Main Arm
NSWMain Arm is a growing suburb in NSW with 640 residents.
- SAL code
- 12454
- SA2
- 112011243
- Population
- 640
Main Arm, NSW had 640 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 9.9% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 55-64 years, and the median age sits at 45. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,733 a month. Around 79.1% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 52.0%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 96.6% of the suburb's housing stock. Labour-force participation reaches 49.8%, with an unemployment rate of 4.5%. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Population
?640
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+9.9%
3yr: +6.8% · 10yr: +17.9%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,403/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
45
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?5/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?6.7%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
No data for this suburb
Parks & green space
No data for this suburb
Transport stops
No data for this suburb
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Mullumbimby (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Main Arm suburb alone is ~640 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 7,623 to 9,662 over 24 years, averaging 1.0% per year.
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Mullumbimby PS63.8%
- Main Arm Upper PS 30.6%
- The Pocket PS 3.2%
- Burringbar PS 2.4%
Secondary
Mullumbimby HS97.6%
- Murwillumbah HS 2.4%
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Almost entirely detached houses (96.6%), owner-occupied (79.1%), built for families (40% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
NSW 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: NSW RFS BFPL via SEED
As of May 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
This suburb falls outside every flood polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
6 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| RU2 | ZoneRural | 47.2% | 12.17 km² |
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 23.1% | 5.95 km² |
| RU1 | ZoneRural | 21.1% | 5.43 km² |
| DM | ZoneDeferred | 5.6% | 1.45 km² |
| C3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 2.8% | 0.73 km² |
| RU5 | ZoneRural | 0.4% | 0.10 km² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.