Belmore River vs Verges Creek

Verges Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 51 in Belmore River. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Belmore River, most households are couple families. In Verges Creek, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Verges Creek: a median of $980,000, against $748,000 in Belmore River, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Belmore River tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Belmore River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 73/100)

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

First-home buyers

Belmore River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($748,000 vs $980,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Belmore River

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (18% vs 7%)
  • has cheaper rent ($230/wk vs $255/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Verges Creek

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (426.9 km vs 446.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (289 min vs 299 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Belmore River

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 73/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 22%)
  • But Verges Creek is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Verges Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (27.9% vs -0.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Belmore River and Verges 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.

Belmore River Verges 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.

Belmore River Verges Creek
Walkability 0 / 12
Belmore River — Walkability: 0/100 Verges Creek — Walkability: 12/100
Safety 66 / 27
Belmore River — Safety: 66/100 Verges Creek — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 32 / 43
Belmore River — Low fire risk: 32/100 Verges Creek — Low fire risk: 43/100

Demographics

Verges Creek has higher household incomes ($79,300 vs $67,184); Belmore River skews older (51 vs 46).

Belmore River Verges Creek
Population 268 298
+11% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.4% +27.9%
Median age 51 46
Median household income $67,184/yr $79,300/yr
+18% vs other
Median weekly rent $230/wk $255/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Belmore River Verges Creek
0-4 6.7% / 3.7%
Belmore River — 0-4: 6.7% Verges Creek — 0-4: 3.7%
5-14 12.3% / 15.1%
Belmore River — 5-14: 12.3% Verges Creek — 5-14: 15.1%
15-19 4.1% / 7.7%
Belmore River — 15-19: 4.1% Verges Creek — 15-19: 7.7%
20-24 4.9% / 3.4%
Belmore River — 20-24: 4.9% Verges Creek — 20-24: 3.4%
25-34 8.2% / 7.7%
Belmore River — 25-34: 8.2% Verges Creek — 25-34: 7.7%
35-44 9.7% / 13.1%
Belmore River — 35-44: 9.7% Verges Creek — 35-44: 13.1%
45-54 10.8% / 12.8%
Belmore River — 45-54: 10.8% Verges Creek — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 18.7% / 15.1%
Belmore River — 55-64: 18.7% Verges Creek — 55-64: 15.1%
65-74 20.1% / 13.8%
Belmore River — 65-74: 20.1% Verges Creek — 65-74: 13.8%
75-84 8.6% / 6.4%
Belmore River — 75-84: 8.6% Verges Creek — 75-84: 6.4%
85+ — / 1.3%
Belmore River — 85+: not among its largest Verges Creek — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Belmore River 57.1% couple families
Belmore River — Couple Families: 57.1% Belmore River — Lone Person: 37.5% Belmore River — One Parent Families: 5.4% Belmore River — Other Families: 0.0% Belmore River — Group Household: 0.0%
Verges Creek 51.6% couple families
Verges Creek — Couple Families: 51.6% Verges Creek — Lone Person: 23.4% Verges Creek — One Parent Families: 14.1% Verges Creek — Other Families: 6.2% Verges Creek — Group Household: 4.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Belmore River 18.2% renting
Belmore River — Owned Outright: 54.5% Belmore River — Mortgage: 27.3% Belmore River — Renting: 18.2%
Verges Creek 6.8% renting
Verges Creek — Owned Outright: 51.1% Verges Creek — Mortgage: 42.0% Verges Creek — Renting: 6.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Belmore River Verges Creek
Certificate III & IV 20.5% / 22.8%
Belmore River — Certificate III & IV: 20.5% Verges Creek — Certificate III & IV: 22.8%
Bachelor Degree 5.2% / 6.0%
Belmore River — Bachelor Degree: 5.2% Verges Creek — Bachelor Degree: 6.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.9% / 4.4%
Belmore River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9% Verges Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.4%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.3%
Belmore River — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Verges Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.8%).

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.

Belmore River Verges Creek
England 1.9% / 2.0%
Belmore River — England: 1.9% Verges Creek — England: 2.0%
New Zealand — / 1.3%
Belmore River — New Zealand: not among its largest Verges Creek — New Zealand: 1.3%
Germany — / 1.3%
Belmore River — Germany: not among its largest Verges Creek — Germany: 1.3%
Netherlands — / 1.3%
Belmore River — Netherlands: not among its largest Verges Creek — Netherlands: 1.3%
Thailand — / 1.0%
Belmore River — Thailand: not among its largest Verges Creek — Thailand: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Belmore River 94.7% houses
Belmore River — Houses: 94.7% Belmore River — Flats / Apartments: 5.3%
Verges Creek 96.0% houses
Verges Creek — Houses: 96.0% Verges Creek — Flats / Apartments: 4.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Belmore River Verges Creek
Median house price $748,000 $980,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $772,500

Zoning mix

Belmore River has more land zoned for conservation (16% vs 0%).

Belmore River Verges Creek
Rural and farming 84%
same for both
Environmental 16% 0%
Residential 0% 15%
Infrastructure and transport 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

Belmore River Verges Creek
New dwellings approved 144
across Kempsey
same for both
Approvals change year on year +380%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Belmore River Verges Creek
House price Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW
Income Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 7% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 47% of NSW
same for both

Liveability

Verges Creek is more walkable (12 vs 0).

Belmore River Verges 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

Verges Creek carries more crime risk (73 vs 34); Belmore River carries more bushfire risk (68 vs 57).

Belmore River Verges Creek
Bushfire Moderate
68/100
 Moderate
57/100
Crime Low
34/100
 High
73/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
28/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Belmore River Verges 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

Belmore River Verges Creek
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 3 1

Mobility

Belmore River sits further from the CBD (446.9 km vs 426.9 km).

Belmore River Verges Creek
Walkability score 0/100 12/100
Distance to Sydney 446.9 km
+4% vs other
 426.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 299 min 289 min
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.

Belmore River Verges Creek
Car (driver) 73.6% / 85.1%
Belmore River — Car (driver): 73.6% Verges Creek — Car (driver): 85.1%
Worked from Home 18.4% / 6.1%
Belmore River — Worked from Home: 18.4% Verges Creek — Worked from Home: 6.1%
Car (passenger) 3.4% / 8.8%
Belmore River — Car (passenger): 3.4% Verges Creek — Car (passenger): 8.8%
Walked Only 4.6% / —
Belmore River — Walked Only: 4.6% Verges Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.1%).

Setting

Belmore River Verges Creek
Elevation 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 23 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.3 km 10.9 km

NBN connectivity

Belmore River Verges Creek
Connectivity score 29/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
119 premises
 0%
128 premises

Council rates

Belmore River Verges Creek
Average residential rate $1,447/yr
same for both
Council Kempsey
same for both

Federal electorate

Belmore River Verges Creek
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Belmore River Verges Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Belmore River

Retirees Rural

Verges Creek

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Belmore River

Belmore River vs South Kempsey Belmore River vs Crescent Head Belmore River vs Gladstone Belmore River vs Hat Head Belmore River vs Kinchela Belmore River vs Austral Eden

Other comparisons with Verges Creek

Verges Creek vs South Kempsey Verges Creek vs East Kempsey Verges Creek vs Pola Creek Verges Creek vs Hampden Hall
Full data on Belmore River Full data on Verges 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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