Caloola vs Fosters Valley
Caloola is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 49 in Fosters Valley. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Caloola tends to suit people living alone, while Fosters Valley suits 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
- Caloola carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 12/100)
- Fosters Valley is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 64%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Caloola
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (10% vs 21%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Fosters Valley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $175/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Fosters Valley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (231.8 km vs 239.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Caloola carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 12/100)
- Fosters Valley has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 8%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Fosters Valley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-12.2% vs -29.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Caloola and Fosters Valley 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
Caloola rents higher ($175/wk vs $0/wk); Fosters Valley has higher household incomes ($107,224 vs $75,816).
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 62 | 72 +16% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -29.5% | -12.2% |
| Median age | 42 | 49 |
| Median household income | $75,816/yr | $107,224/yr +41% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $175/wk (not reported on the other side) | — |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).
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 (25.8%).
Zoning mix
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% same for both | |
| 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
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 177 across Bathurst same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -23% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 43% of NSW | Higher than 73% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 11% of NSW | Higher than 16% of NSW |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 43% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 34% of NSW | Higher than 30% of NSW |
Liveability
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | very advantaged area decile 10/10 |
Risk profile
Fosters Valley carries more crime risk (12 vs 0); Caloola carries more bushfire risk (27 vs 12).
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 27/100 | Low 12/100 |
| Crime | None 0/100 | Low 12/100 |
| 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 | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 16 same for both | |
Mobility
Caloola sits further from the CBD (239.1 km vs 231.8 km).
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 239.1 km +3% vs other | 231.8 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 203 min | 199 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2795 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 47 postcode 2795 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 (63.9%).
Setting
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 913 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 931 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 24/100 | 21/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 29 premises | 0% 21 premises |
Climate
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 666 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 28.4°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 1.1°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 5.3 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | — same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,301/yr same for both | |
| Council | Bathurst same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Calare same for both | |
| Member | Andrew Gee same for both | |
| Party | Independent same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Caloola | Fosters Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Caloola
Other comparisons with Fosters Valley
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.