Property Report / Areas / Mid-Coast / Black Head

Black Head zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Black Head (Mid-Coast, NSW) - 3.08 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Black Head's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.

Nearby suburbs, nearest first

Aircraft noise and flight paths over Black Head

Two different things, kept apart on purpose. The ANEF contour is the planning instrument - a forecast published per airport that planning schemes use to control noise-sensitive development. Observed overflight is what a sampled aircraft-tracking feed actually recorded over the suburb - where aircraft flew, how low and how often.

Black Head at a glance

Parcels 419 Median lot 702 m² Mapped easements 3 Bus stops 18

How Black Head is zoned

Primary Production 41%
Environmental Conservation 28%
General Residential 22%
Environmental Management 4%
Public Recreation 4%
Local Centre 1%

Buying in Black Head? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.

Across its 3.08 km², Black Head is highly constrained by the planning overlays we hold. We hold no flood mapping covering this suburb, so no flood figure is shown - that is a gap in our data, not an all-clear. Of what is mapped, 84% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 3 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Primary Production. The median lot measures about 702 m² across 419 parcels.

Who lives in Black Head

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Black Head suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
972
usual residents, 2021
Median age
65
years
Median household income
$1,053
per week, Mid-Coast suburb typical $1,204
Median rent
$375
per week, Mid-Coast suburb typical $305
Median mortgage
$1,661
per month
Household size
2.0
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 6
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 991, and decile 5 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Black Head's 972 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 2.3%
5-14 6.4%
15-19 3.9%
20-24 1.8%
25-34 4.7%
35-44 5.3%
45-54 8.4%
55-64 15.5%
65-74 26.4%
75-84 20.5%
85+ 4.7%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Old Bar - Manning Point - Red Head, the wider ABS statistical area containing Black Head. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Black Head itself.

7,700 in 2001 to 13,450 in 2025, up 75%.

Source: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.

Black Head data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence
Observed flight pathsObservedadsb.lol, under the Open Database License
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 3 October 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.

Check a specific Black Head address

See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.

The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.

Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Black Head lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Black Head planning - frequently asked

Is Black Head flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Black Head, so this page can't say how much of the suburb is flood-affected - that is a gap in our data, not an indication that the suburb is free of flood risk. Mid-Coast is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.

Is Black Head bushfire-prone?

Around 84% of Black Head is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Mid-Coast average of 94%.

Is Black Head under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed over about 8% of Black Head in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 4,500 ft. Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously and flight paths change with runway use, weather and season; the ANEF contour is the planning instrument.

What is the zoning in Black Head?

The dominant planning zone in Black Head is Primary Production, though the suburb also includes Environmental Conservation and General Residential.

Does Black Head have heritage-listed places?

Black Head has 3 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Black Head?

Across 419 surveyed parcels in Black Head, the median lot size is about 702 m². There are also 3 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Black Head have a train station?

There is no train station inside Black Head itself. The suburb is served by 18 bus stops.

What is the population of Black Head?

At the 2021 Census Black Head had 972 usual residents, with a median age of 65 and an average household size of 2.0 people. The wider Old Bar - Manning Point - Red Head statistical area, which contains Black Head, went from 7,700 people in 2001 to 13,450 in 2025, up 75%.

Is Black Head an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Black Head scores 991 and sits in decile 6 of 10 nationally and decile 5 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Black Head?

Median household income in Black Head was $1,053 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,204 for the typical suburb in Mid-Coast. Median rent was $375 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,661 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Red Head 1.6 km Not mapped 78%
Tallwoods Village 3.0 km Not mapped 46%
Hallidays Point 3.2 km Not mapped 86%
Diamond Beach 4.6 km Not mapped 77%
Darawank 5.6 km Not mapped 96%
Rainbow Flat 5.7 km Not mapped 98%
Saltwater 7.1 km Not mapped 98%
Failford 9.0 km Not mapped 92%
Wallabi Point 9.4 km Not mapped 92%
Koorainghat 9.8 km Not mapped 100%

See all Mid-Coast suburb profiles →