Burnt Bridge vs Dondingalong

Burnt Bridge is the younger of the two, with a median age of 30 against 51 in Dondingalong. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Dondingalong, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Burnt Bridge tends to suit young adults, while Dondingalong 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Burnt Bridge is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 60%)
  • Dondingalong carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 97/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, 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

Burnt Bridge

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (35% vs 11%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 28%)
  • has cheaper rent ($178/wk vs $330/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Burnt Bridge

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (281 min vs 296 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (421.2 km vs 432.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dondingalong

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 9%)
  • carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 97/100)

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

Investors

Dondingalong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (7.2% vs -27.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
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.

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Walkability 4 / 0
Burnt Bridge — Walkability: 4/100 Dondingalong — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 3 / 43
Burnt Bridge — Safety: 3/100 Dondingalong — Safety: 43/100
Low fire risk 20 / 46
Burnt Bridge — Low fire risk: 20/100 Dondingalong — Low fire risk: 46/100

Demographics

Dondingalong has more residents (712 vs 110); Dondingalong rents higher ($330/wk vs $178/wk).

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Population 110 712
+547% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -27.6% +7.2%
Median age 30 51
Median household income $63,336/yr
+4% vs other
 $60,528/yr
Median weekly rent $178/wk $330/wk
+85% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
0-4 10.9% / 5.2%
Burnt Bridge — 0-4: 10.9% Dondingalong — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 4.5% / 9.6%
Burnt Bridge — 5-14: 4.5% Dondingalong — 5-14: 9.6%
15-19 10.9% / 6.0%
Burnt Bridge — 15-19: 10.9% Dondingalong — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 8.2% / 4.9%
Burnt Bridge — 20-24: 8.2% Dondingalong — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 17.3% / 9.0%
Burnt Bridge — 25-34: 17.3% Dondingalong — 25-34: 9.0%
35-44 8.2% / 7.4%
Burnt Bridge — 35-44: 8.2% Dondingalong — 35-44: 7.4%
45-54 14.5% / 13.8%
Burnt Bridge — 45-54: 14.5% Dondingalong — 45-54: 13.8%
55-64 18.2% / 21.8%
Burnt Bridge — 55-64: 18.2% Dondingalong — 55-64: 21.8%
65-74 3.6% / 14.3%
Burnt Bridge — 65-74: 3.6% Dondingalong — 65-74: 14.3%
75-84 5.5% / 6.2%
Burnt Bridge — 75-84: 5.5% Dondingalong — 75-84: 6.2%
85+ — / 1.4%
Burnt Bridge — 85+: not among its largest Dondingalong — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Burnt Bridge 78.9% one parent families
Burnt Bridge — One Parent Families: 78.9% Burnt Bridge — Lone Person: 21.1% Burnt Bridge — Couple Families: 0.0% Burnt Bridge — Group Household: 0.0% Burnt Bridge — Other Families: 0.0%
Dondingalong 13.7% one parent families
Dondingalong — One Parent Families: 13.7% Dondingalong — Lone Person: 35.1% Dondingalong — Couple Families: 46.4% Dondingalong — Group Household: 3.0% Dondingalong — Other Families: 1.8%
One Parent Families Lone Person Couple Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Burnt Bridge 35.3% renting
Burnt Bridge — Owned Outright: 64.7% Burnt Bridge — Mortgage: 0.0% Burnt Bridge — Renting: 35.3%
Dondingalong 11.2% renting
Dondingalong — Owned Outright: 51.4% Dondingalong — Mortgage: 37.5% Dondingalong — Renting: 11.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Burnt Bridge 96.4% houses
Burnt Bridge — Houses: 96.4% Burnt Bridge — Flats / Apartments: 3.6%
Dondingalong 100.4% houses
Dondingalong — Houses: 100.4% Dondingalong — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Certificate III & IV 10.0% / 23.0%
Burnt Bridge — Certificate III & IV: 10.0% Dondingalong — Certificate III & IV: 23.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma — / 7.6%
Burnt Bridge — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest Dondingalong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6%
Bachelor Degree — / 6.7%
Burnt Bridge — Bachelor Degree: not among its largest Dondingalong — Bachelor Degree: 6.7%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.1%
Burnt Bridge — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Dondingalong — Postgraduate Degree: 1.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.8%
Burnt Bridge — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Dondingalong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).

Property market

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Median house price — $620,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $665,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 40 days
from 4 sales

Zoning mix

Dondingalong has more land zoned for conservation (13% vs 0%); Burnt Bridge has more rural and farming land (95% vs 84%).

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Rural and farming 95% 84%
Environmental 0% 13%
Residential 5% 3%
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

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
New dwellings approved 144
across Kempsey
same for both
Approvals change year on year +380%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
House price — Higher than 24% of NSW
Income Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 22% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 56% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 7% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 53% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW

Liveability

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Grade — D
Score — 19/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Burnt Bridge carries more crime risk (97 vs 57); Burnt Bridge carries more bushfire risk (80 vs 54).

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Bushfire High
80/100
 Moderate
54/100
Crime High
97/100
 Moderate
57/100
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 3
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
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

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Waterways 2 7

Mobility

Dondingalong sits further from the CBD (432.2 km vs 421.2 km).

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Walkability score 4/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 421.2 km 432.2 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 281 min 296 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2440
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 2440
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.

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Car (driver) 66.7% / 76.0%
Burnt Bridge — Car (driver): 66.7% Dondingalong — Car (driver): 76.0%
Car (passenger) 33.3% / 7.0%
Burnt Bridge — Car (passenger): 33.3% Dondingalong — Car (passenger): 7.0%
Worked from Home — / 14.3%
Burnt Bridge — Worked from Home: not among its largest Dondingalong — Worked from Home: 14.3%
Walked Only — / 1.6%
Burnt Bridge — Walked Only: not among its largest Dondingalong — Walked Only: 1.6%
Bus — / 1.2%
Burnt Bridge — Bus: not among its largest Dondingalong — Bus: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.0%).

Setting

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Elevation 42 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 105 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.9 km 22.6 km

NBN connectivity

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Connectivity score 30/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
37 premises
 0%
304 premises

Council rates

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Average residential rate $1,447/yr
same for both
Council Kempsey
same for both

Federal electorate

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Burnt Bridge Dondingalong
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Burnt Bridge

Professionals Rural Young Families

Dondingalong

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Burnt Bridge

Burnt Bridge vs South Kempsey

Other comparisons with Dondingalong

Dondingalong vs South Kempsey Dondingalong vs Aldavilla Dondingalong vs Kundabung Dondingalong vs Euroka Dondingalong vs Sherwood Dondingalong vs Gum Scrub
Full data on Burnt Bridge Full data on Dondingalong
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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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