Broadwater vs Doonbah

Broadwater is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 68 in Doonbah. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Broadwater, about half of households are people living alone. In Doonbah, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Doonbah 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

Broadwater

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (43% vs 29%)
  • But Doonbah has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 78%)

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

First-home buyers

Broadwater

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (34% vs 40%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Broadwater has a bigger rental market to choose from (25% vs 5%)
  • Doonbah has cheaper rent ($216/wk vs $250/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Doonbah

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (450 min vs 459 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (695.8 km vs 705.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Doonbah

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (58% vs 25%)
  • But Broadwater has more units and townhouses to downsize into (22% vs 2%)

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

Investors

Doonbah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.6% vs 4.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Broadwater Doonbah
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.

Broadwater Doonbah
Walkability 0 / 16
Broadwater — Walkability: 0/100 Doonbah — Walkability: 16/100
Low fire risk 41 / 16
Broadwater — Low fire risk: 41/100 Doonbah — Low fire risk: 16/100

Demographics

Broadwater has more residents (670 vs 298); Doonbah skews older (68 vs 50).

Broadwater Doonbah
Population 670
+56% vs other
 298
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.7% +22.6%
Median age 50 68
Median household income $55,692/yr
+18% vs other
 $45,552/yr
Median weekly rent $250/wk
+14% vs other
 $216/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Broadwater Doonbah
0-4 3.7% / 3.0%
Broadwater — 0-4: 3.7% Doonbah — 0-4: 3.0%
5-14 12.1% / 6.7%
Broadwater — 5-14: 12.1% Doonbah — 5-14: 6.7%
15-19 4.5% / 1.0%
Broadwater — 15-19: 4.5% Doonbah — 15-19: 1.0%
20-24 2.5% / 1.7%
Broadwater — 20-24: 2.5% Doonbah — 20-24: 1.7%
25-34 7.3% / 2.3%
Broadwater — 25-34: 7.3% Doonbah — 25-34: 2.3%
35-44 12.2% / 3.4%
Broadwater — 35-44: 12.2% Doonbah — 35-44: 3.4%
45-54 14.8% / 12.1%
Broadwater — 45-54: 14.8% Doonbah — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 18.7% / 12.4%
Broadwater — 55-64: 18.7% Doonbah — 55-64: 12.4%
65-74 16.6% / 33.9%
Broadwater — 65-74: 16.6% Doonbah — 65-74: 33.9%
75-84 6.9% / 18.1%
Broadwater — 75-84: 6.9% Doonbah — 75-84: 18.1%
85+ 1.2% / 5.7%
Broadwater — 85+: 1.2% Doonbah — 85+: 5.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (33.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Broadwater 47.0% lone person
Broadwater — Lone Person: 47.0% Broadwater — Couple Families: 29.8% Broadwater — One Parent Families: 13.6% Broadwater — Group Household: 7.1% Broadwater — Other Families: 2.5%
Doonbah 63.2% lone person
Doonbah — Lone Person: 63.2% Doonbah — Couple Families: 22.4% Doonbah — One Parent Families: 6.6% Doonbah — Group Household: 3.9% Doonbah — Other Families: 3.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Broadwater 24.6% renting
Broadwater — Owned Outright: 42.3% Broadwater — Mortgage: 33.1% Broadwater — Renting: 24.6%
Doonbah 4.6% renting
Doonbah — Owned Outright: 78.5% Doonbah — Mortgage: 16.9% Doonbah — Renting: 4.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Broadwater Doonbah
Certificate III & IV 20.0% / 14.4%
Broadwater — Certificate III & IV: 20.0% Doonbah — Certificate III & IV: 14.4%
Bachelor Degree 6.4% / 7.4%
Broadwater — Bachelor Degree: 6.4% Doonbah — Bachelor Degree: 7.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.5% / 9.1%
Broadwater — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.5% Doonbah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / 3.0%
Broadwater — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Doonbah — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.0%
Broadwater — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Doonbah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%

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

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.

Broadwater Doonbah
England 2.4% / 6.7%
Broadwater — England: 2.4% Doonbah — England: 6.7%
New Zealand 0.6% / 3.7%
Broadwater — New Zealand: 0.6% Doonbah — New Zealand: 3.7%
Philippines 0.4% / 1.0%
Broadwater — Philippines: 0.4% Doonbah — Philippines: 1.0%
Thailand 0.9% / —
Broadwater — Thailand: 0.9% Doonbah — Thailand: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.6% / —
Broadwater — Netherlands: 0.6% Doonbah — Netherlands: not among its largest
India 0.4% / —
Broadwater — India: 0.4% Doonbah — India: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Broadwater 78.3% houses
Broadwater — Houses: 78.3% Broadwater — Flats / Apartments: 21.7%
Doonbah 97.9% houses
Doonbah — Houses: 97.9% Doonbah — Flats / Apartments: 2.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Broadwater Doonbah
Median house price $710,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $227,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 88 days
from 4 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Broadwater has more land zoned for conservation (72% vs 24%); Doonbah has more rural and farming land (72% vs 26%).

Broadwater Doonbah
Rural and farming 26% 72%
Environmental 72% 24%
Parks and recreation 0% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 0%
Residential 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

Broadwater Doonbah
New dwellings approved 24
across Richmond Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -78%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Broadwater Doonbah
House price Higher than 17% of NSW —
Income Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 7% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 66% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW

Liveability

Doonbah is more walkable (16 vs 0).

Broadwater Doonbah
Grade D —
Score 13/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Doonbah carries more bushfire risk (84 vs 59).

Broadwater Doonbah
Bushfire Moderate
59/100
 High
84/100
Crime — Low
14/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
60/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Broadwater Doonbah
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Broadwater

  • Broadwater Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Doonbah

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

Amenities in the suburb

Broadwater Doonbah
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 21 0

Mobility

Broadwater sits further from the CBD (705.8 km vs 695.8 km).

Broadwater Doonbah
Walkability score 0/100 16/100
Distance to Sydney 705.8 km
+1% vs other
 695.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 459 min 450 min
Public transport score 29/100
Bus
 25/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 8.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 5.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2472
 0.4%
postcode 2473
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 79
postcode 2472
 64
postcode 2473

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.

Broadwater Doonbah
Car (driver) 72.5% / 62.9%
Broadwater — Car (driver): 72.5% Doonbah — Car (driver): 62.9%
Worked from Home 16.9% / 17.1%
Broadwater — Worked from Home: 16.9% Doonbah — Worked from Home: 17.1%
Walked Only 4.7% / 12.9%
Broadwater — Walked Only: 4.7% Doonbah — Walked Only: 12.9%
Car (passenger) 5.9% / 7.1%
Broadwater — Car (passenger): 5.9% Doonbah — Car (passenger): 7.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.5%).

Setting

Broadwater Doonbah
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 12 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.6 km
3.0 km to a named beach
 4.6 km
4.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Broadwater Doonbah
Connectivity score 30/100 64/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
270 premises
 38%
170 premises

Climate

Broadwater Doonbah
Annual rainfall 1,557 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 11.0°C
same for both

Council rates

Broadwater Doonbah
Average residential rate $1,282/yr
same for both
Council Richmond Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Broadwater Doonbah
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Broadwater Doonbah
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Broadwater

Affordable Coastal Rural

Doonbah

Acreage Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Broadwater

Broadwater vs Evans Head Broadwater vs Wardell Broadwater vs Woodburn Broadwater vs East Wardell Broadwater vs Rileys Hill Broadwater vs Bagotville

Other comparisons with Doonbah

Doonbah vs Evans Head Doonbah vs Woodburn
Full data on Broadwater Full data on Doonbah
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