The shire services an area of 3,380 square kilometres (1,310 sq mi) and is located adjacent to the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line. Kempsey Shire was formed in 1976 by the amalgamation of the former Kempsey Municipality and the former Macleay Shire.

At the 2011 census, Kempsey Shire has a high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people residing within its boundaries. The shire also contains a coastal strip that was initially identified in 2007, and confirmed in 2015, as one of the most socially disadvantaged areas in Australia.

The Mayor of the Kempsey Shire is Liz Campbell, an independent politician.

Towns and localities in the Kempsey Shire are:

At the 2011 census, there were 28,134 people in the Kempsey Shire local government area, of these 50.2 per cent were male and 49.8 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 11.1 per cent of the population, more than four times the national average. The median age of people in the Kempsey Shire was 45 years; some eight years older than the national median. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 19.4 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 19.8 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 45.4 per cent were married and 15.4 per cent were either divorced or separated.

Population growth in the Kempsey Shire between the 2001 census and the 2006 census was 1.86 per cent; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 census was 2.73 per cent. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78 per cent and 8.32 per cent respectively, population growth in the Kempsey Shire local government area was significantly lower than the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the Kempsey Shire was significantly below the national average, being one of the factors that place parts of the Kempsey Shire in an area of social disadvantage.

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