Central Mangrove vs Somersby
In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Somersby: a median of $2.06 million, against $1.58 million in Central Mangrove, though rent is higher in Central Mangrove. On these figures, Central Mangrove tends to suit 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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Central Mangrove carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 89/100)
- Somersby has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Central Mangrove
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 29%)
- has cheaper houses ($1,585,000 vs $2,062,500)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Somersby
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($380/wk vs $550/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 23%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Somersby
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (75.3 km vs 80 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Central Mangrove
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 89/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Somersby
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (2.0% vs -4.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Central Mangrove 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.
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
Somersby has more residents (1,087 vs 253); Central Mangrove rents higher ($550/wk vs $380/wk).
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 253 | 1,087 +330% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -4.2% | +2.0% |
| Median age | 46 | 47 |
| Median household income | $124,176/yr +7% vs other | $115,180/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $550/wk +31% vs other | $380/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,585,000 | $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
Central Mangrove has more rural and farming land (64% vs 43%).
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 64% | 43% |
| Environmental | 32% | 42% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 2% | 9% |
| Industrial | 0% | 4% |
| Parks and recreation | 2% 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
| Central Mangrove | 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
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 77% of NSW | Higher than 96% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 86% of NSW | Higher than 79% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 65% of NSW | Higher than 52% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 46% of NSW | Higher than 5% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 83% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 63% of NSW | Higher than 66% of NSW |
Liveability
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | C |
| Score | — | 33/100 |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Somersby carries more crime risk (89 vs 59).
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 75/100 | High 78/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 59/100 | 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 | 1 within 5 km | 4 within 5 km |
Schools
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 | 1 |
| 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), 9.0 km |
| Full-time students aged 15–24 | 1.2% | 1.5% |
Schools in Central Mangrove
- Central Mangrove Public School Government · Primary below peers
Schools in Somersby
- Somersby Public School Government · Primary at peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 5 |
| Waterways | 5 | 33 |
Mobility
Central Mangrove sits further from the CBD (80 km vs 75.3 km).
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 14/100 | 8/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 80 km +6% vs other | 75.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 69 min | 67 min |
| Public transport score | 27/100 Bus | 56/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 7.0 7-9am + 5-7pm | 45.8 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 1 min scheduled, not actual same for both | |
| 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (54.5%).
Setting
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 251 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 260 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 23.9 km | 15.6 km |
NBN connectivity
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 47/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 107 premises | 16% 784 premises |
Climate
| Central Mangrove | 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)
| Central Mangrove | 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
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,409/yr same for both | |
| Council | Central Coast (NSW) same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Robertson same for both | |
| Member | Gordon Reid same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Central Mangrove | Somersby | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Central Mangrove
Other comparisons with Somersby
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.