Broadwater vs Kilgin

Kilgin is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 50 in Broadwater. 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 Kilgin, most households are couple families. On these figures, Broadwater tends to suit people living alone, while Kilgin suits families with children and couples.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Broadwater has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
  • Kilgin is already more of a family suburb (63% vs 43%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Broadwater

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $305/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Kilgin

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (453 min vs 459 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (698.2 km vs 705.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Broadwater has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 19%)
  • Kilgin is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

Kilgin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (28.3% vs 4.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Broadwater and Kilgin 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 Kilgin
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 Kilgin
Walkability 0 / 14
Broadwater — Walkability: 0/100 Kilgin — Walkability: 14/100
Low fire risk 41 / 100
Broadwater — Low fire risk: 41/100 Kilgin — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Broadwater has more residents (670 vs 59); Broadwater skews older (50 vs 39).

Broadwater Kilgin
Population 670
+91% vs other
 59
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.7% +28.3%
Median age 50 39
Median household income $55,692/yr $61,724/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk $305/wk
+22% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Broadwater Kilgin
0-4 3.7% / 5.1%
Broadwater — 0-4: 3.7% Kilgin — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 12.1% / 16.9%
Broadwater — 5-14: 12.1% Kilgin — 5-14: 16.9%
15-19 4.5% / 5.1%
Broadwater — 15-19: 4.5% Kilgin — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 2.5% / 8.5%
Broadwater — 20-24: 2.5% Kilgin — 20-24: 8.5%
25-34 7.3% / —
Broadwater — 25-34: 7.3% Kilgin — 25-34: not among its largest
35-44 12.2% / 8.5%
Broadwater — 35-44: 12.2% Kilgin — 35-44: 8.5%
45-54 14.8% / 15.3%
Broadwater — 45-54: 14.8% Kilgin — 45-54: 15.3%
55-64 18.7% / 13.6%
Broadwater — 55-64: 18.7% Kilgin — 55-64: 13.6%
65-74 16.6% / 8.5%
Broadwater — 65-74: 16.6% Kilgin — 65-74: 8.5%
75-84 6.9% / 5.1%
Broadwater — 75-84: 6.9% Kilgin — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 1.2% / 5.1%
Broadwater — 85+: 1.2% Kilgin — 85+: 5.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Broadwater 29.8% couple families
Broadwater — Couple Families: 29.8% Broadwater — Lone Person: 47.0% Broadwater — One Parent Families: 13.6% Broadwater — Group Household: 7.1% Broadwater — Other Families: 2.5%
Kilgin 63.2% couple families
Kilgin — Couple Families: 63.2% Kilgin — Lone Person: 36.8% Kilgin — One Parent Families: 0.0% Kilgin — Group Household: 0.0% Kilgin — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person 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%
Kilgin 23.1% renting
Kilgin — Owned Outright: 46.2% Kilgin — Mortgage: 30.8% Kilgin — Renting: 23.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Broadwater Kilgin
Certificate III & IV 20.0% / 16.9%
Broadwater — Certificate III & IV: 20.0% Kilgin — Certificate III & IV: 16.9%
Bachelor Degree 6.4% / 8.5%
Broadwater — Bachelor Degree: 6.4% Kilgin — Bachelor Degree: 8.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.5% / 6.8%
Broadwater — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.5% Kilgin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / —
Broadwater — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Kilgin — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / —
Broadwater — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Kilgin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

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 Kilgin
South Africa — / 5.1%
Broadwater — South Africa: not among its largest Kilgin — South Africa: 5.1%
England 2.4% / —
Broadwater — England: 2.4% Kilgin — England: not among its largest
Thailand 0.9% / —
Broadwater — Thailand: 0.9% Kilgin — Thailand: not among its largest
New Zealand 0.6% / —
Broadwater — New Zealand: 0.6% Kilgin — New Zealand: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.6% / —
Broadwater — Netherlands: 0.6% Kilgin — Netherlands: not among its largest
India 0.4% / —
Broadwater — India: 0.4% Kilgin — India: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Broadwater 78.3% houses
Broadwater — Houses: 78.3% Broadwater — Flats / Apartments: 21.7%
Kilgin 110.5% houses
Kilgin — Houses: 110.5% Kilgin — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Broadwater Kilgin
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

Kilgin has more rural and farming land (90% vs 26%); Broadwater has more land zoned for conservation (72% vs 10%).

Broadwater Kilgin
Rural and farming 26% 90%
Environmental 72% 10%
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

Broadwater Kilgin
New dwellings approved 24
across Richmond Valley
 138
across Lismore
Approvals change year on year -78% +0%

Ranking within NSW

Broadwater Kilgin
House price Higher than 17% of NSW —
Income Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 66% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 25% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 61% of NSW

Liveability

Kilgin is more walkable (14 vs 0).

Broadwater Kilgin
Grade D —
Score 13/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Broadwater carries more bushfire risk (59 vs 0).

Broadwater Kilgin
Bushfire Moderate
59/100
 None
0/100
Crime — High
70/100
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
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Broadwater Kilgin
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 Kilgin

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

Amenities in the suburb

Broadwater Kilgin
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 21 5

Mobility

Broadwater sits further from the CBD (705.8 km vs 698.2 km).

Broadwater Kilgin
Walkability score 0/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 705.8 km
+1% vs other
 698.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 459 min 453 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2472
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 79
postcode 2472
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.

Broadwater Kilgin
Car (driver) 72.5% / 42.3%
Broadwater — Car (driver): 72.5% Kilgin — Car (driver): 42.3%
Worked from Home 16.9% / 46.2%
Broadwater — Worked from Home: 16.9% Kilgin — Worked from Home: 46.2%
Walked Only 4.7% / 11.5%
Broadwater — Walked Only: 4.7% Kilgin — Walked Only: 11.5%
Car (passenger) 5.9% / —
Broadwater — Car (passenger): 5.9% Kilgin — Car (passenger): not among its largest

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

Setting

Broadwater Kilgin
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.6 km
3.0 km to a named beach
 7.4 km

NBN connectivity

Broadwater Kilgin
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
270 premises
 0%
18 premises

Climate

Broadwater Kilgin
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 Kilgin
Average residential rate $1,282/yr $1,487/yr
Council Richmond Valley Lismore

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Broadwater Kilgin
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

Kilgin

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Broadwater

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

Other comparisons with Kilgin

Kilgin vs Woodburn Kilgin vs Rileys Hill Kilgin vs North Woodburn Kilgin vs Dungarubba
Full data on Broadwater Full data on Kilgin
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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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