Bendolba vs Sugarloaf

Bendolba is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 57 in Sugarloaf. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Sugarloaf, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Sugarloaf: a median of $1.75 million, against $1.03 million in Bendolba. On these figures, Bendolba tends to suit families with children and buyers on a tighter budget, while Sugarloaf 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

Bendolba

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 25/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 53%)
  • But Sugarloaf has more separate houses rather than flats (103% vs 89%)

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

First-home buyers

Bendolba

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,031,500 vs $1,745,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Bendolba

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (35% vs 16%)

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

Commuting to the city

Bendolba

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bendolba

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 25/100)
  • But Sugarloaf has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 19%)

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

Investors

Bendolba

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (23.4% vs -8.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bendolba Sugarloaf
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.

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Walkability 10 / 0
Bendolba — Walkability: 10/100 Sugarloaf — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 88 / 75
Bendolba — Safety: 88/100 Sugarloaf — Safety: 75/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Bendolba — Low fire risk: 100/100 Sugarloaf — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Bendolba has more residents (253 vs 65); Sugarloaf skews older (57 vs 37).

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Population 253
+74% vs other
 65
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +23.4% -8.5%
Median age 37 57
Median household income $84,500/yr
+15% vs other
 $71,500/yr
Median weekly rent $325/wk $335/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bendolba Sugarloaf
0-4 7.9% / 7.7%
Bendolba — 0-4: 7.9% Sugarloaf — 0-4: 7.7%
5-14 16.6% / 12.3%
Bendolba — 5-14: 16.6% Sugarloaf — 5-14: 12.3%
15-19 8.7% / —
Bendolba — 15-19: 8.7% Sugarloaf — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 3.2% / —
Bendolba — 20-24: 3.2% Sugarloaf — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 9.5% / 4.6%
Bendolba — 25-34: 9.5% Sugarloaf — 25-34: 4.6%
35-44 11.9% / 10.8%
Bendolba — 35-44: 11.9% Sugarloaf — 35-44: 10.8%
45-54 11.5% / 4.6%
Bendolba — 45-54: 11.5% Sugarloaf — 45-54: 4.6%
55-64 10.3% / 32.3%
Bendolba — 55-64: 10.3% Sugarloaf — 55-64: 32.3%
65-74 11.5% / 15.4%
Bendolba — 65-74: 11.5% Sugarloaf — 65-74: 15.4%
75-84 5.5% / 9.2%
Bendolba — 75-84: 5.5% Sugarloaf — 75-84: 9.2%
85+ 2.4% / —
Bendolba — 85+: 2.4% Sugarloaf — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (32.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bendolba 42.9% couple families
Bendolba — Couple Families: 42.9% Bendolba — Lone Person: 32.1% Bendolba — One Parent Families: 25.0%
Sugarloaf 52.6% couple families
Sugarloaf — Couple Families: 52.6% Sugarloaf — Lone Person: 47.4% Sugarloaf — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bendolba 35.4% renting
Bendolba — Owned Outright: 37.8% Bendolba — Mortgage: 26.8% Bendolba — Renting: 35.4%
Sugarloaf 16.1% renting
Sugarloaf — Owned Outright: 41.9% Sugarloaf — Mortgage: 41.9% Sugarloaf — Renting: 16.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bendolba 88.9% houses
Bendolba — Houses: 88.9% Bendolba — Townhouses: 11.1%
Sugarloaf 103.4% houses
Sugarloaf — Houses: 103.4% Sugarloaf — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Certificate III & IV 17.4% / 24.6%
Bendolba — Certificate III & IV: 17.4% Sugarloaf — Certificate III & IV: 24.6%
Bachelor Degree 7.5% / 15.4%
Bendolba — Bachelor Degree: 7.5% Sugarloaf — Bachelor Degree: 15.4%
Postgraduate Degree 4.7% / 4.6%
Bendolba — Postgraduate Degree: 4.7% Sugarloaf — Postgraduate Degree: 4.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.0% / 4.6%
Bendolba — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.0% Sugarloaf — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 6.2%
Bendolba — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Sugarloaf — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 6.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.6%).

Property market

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Median house price $1,031,500 $1,745,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $320,000

Zoning mix

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Rural and farming 92% 99%
Residential 7% 0%
Environmental 1%
same for both
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

Bendolba Sugarloaf
New dwellings approved 55
across Dungog
same for both
Approvals change year on year -23%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Bendolba Sugarloaf
House price Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Income Higher than 53% of NSW —
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 38% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 68% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 61% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 43% of NSW

Liveability

Bendolba is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Sugarloaf carries more crime risk (25 vs 12).

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
12/100
 Low
25/100
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

Bendolba Sugarloaf
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

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 7 8

Mobility

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Walkability score 10/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 221.2 km 223.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 171 min 175 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2420
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2420
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.

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Car (driver) 80.6% / 65.5%
Bendolba — Car (driver): 80.6% Sugarloaf — Car (driver): 65.5%
Worked from Home 15.1% / 34.5%
Bendolba — Worked from Home: 15.1% Sugarloaf — Worked from Home: 34.5%
Car (passenger) 4.3% / —
Bendolba — Car (passenger): 4.3% Sugarloaf — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.6%).

Setting

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Elevation 99 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 192 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 40.6 km 40.0 km

NBN connectivity

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Connectivity score 49/100 28/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 22%
92 premises
 0%
36 premises

Climate

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Annual rainfall 1,327 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Average residential rate $1,646/yr
same for both
Council Dungog
same for both

Federal electorate

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bendolba Sugarloaf
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bendolba

Family Rural

Sugarloaf

Professionals Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bendolba

Bendolba vs Dungog Bendolba vs Bandon Grove Bendolba vs Fosterton

Other comparisons with Sugarloaf

Sugarloaf vs Dungog Sugarloaf vs Tabbil Creek
Full data on Bendolba Full data on Sugarloaf
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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