Albion Park vs Calderwood

Calderwood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 30 against 36 in Albion Park. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Calderwood: a median of $1.08 million, against $950,000 in Albion Park, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Calderwood tends to suit young adults, families with children, and couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Albion Park

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (15 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (26 vs 3)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 1)
  • But Calderwood is already more of a family suburb (86% vs 74%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Albion Park has cheaper houses ($950,000 vs $1,080,000)
  • Calderwood has cheaper land ($541,000 vs $1,260,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Albion Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($460/wk vs $580/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Albion Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (63/100 vs 10/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Albion Park

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (15% vs 2%)
  • is more walkable (63/100 vs 10/100)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield.

Where they sit

Albion Park and Calderwood drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Albion Park Calderwood
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Albion Park Calderwood
Walkability 63 / 10
Albion Park — Walkability: 63/100 Calderwood — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 53 / 56
Albion Park — Safety: 53/100 Calderwood — Safety: 56/100
Low fire risk 83 / 100
Albion Park — Low fire risk: 83/100 Calderwood — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Albion Park has more residents (13,826 vs 3,013); Calderwood rents higher ($580/wk vs $460/wk).

Albion Park Calderwood
Population 13,826
+78% vs other
 3,013
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.8% —
Median age 36 30
Median household income $100,776/yr $126,412/yr
+25% vs other
Median weekly rent $460/wk $580/wk
+26% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Albion Park Calderwood
0-4 6.3% / 12.8%
Albion Park — 0-4: 6.3% Calderwood — 0-4: 12.8%
5-14 14.4% / 16.2%
Albion Park — 5-14: 14.4% Calderwood — 5-14: 16.2%
15-19 6.8% / 4.2%
Albion Park — 15-19: 6.8% Calderwood — 15-19: 4.2%
20-24 6.5% / 4.3%
Albion Park — 20-24: 6.5% Calderwood — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 13.5% / 26.2%
Albion Park — 25-34: 13.5% Calderwood — 25-34: 26.2%
35-44 12.4% / 16.5%
Albion Park — 35-44: 12.4% Calderwood — 35-44: 16.5%
45-54 13.5% / 7.2%
Albion Park — 45-54: 13.5% Calderwood — 45-54: 7.2%
55-64 12.2% / 6.3%
Albion Park — 55-64: 12.2% Calderwood — 55-64: 6.3%
65-74 8.0% / 4.8%
Albion Park — 65-74: 8.0% Calderwood — 65-74: 4.8%
75-84 4.3% / 1.0%
Albion Park — 75-84: 4.3% Calderwood — 75-84: 1.0%
85+ 2.1% / 0.2%
Albion Park — 85+: 2.1% Calderwood — 85+: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Albion Park 55.7% couple families
Albion Park — Couple Families: 55.7% Albion Park — One Parent Families: 18.4% Albion Park — Lone Person: 22.3% Albion Park — Group Household: 2.3% Albion Park — Other Families: 1.3%
Calderwood 70.7% couple families
Calderwood — Couple Families: 70.7% Calderwood — One Parent Families: 15.2% Calderwood — Lone Person: 10.6% Calderwood — Group Household: 2.0% Calderwood — Other Families: 1.4%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Albion Park 17.8% renting
Albion Park — Owned Outright: 32.2% Albion Park — Mortgage: 50.0% Albion Park — Renting: 17.8%
Calderwood 20.0% renting
Calderwood — Owned Outright: 13.5% Calderwood — Mortgage: 66.5% Calderwood — Renting: 20.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Albion Park Calderwood
Certificate III & IV 21.7% / 20.1%
Albion Park — Certificate III & IV: 21.7% Calderwood — Certificate III & IV: 20.1%
Bachelor Degree 7.4% / 11.0%
Albion Park — Bachelor Degree: 7.4% Calderwood — Bachelor Degree: 11.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 8.6%
Albion Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Calderwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6%
Postgraduate Degree 1.7% / 3.0%
Albion Park — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7% Calderwood — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.2%
Albion Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Calderwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.7%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Albion Park Calderwood
England 4.2% / 2.6%
Albion Park — England: 4.2% Calderwood — England: 2.6%
India 0.3% / 1.9%
Albion Park — India: 0.3% Calderwood — India: 1.9%
Philippines 0.5% / 1.3%
Albion Park — Philippines: 0.5% Calderwood — Philippines: 1.3%
New Zealand 0.8% / 0.8%
Albion Park — New Zealand: 0.8% Calderwood — New Zealand: 0.8%
Germany 0.6% / —
Albion Park — Germany: 0.6% Calderwood — Germany: not among its largest
Scotland 0.6% / —
Albion Park — Scotland: 0.6% Calderwood — Scotland: not among its largest
South Africa — / 0.5%
Albion Park — South Africa: not among its largest Calderwood — South Africa: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Albion Park 85.1% houses
Albion Park — Houses: 85.1% Albion Park — Townhouses: 14.3% Albion Park — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Calderwood 97.6% houses
Calderwood — Houses: 97.6% Calderwood — Townhouses: 1.3% Calderwood — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Albion Park Calderwood
Median house price $950,000 $1,080,000
Median unit price $715,000 —
Median land price $1,260,000 $541,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 27 days
from 137 sales
 29 days
from 99 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Albion Park Calderwood
3 bed $880K / $925K
Albion Park — 3 bed: $880K (98 sales) Calderwood — 3 bed: $925K (19 sales)

98 vs 19 sales

4 bed $992K / $1.1M
Albion Park — 4 bed: $992K (100 sales) Calderwood — 4 bed: $1.1M (124 sales)

100 vs 124 sales

5 bed $1.18M / $1.35M
Albion Park — 5 bed: $1.18M (25 sales) Calderwood — 5 bed: $1.35M (12 sales)

25 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

Calderwood has more land zoned for conservation (46% vs 18%); Calderwood has more rural and farming land (30% vs 9%).

Albion Park Calderwood
Residential 46% 17%
Environmental 18% 46%
Rural and farming 9% 30%
Parks and recreation 13% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 0%
Other and special use 5% 0%
Commercial 2% 4%
Industrial 4% 0%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Albion Park Calderwood
New dwellings approved 883
across Shellharbour
same for both
Approvals change year on year +25%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Albion Park Calderwood
Houses 3.9%
$750/wk on $1,000K
 3.8%
$870/wk on $1.2M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Albion Park Calderwood
House price Higher than 42% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
Income Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Schools Higher than 1% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 71% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW

Liveability

Albion Park is more walkable (63 vs 10); Calderwood scores higher overall (61 vs 46).

Albion Park Calderwood
Grade C B
Score 46/100 61/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Albion Park carries more bushfire risk (17 vs 0).

Albion Park Calderwood
Bushfire Low
17/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
47/100
 Moderate
44/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Albion Park Calderwood
Inside the suburb 6 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 1
Rated below peers 3 0

Schools in Albion Park

  • Albion Park Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Joseph's Catholic High School Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Albion Park High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Mount Terry Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Paul's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Aspect South Coast School, Albion Park Independent · Primary · Special school

Schools in Calderwood

  • Calderwood Christian School Independent · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Albion Park Calderwood
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 9 0
Parks & reserves 26 3
Childcare 15 1
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
Fuel stations 3 0
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 5 0

Mobility

Albion Park Calderwood
Walkability score 63/100 10/100
Distance to Sydney 105.2 km 106.8 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 93 min 97 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 63/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 221.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 21.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2527
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 60
postcode 2527
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Albion Park Calderwood
Car (driver) 73.6% / 68.4%
Albion Park — Car (driver): 73.6% Calderwood — Car (driver): 68.4%
Worked from Home 21.0% / 27.5%
Albion Park — Worked from Home: 21.0% Calderwood — Worked from Home: 27.5%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 2.7%
Albion Park — Car (passenger): 3.6% Calderwood — Car (passenger): 2.7%
Train 0.6% / 0.8%
Albion Park — Train: 0.6% Calderwood — Train: 0.8%
Walked Only 0.8% / 0.4%
Albion Park — Walked Only: 0.8% Calderwood — Walked Only: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.6%).

Setting

Albion Park Calderwood
Elevation 33 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 52 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.0 km 12.7 km

NBN connectivity

Albion Park Calderwood
Connectivity score 77/100 57/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 59%
5,561 premises
 42%
65 premises

Climate

Albion Park Calderwood
Annual rainfall 974 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Albion Park Calderwood
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.37 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Albion Park Calderwood
Average residential rate $1,788/yr
same for both
Council Shellharbour
same for both

Federal electorate

Albion Park Calderwood
Division Whitlam
same for both
Member Carol Berry
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Albion Park Calderwood
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Albion Park

Large Blocks Parks Regional Centre

Calderwood

Acreage Family Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Albion Park

Albion Park vs Albion Park Rail Albion Park vs Tullimbar Albion Park vs Croom

Other comparisons with Calderwood

Calderwood vs Albion Park Rail Calderwood vs Tullimbar Calderwood vs Marshall Mount Calderwood vs Tongarra Calderwood vs Yallah
Full data on Albion Park Full data on Calderwood
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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