Grafton property market: the official numbers
What the census actually says about Grafton, NSW — who lives there, what they pay, and what they do for work. Every figure below is ABS Census 2021 data, linked at the bottom so you can check it yourself.
The straight answer
Median rent in Grafton was $300 a week at the 2021 Census — 20% below the national median. Rent all but covered the typical mortgage repayment ($1,300 against $1,300 a month) — that's a cashflow shape, not a scarcity story.
Grafton by the numbers
The typical repayment ran at about 27% of the median household income. These are point-in-time medians from August 2021. Rents and repayments have moved since — repayments especially, after the 2022–24 rate rises — so compare places with them; don't price today with them.
The rent-or-buy gap
At the census, the typical monthly rent worked out to $1,300 against a typical mortgage repayment of $1,300:
How to read the rent-repayment gap
The mortgage figure reflects loans and rates as at August 2021, before the 2022–24 rate rises — today's repayment on a new loan would be higher. The rent figure is what tenants were actually paying, not today's asking rents. The useful signal is the shape: where rent and repayments sit close together, buying has historically competed well with renting here; where repayments tower over rent, the market prices in growth. Run your own numbers with the mortgage vs invest tool or what can I afford?
Who owns, who rents
32.9% of Grafton households rent — that's the tenant pool an investor here would actually be renting into, and it's about the national norm.
Who lives here
How to read an age profile
A heavy 25–44 band usually means family housing demand (and pressure on 3–4 bedroom stock); a heavy 65+ band signals downsizer and retiree demand (units, single-level living, proximity to health care). Grafton's median age of 43 sits above the national median of 38.
What keeps Grafton employed
18.8% of Grafton's 7,194 workers are in health care & social assistance. That's the engine under local housing demand — worth knowing how it's running before you buy.
What it costs to buy in NSW
We don't republish licensed price feeds, so for today's sale prices check a licensed source. The costs of buying, though, are public and exact:
- Stamp duty in New South Wales — exact duty and first-home-buyer concessions.
- What can I afford? — borrowing power, price range and all-in upfront cash.
- The official NSW price trend — ABS state-level values since 2011, interactive.
Quick answers
What is the median rent in Grafton?
At the 2021 Census the median rent in Grafton was $300 a week — 20% below the national median ($375/wk). Rents have moved since 2021; check current listings for today's asking rents.
How many people live in Grafton?
19,255 people at the 2021 Census, with a median age of 43 (national median: 38). Grafton is one of New South Wales's significant urban areas as defined by the ABS.
What do people in Grafton do for work?
The biggest employing industry is health care & social assistance, followed by retail trade (ABS Census 2021). The industry mix shapes how resilient local housing demand is.
The verdict
Your call
This is a cashflow shape — $1,300 a month in rent against a $1,300 repayment at the census. That suits a buyer who wants the rent to carry the loan, not one chasing a blue-chip postcode. And be honest about size: 19,255 people is a thin market — fewer sales, fewer buyers when you want out, and longer waits at both ends.
Whatever you do, check the things the census can't show: today's asking rents, vacancy and days on market in Grafton. Then run your own numbers: what can I afford? for borrowing power and upfront cash, and the New South Wales stamp duty calculator for the tax bill.
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General information only — not financial or property advice. All figures are ABS Census 2021 ( official QuickStats for Grafton, CC-BY 4.0), which predates the 2022–24 rate rises; conditions have moved since. Last reviewed 10 July 2026.