Bielsdown Hills vs Dorrigo Mountain

Bielsdown Hills is the younger of the two, with a median age of 56 against 61 in Dorrigo Mountain. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Dorrigo Mountain, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Bielsdown Hills: a median of $1.68 million, against $1.22 million in Dorrigo Mountain. On these figures, Dorrigo Mountain 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

Bielsdown Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 93/100)

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

First-home buyers

Dorrigo Mountain

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 30%)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,220,000 vs $1,675,000)

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

Dorrigo Mountain

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 6/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (365 min vs 383 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (540 km vs 550.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dorrigo Mountain

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 6/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (39% vs 33%)
  • But Bielsdown Hills carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 93/100)

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

Investors

Bielsdown Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.1% vs -10.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
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.

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Walkability 6 / 15
Bielsdown Hills — Walkability: 6/100 Dorrigo Mountain — Walkability: 15/100
Safety 84 / 7
Bielsdown Hills — Safety: 84/100 Dorrigo Mountain — Safety: 7/100
Low fire risk 100 / 61
Bielsdown Hills — Low fire risk: 100/100 Dorrigo Mountain — Low fire risk: 61/100

Demographics

Bielsdown Hills has higher household incomes ($69,836 vs $60,112); Dorrigo Mountain skews older (61 vs 56).

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Population 104
+15% vs other
 88
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.1% -10.2%
Median age 56 61
Median household income $69,836/yr
+14% vs other
 $60,112/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+3% vs other
 $290/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
0-4 2.9% / 4.5%
Bielsdown Hills — 0-4: 2.9% Dorrigo Mountain — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 9.6% / —
Bielsdown Hills — 5-14: 9.6% Dorrigo Mountain — 5-14: not among its largest
15-19 — / 4.5%
Bielsdown Hills — 15-19: not among its largest Dorrigo Mountain — 15-19: 4.5%
20-24 6.7% / 4.5%
Bielsdown Hills — 20-24: 6.7% Dorrigo Mountain — 20-24: 4.5%
25-34 7.7% / 4.5%
Bielsdown Hills — 25-34: 7.7% Dorrigo Mountain — 25-34: 4.5%
35-44 8.7% / 3.4%
Bielsdown Hills — 35-44: 8.7% Dorrigo Mountain — 35-44: 3.4%
45-54 10.6% / 10.2%
Bielsdown Hills — 45-54: 10.6% Dorrigo Mountain — 45-54: 10.2%
55-64 25.0% / 31.8%
Bielsdown Hills — 55-64: 25.0% Dorrigo Mountain — 55-64: 31.8%
65-74 17.3% / 23.9%
Bielsdown Hills — 65-74: 17.3% Dorrigo Mountain — 65-74: 23.9%
75-84 12.5% / 11.4%
Bielsdown Hills — 75-84: 12.5% Dorrigo Mountain — 75-84: 11.4%
85+ 2.9% / 3.4%
Bielsdown Hills — 85+: 2.9% Dorrigo Mountain — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.8%).

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.

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
England 2.9% / 5.7%
Bielsdown Hills — England: 2.9% Dorrigo Mountain — England: 5.7%
Germany 5.8% / —
Bielsdown Hills — Germany: 5.8% Dorrigo Mountain — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bielsdown Hills 40.9% lone person
Bielsdown Hills — Lone Person: 40.9% Bielsdown Hills — Couple Families: 40.9% Bielsdown Hills — Group Household: 18.2%
Dorrigo Mountain 66.7% lone person
Dorrigo Mountain — Lone Person: 66.7% Dorrigo Mountain — Couple Families: 33.3% Dorrigo Mountain — Group Household: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bielsdown Hills 100.0% houses
Bielsdown Hills — Houses: 100.0%
Dorrigo Mountain 100.0% houses
Dorrigo Mountain — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Certificate III & IV 16.3% / 20.5%
Bielsdown Hills — Certificate III & IV: 16.3% Dorrigo Mountain — Certificate III & IV: 20.5%
Bachelor Degree 12.5% / 14.8%
Bielsdown Hills — Bachelor Degree: 12.5% Dorrigo Mountain — Bachelor Degree: 14.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.6% / 13.6%
Bielsdown Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.6% Dorrigo Mountain — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 13.6%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 3.4%
Bielsdown Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Dorrigo Mountain — Postgraduate Degree: 3.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 4.5%
Bielsdown Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Dorrigo Mountain — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.5%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bielsdown Hills 22.0% renting
Bielsdown Hills — Owned Outright: 53.7% Bielsdown Hills — Mortgage: 24.4% Bielsdown Hills — Renting: 22.0%
Dorrigo Mountain 15.6% renting
Dorrigo Mountain — Owned Outright: 57.8% Dorrigo Mountain — Mortgage: 26.7% Dorrigo Mountain — Renting: 15.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Median house price $1,675,000 $1,220,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Bielsdown Hills has more rural and farming land (97% vs 52%); Dorrigo Mountain has more land zoned for conservation (48% vs 3%).

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Rural and farming 97% 52%
Environmental 3% 48%
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

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
New dwellings approved 40
across Bellingen
same for both
Approvals change year on year +12%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
House price Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
Income Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 22% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 10% of NSW Higher than 16% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 37% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW

Liveability

Dorrigo Mountain is more walkable (15 vs 6).

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Dorrigo Mountain carries more bushfire risk (39 vs 0); Dorrigo Mountain carries more crime risk (93 vs 16).

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
39/100
Crime Low
16/100
 High
93/100
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

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
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

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Waterways 8 6

Mobility

Bielsdown Hills sits further from the CBD (550.1 km vs 540 km).

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Walkability score 6/100 15/100
Distance to Sydney 550.1 km
+2% vs other
 540 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 383 min 365 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2453
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 2453
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.

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Car (driver) 47.4% / 52.8%
Bielsdown Hills — Car (driver): 47.4% Dorrigo Mountain — Car (driver): 52.8%
Worked from Home 42.1% / 47.2%
Bielsdown Hills — Worked from Home: 42.1% Dorrigo Mountain — Worked from Home: 47.2%
Walked Only 10.5% / —
Bielsdown Hills — Walked Only: 10.5% Dorrigo Mountain — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (52.8%).

Setting

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Elevation 780 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 626 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 37.3 km 31.7 km

NBN connectivity

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
59 premises
 0%
54 premises

Climate

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Annual rainfall 1,827 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Average residential rate $1,592/yr
same for both
Council Bellingen
same for both

Federal electorate

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo Mountain
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bielsdown Hills

Retirees River Rural

Dorrigo Mountain

Quiet Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bielsdown Hills

Bielsdown Hills vs Dorrigo Bielsdown Hills vs Darkwood Bielsdown Hills vs Fernbrook

Other comparisons with Dorrigo Mountain

Dorrigo Mountain vs Dorrigo Dorrigo Mountain vs Thora Dorrigo Mountain vs Darkwood Dorrigo Mountain vs Megan
Full data on Bielsdown Hills Full data on Dorrigo Mountain
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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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