Bocobra vs Parkes

Parkes is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 50 in Bocobra. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bocobra, most households are couple families. On these figures, Bocobra tends to suit couples, while Parkes suits people living alone.

Bocobra and Parkes are vastly different in scale and character. Bocobra is a tiny rural community of 60 people with a median age of 50, while Parkes is a substantial town of 11,324 with a younger median age of 39. Rental costs are notably lower in Bocobra at $150 per week versus $260 in Parkes, though Bocobra carries significantly higher bushfire risk (69 versus 48) and crime risk (0 versus 90). Bocobra suits someone seeking a quiet, older, tight-knit setting with lower living costs and minimal crime, whereas Parkes offers more services, amenities, and a younger demographic—though at higher rental expense and greater crime exposure.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

  • Bocobra carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 89/100)
  • Parkes has more parks and reserves (32 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Bocobra

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $260/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 19%)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Bocobra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (329.7 km vs 354.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Bocobra carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 89/100)
  • Parkes has more GPs (3 vs 0)

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

Investors

Bocobra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (11.1% vs -0.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bocobra Parkes
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.

Bocobra Parkes
Walkability 6 / 0
Bocobra — Walkability: 6/100 Parkes — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 100 / 11
Bocobra — Safety: 100/100 Parkes — Safety: 11/100
Low fire risk 30 / 53
Bocobra — Low fire risk: 30/100 Parkes — Low fire risk: 53/100

Demographics

Parkes has more residents (11,324 vs 60); Parkes rents higher ($260/wk vs $150/wk).

Bocobra Parkes
Population 60 11,324
+18773% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +11.1% -0.7%
Median age 50 39
Median household income $71,500/yr $72,852/yr
+2% vs other
Median weekly rent $150/wk $260/wk
+73% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bocobra Parkes
0-4 6.7% / 6.5%
Bocobra — 0-4: 6.7% Parkes — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 13.3% / 14.2%
Bocobra — 5-14: 13.3% Parkes — 5-14: 14.2%
15-19 — / 6.2%
Bocobra — 15-19: not among its largest Parkes — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 8.3% / 6.0%
Bocobra — 20-24: 8.3% Parkes — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 15.0% / 11.8%
Bocobra — 25-34: 15.0% Parkes — 25-34: 11.8%
35-44 11.7% / 11.2%
Bocobra — 35-44: 11.7% Parkes — 35-44: 11.2%
45-54 20.0% / 11.6%
Bocobra — 45-54: 20.0% Parkes — 45-54: 11.6%
55-64 20.0% / 12.5%
Bocobra — 55-64: 20.0% Parkes — 55-64: 12.5%
65-74 16.7% / 10.1%
Bocobra — 65-74: 16.7% Parkes — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 — / 6.9%
Bocobra — 75-84: not among its largest Parkes — 75-84: 6.9%
85+ — / 3.0%
Bocobra — 85+: not among its largest Parkes — 85+: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bocobra 66.7% couple families
Bocobra — Couple Families: 66.7% Bocobra — Lone Person: 33.3% Bocobra — One Parent Families: 0.0% Bocobra — Group Household: 0.0% Bocobra — Other Families: 0.0%
Parkes 35.8% couple families
Parkes — Couple Families: 35.8% Parkes — Lone Person: 41.7% Parkes — One Parent Families: 17.8% Parkes — Group Household: 3.4% Parkes — Other Families: 1.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bocobra 0.0% renting
Bocobra — Owned Outright: 47.6% Bocobra — Mortgage: 52.4% Bocobra — Renting: 0.0%
Parkes 30.4% renting
Parkes — Owned Outright: 35.3% Parkes — Mortgage: 34.3% Parkes — Renting: 30.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bocobra 100.0% houses
Bocobra — Houses: 100.0% Bocobra — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Bocobra — Townhouses: 0.0%
Parkes 88.3% houses
Parkes — Houses: 88.3% Parkes — Flats / Apartments: 7.8% Parkes — Townhouses: 3.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Bocobra Parkes
Certificate III & IV 21.7% / 17.8%
Bocobra — Certificate III & IV: 21.7% Parkes — Certificate III & IV: 17.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 13.3% / 5.4%
Bocobra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 13.3% Parkes — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.4%
Bachelor Degree — / 6.8%
Bocobra — Bachelor Degree: not among its largest Parkes — Bachelor Degree: 6.8%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.4%
Bocobra — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Parkes — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.1%
Bocobra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Parkes — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.7%).

Property market

Bocobra Parkes
Median house price — $470,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $270,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 40 days
from 94 sales

Zoning mix

Bocobra has more rural and farming land (99% vs 78%); Parkes has more land zoned for conservation (12% vs 1%).

Bocobra Parkes
Rural and farming 99% 78%
Environmental 1% 12%
Other and special use 0% 5%
Residential 0% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 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

Bocobra Parkes
New dwellings approved 29
across Cabonne
 15
across Parkes
Approvals change year on year -43% -100%

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.

Bocobra Parkes
Houses — 4.7%
$450/wk on $495K
Units — 3.6%
$245/wk on $350K

Ranking within NSW

Bocobra Parkes
House price — Higher than 14% of NSW
Income Higher than 37% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 83% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 15% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 88% of NSW
EV adoption — Higher than 12% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 94% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 14% of NSW

Liveability

Bocobra Parkes
Grade — C
Score — 32/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Parkes carries more crime risk (89 vs 0); Bocobra carries more bushfire risk (70 vs 47).

Bocobra Parkes
Bushfire High
70/100
 Moderate
47/100
Crime None
0/100
 High
89/100
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

Bocobra Parkes
Inside the suburb 0 6
Rated above peers 0 3
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Bocobra

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

Schools in Parkes

  • Holy Family Parish School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Middleton Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Parkes Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Parkes Christian School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Parkes East Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Parkes High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bocobra Parkes
Supermarkets 0 4
Cafes & restaurants 0 4
Parks & reserves 0 32
Childcare 0 8
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 3
Hospitals 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 5
Fuel stations 0 5
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 4 60

Mobility

Parkes sits further from the CBD (354.6 km vs 329.7 km).

Bocobra Parkes
Walkability score 6/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 329.7 km 354.6 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 294 min 293 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 2865
 0.2%
postcode 2870
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 67
postcode 2865
 53
postcode 2870

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.

Bocobra Parkes
Car (driver) 85.7% / 78.9%
Bocobra — Car (driver): 85.7% Parkes — Car (driver): 78.9%
Worked from Home 14.3% / 9.4%
Bocobra — Worked from Home: 14.3% Parkes — Worked from Home: 9.4%
Car (passenger) — / 6.8%
Bocobra — Car (passenger): not among its largest Parkes — Car (passenger): 6.8%
Walked Only — / 4.4%
Bocobra — Walked Only: not among its largest Parkes — Walked Only: 4.4%
Bicycle — / 0.3%
Bocobra — Bicycle: not among its largest Parkes — Bicycle: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.7%).

Setting

Bocobra Parkes
Elevation 589 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 342 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Bocobra Parkes
Connectivity score 15/100 66/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
18 premises
 43%
6,149 premises

Climate

Bocobra Parkes
Annual rainfall 692 mm 587 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 33.4°C
Winter min (Jul) — 5.5°C

Council rates

Bocobra Parkes
Average residential rate $750/yr $1,146/yr
Council Cabonne Parkes

Federal electorate

Bocobra Parkes
Division Calare Parkes
Member Andrew Gee Jamie Chaffey
Party Independent The Nationals

First Home Owner Grant

Bocobra Parkes
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bocobra

Rural

Parkes

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bocobra

Bocobra vs Manildra Bocobra vs Cumnock Bocobra vs Baldry

Other comparisons with Parkes

Parkes vs Manildra Parkes vs Alectown Parkes vs Cookamidgera Parkes vs Goonumbla Parkes vs Tichborne Parkes vs Gunningbland
Full data on Bocobra Full data on Parkes
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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