Cawongla vs Larnook

Larnook is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 57 in Cawongla. In both, the large majority of households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Cawongla, most households are people living alone. In Larnook, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Cawongla: a median of $673,000, against $382,000 in Larnook, though rent is higher in Larnook. On these figures, Cawongla tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Larnook suits 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

Larnook

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (46% vs 36%)
  • But Cawongla has more separate houses rather than flats (94% vs 63%)

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

First-home buyers

Larnook

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($382,500 vs $673,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (27% vs 43%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cawongla

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (23% vs 5%)
  • has cheaper rent ($280/wk vs $360/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Larnook

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (25/100 vs 12/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (503 min vs 514 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (755.2 km vs 763.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Larnook

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (37% vs 6%)
  • is more walkable (25/100 vs 12/100)
  • But Cawongla has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 23%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cawongla Larnook
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.

Cawongla Larnook
Walkability 12 / 25
Cawongla — Walkability: 12/100 Larnook — Walkability: 25/100
Safety 29 / 25
Cawongla — Safety: 29/100 Larnook — Safety: 25/100
Low fire risk 80 / 58
Cawongla — Low fire risk: 80/100 Larnook — Low fire risk: 58/100

Demographics

Larnook has more residents (394 vs 204); Larnook rents higher ($360/wk vs $280/wk).

Cawongla Larnook
Population 204 394
+93% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.2% +4.8%
Median age 57 50
Median household income $42,432/yr $48,672/yr
+15% vs other
Median weekly rent $280/wk $360/wk
+29% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cawongla Larnook
0-4 4.4% / 3.6%
Cawongla — 0-4: 4.4% Larnook — 0-4: 3.6%
5-14 7.4% / 10.2%
Cawongla — 5-14: 7.4% Larnook — 5-14: 10.2%
15-19 1.5% / 4.8%
Cawongla — 15-19: 1.5% Larnook — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 — / 2.0%
Cawongla — 20-24: not among its largest Larnook — 20-24: 2.0%
25-34 4.9% / 5.6%
Cawongla — 25-34: 4.9% Larnook — 25-34: 5.6%
35-44 9.8% / 11.9%
Cawongla — 35-44: 9.8% Larnook — 35-44: 11.9%
45-54 11.3% / 16.2%
Cawongla — 45-54: 11.3% Larnook — 45-54: 16.2%
55-64 25.5% / 21.6%
Cawongla — 55-64: 25.5% Larnook — 55-64: 21.6%
65-74 24.5% / 18.8%
Cawongla — 65-74: 24.5% Larnook — 65-74: 18.8%
75-84 3.4% / 2.8%
Cawongla — 75-84: 3.4% Larnook — 75-84: 2.8%
85+ 2.9% / 1.0%
Cawongla — 85+: 2.9% Larnook — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cawongla 59.3% lone person
Cawongla — Lone Person: 59.3% Cawongla — Couple Families: 13.6% Cawongla — One Parent Families: 22.0% Cawongla — Group Household: 5.1%
Larnook 48.3% lone person
Larnook — Lone Person: 48.3% Larnook — Couple Families: 30.8% Larnook — One Parent Families: 15.0% Larnook — Group Household: 5.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cawongla 22.6% renting
Cawongla — Owned Outright: 51.2% Cawongla — Mortgage: 26.2% Cawongla — Renting: 22.6%
Larnook 5.2% renting
Larnook — Owned Outright: 60.0% Larnook — Mortgage: 34.8% Larnook — Renting: 5.2%
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.

Cawongla Larnook
England 5.9% / 3.0%
Cawongla — England: 5.9% Larnook — England: 3.0%
New Zealand 3.9% / 3.6%
Cawongla — New Zealand: 3.9% Larnook — New Zealand: 3.6%
Germany 2.9% / 2.5%
Cawongla — Germany: 2.9% Larnook — Germany: 2.5%
Netherlands — / 2.3%
Cawongla — Netherlands: not among its largest Larnook — Netherlands: 2.3%
South Africa — / 1.0%
Cawongla — South Africa: not among its largest Larnook — South Africa: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.9%).

Qualifications

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

Cawongla Larnook
Certificate III & IV 16.7% / 15.2%
Cawongla — Certificate III & IV: 16.7% Larnook — Certificate III & IV: 15.2%
Bachelor Degree 13.7% / 12.9%
Cawongla — Bachelor Degree: 13.7% Larnook — Bachelor Degree: 12.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.3% / 9.4%
Cawongla — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.3% Larnook — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4%
Postgraduate Degree 1.5% / 4.3%
Cawongla — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5% Larnook — Postgraduate Degree: 4.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 2.5%
Cawongla — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Larnook — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cawongla 94.5% houses
Cawongla — Houses: 94.5% Cawongla — Flats / Apartments: 5.5%
Larnook 62.7% houses
Larnook — Houses: 62.7% Larnook — Flats / Apartments: 37.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cawongla Larnook
Median house price $673,000 $382,500
Median unit price — $400,000
Median land price $1,290,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) — 165 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Cawongla Larnook
Rural and farming 97% 99%
Environmental 1%
same for both
Residential 1% 0%
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

Cawongla Larnook
New dwellings approved 25
across Kyogle
 138
across Lismore
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Cawongla Larnook
House price Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
Income Higher than 5% of NSW Higher than 10% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 23% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 10% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 44% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW

Liveability

Larnook is more walkable (25 vs 12).

Cawongla Larnook
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Larnook carries more bushfire risk (42 vs 20).

Cawongla Larnook
Bushfire Low
20/100
 Moderate
42/100
Crime High
71/100
 High
75/100
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

Cawongla Larnook
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Cawongla

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

Schools in Larnook

  • Larnook Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Cawongla Larnook
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Waterways 4 12

Mobility

Cawongla sits further from the CBD (763.6 km vs 755.2 km).

Cawongla Larnook
Walkability score 12/100 25/100
Distance to Sydney 763.6 km
+1% vs other
 755.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 514 min 503 min
Public transport score 23/100
Bus
 22/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 5.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
same for both
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2474
 0.6%
postcode 2480
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 71
postcode 2474
 69
postcode 2480

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.

Cawongla Larnook
Car (driver) 56.1% / 68.3%
Cawongla — Car (driver): 56.1% Larnook — Car (driver): 68.3%
Worked from Home 28.1% / 31.7%
Cawongla — Worked from Home: 28.1% Larnook — Worked from Home: 31.7%
Walked Only 10.5% / —
Cawongla — Walked Only: 10.5% Larnook — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 5.3% / —
Cawongla — Car (passenger): 5.3% Larnook — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.3%).

Setting

Cawongla Larnook
Elevation 205 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 45 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 45.8 km 44.6 km

NBN connectivity

Cawongla Larnook
Connectivity score 29/100 25/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
107 premises
 0%
212 premises

Climate

Cawongla Larnook
Annual rainfall 1,569 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Cawongla Larnook
Average residential rate $1,264/yr $1,487/yr
Council Kyogle Lismore

Federal electorate

Cawongla Larnook
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cawongla Larnook
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cawongla

Professionals Quiet Retirees Rural

Larnook

Apartments Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cawongla

Cawongla vs Barkers Vale Cawongla vs Wadeville Cawongla vs Stony Chute Cawongla vs Boorabee Park Cawongla vs Homeleigh

Other comparisons with Larnook

Larnook vs Rock Valley Larnook vs Georgica Larnook vs Bentley Larnook vs Stony Chute Larnook vs Boorabee Park
Full data on Cawongla Full data on Larnook
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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