Moving to Port Macquarie (South area) from Marsden Park (Shanes Park area)
Schools, childcare, demographics and house prices for Port Macquarie - South and Marsden Park - Shanes Park, side by side - all from public government data.
Port Macquarie (South area) has 17,470 people (ABS, June 2025), -0.1% in a year, a median house price of $950,000, 3 schools and 26 childcare services. Full Port Macquarie (South area) suburb profile.
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Sources: ABS ERP June 2025 · ABS Census 2021 · ABS SEIFA 2021 · ACARA School Profile 2025 · ACECQA NQS register · Valuer-General Victoria & DFFH (VIC) · DCJ Housing sales Mar 2026 and rent Jun 2026 (NSW) · RTA Queensland rents (QLD) · NSW BOCSAR (NSW) · CSA Victoria (VIC). How we source this data →
Which school is zoned?
The free government school your child can attend in each area - side by side, never a blended average.
Northbourne Public School
The government school your child can attend for free by living in Marsden Park - Shanes Park.
This is the zoned government school for the centre of Marsden Park - Shanes Park (NSW catchment data) - addresses elsewhere in the suburb may be zoned to a different school.
See the catchment on the mapFee-paying schools can’t be enrolled in by zone - they’re shown for context, not as the area’s school quality.
We show school intake context and catchments, not exam results. We don’t publish a school ranking.
Port Macquarie Public School
The government school your child can attend for free by living in Port Macquarie - South.
The government catchment school for parts of Port Macquarie - South is Port Macquarie Public School - just outside the suburb boundary (NSW catchment data).
See the catchment on the mapFee-paying schools can’t be enrolled in by zone - they’re shown for context, not as the area’s school quality.
We show school intake context and catchments, not exam results. We don’t publish a school ranking.
Honest tradeoff
Catholic/independent schools are separate from the free government catchment - average ICSEA Port Macquarie - South 1,051 (3 schools), Marsden Park - Shanes Park 1,080 (3 schools).
There are 3 schools in Port Macquarie - South, compared to 6 in Marsden Park - Shanes Park.
Childcare services matched by suburb name: 26 in Port Macquarie - South vs 14 in Marsden Park - Shanes Park.
The proportion of children from non-English-speaking backgrounds is lower in Port Macquarie - South at 4.5% (vs 61.3% in Marsden Park - Shanes Park).
Port Macquarie - South has a SEIFA advantage (IRSAD) of Decile 5, below Marsden Park - Shanes Park's Decile 10. Decile 10 is the most advantaged nationally.
Median house prices are 26% lower in Port Macquarie - South ($950,000 vs $1.28M).
Similar suburbs near Port Macquarie - South
Related moves
What is the population of Port Macquarie (South area)?
17,470 people lived in Port Macquarie (South area) at June 2025 (ABS Estimated Resident Population), a change of -0.1% over the year. Marsden Park (Shanes Park area) had 30,461.
Are houses cheaper in Port Macquarie (South area) than in Marsden Park (Shanes Park area)?
Yes. The median house price is $950,000 in Port Macquarie (South area) and $1.28M in Marsden Park (Shanes Park area), 26% lower in Port Macquarie (South area).
How many schools are in Port Macquarie (South area)?
ACARA lists 3 schools in Port Macquarie (South area), against 6 in Marsden Park (Shanes Park area). The zoned government school for an address is shown above under "Which school is zoned?".
Make this comparison yours
The Move Planner adds your kids' ages, school catchment zones on the map, and a shareable link for your partner.
Plan the move: Marsden Park - Shanes Park → Port Macquarie - South