Bodalla vs Narooma

Bodalla is the younger of the two, with a median age of 53 against 58 in Narooma. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Narooma, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Narooma tends to suit 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

Bodalla

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (50% vs 34%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (97% vs 68%)
  • carries lower crime risk (72/100 vs 86/100)
  • But Narooma has more parks and reserves (9 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Bodalla leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 38%)
  • Narooma has cheaper land ($500,000 vs $855,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Bodalla

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (281 min vs 311 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (333.9 km vs 358.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Narooma

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (32% vs 3%)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (38% vs 28%)
  • But Bodalla carries lower crime risk (72/100 vs 86/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bodalla Narooma
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.

Bodalla Narooma
Walkability 0 / 7
Bodalla — Walkability: 0/100 Narooma — Walkability: 7/100
Safety 28 / 14
Bodalla — Safety: 28/100 Narooma — Safety: 14/100
Low fire risk 39 / 33
Bodalla — Low fire risk: 39/100 Narooma — Low fire risk: 33/100

Demographics

Narooma has more residents (2,731 vs 808); Bodalla has higher household incomes ($61,412 vs $48,152).

Bodalla Narooma
Population 808 2,731
+238% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.3% +4.8%
Median age 53 58
Median household income $61,412/yr
+22% vs other
 $48,152/yr
Median weekly rent $275/wk
+5% vs other
 $260/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bodalla Narooma
0-4 3.8% / 3.4%
Bodalla — 0-4: 3.8% Narooma — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 8.5% / 8.5%
Bodalla — 5-14: 8.5% Narooma — 5-14: 8.5%
15-19 5.8% / 4.3%
Bodalla — 15-19: 5.8% Narooma — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 4.3% / 2.7%
Bodalla — 20-24: 4.3% Narooma — 20-24: 2.7%
25-34 7.4% / 7.0%
Bodalla — 25-34: 7.4% Narooma — 25-34: 7.0%
35-44 10.1% / 7.4%
Bodalla — 35-44: 10.1% Narooma — 35-44: 7.4%
45-54 13.1% / 11.4%
Bodalla — 45-54: 13.1% Narooma — 45-54: 11.4%
55-64 18.1% / 17.1%
Bodalla — 55-64: 18.1% Narooma — 55-64: 17.1%
65-74 19.8% / 24.8%
Bodalla — 65-74: 19.8% Narooma — 65-74: 24.8%
75-84 7.9% / 9.9%
Bodalla — 75-84: 7.9% Narooma — 75-84: 9.9%
85+ 0.6% / 3.6%
Bodalla — 85+: 0.6% Narooma — 85+: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bodalla 42.2% lone person
Bodalla — Lone Person: 42.2% Bodalla — Couple Families: 34.9% Bodalla — One Parent Families: 15.6% Bodalla — Group Household: 5.7% Bodalla — Other Families: 1.6%
Narooma 61.3% lone person
Narooma — Lone Person: 61.3% Narooma — Couple Families: 20.1% Narooma — One Parent Families: 14.2% Narooma — Group Household: 3.9% Narooma — Other Families: 0.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bodalla 16.6% renting
Bodalla — Owned Outright: 52.5% Bodalla — Mortgage: 30.9% Bodalla — Renting: 16.6%
Narooma 25.5% renting
Narooma — Owned Outright: 55.1% Narooma — Mortgage: 19.4% Narooma — Renting: 25.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Bodalla Narooma
Certificate III & IV 18.3% / 18.3%
Bodalla — Certificate III & IV: 18.3% Narooma — Certificate III & IV: 18.3%
Bachelor Degree 7.8% / 9.5%
Bodalla — Bachelor Degree: 7.8% Narooma — Bachelor Degree: 9.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 8.1%
Bodalla — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Narooma — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Postgraduate Degree 1.7% / 2.1%
Bodalla — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7% Narooma — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 1.6%
Bodalla — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Narooma — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

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.

Bodalla Narooma
England 4.7% / 5.4%
Bodalla — England: 4.7% Narooma — England: 5.4%
New Zealand 1.9% / 1.3%
Bodalla — New Zealand: 1.9% Narooma — New Zealand: 1.3%
Germany 0.6% / 0.8%
Bodalla — Germany: 0.6% Narooma — Germany: 0.8%
Scotland 0.7% / 0.5%
Bodalla — Scotland: 0.7% Narooma — Scotland: 0.5%
India — / 0.6%
Bodalla — India: not among its largest Narooma — India: 0.6%
South Africa 0.5% / —
Bodalla — South Africa: 0.5% Narooma — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bodalla 97.1% houses
Bodalla — Houses: 97.1% Bodalla — Flats / Apartments: 2.9% Bodalla — Townhouses: 0.0%
Narooma 68.4% houses
Narooma — Houses: 68.4% Narooma — Flats / Apartments: 15.5% Narooma — Townhouses: 16.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Bodalla Narooma
Median house price $860,000 $840,000
Median unit price — $450,000
Median land price $855,000 $500,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 100 days
from 7 sales
 56 days
from 22 sales

Zoning mix

Bodalla Narooma
Rural and farming 87% 80%
Environmental 11% 16%
Residential 1% 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

Bodalla Narooma
New dwellings approved 211
across Eurobodalla
same for both
Approvals change year on year -9%
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.

Bodalla Narooma
Houses — 3.7%
$675/wk on $960K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Bodalla Narooma
House price Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
Income Higher than 23% of NSW Higher than 9% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 39% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
EV adoption — Higher than 42% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 54% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 54% of NSW

Liveability

Bodalla Narooma
Grade D
same for both
Score 18/100 14/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Narooma carries more crime risk (86 vs 72).

Bodalla Narooma
Bushfire Moderate
61/100
 Moderate
67/100
Crime High
72/100
 High
86/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
38/100
 Moderate
58/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Bodalla Narooma
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Bodalla

  • Bodalla Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Narooma

  • Narooma Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Narooma High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bodalla Narooma
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 1 11
Parks & reserves 1 9
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 0 2
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 1 3
Fuel stations 2 3
EV chargers 0 1
Beaches 0 8
Waterways 29 18

Mobility

Narooma sits further from the CBD (358.2 km vs 333.9 km).

Bodalla Narooma
Walkability score 0/100 7/100
Distance to Sydney 333.9 km 358.2 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 281 min 311 min
Public transport score 32/100
Bus
 46/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 11.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 17.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 2545
 0.4%
postcode 2546
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 2545
 44
postcode 2546

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.

Bodalla Narooma
Car (driver) 68.3% / 73.0%
Bodalla — Car (driver): 68.3% Narooma — Car (driver): 73.0%
Worked from Home 18.0% / 13.6%
Bodalla — Worked from Home: 18.0% Narooma — Worked from Home: 13.6%
Walked Only 5.3% / 7.0%
Bodalla — Walked Only: 5.3% Narooma — Walked Only: 7.0%
Car (passenger) 6.0% / 5.5%
Bodalla — Car (passenger): 6.0% Narooma — Car (passenger): 5.5%
Bicycle 2.3% / 0.4%
Bodalla — Bicycle: 2.3% Narooma — Bicycle: 0.4%
Bus — / 0.5%
Bodalla — Bus: not among its largest Narooma — Bus: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.0%).

Setting

Bodalla Narooma
Elevation 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 107 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.3 km 7.1 km

NBN connectivity

Bodalla Narooma
Connectivity score 30/100 65/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
402 premises
 26%
2,155 premises

Climate

Bodalla Narooma
Annual rainfall 948 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 23.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C
same for both

Council rates

Bodalla Narooma
Average residential rate $1,246/yr
same for both
Council Eurobodalla
same for both

Federal electorate

Bodalla Narooma
Division Eden-monaro
same for both
Member Kristy Mcbain
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bodalla Narooma
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bodalla

Retirees Rural

Narooma

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bodalla

Bodalla vs Tuross Head Bodalla vs Dalmeny Bodalla vs Kianga Bodalla vs Potato Point Bodalla vs Turlinjah Bodalla vs Wamban

Other comparisons with Narooma

Narooma vs Kianga Narooma vs North Narooma Narooma vs Central Tilba Narooma vs Tilba Tilba Narooma vs Corunna Narooma vs Dignams Creek
Full data on Bodalla Full data on Narooma
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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