Calala vs Hillvue

Calala is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 42 in Hillvue. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Calala, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Calala tends to suit families with children.

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

  • Calala carries lower crime risk (63/100 vs 79/100)
  • Hillvue has more parks and reserves (12 vs 5)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Calala carries lower crime risk (63/100 vs 79/100)
  • Hillvue has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 14%)

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

Investors

Calala

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (16.6% vs 2.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Calala Hillvue
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.

Calala Hillvue
Walkability 13 / 18
Calala — Walkability: 13/100 Hillvue — Walkability: 18/100
Safety 37 / 21
Calala — Safety: 37/100 Hillvue — Safety: 21/100
Low fire risk 80 / 68
Calala — Low fire risk: 80/100 Hillvue — Low fire risk: 68/100

Demographics

Hillvue has more residents (6,528 vs 4,577); Hillvue skews older (42 vs 33).

Calala Hillvue
Population 4,577 6,528
+43% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.6% +2.1%
Median age 33 42
Median household income $96,876/yr
+9% vs other
 $88,452/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Calala Hillvue
0-4 6.5% / 4.9%
Calala — 0-4: 6.5% Hillvue — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 17.0% / 13.7%
Calala — 5-14: 17.0% Hillvue — 5-14: 13.7%
15-19 9.0% / 6.8%
Calala — 15-19: 9.0% Hillvue — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 6.0% / 5.4%
Calala — 20-24: 6.0% Hillvue — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 14.4% / 11.3%
Calala — 25-34: 14.4% Hillvue — 25-34: 11.3%
35-44 12.7% / 10.4%
Calala — 35-44: 12.7% Hillvue — 35-44: 10.4%
45-54 10.9% / 12.3%
Calala — 45-54: 10.9% Hillvue — 45-54: 12.3%
55-64 9.3% / 14.1%
Calala — 55-64: 9.3% Hillvue — 55-64: 14.1%
65-74 8.6% / 12.1%
Calala — 65-74: 8.6% Hillvue — 65-74: 12.1%
75-84 4.6% / 7.2%
Calala — 75-84: 4.6% Hillvue — 75-84: 7.2%
85+ 1.0% / 1.9%
Calala — 85+: 1.0% Hillvue — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Calala 47.2% couple families
Calala — Couple Families: 47.2% Calala — Lone Person: 30.1% Calala — One Parent Families: 18.3% Calala — Group Household: 3.2% Calala — Other Families: 1.3%
Hillvue 42.0% couple families
Hillvue — Couple Families: 42.0% Hillvue — Lone Person: 33.3% Hillvue — One Parent Families: 19.3% Hillvue — Group Household: 3.9% Hillvue — Other Families: 1.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Calala 26.6% renting
Calala — Owned Outright: 30.5% Calala — Mortgage: 43.0% Calala — Renting: 26.6%
Hillvue 23.7% renting
Hillvue — Owned Outright: 40.4% Hillvue — Mortgage: 35.9% Hillvue — Renting: 23.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Calala Hillvue
Certificate III & IV 18.4% / 18.3%
Calala — Certificate III & IV: 18.4% Hillvue — Certificate III & IV: 18.3%
Bachelor Degree 9.6% / 8.3%
Calala — Bachelor Degree: 9.6% Hillvue — Bachelor Degree: 8.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 7.1%
Calala — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Hillvue — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.4% / 2.3%
Calala — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4% Hillvue — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 1.6%
Calala — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Hillvue — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

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.

Calala Hillvue
England 1.4% / 0.9%
Calala — England: 1.4% Hillvue — England: 0.9%
New Zealand 0.8% / 0.6%
Calala — New Zealand: 0.8% Hillvue — New Zealand: 0.6%
India 0.4% / 0.6%
Calala — India: 0.4% Hillvue — India: 0.6%
Philippines 0.5% / 0.3%
Calala — Philippines: 0.5% Hillvue — Philippines: 0.3%
Taiwan 0.2% / 0.5%
Calala — Taiwan: 0.2% Hillvue — Taiwan: 0.5%
China 0.2% / 0.4%
Calala — China: 0.2% Hillvue — China: 0.4%
South Africa 0.3% / 0.3%
Calala — South Africa: 0.3% Hillvue — South Africa: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Calala 96.2% houses
Calala — Houses: 96.2% Calala — Townhouses: 3.5% Calala — Flats / Apartments: 0.3%
Hillvue 93.3% houses
Hillvue — Houses: 93.3% Hillvue — Townhouses: 5.5% Hillvue — Flats / Apartments: 1.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Calala Hillvue
Median house price $705,000 $697,300
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $240,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 92 days
from 10 sales
 35 days
from 9 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Calala Hillvue
3 bed $630K / $570K
Calala — 3 bed: $630K (51 sales) Hillvue — 3 bed: $570K (21 sales)

51 vs 21 sales

4 bed $785K / $728K
Calala — 4 bed: $785K (76 sales) Hillvue — 4 bed: $728K (32 sales)

76 vs 32 sales

Zoning mix

Calala has more rural and farming land (94% vs 29%).

Calala Hillvue
Rural and farming 94% 29%
Residential 5% 49%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 9%
Parks and recreation 0% 8%
Industrial 0% 6%
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

Calala Hillvue
New dwellings approved 390
across Tamworth
same for both
Approvals change year on year -35%
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.

Calala Hillvue
Houses 3.9%
$615/wk on $810K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Calala Hillvue
House price Higher than 27% of NSW Higher than 25% of NSW
Income Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 31% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 70% of NSW —

Liveability

Calala scores higher overall (39 vs 31).

Calala Hillvue
Grade C
same for both
Score 39/100 31/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Hillvue carries more bushfire risk (32 vs 20); Hillvue carries more crime risk (79 vs 63).

Calala Hillvue
Bushfire Low
20/100
 Low
32/100
Crime Moderate
63/100
 High
79/100
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 1
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Calala Hillvue
Inside the suburb 2
same for both
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Calala

  • Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Carinya Christian School Tamworth Independent · Combined below peers

Schools in Hillvue

  • Liberty College Independent · Primary above peers
  • Hillvue Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Calala Hillvue
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 4
Parks & reserves 5 12
Childcare 3 2
Pharmacies 1 0
Fuel stations 0 4
Waterways 18 17

Mobility

Calala Hillvue
Walkability score 13/100 18/100
Distance to Sydney 403.3 km 404 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 289 min 291 min
Public transport score 70/100
Bus
 73/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 62.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 80.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 2340
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 2340
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.

Calala Hillvue
Car (driver) 76.8% / 76.3%
Calala — Car (driver): 76.8% Hillvue — Car (driver): 76.3%
Worked from Home 14.2% / 15.5%
Calala — Worked from Home: 14.2% Hillvue — Worked from Home: 15.5%
Car (passenger) 6.1% / 6.9%
Calala — Car (passenger): 6.1% Hillvue — Car (passenger): 6.9%
Walked Only 2.1% / 0.7%
Calala — Walked Only: 2.1% Hillvue — Walked Only: 0.7%
Bicycle 0.5% / 0.4%
Calala — Bicycle: 0.5% Hillvue — Bicycle: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.8%).

Setting

Calala Hillvue
Elevation 422 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 419 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Calala Hillvue
Connectivity score 75/100 64/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 57%
2,033 premises
 37%
2,939 premises

Climate

Calala Hillvue
Annual rainfall 784 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 0.1°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Calala Hillvue
PM2.5 5.8 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 13.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.35 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Calala Hillvue
Average residential rate $1,397/yr
same for both
Council Tamworth
same for both

Federal electorate

Calala Hillvue
Division New England
same for both
Member Barnaby Joyce
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Calala Hillvue
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Calala

Acreage Family

Hillvue

Large Blocks Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Calala

Calala vs South Tamworth Calala vs East Tamworth Calala vs Kingswood Calala vs Nemingha Calala vs Loomberah Calala vs Piallamore

Other comparisons with Hillvue

Hillvue vs South Tamworth Hillvue vs West Tamworth Hillvue vs Kingswood Hillvue vs Warral
Full data on Calala Full data on Hillvue
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.

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