Austral Eden vs Pola Creek

Pola Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 52 in Austral Eden. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Austral Eden, about half of households are couple families. In Pola Creek, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Austral Eden tends to suit people living alone, while Pola Creek 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

Pola Creek

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 24/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (80% vs 64%)

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

First-home buyers

Pola Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 23%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Pola Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 19%)

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

Commuting to the city

Pola Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (285 min vs 293 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (425.3 km vs 431.8 km)
  • But Austral Eden is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Austral Eden is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • Pola Creek carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 24/100)

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

Investors

Pola Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (28.4% vs -2.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Austral Eden and Pola Creek drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Austral Eden Pola Creek
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.

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Walkability 10 / 0
Austral Eden — Walkability: 10/100 Pola Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 76 / 89
Austral Eden — Safety: 76/100 Pola Creek — Safety: 89/100
Low fire risk 87 / 100
Austral Eden — Low fire risk: 87/100 Pola Creek — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Pola Creek has higher household incomes ($121,316 vs $71,500); Austral Eden has more residents (145 vs 86).

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Population 145
+41% vs other
 86
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -2.0% +28.4%
Median age 52 40
Median household income $71,500/yr $121,316/yr
+70% vs other
Median weekly rent $260/wk $280/wk
+8% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Austral Eden Pola Creek
0-4 2.1% / 4.7%
Austral Eden — 0-4: 2.1% Pola Creek — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 7.6% / 16.3%
Austral Eden — 5-14: 7.6% Pola Creek — 5-14: 16.3%
15-19 9.7% / 3.5%
Austral Eden — 15-19: 9.7% Pola Creek — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 4.8% / 4.7%
Austral Eden — 20-24: 4.8% Pola Creek — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 9.0% / 10.5%
Austral Eden — 25-34: 9.0% Pola Creek — 25-34: 10.5%
35-44 5.5% / 10.5%
Austral Eden — 35-44: 5.5% Pola Creek — 35-44: 10.5%
45-54 20.0% / 10.5%
Austral Eden — 45-54: 20.0% Pola Creek — 45-54: 10.5%
55-64 17.9% / 11.6%
Austral Eden — 55-64: 17.9% Pola Creek — 55-64: 11.6%
65-74 10.3% / 15.1%
Austral Eden — 65-74: 10.3% Pola Creek — 65-74: 15.1%
75-84 12.4% / 11.6%
Austral Eden — 75-84: 12.4% Pola Creek — 75-84: 11.6%
85+ 2.1% / —
Austral Eden — 85+: 2.1% Pola Creek — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Austral Eden 51.6% couple families
Austral Eden — Couple Families: 51.6% Austral Eden — Lone Person: 35.5% Austral Eden — One Parent Families: 12.9%
Pola Creek 80.0% couple families
Pola Creek — Couple Families: 80.0% Pola Creek — Lone Person: 20.0% Pola Creek — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Austral Eden 18.0% renting
Austral Eden — Owned Outright: 56.0% Austral Eden — Mortgage: 26.0% Austral Eden — Renting: 18.0%
Pola Creek 12.0% renting
Pola Creek — Owned Outright: 36.0% Pola Creek — Mortgage: 52.0% Pola Creek — Renting: 12.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Austral Eden 100.0% houses
Austral Eden — Houses: 100.0%
Pola Creek 100.0% houses
Pola Creek — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Certificate III & IV 18.6% / 20.9%
Austral Eden — Certificate III & IV: 18.6% Pola Creek — Certificate III & IV: 20.9%
Bachelor Degree 2.1% / 7.0%
Austral Eden — Bachelor Degree: 2.1% Pola Creek — Bachelor Degree: 7.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.1% / 3.5%
Austral Eden — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.1% Pola Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).

Property market

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Median house price $1,080,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Rural and farming 91% 88%
Environmental 9%
same for both
Infrastructure and transport 0% 3%
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

Austral Eden Pola Creek
New dwellings approved 144
across Kempsey
same for both
Approvals change year on year +380%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Austral Eden Pola Creek
House price Higher than 56% of NSW —
Income Higher than 36% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 43% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 33% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 8% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW

Liveability

Austral Eden is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Austral Eden carries more bushfire risk (13 vs 0); Austral Eden carries more crime risk (24 vs 11).

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Bushfire Low
13/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
24/100
 Low
11/100
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 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Austral Eden Pola Creek
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

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Waterways 1 3

Mobility

Austral Eden sits further from the CBD (431.8 km vs 425.3 km).

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Walkability score 10/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 431.8 km
+2% vs other
 425.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 293 min 285 min
Public transport score 23/100
Bus
 20/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 5.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 2.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2.5 min
scheduled, not actual
 5 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2440
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 2440
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.

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Car (driver) 77.2% / 85.7%
Austral Eden — Car (driver): 77.2% Pola Creek — Car (driver): 85.7%
Worked from Home 5.3% / 14.3%
Austral Eden — Worked from Home: 5.3% Pola Creek — Worked from Home: 14.3%
Car (passenger) 8.8% / —
Austral Eden — Car (passenger): 8.8% Pola Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 8.8% / —
Austral Eden — Walked Only: 8.8% Pola Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.7%).

Setting

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Elevation 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.2 km 14.8 km

NBN connectivity

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
58 premises
 0%
29 premises

Council rates

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Average residential rate $1,447/yr
same for both
Council Kempsey
same for both

Federal electorate

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Austral Eden Pola Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Austral Eden

Rural

Pola Creek

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Austral Eden

Austral Eden vs Frederickton Austral Eden vs Smithtown Austral Eden vs Kempsey Austral Eden vs Gladstone Austral Eden vs Belmore River Austral Eden vs Bellimbopinni

Other comparisons with Pola Creek

Pola Creek vs Frederickton Pola Creek vs Kempsey Pola Creek vs Verges Creek Pola Creek vs Hampden Hall
Full data on Austral Eden Full data on Pola Creek
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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