Brewarrina vs Bourke

In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Brewarrina, most households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In Bourke, most households own their home. Houses cost more in Bourke: a median of $230,000, against $190,000 in Brewarrina, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Brewarrina tends to suit renters, people living alone, and 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

Bourke

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 2)
  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 4)
  • is already more of a family suburb (56% vs 45%)
  • But Brewarrina has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

  • Brewarrina has cheaper houses ($190,000 vs $230,000)
  • Bourke has cheaper land ($26,000 vs $30,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Brewarrina

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (63% vs 43%)
  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $180/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Bourke

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (542 min vs 567 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (748 km vs 770.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

Nothing among the 5 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Investors

Bourke

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-11.0% vs -18.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Brewarrina Bourke
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.

Brewarrina Bourke
Walkability 4 / 0
Brewarrina — Walkability: 4/100 Bourke — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 2 / 1
Brewarrina — Safety: 2/100 Bourke — Safety: 1/100
Low fire risk 67 / 87
Brewarrina — Low fire risk: 67/100 Bourke — Low fire risk: 87/100

Demographics

Bourke has more residents (1,699 vs 931); Bourke has higher household incomes ($81,120 vs $52,208).

Brewarrina Bourke
Population 931 1,699
+82% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -18.5% -11.0%
Median age 33 35
Median household income $52,208/yr $81,120/yr
+55% vs other
Median weekly rent $150/wk $180/wk
+20% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brewarrina Bourke
0-4 7.5% / 8.4%
Brewarrina — 0-4: 7.5% Bourke — 0-4: 8.4%
5-14 14.1% / 14.3%
Brewarrina — 5-14: 14.1% Bourke — 5-14: 14.3%
15-19 6.9% / 5.4%
Brewarrina — 15-19: 6.9% Bourke — 15-19: 5.4%
20-24 6.1% / 6.2%
Brewarrina — 20-24: 6.1% Bourke — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 16.8% / 14.8%
Brewarrina — 25-34: 16.8% Bourke — 25-34: 14.8%
35-44 8.8% / 11.4%
Brewarrina — 35-44: 8.8% Bourke — 35-44: 11.4%
45-54 12.6% / 12.2%
Brewarrina — 45-54: 12.6% Bourke — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 15.1% / 12.7%
Brewarrina — 55-64: 15.1% Bourke — 55-64: 12.7%
65-74 6.6% / 8.8%
Brewarrina — 65-74: 6.6% Bourke — 65-74: 8.8%
75-84 3.2% / 3.7%
Brewarrina — 75-84: 3.2% Bourke — 75-84: 3.7%
85+ 1.5% / 1.4%
Brewarrina — 85+: 1.5% Bourke — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Brewarrina 47.9% lone person
Brewarrina — Lone Person: 47.9% Brewarrina — Couple Families: 20.0% Brewarrina — One Parent Families: 24.9% Brewarrina — Group Household: 4.9% Brewarrina — Other Families: 2.3%
Bourke 39.0% lone person
Bourke — Lone Person: 39.0% Bourke — Couple Families: 34.1% Bourke — One Parent Families: 21.4% Bourke — Group Household: 2.7% Bourke — Other Families: 2.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Brewarrina 63.0% renting
Brewarrina — Owned Outright: 26.0% Brewarrina — Mortgage: 11.0% Brewarrina — Renting: 63.0%
Bourke 43.4% renting
Bourke — Owned Outright: 31.4% Bourke — Mortgage: 25.2% Bourke — Renting: 43.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Brewarrina Bourke
Certificate III & IV 7.5% / 9.7%
Brewarrina — Certificate III & IV: 7.5% Bourke — Certificate III & IV: 9.7%
Bachelor Degree 4.9% / 7.9%
Brewarrina — Bachelor Degree: 4.9% Bourke — Bachelor Degree: 7.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.2% / 6.0%
Brewarrina — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.2% Bourke — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0%
Postgraduate Degree 1.8% / 2.0%
Brewarrina — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8% Bourke — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.4% / 1.0%
Brewarrina — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4% Bourke — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.7%).

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.

Brewarrina Bourke
India 2.5% / 1.1%
Brewarrina — India: 2.5% Bourke — India: 1.1%
Nepal — / 0.9%
Brewarrina — Nepal: not among its largest Bourke — Nepal: 0.9%
New Zealand 0.6% / —
Brewarrina — New Zealand: 0.6% Bourke — New Zealand: not among its largest
Pakistan — / 0.6%
Brewarrina — Pakistan: not among its largest Bourke — Pakistan: 0.6%
Philippines — / 0.4%
Brewarrina — Philippines: not among its largest Bourke — Philippines: 0.4%
South Africa 0.3% / —
Brewarrina — South Africa: 0.3% Bourke — South Africa: not among its largest
England — / 0.3%
Brewarrina — England: not among its largest Bourke — England: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Brewarrina 88.9% houses
Brewarrina — Houses: 88.9% Brewarrina — Townhouses: 10.8% Brewarrina — Flats / Apartments: 0.3%
Bourke 93.7% houses
Bourke — Houses: 93.7% Bourke — Townhouses: 1.8% Bourke — Flats / Apartments: 4.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Brewarrina Bourke
Median house price $190,000 $230,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $30,000 $26,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 106 days
from 8 sales

Zoning mix

Brewarrina Bourke
Rural and farming 100% 99%
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

Brewarrina Bourke
New dwellings approved 2
across Brewarrina
 4
across Bourke

Ranking within NSW

Brewarrina Bourke
House price Higher than 1% of NSW Higher than 2% of NSW
Income Higher than 12% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 2% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 2% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 99% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
EV adoption — Higher than 10% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW

Liveability

Bourke scores higher overall (18 vs 9).

Brewarrina Bourke
Grade D
same for both
Score 9/100 18/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Brewarrina carries more bushfire risk (33 vs 13).

Brewarrina Bourke
Bushfire Low
33/100
 Low
13/100
Crime High
98/100
 High
99/100
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

Brewarrina Bourke
Inside the suburb 2 5
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Brewarrina

  • St Patrick's Parish School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Brewarrina Central School Government · Combined

Schools in Bourke

  • Bourke-Walgett School of Distance Education Government · Primary at peers
  • St Ignatius' Parish School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Bourke Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Bourke High School Government · Secondary
  • Koinonia Christian Academy Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Brewarrina Bourke
Supermarkets 2 1
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 4 9
Childcare 2 4
GPs 3
same for both
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Hospitals 1
same for both
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 2 3
Fuel stations 1 3
EV chargers 1
same for both
Waterways 147 80

Mobility

Brewarrina sits further from the CBD (770.2 km vs 748 km).

Brewarrina Bourke
Walkability score 4/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 770.2 km
+3% vs other
 748 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 567 min 542 min
Public transport score 27/100
Bus
 39/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 5.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 11.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 2839
 0.1%
postcode 2840
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 81
postcode 2839
 77
postcode 2840

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.

Brewarrina Bourke
Car (driver) 58.4% / 67.2%
Brewarrina — Car (driver): 58.4% Bourke — Car (driver): 67.2%
Walked Only 27.9% / 16.6%
Brewarrina — Walked Only: 27.9% Bourke — Walked Only: 16.6%
Worked from Home 9.5% / 5.8%
Brewarrina — Worked from Home: 9.5% Bourke — Worked from Home: 5.8%
Car (passenger) 4.2% / 8.8%
Brewarrina — Car (passenger): 4.2% Bourke — Car (passenger): 8.8%
Bicycle — / 1.0%
Brewarrina — Bicycle: not among its largest Bourke — Bicycle: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.2%).

Setting

Brewarrina Bourke
Elevation 118 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 108 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Brewarrina Bourke
Connectivity score 15/100 44/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
134 premises
 0%
1,145 premises

Council rates

Brewarrina Bourke
Average residential rate $139/yr $414/yr
Council Brewarrina Bourke

Federal electorate

Brewarrina Bourke
Division Parkes
same for both
Member Jamie Chaffey
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Brewarrina Bourke
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Brewarrina

Affordable Rural

Bourke

Affordable Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Brewarrina

Brewarrina vs Walgett Brewarrina vs North Bourke Brewarrina vs Carinda

Other comparisons with Bourke

Bourke vs North Bourke
Full data on Brewarrina Full data on Bourke
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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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