Awaba vs Fassifern

Awaba is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 47 in Fassifern. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Awaba, most households are couple families. In Fassifern, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Fassifern: a median of $842,000, against $735,000 in Awaba. On these figures, Awaba tends to suit families with children and couples, while Fassifern suits people living alone.

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

Awaba

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 50%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 84%)
  • carries lower crime risk (82/100 vs 94/100)

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

First-home buyers

Awaba

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 30%)
  • has cheaper houses ($735,000 vs $842,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Awaba leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 23%)
  • Fassifern has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 9%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Awaba sits closer to the CBD (128.6 km vs 138.1 km)
  • Fassifern is more walkable (35/100 vs 18/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Fassifern

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (16% vs 2%)
  • is more walkable (35/100 vs 18/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 15%)
  • But Awaba carries lower crime risk (82/100 vs 94/100)

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

Investors

Awaba

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (7.0% vs -2.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Awaba Fassifern
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.

Awaba Fassifern
Walkability 18 / 35
Awaba — Walkability: 18/100 Fassifern — Walkability: 35/100
Safety 18 / 6
Awaba — Safety: 18/100 Fassifern — Safety: 6/100
Low fire risk 33 / 21
Awaba — Low fire risk: 33/100 Fassifern — Low fire risk: 21/100

Demographics

Fassifern has more residents (586 vs 430); Awaba has higher household incomes ($89,752 vs $69,836).

Awaba Fassifern
Population 430 586
+36% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.0% -2.5%
Median age 40 47
Median household income $89,752/yr
+22% vs other
 $69,836/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk $310/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Awaba Fassifern
0-4 4.2% / 2.9%
Awaba — 0-4: 4.2% Fassifern — 0-4: 2.9%
5-14 15.8% / 9.9%
Awaba — 5-14: 15.8% Fassifern — 5-14: 9.9%
15-19 7.9% / 5.1%
Awaba — 15-19: 7.9% Fassifern — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 6.7% / 6.5%
Awaba — 20-24: 6.7% Fassifern — 20-24: 6.5%
25-34 10.5% / 13.3%
Awaba — 25-34: 10.5% Fassifern — 25-34: 13.3%
35-44 9.3% / 9.2%
Awaba — 35-44: 9.3% Fassifern — 35-44: 9.2%
45-54 17.2% / 12.1%
Awaba — 45-54: 17.2% Fassifern — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 15.6% / 17.9%
Awaba — 55-64: 15.6% Fassifern — 55-64: 17.9%
65-74 8.8% / 14.0%
Awaba — 65-74: 8.8% Fassifern — 65-74: 14.0%
75-84 4.4% / 7.2%
Awaba — 75-84: 4.4% Fassifern — 75-84: 7.2%
85+ 1.9% / 1.2%
Awaba — 85+: 1.9% Fassifern — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Awaba 57.1% couple families
Awaba — Couple Families: 57.1% Awaba — Lone Person: 28.6% Awaba — One Parent Families: 10.2% Awaba — Group Household: 4.1%
Fassifern 31.5% couple families
Fassifern — Couple Families: 31.5% Fassifern — Lone Person: 47.9% Fassifern — One Parent Families: 18.8% Fassifern — Group Household: 1.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Awaba 8.6% renting
Awaba — Owned Outright: 39.6% Awaba — Mortgage: 51.8% Awaba — Renting: 8.6%
Fassifern 23.9% renting
Fassifern — Owned Outright: 40.6% Fassifern — Mortgage: 35.5% Fassifern — Renting: 23.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Awaba Fassifern
Certificate III & IV 22.6% / 22.4%
Awaba — Certificate III & IV: 22.6% Fassifern — Certificate III & IV: 22.4%
Bachelor Degree 8.8% / 8.7%
Awaba — Bachelor Degree: 8.8% Fassifern — Bachelor Degree: 8.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.9% / 9.0%
Awaba — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9% Fassifern — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / 1.9%
Awaba — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Fassifern — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / 1.5%
Awaba — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Fassifern — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).

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.

Awaba Fassifern
England 2.1% / 2.4%
Awaba — England: 2.1% Fassifern — England: 2.4%
Thailand — / 1.5%
Awaba — Thailand: not among its largest Fassifern — Thailand: 1.5%
Canada 0.9% / 0.5%
Awaba — Canada: 0.9% Fassifern — Canada: 0.5%
New Zealand — / 1.0%
Awaba — New Zealand: not among its largest Fassifern — New Zealand: 1.0%
Ireland — / 0.9%
Awaba — Ireland: not among its largest Fassifern — Ireland: 0.9%
Scotland — / 0.5%
Awaba — Scotland: not among its largest Fassifern — Scotland: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Awaba 97.9% houses
Awaba — Houses: 97.9% Awaba — Townhouses: 0.0% Awaba — Flats / Apartments: 2.1%
Fassifern 83.9% houses
Fassifern — Houses: 83.9% Fassifern — Townhouses: 11.6% Fassifern — Flats / Apartments: 4.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Awaba Fassifern
Median house price $735,000 $842,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Awaba has more land zoned for conservation (80% vs 66%).

Awaba Fassifern
Environmental 80% 66%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 12%
Rural and farming 5% 11%
Residential 3% 9%
Parks and recreation 1% 2%
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

Awaba Fassifern
New dwellings approved 1,212
across Lake Macquarie
same for both
Approvals change year on year +2%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Awaba Fassifern
House price Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 26% of NSW
Income Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 33% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 61% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW

Liveability

Fassifern is more walkable (35 vs 18).

Awaba Fassifern
Grade — D
Score — 21/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Fassifern carries more bushfire risk (79 vs 67); Fassifern carries more crime risk (94 vs 82).

Awaba Fassifern
Bushfire Moderate
67/100
 High
79/100
Crime High
82/100
 High
94/100
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 3
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Awaba Fassifern
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Awaba

  • Awaba Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Fassifern

  • Charlton Christian College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Fassifern Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Awaba Fassifern
Parks & reserves 1 0
Childcare 0 1
Waterways 7 1

Mobility

Fassifern sits further from the CBD (138.1 km vs 128.6 km).

Awaba Fassifern
Walkability score 18/100 35/100
Distance to Sydney 128.6 km 138.1 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 105 min 103 min
Public transport score 37/100
Rail · Bus
 81/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 4.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 25.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 8 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2283
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 2283
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.

Awaba Fassifern
Car (driver) 76.3% / 74.0%
Awaba — Car (driver): 76.3% Fassifern — Car (driver): 74.0%
Worked from Home 18.6% / 22.8%
Awaba — Worked from Home: 18.6% Fassifern — Worked from Home: 22.8%
Car (passenger) 5.1% / 3.3%
Awaba — Car (passenger): 5.1% Fassifern — Car (passenger): 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.3%).

Setting

Awaba Fassifern
Elevation 57 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.5 km
same for both

NBN connectivity

Awaba Fassifern
Connectivity score 50/100 45/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 10%
161 premises
 0%
284 premises

Climate

Awaba Fassifern
Annual rainfall 1,025 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.2°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Awaba Fassifern
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³ 6.1 µg/m³
PM10 11.6 µg/m³ 16.5 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.27 pphm 0.53 pphm

Council rates

Awaba Fassifern
Average residential rate $1,708/yr
same for both
Council Lake Macquarie
same for both

Federal electorate

Awaba Fassifern
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Awaba Fassifern
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Awaba

Rural Trains

Fassifern

Trains Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Awaba

Awaba vs Cooranbong Awaba vs Toronto Awaba vs Wangi Wangi Awaba vs Blackalls Park Awaba vs Rathmines Awaba vs Arcadia Vale

Other comparisons with Fassifern

Fassifern vs Toronto Fassifern vs Blackalls Park Fassifern vs Teralba Fassifern vs Fennell Bay Fassifern vs Wakefield
Full data on Awaba Full data on Fassifern
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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