Bonville vs Upper Orara

In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Upper Orara: a median of $1.4 million, against $1.04 million in Bonville, though rent is higher in Bonville. On these figures, Bonville 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

Bonville

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)
  • carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 50/100)

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

First-home buyers

Bonville

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,042,000 vs $1,400,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Upper Orara

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $465/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 25%)

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

Commuting to the city

Bonville

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (338 min vs 367 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (518.6 km vs 541 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bonville

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 50/100)

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

Investors

Bonville

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.1% vs 6.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bonville Upper Orara
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.

Bonville Upper Orara
Walkability 14 / 0
Bonville — Walkability: 14/100 Upper Orara — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 60 / 50
Bonville — Safety: 60/100 Upper Orara — Safety: 50/100
Low fire risk 45 / 64
Bonville — Low fire risk: 45/100 Upper Orara — Low fire risk: 64/100

Demographics

Bonville has more residents (2,939 vs 863); Bonville rents higher ($465/wk vs $350/wk).

Bonville Upper Orara
Population 2,939
+71% vs other
 863
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.1% +6.0%
Median age 44 45
Median household income $95,108/yr
+5% vs other
 $90,428/yr
Median weekly rent $465/wk
+25% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bonville Upper Orara
0-4 4.8% / 4.6%
Bonville — 0-4: 4.8% Upper Orara — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 14.3% / 15.2%
Bonville — 5-14: 14.3% Upper Orara — 5-14: 15.2%
15-19 6.5% / 5.7%
Bonville — 15-19: 6.5% Upper Orara — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 4.7% / 4.1%
Bonville — 20-24: 4.7% Upper Orara — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 9.5% / 9.3%
Bonville — 25-34: 9.5% Upper Orara — 25-34: 9.3%
35-44 11.2% / 10.9%
Bonville — 35-44: 11.2% Upper Orara — 35-44: 10.9%
45-54 13.3% / 13.6%
Bonville — 45-54: 13.3% Upper Orara — 45-54: 13.6%
55-64 14.5% / 16.7%
Bonville — 55-64: 14.5% Upper Orara — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 12.7% / 14.1%
Bonville — 65-74: 12.7% Upper Orara — 65-74: 14.1%
75-84 6.7% / 5.6%
Bonville — 75-84: 6.7% Upper Orara — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ 1.6% / 0.3%
Bonville — 85+: 1.6% Upper Orara — 85+: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bonville 57.0% couple families
Bonville — Couple Families: 57.0% Bonville — Lone Person: 24.7% Bonville — One Parent Families: 15.3% Bonville — Group Household: 3.0% Bonville — Other Families: 0.0%
Upper Orara 58.9% couple families
Upper Orara — Couple Families: 58.9% Upper Orara — Lone Person: 18.9% Upper Orara — One Parent Families: 14.4% Upper Orara — Group Household: 6.1% Upper Orara — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bonville 14.6% renting
Bonville — Owned Outright: 45.8% Bonville — Mortgage: 39.6% Bonville — Renting: 14.6%
Upper Orara 20.0% renting
Upper Orara — Owned Outright: 38.5% Upper Orara — Mortgage: 41.5% Upper Orara — Renting: 20.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Bonville Upper Orara
Certificate III & IV 18.8% / 20.9%
Bonville — Certificate III & IV: 18.8% Upper Orara — Certificate III & IV: 20.9%
Bachelor Degree 11.0% / 10.5%
Bonville — Bachelor Degree: 11.0% Upper Orara — Bachelor Degree: 10.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 9.2%
Bonville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Upper Orara — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 3.5%
Bonville — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Upper Orara — Postgraduate Degree: 3.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 1.4%
Bonville — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Upper Orara — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).

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.

Bonville Upper Orara
England 3.3% / 3.7%
Bonville — England: 3.3% Upper Orara — England: 3.7%
New Zealand 1.4% / 1.7%
Bonville — New Zealand: 1.4% Upper Orara — New Zealand: 1.7%
Germany 0.8% / 1.3%
Bonville — Germany: 0.8% Upper Orara — Germany: 1.3%
South Africa 0.6% / 0.9%
Bonville — South Africa: 0.6% Upper Orara — South Africa: 0.9%
Myanmar — / 1.2%
Bonville — Myanmar: not among its largest Upper Orara — Myanmar: 1.2%
India 0.5% / 0.5%
Bonville — India: 0.5% Upper Orara — India: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bonville 92.3% houses
Bonville — Houses: 92.3% Bonville — Flats / Apartments: 7.1% Bonville — Townhouses: 0.6%
Upper Orara 97.8% houses
Upper Orara — Houses: 97.8% Upper Orara — Flats / Apartments: 1.1% Upper Orara — Townhouses: 1.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Bonville Upper Orara
Median house price $1,042,000 $1,400,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,200,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 55 days
from 20 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Upper Orara has more rural and farming land (86% vs 51%); Bonville has more land zoned for conservation (32% vs 14%).

Bonville Upper Orara
Rural and farming 51% 86%
Environmental 32% 14%
Residential 12% 0%
Parks and recreation 3% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 0%
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

Bonville Upper Orara
New dwellings approved 356
across Coffs Harbour
same for both
Approvals change year on year +61%
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.

Bonville Upper Orara
Houses 2.6%
$800/wk on $1.59M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Bonville Upper Orara
House price Higher than 54% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
Income Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Schools Higher than 66% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 4% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 57% of NSW
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 55% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 40% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 9% of NSW —

Liveability

Bonville is more walkable (14 vs 0); Bonville scores higher overall (45 vs 37).

Bonville Upper Orara
Grade C
same for both
Score 45/100 37/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Bonville carries more bushfire risk (55 vs 36); Upper Orara carries more crime risk (50 vs 40).

Bonville Upper Orara
Bushfire Moderate
55/100
 Low
36/100
Crime Moderate
40/100
 Moderate
50/100
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

Bonville Upper Orara
Inside the suburb 3 1
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Bonville

  • Coffs Harbour Christian Community School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Bonville Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Crossmaglen Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Upper Orara

  • Orara Upper Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bonville Upper Orara
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Childcare 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 19 33

Mobility

Upper Orara sits further from the CBD (541 km vs 518.6 km).

Bonville Upper Orara
Walkability score 14/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 518.6 km 541 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 338 min 367 min
Public transport score 63/100
Bus
 31/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 26.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 13.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2450
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2450
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.

Bonville Upper Orara
Car (driver) 75.7% / 74.4%
Bonville — Car (driver): 75.7% Upper Orara — Car (driver): 74.4%
Worked from Home 15.8% / 18.0%
Bonville — Worked from Home: 15.8% Upper Orara — Worked from Home: 18.0%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 4.8%
Bonville — Car (passenger): 5.3% Upper Orara — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Walked Only 2.4% / 2.8%
Bonville — Walked Only: 2.4% Upper Orara — Walked Only: 2.8%
Train 0.4% / —
Bonville — Train: 0.4% Upper Orara — Train: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.7%).

Setting

Bonville Upper Orara
Elevation 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 299 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.8 km 13.5 km

NBN connectivity

Bonville Upper Orara
Connectivity score 50/100 28/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 29%
1,098 premises
 0%
324 premises

Climate

Bonville Upper Orara
Annual rainfall 1,827 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Bonville Upper Orara
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 10.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.22 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Bonville Upper Orara
Average residential rate $1,437/yr
same for both
Council Coffs Harbour
same for both

Federal electorate

Bonville Upper Orara
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bonville Upper Orara
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bonville

Acreage

Upper Orara

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bonville

Bonville vs Toormina Bonville vs Boambee East Bonville vs Sawtell Bonville vs Boambee Bonville vs Bundagen Bonville vs Valery

Other comparisons with Upper Orara

Upper Orara vs Coffs Harbour Upper Orara vs North Boambee Valley Upper Orara vs Boambee Upper Orara vs Coramba Upper Orara vs Karangi Upper Orara vs Lowanna
Full data on Bonville Full data on Upper Orara
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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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