Blakebrook vs Goolmangar
Goolmangar is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 47 in Blakebrook. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Goolmangar, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Blakebrook: a median of $1.11 million, against $560,000 in Goolmangar, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Blakebrook tends to suit people living alone, while Goolmangar suits couples 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
Goolmangar
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 73/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (75% vs 63%)
- But Blakebrook has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Goolmangar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($560,000 vs $1,115,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Goolmangar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($305/wk vs $335/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Blakebrook
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (485 min vs 493 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (737 km vs 742.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Goolmangar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 73/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Goolmangar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-2.7% vs -12.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Blakebrook and Goolmangar drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Goolmangar has more residents (183 vs 132); Blakebrook skews older (47 vs 43).
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 132 | 183 +39% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -12.6% | -2.7% |
| Median age | 47 | 43 |
| Median household income | $94,900/yr +1% vs other | $93,756/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $335/wk +9% vs other | $305/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.0%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,115,000 | $560,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 94% | 98% |
| Environmental | 6% | 2% |
| 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
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 138 across Lismore same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +0% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 58% of NSW | Higher than 18% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 62% of NSW | Higher than 61% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 70% of NSW | Higher than 67% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 52% of NSW | Higher than 89% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 58% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 56% of NSW | Higher than 59% of NSW |
Liveability
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Blakebrook carries more bushfire risk (13 vs 0); Blakebrook carries more crime risk (73 vs 19).
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 13/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | High 73/100 | Low 19/100 |
| 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 | 2 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
| Universities within 10 km | 1 Lismore, 8.4 km | None |
Schools in Blakebrook
- Blakebrook Public School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Goolmangar
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Goolmangar sits further from the CBD (742.5 km vs 737 km).
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 21/100 | 16/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 737 km | 742.5 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 485 min | 493 min |
| Public transport score | 27/100 Bus | 26/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 6.5 7-9am + 5-7pm same for both | |
| Median peak wait | 1 min scheduled, not actual | 2 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 2480 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 69 postcode 2480 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.7%).
Setting
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 6 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 43 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 31.5 km | 32.1 km |
NBN connectivity
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 72 premises | 0% 70 premises |
Climate
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,569 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 29.1°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 9.1°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,487/yr same for both | |
| Council | Lismore same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Page same for both | |
| Member | Kevin Hogan same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Blakebrook | Goolmangar | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Blakebrook
Other comparisons with Goolmangar
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.