Blackwall vs Ettalong Beach

Blackwall is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 54 in Ettalong Beach. In both, most households own their home. In Blackwall, most homes are detached houses. In Ettalong Beach, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Ettalong Beach: a median of $1.32 million, against $1.03 million in Blackwall. On these figures, Blackwall tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Ettalong Beach suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Blackwall

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (50% vs 36%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (71% vs 52%)

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

First-home buyers

Blackwall

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (32% vs 42%)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,032,500 vs $1,318,000)
  • has cheaper units ($715,000 vs $845,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Blackwall

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (27% vs 36%)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Ettalong Beach

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (48% vs 29%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (34% vs 23%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
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.

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Walkability 68 / 72
Blackwall — Walkability: 68/100 Ettalong Beach — Walkability: 72/100
Safety 34 / 32
Blackwall — Safety: 34/100 Ettalong Beach — Safety: 32/100
Low fire risk 76 / 100
Blackwall — Low fire risk: 76/100 Ettalong Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Ettalong Beach has more residents (5,161 vs 1,941); Blackwall has higher household incomes ($75,348 vs $56,004).

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Population 1,941 5,161
+166% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.8% +7.7%
Median age 45 54
Median household income $75,348/yr
+26% vs other
 $56,004/yr
Median weekly rent $390/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
0-4 5.3% / 4.9%
Blackwall — 0-4: 5.3% Ettalong Beach — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 10.7% / 8.0%
Blackwall — 5-14: 10.7% Ettalong Beach — 5-14: 8.0%
15-19 5.0% / 3.1%
Blackwall — 15-19: 5.0% Ettalong Beach — 15-19: 3.1%
20-24 5.0% / 4.7%
Blackwall — 20-24: 5.0% Ettalong Beach — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 11.3% / 9.3%
Blackwall — 25-34: 11.3% Ettalong Beach — 25-34: 9.3%
35-44 12.1% / 10.0%
Blackwall — 35-44: 12.1% Ettalong Beach — 35-44: 10.0%
45-54 13.8% / 11.0%
Blackwall — 45-54: 13.8% Ettalong Beach — 45-54: 11.0%
55-64 13.8% / 15.0%
Blackwall — 55-64: 13.8% Ettalong Beach — 55-64: 15.0%
65-74 12.1% / 18.1%
Blackwall — 65-74: 12.1% Ettalong Beach — 65-74: 18.1%
75-84 8.8% / 11.6%
Blackwall — 75-84: 8.8% Ettalong Beach — 75-84: 11.6%
85+ 2.3% / 4.4%
Blackwall — 85+: 2.3% Ettalong Beach — 85+: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Blackwall 43.2% lone person
Blackwall — Lone Person: 43.2% Blackwall — Couple Families: 28.6% Blackwall — One Parent Families: 21.2% Blackwall — Group Household: 4.8% Blackwall — Other Families: 2.2%
Ettalong Beach 57.1% lone person
Ettalong Beach — Lone Person: 57.1% Ettalong Beach — Couple Families: 19.2% Ettalong Beach — One Parent Families: 16.7% Ettalong Beach — Group Household: 5.7% Ettalong Beach — Other Families: 1.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Blackwall 31.7% renting
Blackwall — Owned Outright: 36.1% Blackwall — Mortgage: 32.2% Blackwall — Renting: 31.7%
Ettalong Beach 38.7% renting
Ettalong Beach — Owned Outright: 44.7% Ettalong Beach — Mortgage: 16.7% Ettalong Beach — Renting: 38.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Certificate III & IV 18.0% / 17.1%
Blackwall — Certificate III & IV: 18.0% Ettalong Beach — Certificate III & IV: 17.1%
Bachelor Degree 10.0% / 10.0%
Blackwall — Bachelor Degree: 10.0% Ettalong Beach — Bachelor Degree: 10.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.9% / 8.1%
Blackwall — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9% Ettalong Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 2.6%
Blackwall — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Ettalong Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 1.0%
Blackwall — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Ettalong Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%

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

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.

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
England 4.7% / 5.1%
Blackwall — England: 4.7% Ettalong Beach — England: 5.1%
New Zealand 2.1% / 2.2%
Blackwall — New Zealand: 2.1% Ettalong Beach — New Zealand: 2.2%
Scotland 0.6% / 0.6%
Blackwall — Scotland: 0.6% Ettalong Beach — Scotland: 0.6%
Philippines 0.6% / 0.5%
Blackwall — Philippines: 0.6% Ettalong Beach — Philippines: 0.5%
South Africa 0.4% / 0.6%
Blackwall — South Africa: 0.4% Ettalong Beach — South Africa: 0.6%
Italy 0.6% / —
Blackwall — Italy: 0.6% Ettalong Beach — Italy: not among its largest
Thailand — / 0.6%
Blackwall — Thailand: not among its largest Ettalong Beach — Thailand: 0.6%
India — / 0.6%
Blackwall — India: not among its largest Ettalong Beach — India: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Blackwall 71.0% houses
Blackwall — Houses: 71.0% Blackwall — Townhouses: 22.8% Blackwall — Flats / Apartments: 6.2%
Ettalong Beach 51.5% houses
Ettalong Beach — Houses: 51.5% Ettalong Beach — Townhouses: 35.3% Ettalong Beach — Flats / Apartments: 13.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Median house price $1,032,500 $1,318,000
Median unit price $715,000 $845,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 34 days
from 15 sales
 32 days
from 44 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
3 bed $995K / $1.26M
Blackwall — 3 bed: $995K (14 sales) Ettalong Beach — 3 bed: $1.26M (39 sales)

14 vs 39 sales

4 bed $1.12M / $1.43M
Blackwall — 4 bed: $1.12M (7 sales) Ettalong Beach — 4 bed: $1.43M (22 sales)

7 vs 22 sales

Zoning mix

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Residential 56% 80%
Parks and recreation 36% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 4%
Commercial 0% 5%
Industrial 1% 0%
Environmental 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

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
New dwellings approved 1,441
across Central Coast (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +67%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Houses 3.2%
$640/wk on $1.05M
 3.0%
$700/wk on $1.23M
Units — 4.1%
$700/wk on $885K

Ranking within NSW

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
House price Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
Income Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 16% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 11% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 71% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 27% of NSW

Liveability

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Grade B
same for both
Score 49/100 52/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Blackwall carries more bushfire risk (24 vs 0).

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Bushfire Low
24/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
66/100
 Moderate
68/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 High
85/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Blackwall

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

Schools in Ettalong Beach

  • Ettalong Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 10
Parks & reserves 2 4
Childcare 3 1
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 1 0

Mobility

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Walkability score 68/100 72/100
Distance to Sydney 84.5 km 85.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 78 min 79 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 53.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 125.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 2256
 0.9%
postcode 2257
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 31
postcode 2256
 31
postcode 2257

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.

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Car (driver) 50.7% / 51.6%
Blackwall — Car (driver): 50.7% Ettalong Beach — Car (driver): 51.6%
Worked from Home 37.4% / 36.6%
Blackwall — Worked from Home: 37.4% Ettalong Beach — Worked from Home: 36.6%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 4.6%
Blackwall — Car (passenger): 3.9% Ettalong Beach — Car (passenger): 4.6%
Train 4.3% / 3.7%
Blackwall — Train: 4.3% Ettalong Beach — Train: 3.7%
Walked Only 1.9% / 1.8%
Blackwall — Walked Only: 1.9% Ettalong Beach — Walked Only: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.6%).

Setting

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Elevation 70 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.1 km
2.9 km to a named beach
 172 m
1.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Connectivity score 60/100 62/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 28%
964 premises
 31%
3,448 premises

Climate

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Annual rainfall 1,272 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.36 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Average residential rate $1,409/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Division Robertson
same for both
Member Gordon Reid
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Blackwall Ettalong Beach
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Blackwall

Coastal Outer Parks Quiet Townhouses

Ettalong Beach

Coastal Outer Parks Retirees Townhouses Village Feel

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Blackwall

Blackwall vs Umina Beach Blackwall vs Woy Woy Blackwall vs Booker Bay Blackwall vs St Huberts Island Blackwall vs Daleys Point

Other comparisons with Ettalong Beach

Ettalong Beach vs Umina Beach Ettalong Beach vs Booker Bay Ettalong Beach vs Wagstaffe
Full data on Blackwall Full data on Ettalong Beach
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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