Blakebrook vs Rock Valley

Blakebrook is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 53 in Rock Valley. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Blakebrook: a median of $1.11 million, against $750,000 in Rock Valley. On these figures, Rock Valley tends to suit 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Blakebrook has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • Rock Valley carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 73/100)

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

First-home buyers

Rock Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($750,000 vs $1,115,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Blakebrook

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (18% vs 24%)

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 744.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Rock Valley

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 73/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 17%)

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

Investors

Rock Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (0.4% vs -12.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Blakebrook Rock Valley
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.

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Walkability 21 / 14
Blakebrook — Walkability: 21/100 Rock Valley — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 27 / 78
Blakebrook — Safety: 27/100 Rock Valley — Safety: 78/100
Low fire risk 87 / 70
Blakebrook — Low fire risk: 87/100 Rock Valley — Low fire risk: 70/100

Demographics

Rock Valley has more residents (266 vs 132); Blakebrook has higher household incomes ($94,900 vs $69,992).

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Population 132 266
+102% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -12.6% +0.4%
Median age 47 53
Median household income $94,900/yr
+26% vs other
 $69,992/yr
Median weekly rent $335/wk
+4% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Blakebrook Rock Valley
0-4 — / 4.9%
Blakebrook — 0-4: not among its largest Rock Valley — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 12.1% / 10.2%
Blakebrook — 5-14: 12.1% Rock Valley — 5-14: 10.2%
15-19 12.1% / 4.9%
Blakebrook — 15-19: 12.1% Rock Valley — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 6.1% / 3.8%
Blakebrook — 20-24: 6.1% Rock Valley — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 6.8% / 5.6%
Blakebrook — 25-34: 6.8% Rock Valley — 25-34: 5.6%
35-44 11.4% / 11.7%
Blakebrook — 35-44: 11.4% Rock Valley — 35-44: 11.7%
45-54 11.4% / 10.9%
Blakebrook — 45-54: 11.4% Rock Valley — 45-54: 10.9%
55-64 22.0% / 26.7%
Blakebrook — 55-64: 22.0% Rock Valley — 55-64: 26.7%
65-74 5.3% / 13.9%
Blakebrook — 65-74: 5.3% Rock Valley — 65-74: 13.9%
75-84 11.4% / 5.6%
Blakebrook — 75-84: 11.4% Rock Valley — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ — / 2.3%
Blakebrook — 85+: not among its largest Rock Valley — 85+: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Blakebrook 44.7% couple families
Blakebrook — Couple Families: 44.7% Blakebrook — Lone Person: 36.8% Blakebrook — One Parent Families: 18.4%
Rock Valley 36.5% couple families
Rock Valley — Couple Families: 36.5% Rock Valley — Lone Person: 41.3% Rock Valley — One Parent Families: 22.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Blakebrook 21.4% renting
Blakebrook — Owned Outright: 46.4% Blakebrook — Mortgage: 32.1% Blakebrook — Renting: 21.4%
Rock Valley 14.3% renting
Rock Valley — Owned Outright: 53.8% Rock Valley — Mortgage: 31.9% Rock Valley — Renting: 14.3%
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.

Blakebrook Rock Valley
England 3.0% / 2.6%
Blakebrook — England: 3.0% Rock Valley — England: 2.6%
New Zealand — / 3.8%
Blakebrook — New Zealand: not among its largest Rock Valley — New Zealand: 3.8%
Germany — / 1.9%
Blakebrook — Germany: not among its largest Rock Valley — Germany: 1.9%
Netherlands — / 1.9%
Blakebrook — Netherlands: not among its largest Rock Valley — Netherlands: 1.9%
Malaysia — / 1.5%
Blakebrook — Malaysia: not among its largest Rock Valley — Malaysia: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

Qualifications

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

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Certificate III & IV 20.5% / 18.8%
Blakebrook — Certificate III & IV: 20.5% Rock Valley — Certificate III & IV: 18.8%
Bachelor Degree 8.3% / 12.4%
Blakebrook — Bachelor Degree: 8.3% Rock Valley — Bachelor Degree: 12.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.6% / 8.3%
Blakebrook — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6% Rock Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Postgraduate Degree 4.5% / 7.1%
Blakebrook — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5% Rock Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.5%
Blakebrook — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Rock Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Blakebrook 100.0% houses
Blakebrook — Houses: 100.0% Blakebrook — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Rock Valley 98.2% houses
Rock Valley — Houses: 98.2% Rock Valley — Flats / Apartments: 1.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Median house price $1,115,000 $750,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $610,000

Zoning mix

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Rural and farming 94% 99%
Environmental 6% 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

Blakebrook Rock Valley
New dwellings approved 138
across Lismore
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Blakebrook Rock Valley
House price Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW
Income Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 33% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW

Liveability

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Blakebrook carries more crime risk (73 vs 22); Rock Valley carries more bushfire risk (30 vs 13).

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Bushfire Low
13/100
 Low
30/100
Crime High
73/100
 Low
22/100
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
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Blakebrook Rock Valley
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 Rock Valley

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

Amenities in the suburb

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Rock Valley sits further from the CBD (744.4 km vs 737 km).

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Walkability score 21/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 737 km 744.4 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 485 min 493 min
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.

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Car (driver) 69.9% / 72.3%
Blakebrook — Car (driver): 69.9% Rock Valley — Car (driver): 72.3%
Worked from Home 21.9% / 17.0%
Blakebrook — Worked from Home: 21.9% Rock Valley — Worked from Home: 17.0%
Car (passenger) 8.2% / 4.3%
Blakebrook — Car (passenger): 8.2% Rock Valley — Car (passenger): 4.3%
Walked Only — / 6.4%
Blakebrook — Walked Only: not among its largest Rock Valley — Walked Only: 6.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.3%).

Setting

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 31.5 km 39.5 km

NBN connectivity

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Connectivity score 30/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
72 premises
 0%
123 premises

Climate

Blakebrook Rock Valley
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 Rock Valley
Average residential rate $1,487/yr
same for both
Council Lismore
same for both

Federal electorate

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Blakebrook Rock Valley
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Blakebrook

Rural

Rock Valley

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Blakebrook

Blakebrook vs Jiggi Blakebrook vs Tullera Blakebrook vs Goolmangar Blakebrook vs Keerrong Blakebrook vs Leycester Blakebrook vs Booerie Creek

Other comparisons with Rock Valley

Rock Valley vs Larnook Rock Valley vs Jiggi Rock Valley vs Georgica Rock Valley vs Bentley Rock Valley vs Leycester
Full data on Blakebrook Full data on Rock Valley
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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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