Brownsville vs Dapto

Dapto is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 44 in Brownsville. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Brownsville, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Brownsville tends to suit people living alone.

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

Dapto

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (15 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 2)

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

  • Brownsville has cheaper units ($517,500 vs $690,000)
  • Dapto leaves households under less mortgage stress (29% vs 34%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Brownsville

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (37% vs 25%)
  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Brownsville sits closer to the CBD (94.4 km vs 97.3 km)
  • Dapto is more walkable (59/100 vs 44/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dapto

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (6 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (59/100 vs 44/100)
  • But Brownsville has more units and townhouses to downsize into (43% vs 15%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Brownsville Dapto
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.

Brownsville Dapto
Walkability 44 / 59
Brownsville — Walkability: 44/100 Dapto — Walkability: 59/100
Safety 18 / 25
Brownsville — Safety: 18/100 Dapto — Safety: 25/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Brownsville — Low fire risk: 100/100 Dapto — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Dapto has more residents (10,954 vs 524); Dapto has higher household incomes ($76,700 vs $60,320).

Brownsville Dapto
Population 524 10,954
+1990% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.9% +2.1%
Median age 44 39
Median household income $60,320/yr $76,700/yr
+27% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk $400/wk
+25% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brownsville Dapto
0-4 4.4% / 6.1%
Brownsville — 0-4: 4.4% Dapto — 0-4: 6.1%
5-14 10.5% / 12.1%
Brownsville — 5-14: 10.5% Dapto — 5-14: 12.1%
15-19 5.0% / 6.4%
Brownsville — 15-19: 5.0% Dapto — 15-19: 6.4%
20-24 5.7% / 6.5%
Brownsville — 20-24: 5.7% Dapto — 20-24: 6.5%
25-34 13.0% / 13.4%
Brownsville — 25-34: 13.0% Dapto — 25-34: 13.4%
35-44 11.6% / 12.1%
Brownsville — 35-44: 11.6% Dapto — 35-44: 12.1%
45-54 11.1% / 12.2%
Brownsville — 45-54: 11.1% Dapto — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 14.5% / 11.1%
Brownsville — 55-64: 14.5% Dapto — 55-64: 11.1%
65-74 11.5% / 10.0%
Brownsville — 65-74: 11.5% Dapto — 65-74: 10.0%
75-84 10.5% / 7.3%
Brownsville — 75-84: 10.5% Dapto — 75-84: 7.3%
85+ 1.9% / 2.8%
Brownsville — 85+: 1.9% Dapto — 85+: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Brownsville 50.8% lone person
Brownsville — Lone Person: 50.8% Brownsville — Couple Families: 22.6% Brownsville — One Parent Families: 22.6% Brownsville — Group Household: 1.7% Brownsville — Other Families: 2.3%
Dapto 33.6% lone person
Dapto — Lone Person: 33.6% Dapto — Couple Families: 40.9% Dapto — One Parent Families: 20.4% Dapto — Group Household: 3.3% Dapto — Other Families: 1.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Brownsville 36.8% renting
Brownsville — Owned Outright: 28.2% Brownsville — Mortgage: 35.0% Brownsville — Renting: 36.8%
Dapto 25.4% renting
Dapto — Owned Outright: 35.6% Dapto — Mortgage: 39.0% Dapto — Renting: 25.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Brownsville Dapto
Certificate III & IV 20.0% / 21.1%
Brownsville — Certificate III & IV: 20.0% Dapto — Certificate III & IV: 21.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 7.1%
Brownsville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Dapto — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1%
Bachelor Degree 5.3% / 6.3%
Brownsville — Bachelor Degree: 5.3% Dapto — Bachelor Degree: 6.3%
Postgraduate Degree 0.8% / 1.8%
Brownsville — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8% Dapto — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 1.1%
Brownsville — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Dapto — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

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.

Brownsville Dapto
England 7.1% / 5.3%
Brownsville — England: 7.1% Dapto — England: 5.3%
Scotland 1.9% / 0.8%
Brownsville — Scotland: 1.9% Dapto — Scotland: 0.8%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.0%
Brownsville — New Zealand: 1.1% Dapto — New Zealand: 1.0%
Philippines 1.0% / 0.7%
Brownsville — Philippines: 1.0% Dapto — Philippines: 0.7%
Thailand 1.1% / —
Brownsville — Thailand: 1.1% Dapto — Thailand: not among its largest
Germany — / 0.5%
Brownsville — Germany: not among its largest Dapto — Germany: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Brownsville 57.0% houses
Brownsville — Houses: 57.0% Brownsville — Flats / Apartments: 26.9% Brownsville — Townhouses: 16.1%
Dapto 84.7% houses
Dapto — Houses: 84.7% Dapto — Flats / Apartments: 2.5% Dapto — Townhouses: 12.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Brownsville Dapto
Median house price $841,500 $858,500
Median unit price $517,500 $690,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 54 days
from 3 sales
 20 days
from 90 sales

Zoning mix

Brownsville has more land zoned for conservation (57% vs 15%).

Brownsville Dapto
Environmental 57% 15%
Residential 20% 56%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 11%
Parks and recreation 10% 8%
Industrial 0% 5%
Rural and farming 3% 2%
Commercial 1% 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

Brownsville Dapto
New dwellings approved 1,476
across Wollongong
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Brownsville Dapto
Houses — 3.9%
$655/wk on $882K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Brownsville Dapto
House price Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
Income Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 57% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 67% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 100% of NSW
same for both
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 66% of NSW

Liveability

Dapto is more walkable (59 vs 44); Dapto scores higher overall (48 vs 39).

Brownsville Dapto
Grade C
same for both
Score 39/100 48/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Brownsville Dapto
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
82/100
 High
75/100
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 8
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Brownsville Dapto
Inside the suburb 0 4
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0 3
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
UOW Wollongong, 9.7 km
 None

Schools in Brownsville

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

Schools in Dapto

  • Lakelands Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Dapto High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Mount Brown Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St John's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Brownsville Dapto
Supermarkets 0 5
Cafes & restaurants 0 4
Parks & reserves 2 6
Childcare 0 15
GPs 0 6
Pharmacies 0 3
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 5
Fuel stations 1 2
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Dapto sits further from the CBD (97.3 km vs 94.4 km).

Brownsville Dapto
Walkability score 44/100 59/100
Distance to Sydney 94.4 km 97.3 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 85 min 88 min
Public transport score 36/100
Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 6.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 219.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2530
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 2530
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.

Brownsville Dapto
Car (driver) 63.5% / 72.8%
Brownsville — Car (driver): 63.5% Dapto — Car (driver): 72.8%
Worked from Home 25.3% / 18.9%
Brownsville — Worked from Home: 25.3% Dapto — Worked from Home: 18.9%
Car (passenger) 5.1% / 4.4%
Brownsville — Car (passenger): 5.1% Dapto — Car (passenger): 4.4%
Walked Only 6.2% / 1.6%
Brownsville — Walked Only: 6.2% Dapto — Walked Only: 1.6%
Train — / 1.3%
Brownsville — Train: not among its largest Dapto — Train: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.8%).

Setting

Brownsville Dapto
Elevation 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 38 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.5 km 7.6 km

NBN connectivity

Brownsville Dapto
Connectivity score 100/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
286 premises
 100%
5,237 premises

Climate

Brownsville Dapto
Annual rainfall 974 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Brownsville Dapto
PM2.5 5.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 19.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.45 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Brownsville Dapto
Average residential rate $1,751/yr
same for both
Council Wollongong
same for both

Federal electorate

Brownsville Dapto
Division Whitlam
same for both
Member Carol Berry
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Brownsville Dapto
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Brownsville

Quiet

Dapto

Regional Centre

More comparisons

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Brownsville vs Berkeley Brownsville vs Kanahooka Brownsville vs Kembla Grange

Other comparisons with Dapto

Dapto vs Horsley Dapto vs Kanahooka Dapto vs Koonawarra Dapto vs Avondale Dapto vs Kembla Grange Dapto vs Yallah
Full data on Brownsville Full data on Dapto
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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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