Arncliffe vs Bardwell Valley

Arncliffe is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 42 in Bardwell Valley. In both, most households own their home. In Arncliffe, about half of homes are flats or apartments. In Bardwell Valley, most homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Arncliffe tends to suit young adults.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Arncliffe has more childcare (11 vs 0)
  • Bardwell Valley carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 47/100)

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

First-home buyers

Arncliffe

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($770,000 vs $1,262,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Arncliffe

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (42% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($500/wk vs $550/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Arncliffe

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (11% vs 6%)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 78/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Arncliffe

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (60% vs 34%)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 78/100)
  • But Bardwell Valley carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 47/100)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Arncliffe is growing faster (13.5% vs 0.9%)
  • Bardwell Valley returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.7% vs 3.1%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
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.

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Walkability 96 / 78
Arncliffe — Walkability: 96/100 Bardwell Valley — Walkability: 78/100
Safety 53 / 74
Arncliffe — Safety: 53/100 Bardwell Valley — Safety: 74/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Arncliffe — Low fire risk: 100/100 Bardwell Valley — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Arncliffe has more residents (12,023 vs 2,344); Bardwell Valley skews older (42 vs 34).

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Population 12,023
+81% vs other
 2,344
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +13.5% +0.9%
Median age 34 42
Median household income $106,392/yr $109,148/yr
+3% vs other
Median weekly rent $500/wk $550/wk
+10% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
0-4 6.0% / 5.5%
Arncliffe — 0-4: 6.0% Bardwell Valley — 0-4: 5.5%
5-14 9.7% / 13.0%
Arncliffe — 5-14: 9.7% Bardwell Valley — 5-14: 13.0%
15-19 4.6% / 6.0%
Arncliffe — 15-19: 4.6% Bardwell Valley — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 7.2% / 5.5%
Arncliffe — 20-24: 7.2% Bardwell Valley — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 23.7% / 10.2%
Arncliffe — 25-34: 23.7% Bardwell Valley — 25-34: 10.2%
35-44 16.0% / 13.7%
Arncliffe — 35-44: 16.0% Bardwell Valley — 35-44: 13.7%
45-54 11.0% / 13.7%
Arncliffe — 45-54: 11.0% Bardwell Valley — 45-54: 13.7%
55-64 9.1% / 12.9%
Arncliffe — 55-64: 9.1% Bardwell Valley — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 6.4% / 10.9%
Arncliffe — 65-74: 6.4% Bardwell Valley — 65-74: 10.9%
75-84 4.3% / 6.1%
Arncliffe — 75-84: 4.3% Bardwell Valley — 75-84: 6.1%
85+ 2.0% / 2.2%
Arncliffe — 85+: 2.0% Bardwell Valley — 85+: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Arncliffe 43.0% couple families
Arncliffe — Couple Families: 43.0% Arncliffe — Lone Person: 29.9% Arncliffe — One Parent Families: 15.2% Arncliffe — Group Household: 9.5% Arncliffe — Other Families: 2.4%
Bardwell Valley 51.5% couple families
Bardwell Valley — Couple Families: 51.5% Bardwell Valley — Lone Person: 24.8% Bardwell Valley — One Parent Families: 17.7% Bardwell Valley — Group Household: 3.3% Bardwell Valley — Other Families: 2.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Arncliffe 41.9% renting
Arncliffe — Owned Outright: 24.8% Arncliffe — Mortgage: 33.3% Arncliffe — Renting: 41.9%
Bardwell Valley 17.9% renting
Bardwell Valley — Owned Outright: 45.1% Bardwell Valley — Mortgage: 37.0% Bardwell Valley — Renting: 17.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Bachelor Degree 19.0% / 15.1%
Arncliffe — Bachelor Degree: 19.0% Bardwell Valley — Bachelor Degree: 15.1%
Certificate III & IV 7.7% / 9.9%
Arncliffe — Certificate III & IV: 7.7% Bardwell Valley — Certificate III & IV: 9.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 8.2%
Arncliffe — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Bardwell Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 7.8% / 5.8%
Arncliffe — Postgraduate Degree: 7.8% Bardwell Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 5.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.5%
Arncliffe — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Bardwell Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

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.

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Lebanon 5.7% / 5.7%
Arncliffe — Lebanon: 5.7% Bardwell Valley — Lebanon: 5.7%
China 5.9% / 3.1%
Arncliffe — China: 5.9% Bardwell Valley — China: 3.1%
England 1.2% / 2.3%
Arncliffe — England: 1.2% Bardwell Valley — England: 2.3%
New Zealand 1.4% / 1.9%
Arncliffe — New Zealand: 1.4% Bardwell Valley — New Zealand: 1.9%
Vietnam 1.6% / 0.9%
Arncliffe — Vietnam: 1.6% Bardwell Valley — Vietnam: 0.9%
Greece — / 2.2%
Arncliffe — Greece: not among its largest Bardwell Valley — Greece: 2.2%
Philippines 2.1% / —
Arncliffe — Philippines: 2.1% Bardwell Valley — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Arncliffe 40.0% houses
Arncliffe — Houses: 40.0% Arncliffe — Flats / Apartments: 49.2% Arncliffe — Townhouses: 10.7%
Bardwell Valley 65.6% houses
Bardwell Valley — Houses: 65.6% Bardwell Valley — Flats / Apartments: 7.4% Bardwell Valley — Townhouses: 27.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Median house price $1,850,000 $1,905,000
Median unit price $770,000 $1,262,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 70 sales
 27 days
from 16 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.

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
3 bed $1.75M / $1.75M
Arncliffe — 3 bed: $1.75M (39 sales) Bardwell Valley — 3 bed: $1.75M (19 sales)

39 vs 19 sales

4 bed $2.15M / $2.13M
Arncliffe — 4 bed: $2.15M (25 sales) Bardwell Valley — 4 bed: $2.13M (16 sales)

25 vs 16 sales

5 bed $2.4M / $2.2M
Arncliffe — 5 bed: $2.4M (9 sales) Bardwell Valley — 5 bed: $2.2M (9 sales)

9 vs 9 sales

Zoning mix

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Residential 57% 78%
Parks and recreation 6% 22%
Other and special use 17% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 0%
Commercial 5% 0%
Environmental 2% 0%
Industrial 2% 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

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
New dwellings approved 857
across Bayside (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +98%
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.

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Houses 3.1%
$950/wk on $1.6M
 4.7%
$990/wk on $1.1M
Units 5.2%
$750/wk on $750K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
House price Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Income Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Schools Higher than 41% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 24% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 73% of NSW —

Liveability

Arncliffe is more walkable (96 vs 78); Bardwell Valley scores higher overall (80 vs 70).

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Grade A
same for both
Score 70/100 80/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Arncliffe carries more crime risk (47 vs 26).

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
47/100
 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 7
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Inside the suburb 5 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 2 0
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Sydney, 6.5 km
 3
The University of Sydney, 7.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.5% 2.8%

Schools in Arncliffe

  • Kingdom Culture Christian School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Al Zahra College Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Francis Xavier's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Arncliffe Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Athelstane Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Bardwell Valley

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 7 0
Parks & reserves 10 3
Childcare 11 0
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 4 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Walkability score 96/100 78/100
Distance to Sydney 16.4 km
+4% vs other
 15.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 20 min
same for both
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 54/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 74.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 16.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 2205
 1.1%
postcode 2207
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 8
postcode 2205
 21
postcode 2207

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.

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Worked from Home 43.9% / 45.1%
Arncliffe — Worked from Home: 43.9% Bardwell Valley — Worked from Home: 45.1%
Car (driver) 38.0% / 42.9%
Arncliffe — Car (driver): 38.0% Bardwell Valley — Car (driver): 42.9%
Train 11.3% / 6.0%
Arncliffe — Train: 11.3% Bardwell Valley — Train: 6.0%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / 3.3%
Arncliffe — Car (passenger): 4.1% Bardwell Valley — Car (passenger): 3.3%
Walked Only 1.7% / 1.1%
Arncliffe — Walked Only: 1.7% Bardwell Valley — Walked Only: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (45.1%).

Setting

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Elevation 33 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.0 km 3.3 km

NBN connectivity

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Connectivity score 86/100 88/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 44%
4,997 premises
 47%
885 premises

Climate

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Annual rainfall 1,129 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.79 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Average residential rate $1,217/yr
same for both
Council Bayside (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Division Barton
same for both
Member Ash Ambihaipahar
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Arncliffe Bardwell Valley
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Arncliffe

Apartments Coastal Gentrifying Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Urban

Bardwell Valley

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Premium River Townhouses Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Arncliffe

Arncliffe vs Mascot Arncliffe vs Bexley Arncliffe vs Rockdale Arncliffe vs Wolli Creek Arncliffe vs Tempe Arncliffe vs Banksia

Other comparisons with Bardwell Valley

Bardwell Valley vs Bexley Bardwell Valley vs Earlwood Bardwell Valley vs Bexley North Bardwell Valley vs Turrella Bardwell Valley vs Bardwell Park
Full data on Arncliffe Full data on Bardwell Valley
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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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