.0 |
| SEIFA decile | 1/10 -NSW | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Unemployment | 15.2% +NSW | 5.0% | 5.0% |
Green pill = at least 10% above the NSW average; red = at least 10% below; grey = within 10%. For unemployment, colour polarity is inverted: lower is better.
Wards River is a locality 197 km from Sydney in New South Wales, classified as outer regional by the ABS. The postcode is 2422. It falls within the Mid North Coast region. The local government area is Mid-Coast.
According to the 2021 Census, Wards River has a population of 178 with a median age of 55. The median weekly household income is $783, below the NSW average. The unemployment rate is 15.2%, higher than the NSW average. The Indigenous population is 18 (10.1% of residents).
Housing in Wards River includes a median weekly rent of $270, median monthly mortgage repayment of $1,465, with 74 total dwellings. Housing costs in the area sit below the NSW average. Owner-occupied dwellings (owned or mortgaged) make up 78.3% of housing.
On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Wards River scores in decile 1 out of 10, which is well below the national average.
Wards River is part of the Taree - Gloucester statistical area in New South Wales.
Wards River details
Location, Census, housing, SEIFA and geography fields used across this profile.
| Postcode | 2422 |
| State | New South Wales (NSW) |
| Phone Area Code | 02 |
| Population (2021) | 178 |
| Median Age | 55 years |
| Median Household Income (Census 2021) | $783/week |
| Median Personal Income (Census 2021) | $441/week |
| Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021) | $270 |
| Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021) | $1,465 |
| Average Household Size | 2.1 persons |
| Area | 90.8 km² |
| Population Density | 2/km² |
| Total Dwellings | 74 |
| Australian Citizens | 90.4% |
| Indigenous Population | 18 (10.1%) |
| Unemployment Rate | 15.2% |
| SEIFA IRSAD Decile | 1/10 (well below average) |
| Latitude | -32.2078852 |
| Longitude | 151.9367506 |
| Distance from Sydney | 197 km |
| Region (SA4) | Mid North Coast |
| Area (SA3) | Taree - Gloucester |
| Local Government | Mid-Coast |
| Federal Electorate | Lyne |
| State Electorate | Upper Hunter |
| Time Zone | AEST (UTC+10), Australia/Sydney (standard time) |
Age Profile
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 20 (11.2%) |
| 15–24 years | 8 (4.5%) |
| 25–44 years | 31 (17.4%) |
| 45–64 years | 62 (34.8%) |
| 65+ years | 53 (29.8%) |
Housing Tenure
SEIFA socio-economic index
Health Conditions (2021 Census)
| Arthritis | 26 (14.6%) |
| Diabetes | 21 (11.8%) |
| Asthma | 17 (9.6%) |
| Heart Disease | 16 (9.0%) |
| Lung Condition | 14 (7.9%) |
| Cancer | 8 (4.5%) |
Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.
Motor Vehicles per Dwelling
| No vehicle | 7 (8.9%) |
| 1 vehicle | 25 (31.6%) |
| 2 vehicles | 32 (40.5%) |
| 3+ vehicles | 15 (19.0%) |
Suburbs Near Wards River
Same Postcode (2422)
More Wards River Data
Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, ACARA school profiles 2025. How this data is sourced.