Brierfield vs Kalang

Brierfield is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 50 in Kalang. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Brierfield, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Brierfield: a median of $1.65 million, against $1.1 million in Kalang, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Brierfield tends to suit couples, while Kalang suits 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

Brierfield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 51%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Brierfield leaves households under less mortgage stress (23% vs 35%)
  • Kalang has cheaper houses ($1,100,000 vs $1,650,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Kalang

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($241/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Brierfield

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (346 min vs 417 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (505.9 km vs 549 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Kalang

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 15%)

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

Investors

Kalang

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.3% vs -3.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Brierfield Kalang
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.

Brierfield Kalang
Walkability 12 / 10
Brierfield — Walkability: 12/100 Kalang — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 49 / 48
Brierfield — Safety: 49/100 Kalang — Safety: 48/100
Low fire risk 75 / 34
Brierfield — Low fire risk: 75/100 Kalang — Low fire risk: 34/100

Demographics

Brierfield has higher household incomes ($83,408 vs $51,428); Brierfield rents higher ($350/wk vs $241/wk).

Brierfield Kalang
Population 322
+13% vs other
 280
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.3% +5.3%
Median age 46 50
Median household income $83,408/yr
+38% vs other
 $51,428/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+31% vs other
 $241/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brierfield Kalang
0-4 3.1% / 3.2%
Brierfield — 0-4: 3.1% Kalang — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 14.9% / 11.4%
Brierfield — 5-14: 14.9% Kalang — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 6.5% / 5.7%
Brierfield — 15-19: 6.5% Kalang — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 4.7% / 1.4%
Brierfield — 20-24: 4.7% Kalang — 20-24: 1.4%
25-34 6.8% / 5.4%
Brierfield — 25-34: 6.8% Kalang — 25-34: 5.4%
35-44 11.2% / 8.6%
Brierfield — 35-44: 11.2% Kalang — 35-44: 8.6%
45-54 16.8% / 22.1%
Brierfield — 45-54: 16.8% Kalang — 45-54: 22.1%
55-64 18.9% / 19.6%
Brierfield — 55-64: 18.9% Kalang — 55-64: 19.6%
65-74 11.2% / 17.1%
Brierfield — 65-74: 11.2% Kalang — 65-74: 17.1%
75-84 4.0% / 3.9%
Brierfield — 75-84: 4.0% Kalang — 75-84: 3.9%
85+ — / —
Brierfield — 85+: not among its largest Kalang — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Brierfield 59.0% couple families
Brierfield — Couple Families: 59.0% Brierfield — Lone Person: 17.9% Brierfield — One Parent Families: 16.7% Brierfield — Group Household: 6.4%
Kalang 37.3% couple families
Kalang — Couple Families: 37.3% Kalang — Lone Person: 44.8% Kalang — One Parent Families: 13.4% Kalang — Group Household: 4.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Brierfield 13.6% renting
Brierfield — Owned Outright: 55.3% Brierfield — Mortgage: 31.1% Brierfield — Renting: 13.6%
Kalang 12.3% renting
Kalang — Owned Outright: 62.3% Kalang — Mortgage: 25.5% Kalang — Renting: 12.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Brierfield Kalang
Certificate III & IV 19.9% / 16.4%
Brierfield — Certificate III & IV: 19.9% Kalang — Certificate III & IV: 16.4%
Bachelor Degree 16.8% / 16.1%
Brierfield — Bachelor Degree: 16.8% Kalang — Bachelor Degree: 16.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.3% / 9.3%
Brierfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3% Kalang — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3%
Postgraduate Degree 5.0% / 3.6%
Brierfield — Postgraduate Degree: 5.0% Kalang — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.1% / 4.3%
Brierfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1% Kalang — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).

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.

Brierfield Kalang
England 10.6% / 7.1%
Brierfield — England: 10.6% Kalang — England: 7.1%
New Zealand 2.8% / 2.1%
Brierfield — New Zealand: 2.8% Kalang — New Zealand: 2.1%
South Africa 0.9% / 1.4%
Brierfield — South Africa: 0.9% Kalang — South Africa: 1.4%
Canada — / 2.1%
Brierfield — Canada: not among its largest Kalang — Canada: 2.1%
Germany 1.2% / —
Brierfield — Germany: 1.2% Kalang — Germany: not among its largest
Philippines — / 1.1%
Brierfield — Philippines: not among its largest Kalang — Philippines: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Brierfield 100.9% houses
Brierfield — Houses: 100.9% Brierfield — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Kalang 95.6% houses
Kalang — Houses: 95.6% Kalang — Flats / Apartments: 4.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Brierfield Kalang
Median house price $1,650,000 $1,100,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Kalang has more land zoned for conservation (43% vs 19%); Brierfield has more rural and farming land (79% vs 57%).

Brierfield Kalang
Rural and farming 79% 57%
Environmental 19% 43%
Residential 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

Brierfield Kalang
New dwellings approved 40
across Bellingen
same for both
Approvals change year on year +12%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Brierfield Kalang
House price Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 3% of NSW
Income Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 60% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 80% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 26% of NSW

Liveability

Brierfield Kalang
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Kalang carries more bushfire risk (66 vs 25).

Brierfield Kalang
Bushfire Low
25/100
 Moderate
66/100
Crime Moderate
51/100
 Moderate
52/100
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

Brierfield Kalang
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

Brierfield Kalang
Childcare 0 1
Waterways 18 28

Mobility

Kalang sits further from the CBD (549 km vs 505.9 km).

Brierfield Kalang
Walkability score 12/100 10/100
Distance to Sydney 505.9 km 549 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 346 min 417 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2454
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 70
postcode 2454
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.

Brierfield Kalang
Car (driver) 70.5% / 69.8%
Brierfield — Car (driver): 70.5% Kalang — Car (driver): 69.8%
Worked from Home 23.0% / 22.1%
Brierfield — Worked from Home: 23.0% Kalang — Worked from Home: 22.1%
Walked Only 6.6% / —
Brierfield — Walked Only: 6.6% Kalang — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle — / 4.7%
Brierfield — Bicycle: not among its largest Kalang — Bicycle: 4.7%
Car (passenger) — / 3.5%
Brierfield — Car (passenger): not among its largest Kalang — Car (passenger): 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.5%).

Setting

Brierfield Kalang
Elevation 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 131 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.5 km 28.3 km

NBN connectivity

Brierfield Kalang
Connectivity score 30/100 17/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
132 premises
 0%
111 premises

Council rates

Brierfield Kalang
Average residential rate $1,592/yr
same for both
Council Bellingen
same for both

Federal electorate

Brierfield Kalang
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Brierfield Kalang
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Brierfield

River Rural

Kalang

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Brierfield

Brierfield vs Bellingen Brierfield vs Urunga Brierfield vs Valla Brierfield vs Fernmount

Other comparisons with Kalang

Kalang vs Bellingen Kalang vs Thora Kalang vs Missabotti Kalang vs Darkwood
Full data on Brierfield Full data on Kalang
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or