Calga vs Somersby

Calga is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 47 in Somersby. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Calga, about half of households are couple families. In Somersby, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Somersby: a median of $2.06 million, against $1.5 million in Calga, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Calga tends to suit share households, families with children, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Somersby

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 85%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 62%)

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

First-home buyers

Calga

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,500,000 vs $2,062,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Calga

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $380/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Calga

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (56 min vs 67 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (64.5 km vs 75.3 km)
  • But Somersby is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Calga has more units and townhouses to downsize into (15% vs 2%)
  • Somersby is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Somersby

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (2.0% vs -5.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Calga Somersby
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.

Calga Somersby
Walkability 0 / 8
Calga — Walkability: 0/100 Somersby — Walkability: 8/100
Safety 13 / 11
Calga — Safety: 13/100 Somersby — Safety: 11/100
Low fire risk 11 / 22
Calga — Low fire risk: 11/100 Somersby — Low fire risk: 22/100

Demographics

Somersby has more residents (1,087 vs 134); Somersby skews older (47 vs 43).

Calga Somersby
Population 134 1,087
+711% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -5.6% +2.0%
Median age 43 47
Median household income $110,448/yr $115,180/yr
+4% vs other
Median weekly rent $350/wk $380/wk
+9% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Calga Somersby
0-4 2.2% / 4.1%
Calga — 0-4: 2.2% Somersby — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 17.9% / 9.8%
Calga — 5-14: 17.9% Somersby — 5-14: 9.8%
15-19 5.2% / 7.8%
Calga — 15-19: 5.2% Somersby — 15-19: 7.8%
20-24 4.5% / 6.7%
Calga — 20-24: 4.5% Somersby — 20-24: 6.7%
25-34 4.5% / 9.0%
Calga — 25-34: 4.5% Somersby — 25-34: 9.0%
35-44 21.6% / 10.0%
Calga — 35-44: 21.6% Somersby — 35-44: 10.0%
45-54 15.7% / 16.3%
Calga — 45-54: 15.7% Somersby — 45-54: 16.3%
55-64 14.9% / 16.7%
Calga — 55-64: 14.9% Somersby — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 11.2% / 10.9%
Calga — 65-74: 11.2% Somersby — 65-74: 10.9%
75-84 4.5% / 6.3%
Calga — 75-84: 4.5% Somersby — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ 2.2% / 1.9%
Calga — 85+: 2.2% Somersby — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Calga 48.3% couple families
Calga — Couple Families: 48.3% Calga — Lone Person: 20.7% Calga — One Parent Families: 13.8% Calga — Group Household: 17.2% Calga — Other Families: 0.0%
Somersby 58.1% couple families
Somersby — Couple Families: 58.1% Somersby — Lone Person: 23.6% Somersby — One Parent Families: 12.2% Somersby — Group Household: 2.4% Somersby — Other Families: 3.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Calga 32.6% renting
Calga — Owned Outright: 28.3% Calga — Mortgage: 39.1% Calga — Renting: 32.6%
Somersby 27.2% renting
Somersby — Owned Outright: 44.4% Somersby — Mortgage: 28.4% Somersby — Renting: 27.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Calga Somersby
England 2.2% / 3.9%
Calga — England: 2.2% Somersby — England: 3.9%
South Africa 2.2% / 0.7%
Calga — South Africa: 2.2% Somersby — South Africa: 0.7%
New Zealand — / 1.3%
Calga — New Zealand: not among its largest Somersby — New Zealand: 1.3%
Thailand — / 0.8%
Calga — Thailand: not among its largest Somersby — Thailand: 0.8%
China — / 0.7%
Calga — China: not among its largest Somersby — China: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).

Qualifications

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

Calga Somersby
Certificate III & IV 16.4% / 18.9%
Calga — Certificate III & IV: 16.4% Somersby — Certificate III & IV: 18.9%
Bachelor Degree 14.2% / 12.5%
Calga — Bachelor Degree: 14.2% Somersby — Bachelor Degree: 12.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.9% / 9.4%
Calga — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.9% Somersby — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4%
Postgraduate Degree 3.7% / 2.9%
Calga — Postgraduate Degree: 3.7% Somersby — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.1%
Calga — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Somersby — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Calga 85.1% houses
Calga — Houses: 85.1% Calga — Flats / Apartments: 14.9%
Somersby 97.6% houses
Somersby — Houses: 97.6% Somersby — Flats / Apartments: 2.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Calga Somersby
Median house price $1,500,000 $2,062,500
Median unit price — $770,000
Median land price — $1,702,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 30 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Calga has more land zoned for conservation (61% vs 42%); Somersby has more rural and farming land (43% vs 31%).

Calga Somersby
Environmental 61% 42%
Rural and farming 31% 43%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 9%
Industrial 0% 4%
Parks and recreation 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

Calga Somersby
New dwellings approved 1,441
across Central Coast (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +67%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Calga Somersby
House price Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Income Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 9% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 5% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 83% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW

Liveability

Somersby is more walkable (8 vs 0).

Calga Somersby
Grade — C
Score — 33/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Calga carries more bushfire risk (89 vs 78).

Calga Somersby
Bushfire High
89/100
 High
78/100
Crime High
87/100
 High
89/100
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 2
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Calga Somersby
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km None 1
The University of Newcastle (Central Coast), 9.0 km

Schools in Calga

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

Schools in Somersby

  • Somersby Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Calga Somersby
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 1 5
Waterways 3 33

Mobility

Somersby sits further from the CBD (75.3 km vs 64.5 km).

Calga Somersby
Walkability score 0/100 8/100
Distance to Sydney 64.5 km 75.3 km
+17% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 56 min 67 min
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 2250
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 2250
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.

Calga Somersby
Car (driver) 55.3% / 54.5%
Calga — Car (driver): 55.3% Somersby — Car (driver): 54.5%
Worked from Home 21.3% / 34.1%
Calga — Worked from Home: 21.3% Somersby — Worked from Home: 34.1%
Walked Only 17.0% / 5.1%
Calga — Walked Only: 17.0% Somersby — Walked Only: 5.1%
Train 6.4% / —
Calga — Train: 6.4% Somersby — Train: not among its largest
Car (passenger) — / 4.2%
Calga — Car (passenger): not among its largest Somersby — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Bus — / 1.3%
Calga — Bus: not among its largest Somersby — Bus: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (55.3%).

Setting

Calga Somersby
Elevation 214 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 260 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 15.1 km 15.6 km

NBN connectivity

Calga Somersby
Connectivity score 25/100 47/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
16 premises
 16%
784 premises

Climate

Calga Somersby
Annual rainfall 1,272 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Calga Somersby
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.36 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Calga Somersby
Average residential rate $1,409/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Calga Somersby
Division Robertson
same for both
Member Gordon Reid
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Calga Somersby
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Calga

Rural

Somersby

Premium Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Calga

Calga vs Mangrove Mountain Calga vs Peats Ridge Calga vs Mount White

Other comparisons with Somersby

Somersby vs Narara Somersby vs Kariong Somersby vs Ourimbah Somersby vs Niagara Park Somersby vs West Gosford Somersby vs Peats Ridge
Full data on Calga Full data on Somersby
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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