Caloola vs Hobbys Yards
Caloola is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 51 in Hobbys Yards. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Caloola, most households are couple families. In Hobbys Yards, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Caloola tends to suit couples, while Hobbys Yards 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
Caloola
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is already more of a family suburb (64% vs 50%)
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 20%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Hobbys Yards
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($160/wk vs $175/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Caloola
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (203 min vs 218 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (239.1 km vs 252.3 km)
- But Hobbys Yards is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Hobbys Yards
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 8%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Hobbys Yards
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (9.9% vs -29.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Caloola and Hobbys Yards 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
Hobbys Yards has more residents (89 vs 62); Hobbys Yards skews older (51 vs 42).
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 62 | 89 +44% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -29.5% | +9.9% |
| Median age | 42 | 51 |
| Median household income | $75,816/yr | $82,316/yr +9% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $175/wk +9% vs other | $160/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).
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%).
Property market
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $890,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 177 across Bathurst | 51 across Blayney |
| Approvals change year on year | -23% | +14% |
Ranking within NSW
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — | Higher than 42% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 43% of NSW | Higher than 50% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 11% of NSW | Higher than 55% of NSW |
| Affordability | — | Higher than 58% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 43% of NSW | Higher than 44% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 34% of NSW same for both | |
Liveability
Hobbys Yards is more walkable (8 vs 0).
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Caloola carries more bushfire risk (27 vs 0).
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 27/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | None 0/100 same for both | |
| 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 | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 16 | 10 |
Mobility
Hobbys Yards sits further from the CBD (252.3 km vs 239.1 km).
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 8/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 239.1 km | 252.3 km +6% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 203 min | 218 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 (65.8%).
Setting
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 913 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 959 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 24/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 29 premises | 0% 43 premises |
Climate
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
Council rates
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,301/yr | $925/yr |
| Council | Bathurst | Blayney |
Federal electorate
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Calare same for both | |
| Member | Andrew Gee same for both | |
| Party | Independent same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Caloola | Hobbys Yards | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Hobbys Yards
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.