Barkers Vale vs Cawongla

Barkers Vale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 57 in Cawongla. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cawongla, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Cawongla: a median of $673,000, against $580,000 in Barkers Vale, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Barkers Vale tends to suit families with children, while Cawongla 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

Barkers Vale

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (56% vs 36%)
  • carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 71/100)

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

First-home buyers

Barkers Vale

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (36% vs 43%)
  • has cheaper houses ($580,000 vs $673,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Cawongla

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (514 min vs 533 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (763.6 km vs 779 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Barkers Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 71/100)

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

Investors

Barkers Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (18.8% vs 6.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Barkers Vale Cawongla
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.

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Walkability 14 / 12
Barkers Vale — Walkability: 14/100 Cawongla — Walkability: 12/100
Safety 45 / 29
Barkers Vale — Safety: 45/100 Cawongla — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 53 / 80
Barkers Vale — Low fire risk: 53/100 Cawongla — Low fire risk: 80/100

Demographics

Cawongla skews older (57 vs 50).

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Population 196 204
+4% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +18.8% +6.2%
Median age 50 57
Median household income $40,768/yr $42,432/yr
+4% vs other
Median weekly rent $260/wk $280/wk
+8% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Barkers Vale Cawongla
0-4 4.6% / 4.4%
Barkers Vale — 0-4: 4.6% Cawongla — 0-4: 4.4%
5-14 13.8% / 7.4%
Barkers Vale — 5-14: 13.8% Cawongla — 5-14: 7.4%
15-19 2.6% / 1.5%
Barkers Vale — 15-19: 2.6% Cawongla — 15-19: 1.5%
20-24 — / —
Barkers Vale — 20-24: not among its largest Cawongla — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 6.6% / 4.9%
Barkers Vale — 25-34: 6.6% Cawongla — 25-34: 4.9%
35-44 8.2% / 9.8%
Barkers Vale — 35-44: 8.2% Cawongla — 35-44: 9.8%
45-54 14.3% / 11.3%
Barkers Vale — 45-54: 14.3% Cawongla — 45-54: 11.3%
55-64 18.4% / 25.5%
Barkers Vale — 55-64: 18.4% Cawongla — 55-64: 25.5%
65-74 21.9% / 24.5%
Barkers Vale — 65-74: 21.9% Cawongla — 65-74: 24.5%
75-84 4.6% / 3.4%
Barkers Vale — 75-84: 4.6% Cawongla — 75-84: 3.4%
85+ — / 2.9%
Barkers Vale — 85+: not among its largest Cawongla — 85+: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Barkers Vale 36.5% lone person
Barkers Vale — Lone Person: 36.5% Barkers Vale — Couple Families: 38.5% Barkers Vale — One Parent Families: 17.3% Barkers Vale — Group Household: 7.7%
Cawongla 59.3% lone person
Cawongla — Lone Person: 59.3% Cawongla — Couple Families: 13.6% Cawongla — One Parent Families: 22.0% Cawongla — Group Household: 5.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Barkers Vale 18.8% renting
Barkers Vale — Owned Outright: 68.8% Barkers Vale — Mortgage: 12.5% Barkers Vale — Renting: 18.8%
Cawongla 22.6% renting
Cawongla — Owned Outright: 51.2% Cawongla — Mortgage: 26.2% Cawongla — Renting: 22.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Barkers Vale Cawongla
England 5.6% / 5.9%
Barkers Vale — England: 5.6% Cawongla — England: 5.9%
New Zealand 1.5% / 3.9%
Barkers Vale — New Zealand: 1.5% Cawongla — New Zealand: 3.9%
Germany 1.5% / 2.9%
Barkers Vale — Germany: 1.5% Cawongla — Germany: 2.9%
Canada 2.6% / —
Barkers Vale — Canada: 2.6% Cawongla — Canada: not among its largest
South Africa 2.0% / —
Barkers Vale — South Africa: 2.0% Cawongla — South Africa: not among its largest

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

Qualifications

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

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Certificate III & IV 13.8% / 16.7%
Barkers Vale — Certificate III & IV: 13.8% Cawongla — Certificate III & IV: 16.7%
Bachelor Degree 15.8% / 13.7%
Barkers Vale — Bachelor Degree: 15.8% Cawongla — Bachelor Degree: 13.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 11.3%
Barkers Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Cawongla — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.3%
Postgraduate Degree 5.6% / 1.5%
Barkers Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 5.6% Cawongla — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.5%
Barkers Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Cawongla — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Barkers Vale 98.6% houses
Barkers Vale — Houses: 98.6% Barkers Vale — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Cawongla 94.5% houses
Cawongla — Houses: 94.5% Cawongla — Flats / Apartments: 5.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Median house price $580,000 $673,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $1,290,000

Zoning mix

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Rural and farming 99% 97%
Environmental 1%
same for both
Residential 0% 1%
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

Barkers Vale Cawongla
New dwellings approved 25
across Kyogle
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Barkers Vale Cawongla
House price Higher than 19% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW
Income Higher than 5% of NSW
same for both
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 37% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 11% of NSW Higher than 10% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW

Liveability

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Barkers Vale carries more bushfire risk (47 vs 20); Cawongla carries more crime risk (71 vs 55).

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Bushfire Moderate
47/100
 Low
20/100
Crime Moderate
55/100
 High
71/100
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

Barkers Vale Cawongla
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

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Waterways 12 4

Mobility

Barkers Vale sits further from the CBD (779 km vs 763.6 km).

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Walkability score 14/100 12/100
Distance to Sydney 779 km
+2% vs other
 763.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 533 min 514 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2474
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 71
postcode 2474
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.

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Car (driver) 56.9% / 56.1%
Barkers Vale — Car (driver): 56.9% Cawongla — Car (driver): 56.1%
Worked from Home 23.5% / 28.1%
Barkers Vale — Worked from Home: 23.5% Cawongla — Worked from Home: 28.1%
Walked Only 19.6% / 10.5%
Barkers Vale — Walked Only: 19.6% Cawongla — Walked Only: 10.5%
Car (passenger) — / 5.3%
Barkers Vale — Car (passenger): not among its largest Cawongla — Car (passenger): 5.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.9%).

Setting

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Elevation 194 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 205 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 42.4 km 45.8 km

NBN connectivity

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Connectivity score 19/100 29/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
69 premises
 0%
107 premises

Climate

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Annual rainfall 1,569 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Average residential rate $1,264/yr
same for both
Council Kyogle
same for both

Federal electorate

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Barkers Vale Cawongla
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Barkers Vale

Affordable Retirees Rural

Cawongla

Professionals Quiet Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Barkers Vale

Barkers Vale vs Mount Burrell Barkers Vale vs Lillian Rock Barkers Vale vs Wadeville Barkers Vale vs Homeleigh Barkers Vale vs Upper Horseshoe Creek

Other comparisons with Cawongla

Cawongla vs Larnook Cawongla vs Wadeville Cawongla vs Stony Chute Cawongla vs Boorabee Park Cawongla vs Homeleigh
Full data on Barkers Vale Full data on Cawongla
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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