Araluen vs Reidsdale
Reidsdale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 53 in Araluen. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Araluen, most households are people living alone. In Reidsdale, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Reidsdale: a median of $850,000, against $715,000 in Araluen, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Araluen tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Reidsdale suits 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
Reidsdale
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 69/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (52% vs 38%)
- But Araluen has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Araluen
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($715,000 vs $850,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Araluen
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($225/wk vs $300/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Reidsdale
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (211 min vs 222 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (297.2 km vs 305.1 km)
- But Araluen is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Araluen
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 19%)
- But Reidsdale carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 69/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Araluen
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (24.4% vs -3.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Araluen and Reidsdale drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Araluen has more residents (209 vs 121); Reidsdale has higher household incomes ($82,316 vs $54,184).
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 209 +42% vs other | 121 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +24.4% | -3.2% |
| Median age | 53 | 50 |
| Median household income | $54,184/yr | $82,316/yr +52% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $225/wk | $300/wk +33% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.6%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.8%).
Property market
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $715,000 | $850,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Reidsdale has more rural and farming land (100% vs 65%); Araluen has more land zoned for conservation (35% vs 0%).
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 65% | 100% |
| Environmental | 35% | 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
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 510 across Queanbeyan-Palerang same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +231% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 47% of NSW | Higher than 38% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 14% of NSW | Higher than 50% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 60% of NSW | Higher than 15% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 24% of NSW | Higher than 62% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 73% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 24% of NSW | Higher than 39% of NSW |
Liveability
Araluen is more walkable (12 vs 0).
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Araluen carries more crime risk (69 vs 26).
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 80/100 | High 82/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 69/100 | Low 26/100 |
| 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 | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 4 | 0 |
| Waterways | 41 | 9 |
Mobility
Araluen sits further from the CBD (305.1 km vs 297.2 km).
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 12/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 305.1 km +3% vs other | 297.2 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 222 min | 211 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.8% postcode 2622 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 57 postcode 2622 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.1%).
Setting
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 162 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 680 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 33.3 km | 34.6 km |
NBN connectivity
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 16/100 | 27/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 43 premises | 0% 61 premises |
Climate
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 724 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,751/yr same for both | |
| Council | Queanbeyan-Palerang same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Eden-monaro same for both | |
| Member | Kristy Mcbain same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Araluen | Reidsdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Araluen
Other comparisons with Reidsdale
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.