Central Mangrove vs Palm Grove

Central Mangrove is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 55 in Palm Grove. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Central Mangrove, most households are couple families. In Palm Grove, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Central Mangrove tends to suit couples, while Palm Grove 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

Central Mangrove

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 94/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (78% vs 55%)

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

First-home buyers

Central Mangrove

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 34%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Palm Grove

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $550/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Central Mangrove

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (69 min vs 80 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (80 km vs 91.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Central Mangrove carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 94/100)
  • Palm Grove has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 17%)

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

Investors

Central Mangrove

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-4.2% vs -17.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
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.

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Walkability 14 / 10
Central Mangrove — Walkability: 14/100 Palm Grove — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 41 / 6
Central Mangrove — Safety: 41/100 Palm Grove — Safety: 6/100
Low fire risk 25 / 37
Central Mangrove — Low fire risk: 25/100 Palm Grove — Low fire risk: 37/100

Demographics

Central Mangrove has more residents (253 vs 87); Central Mangrove rents higher ($550/wk vs $320/wk).

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Population 253
+66% vs other
 87
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.2% -17.9%
Median age 46 55
Median household income $124,176/yr
+41% vs other
 $73,632/yr
Median weekly rent $550/wk
+42% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
0-4 2.0% / 3.4%
Central Mangrove — 0-4: 2.0% Palm Grove — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 10.7% / 9.2%
Central Mangrove — 5-14: 10.7% Palm Grove — 5-14: 9.2%
15-19 6.7% / —
Central Mangrove — 15-19: 6.7% Palm Grove — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 8.7% / 4.6%
Central Mangrove — 20-24: 8.7% Palm Grove — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 7.9% / 6.9%
Central Mangrove — 25-34: 7.9% Palm Grove — 25-34: 6.9%
35-44 11.9% / 8.0%
Central Mangrove — 35-44: 11.9% Palm Grove — 35-44: 8.0%
45-54 13.4% / 18.4%
Central Mangrove — 45-54: 13.4% Palm Grove — 45-54: 18.4%
55-64 19.0% / 20.7%
Central Mangrove — 55-64: 19.0% Palm Grove — 55-64: 20.7%
65-74 13.4% / 18.4%
Central Mangrove — 65-74: 13.4% Palm Grove — 65-74: 18.4%
75-84 3.6% / 5.7%
Central Mangrove — 75-84: 3.6% Palm Grove — 75-84: 5.7%
85+ — / 3.4%
Central Mangrove — 85+: not among its largest Palm Grove — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Central Mangrove 61.8% couple families
Central Mangrove — Couple Families: 61.8% Central Mangrove — Lone Person: 21.8% Central Mangrove — One Parent Families: 16.4%
Palm Grove 35.0% couple families
Palm Grove — Couple Families: 35.0% Palm Grove — Lone Person: 45.0% Palm Grove — One Parent Families: 20.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Central Mangrove 17.3% renting
Central Mangrove — Owned Outright: 49.3% Central Mangrove — Mortgage: 33.3% Central Mangrove — Renting: 17.3%
Palm Grove 0.0% renting
Palm Grove — Owned Outright: 75.0% Palm Grove — Mortgage: 25.0% Palm Grove — Renting: 0.0%
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.

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
England 2.8% / 3.4%
Central Mangrove — England: 2.8% Palm Grove — England: 3.4%
China 2.0% / —
Central Mangrove — China: 2.0% Palm Grove — China: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.2% / —
Central Mangrove — New Zealand: 1.2% Palm Grove — New Zealand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.4%).

Qualifications

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

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Bachelor Degree 13.0% / 21.8%
Central Mangrove — Bachelor Degree: 13.0% Palm Grove — Bachelor Degree: 21.8%
Certificate III & IV 16.6% / 13.8%
Central Mangrove — Certificate III & IV: 16.6% Palm Grove — Certificate III & IV: 13.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.3% / 10.3%
Central Mangrove — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3% Palm Grove — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 4.6%
Central Mangrove — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Palm Grove — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.6%
Postgraduate Degree 1.2% / 4.6%
Central Mangrove — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2% Palm Grove — Postgraduate Degree: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Central Mangrove 100.0% houses
Central Mangrove — Houses: 100.0%
Palm Grove 100.0% houses
Palm Grove — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Median house price $1,585,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Palm Grove has more land zoned for conservation (81% vs 32%); Central Mangrove has more rural and farming land (64% vs 19%).

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Environmental 32% 81%
Rural and farming 64% 19%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 0%
Parks and recreation 2% 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

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

Ranking within NSW

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
House price Higher than 77% of NSW —
Income Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 40% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 65% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 46% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW

Liveability

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Palm Grove carries more crime risk (94 vs 59); Central Mangrove carries more bushfire risk (75 vs 63).

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Bushfire High
75/100
 Moderate
63/100
Crime Moderate
59/100
 High
94/100
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
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 1
The University of Newcastle (Central Coast), 8.4 km
 1
The University of Newcastle (Central Coast), 2.9 km

Schools in Central Mangrove

  • Central Mangrove Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Palm Grove

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

Amenities in the suburb

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Waterways 5 2

Mobility

Palm Grove sits further from the CBD (91.6 km vs 80 km).

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Walkability score 14/100 10/100
Distance to Sydney 80 km 91.6 km
+14% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 69 min 80 min
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 2250
 1.1%
postcode 2258
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 2250
 47
postcode 2258

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.

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Worked from Home 34.2% / 61.9%
Central Mangrove — Worked from Home: 34.2% Palm Grove — Worked from Home: 61.9%
Car (driver) 51.3% / 38.1%
Central Mangrove — Car (driver): 51.3% Palm Grove — Car (driver): 38.1%
Walked Only 6.0% / —
Central Mangrove — Walked Only: 6.0% Palm Grove — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 5.1% / —
Central Mangrove — Car (passenger): 5.1% Palm Grove — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Train 3.4% / —
Central Mangrove — Train: 3.4% Palm Grove — Train: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.9%).

Setting

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Elevation 251 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 90 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 23.9 km 18.2 km

NBN connectivity

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Connectivity score 30/100 20/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
107 premises
 0%
40 premises

Climate

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
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)

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
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

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Average residential rate $1,409/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Division Robertson Dobell
Member Gordon Reid Emma Mcbride
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Central Mangrove Palm Grove
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Central Mangrove

Rural

Palm Grove

Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Central Mangrove

Central Mangrove vs Ourimbah Central Mangrove vs Somersby Central Mangrove vs Mangrove Mountain Central Mangrove vs Kulnura Central Mangrove vs Peats Ridge

Other comparisons with Palm Grove

Palm Grove vs Ourimbah Palm Grove vs Somersby
Full data on Central Mangrove Full data on Palm Grove
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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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