Broadwater vs Pambula Beach
Broadwater is the younger of the two, with a median age of 51 against 54 in Pambula Beach. 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 couple families. In Pambula Beach, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Pambula Beach: a median of $1.15 million, against $546,000 in Broadwater, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Broadwater tends to suit families with children, couples, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Pambula Beach suits 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 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (65% vs 47%)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 81%)
- But Pambula Beach has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)
Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Broadwater
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($546,000 vs $1,150,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Broadwater
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 26%)
- has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $370/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Pambula Beach
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (36/100 vs 8/100)
- sits closer to the CBD (531.7 km vs 536.3 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Pambula Beach
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (36/100 vs 8/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (32% vs 23%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.
Investors
Broadwater
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (26.5% vs 2.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Broadwater and Pambula Beach drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Pambula Beach has more residents (667 vs 148); Pambula Beach rents higher ($370/wk vs $250/wk).
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 148 | 667 +351% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +26.5% | +2.0% |
| Median age | 51 | 54 |
| Median household income | $94,224/yr +22% vs other | $73,528/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $250/wk | $370/wk +48% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.3%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.4%).
Property market
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $546,000 | $1,150,000 |
| Median unit price | — | $757,500 |
| Median land price | $240,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 42 days from 3 sales |
Zoning mix
Broadwater has more land zoned for conservation (98% vs 86%).
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental | 98% | 86% |
| Residential | 0% | 8% |
| Parks and recreation | 1% | 4% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 0% | 2% |
| 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 | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 109 across Bega Valley same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -32% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 17% of NSW | Higher than 52% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 61% of NSW | Higher than 40% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 54% of NSW | Higher than 77% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 90% of NSW | Higher than 40% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 40% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 47% of NSW | Higher than 90% of NSW |
Liveability
Pambula Beach is more walkable (36 vs 8).
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | B |
| Score | — | 53/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Broadwater carries more bushfire risk (59 vs 0).
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 59/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | — | Moderate 50/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | Moderate 60/100 | Moderate 53/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km | 2 within 5 km |
Schools
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 1 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Broadwater
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Pambula Beach
- Lumen Christi Catholic College Catholic · Combined above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 4 |
| Beaches | 0 | 3 |
| Waterways | 3 | 0 |
Mobility
Broadwater sits further from the CBD (536.3 km vs 531.7 km).
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 8/100 | 36/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 536.3 km | 531.7 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 373 min | 370 min |
| Public transport score | 21/100 Bus | 27/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 2.0 7-9am + 5-7pm | 7.8 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 18 min scheduled, not actual | 1 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2549 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 52 postcode 2549 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.6%).
Setting
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 0 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 38 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 2.5 km 2.5 km to a named beach | 806 m 1.1 km to a named beach |
NBN connectivity
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 81/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Fibre to the premises |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 65 premises | 54% 473 premises |
Climate
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 768 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,767/yr same for both | |
| Council | Bega Valley same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Eden-monaro same for both | |
| Member | Kristy Mcbain same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Broadwater | Pambula Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Broadwater
Other comparisons with Pambula Beach
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.