Is Coffs Harbour nice to live? Well, if you like gorgeous beaches, temperate weather and a spirited community, then the answer is yes!
Originally just a popular summer travel destination, the ‘Big Banana’ city has grown in population, with more Australians seeking a hiatus from the hustle and bustle of busy capital cities.
The pandemic reinforced this notion. Over the many lockdowns, most people began working remotely, which opened up the possibility of working anywhere. The surge in interest increased and signalled Coffs Harbour as a growth area.
But there are many aspects to making a place to live in, including accessibility and amenities. So let’s dive into what makes Coffs Harbour a lovely place to live using factors from the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Liveability Index.
Coffs Harbour has access to good healthcare
The city of Coffs Harbour offers access to good healthcare from many of its suburbs. Excluding other medical facilities, these are the hospitals around the Coffs Harbour area:
- Bellinger River District Hospital
- Coffs Harbour Health Campus
- Dorrigo Health Campus
- Kempsey District Hospital
- Macksville District Hospital
- Port Macquarie Base Hospital
- Wauchope District Memorial Hospital
Access to comprehensive, quality health care services is important for promoting and maintaining health, preventing and managing disease, reducing unnecessary disability and premature death, and achieving health equity for all Americans.
Being in close proximity to healthcare services is important for everyone. Whether it’s maintaining your health by getting check ups or emergency services, everyone wants to feel safe.
When a city has decent access to hospitals, it shows that the population will be healthier, with fewer cases of premature deaths.
Coffs Harbour has a blossoming culture and beautiful environment
It’s hard to talk about the liveability of Coffs Harbour without mentioning its stunning natural landscape and nice climate.
This country town is just brimming with wild places, especially for a big city. From the beautiful beaches to the impressive national parks, you can immerse yourself in some of the best nature in the world. On top of that, it’s a year round destination, meaning there’s plenty to do throughout the seasons.
Popular activities are fishing, scuba diving, and swimming—did we mention you can do these all for free?
But the large town also has other fun stuff to do when you want to stay dry, like laser tag, mini golf, shopping, or dining at one of the local restaurants. There is enough to keep the whole family entertained.
Culture wise, Coffs Harbour has a lot on offer. For one, the Sounds of Rock festival is one that draws thousands of rock music lovers every October. Then in February, you have Summer Salt, which takes place in Park Beach reserve.
Art is an important aspect of the culture scene here too, with creative workshops for enthusiasts, but also galleries to showcase local artists.
The sense of community is strong, with gatherings of all kinds advertised in the local newspaper, The Coffs Advocate.
Coffs Harbour offers quality education
If you’re a growing family look for academic options for your kids in the coming years, Coffs Harbour has primary and secondary schools to hit their education requirements.
The Coffs Harbour Public School is a co-educational school offering tuition from Kindergarten to Year 6. There are also other primary schools which are private, like Bishop Druitt College and Tallowood Steiner School.
Following that would be Coffs Harbour High School and Allegra School.
Finally, the kids can start attending higher education schools like the Coffs Harbour Campus of Southern Cross University, as well the Coffs Harbour Education Campus, which is partnered with Southern Cross University, TAFE NSW, and the NSW Department of Education (Coffs Harbour Senior College).
Coffs Harbour has good infrastructure
One of the most standout features of infrastructure will be the Coffs Harbour Bypass, a “14-kilometre bypass of the Coffs Harbour urban area, from Englands Road in the south to Sapphire in the north”.
It is a $2.2 billion project supported by the NSW and Australian governments. Set to complete in 2027, this will be huge development, giving greater accessibility to and throughout the region as well as safety and connectivity.
As for now, you can also drive to other cities easily. It takes around 3 hours to drive to other big cities—Gold Coast, 4 hours to Sydney and 5 hours to the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
In terms of local public transport, the bus is how you get around Coffs Harbour if you don’t have a vehicle of your own. The bus runs daily services throughout the area. Locals still prefer owning their own cars though.
But for longer distances, you have the Coffs Harbour Airport, on the largest airports in NSW.
More developments are planned for the near future.
Coffs Harbour has access to amenities
It’s important for a city to have access to amenities. Even with good roads, you don’t want to have to drive for ages in search of a supermarket.
In that, you can rest assured that Coffs Harbour has all the same supermarkets you’d find in the capital cities. You have shopping centres like Coffs Central and Jetty Village Shopping centre, the latter of which is close to Jetty Beach which has tons of great restaurants and cafes.
Coffs Harbour can be pricey
With all its amenities and the allure of beachside living, life in Coffs Harbour NSW can be pricey. The median house price is $800,000 and $548,000 for units. That’s up 21% since last year, so it’s clear the town is gaining interest.
However, this is much more affordable than nearby Sydney, where the median house price is
$1,283,502. Other coastal areas in Australia are more expensive as well.
Renting in Coffs Harbour is competitive at times, as supply is low. But more investors are seeing the opportunity it has and it should increase in the years to come.
A positive is that living in Coffs Harbour won’t cost you when it comes to leisure activities. A lot of the nature doesn’t require paying an entrance fee or saving money.
Interested in Coffs Harbour?
Think we’ve shown you how it’s a great place to live. Whether you’re a young professional or have a growing family, the beaches, diverse shops, and laid back lifestyle will please instantly.
So don’t wait any longer and start the search for your next dream home. Whether it’s a rental property or some gorgeous Coffs Harbour real estate, Soho can help you find it.
Find other spots in New South Wales that you might also like. Moonee Beach, a seaside suburb, lures many looking to escape city life. Port Macquarie is another popular coastal area. In fact, many can’t decide if Port Macquarie is nicer than Coffs Harbour.
