Bielsdown Hills vs Dorrigo

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Dorrigo, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Bielsdown Hills: a median of $1.68 million, against $630,000 in Dorrigo. On these figures, Bielsdown Hills tends to suit share households, while Dorrigo suits 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

Dorrigo

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (8 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • But Bielsdown Hills carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 70/100)

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

First-home buyers

Dorrigo

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($630,000 vs $1,675,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Bielsdown Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 32%)

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

Commuting to the city

Dorrigo

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (21/100 vs 6/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (374 min vs 383 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (547.4 km vs 550.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dorrigo

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (21/100 vs 6/100)
  • But Bielsdown Hills carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 70/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Bielsdown Hills and Dorrigo 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
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
Walkability 6 / 21
Bielsdown Hills — Walkability: 6/100 Dorrigo — Walkability: 21/100
Safety 84 / 30
Bielsdown Hills — Safety: 84/100 Dorrigo — Safety: 30/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Bielsdown Hills — Low fire risk: 100/100 Dorrigo — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Dorrigo has more residents (1,214 vs 104); Bielsdown Hills has higher household incomes ($69,836 vs $48,100).

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
Population 104 1,214
+1067% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.1% +1.9%
Median age 56
same for both
Median household income $69,836/yr
+31% vs other
 $48,100/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
0-4 2.9% / 4.5%
Bielsdown Hills — 0-4: 2.9% Dorrigo — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 9.6% / 10.0%
Bielsdown Hills — 5-14: 9.6% Dorrigo — 5-14: 10.0%
15-19 — / 4.3%
Bielsdown Hills — 15-19: not among its largest Dorrigo — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 6.7% / 2.5%
Bielsdown Hills — 20-24: 6.7% Dorrigo — 20-24: 2.5%
25-34 7.7% / 7.2%
Bielsdown Hills — 25-34: 7.7% Dorrigo — 25-34: 7.2%
35-44 8.7% / 7.4%
Bielsdown Hills — 35-44: 8.7% Dorrigo — 35-44: 7.4%
45-54 10.6% / 11.6%
Bielsdown Hills — 45-54: 10.6% Dorrigo — 45-54: 11.6%
55-64 25.0% / 16.9%
Bielsdown Hills — 55-64: 25.0% Dorrigo — 55-64: 16.9%
65-74 17.3% / 16.6%
Bielsdown Hills — 65-74: 17.3% Dorrigo — 65-74: 16.6%
75-84 12.5% / 13.1%
Bielsdown Hills — 75-84: 12.5% Dorrigo — 75-84: 13.1%
85+ 2.9% / 5.0%
Bielsdown Hills — 85+: 2.9% Dorrigo — 85+: 5.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).

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% Bielsdown Hills — One Parent Families: 0.0% Bielsdown Hills — Other Families: 0.0%
Dorrigo 57.2% lone person
Dorrigo — Lone Person: 57.2% Dorrigo — Couple Families: 23.3% Dorrigo — Group Household: 2.7% Dorrigo — One Parent Families: 16.0% Dorrigo — Other Families: 0.8%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

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 21.8% renting
Dorrigo — Owned Outright: 56.9% Dorrigo — Mortgage: 21.3% Dorrigo — Renting: 21.8%
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.

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
England 2.9% / 4.7%
Bielsdown Hills — England: 2.9% Dorrigo — England: 4.7%
Germany 5.8% / 1.2%
Bielsdown Hills — Germany: 5.8% Dorrigo — Germany: 1.2%
New Zealand — / 1.3%
Bielsdown Hills — New Zealand: not among its largest Dorrigo — New Zealand: 1.3%
South Africa — / 0.7%
Bielsdown Hills — South Africa: not among its largest Dorrigo — South Africa: 0.7%
Philippines — / 0.5%
Bielsdown Hills — Philippines: not among its largest Dorrigo — Philippines: 0.5%

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

Qualifications

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

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
Certificate III & IV 16.3% / 18.0%
Bielsdown Hills — Certificate III & IV: 16.3% Dorrigo — Certificate III & IV: 18.0%
Bachelor Degree 12.5% / 8.2%
Bielsdown Hills — Bachelor Degree: 12.5% Dorrigo — Bachelor Degree: 8.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.6% / 6.7%
Bielsdown Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.6% Dorrigo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 2.6%
Bielsdown Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Dorrigo — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.6%
Bielsdown Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Dorrigo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bielsdown Hills 100.0% houses
Bielsdown Hills — Houses: 100.0% Bielsdown Hills — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Bielsdown Hills — Townhouses: 0.0%
Dorrigo 93.4% houses
Dorrigo — Houses: 93.4% Dorrigo — Flats / Apartments: 3.7% Dorrigo — Townhouses: 2.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
Median house price $1,675,000 $630,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $262,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 36 days
from 17 sales

Zoning mix

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
Rural and farming 97% 89%
Residential 0% 7%
Environmental 3% 1%
Parks and recreation 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

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

Ranking within NSW

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
House price Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
Income Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 9% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 71% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 10% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 37% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW

Liveability

Dorrigo is more walkable (21 vs 6).

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
Grade — C
Score — 44/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Dorrigo carries more crime risk (70 vs 16).

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
16/100
 High
70/100
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
Inside the suburb 0 3
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Bielsdown Hills

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Dorrigo

  • Dorrigo Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Mount St John Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Dorrigo High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 5
Parks & reserves 0 8
Childcare 0 1
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 8 14

Mobility

Bielsdown Hills sits further from the CBD (550.1 km vs 547.4 km).

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
Walkability score 6/100 21/100
Distance to Sydney 550.1 km 547.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 383 min 374 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
Car (driver) 47.4% / 67.2%
Bielsdown Hills — Car (driver): 47.4% Dorrigo — Car (driver): 67.2%
Worked from Home 42.1% / 16.9%
Bielsdown Hills — Worked from Home: 42.1% Dorrigo — Worked from Home: 16.9%
Walked Only 10.5% / 8.1%
Bielsdown Hills — Walked Only: 10.5% Dorrigo — Walked Only: 8.1%
Car (passenger) — / 6.2%
Bielsdown Hills — Car (passenger): not among its largest Dorrigo — Car (passenger): 6.2%
Bicycle — / 1.6%
Bielsdown Hills — Bicycle: not among its largest Dorrigo — Bicycle: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.2%).

Setting

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
Elevation 780 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 744 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 37.3 km 37.2 km

NBN connectivity

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
Connectivity score 30/100 71/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
59 premises
 38%
813 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Bielsdown Hills Dorrigo
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

Acreage Affordable Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bielsdown Hills

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

Other comparisons with Dorrigo

Dorrigo vs North Dorrigo Dorrigo vs Megan Dorrigo vs Bostobrick Dorrigo vs Fernbrook Dorrigo vs Dorrigo Mountain
Full data on Bielsdown Hills Full data on Dorrigo
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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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