Blue Knob vs Mount Burrell
Mount Burrell is the younger of the two, with a median age of 53 against 58 in Blue Knob. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Mount Burrell: a median of $1.15 million, against $451,000 in Blue Knob, though rent is higher in Blue Knob. On these figures, Blue Knob 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
- Blue Knob carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 69/100)
- Mount Burrell is already more of a family suburb (42% vs 24%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Blue Knob
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($451,250 vs $1,150,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Mount Burrell
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 34%)
- has cheaper rent ($175/wk vs $250/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Blue Knob
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (513 min vs 521 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (765.3 km vs 773.3 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Blue Knob
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 21%)
- carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 69/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Mount Burrell
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (27.2% vs -5.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Blue Knob and Mount Burrell 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
Blue Knob rents higher ($250/wk vs $175/wk); Mount Burrell has more residents (276 vs 210).
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 210 | 276 +31% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -5.0% | +27.2% |
| Median age | 58 | 53 |
| Median household income | $38,428/yr | $42,380/yr +10% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $250/wk +30% vs other | $175/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.9%).
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 (4.7%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $451,250 | $1,150,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% | 93% |
| Other and special use | 0% | 7% |
| Environmental | 1% same for both | |
| 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
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 138 across Lismore | 331 across Tweed |
| Approvals change year on year | +0% | -50% |
Ranking within NSW
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 13% of NSW | Higher than 46% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 3% of NSW | Higher than 5% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 60% of NSW | Higher than 69% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 52% of NSW | Higher than 12% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 58% of NSW | Higher than 65% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 37% of NSW | Higher than 33% of NSW |
Liveability
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | high-need area decile 1/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Mount Burrell carries more crime risk (69 vs 55).
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 26/100 | Low 33/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 55/100 | Moderate 69/100 |
| 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
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 5 | 10 |
Mobility
Mount Burrell sits further from the CBD (773.3 km vs 765.3 km).
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 12/100 | 18/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 765.3 km | 773.3 km +1% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 513 min | 521 min |
| Public transport score | 22/100 Bus | 24/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 4.5 7-9am + 5-7pm | 5.5 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 2 min scheduled, not actual same for both | |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 2480 | 0.6% postcode 2484 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 69 postcode 2480 | 76 postcode 2484 |
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 (71.4%).
Setting
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 127 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 117 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 35.1 km | 35.0 km |
NBN connectivity
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 26/100 | 23/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 93 premises | 0% 115 premises |
Climate
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,487/yr | $1,745/yr |
| Council | Lismore | Tweed |
Federal electorate
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Page | Richmond |
| Member | Kevin Hogan | Justine Elliot |
| Party | The Nationals | Australian Labor Party |
First Home Owner Grant
| Blue Knob | Mount Burrell | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Blue Knob
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Blue Knob
Other comparisons with Mount Burrell
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.