Chilcotts Grass vs Goonellabah

Goonellabah is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 50 in Chilcotts Grass. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Chilcotts Grass, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Chilcotts Grass: a median of $1.12 million, against $742,000 in Goonellabah, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Chilcotts Grass tends to suit couples, while Goonellabah suits people living alone and 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

  • Chilcotts Grass carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 80/100)
  • Goonellabah has more parks and reserves (19 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Chilcotts Grass leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 27%)
  • Goonellabah has cheaper houses ($742,500 vs $1,125,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Goonellabah

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 8%)
  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $435/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Chilcotts Grass sits closer to the CBD (723.3 km vs 727.9 km)
  • Goonellabah is more walkable (83/100 vs 27/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Goonellabah

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (83/100 vs 27/100)
  • But Chilcotts Grass carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 80/100)

Weighs 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

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

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
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.

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Walkability 27 / 83
Chilcotts Grass — Walkability: 27/100 Goonellabah — Walkability: 83/100
Safety 56 / 20
Chilcotts Grass — Safety: 56/100 Goonellabah — Safety: 20/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Chilcotts Grass — Low fire risk: 100/100 Goonellabah — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Goonellabah has more residents (13,351 vs 237); Chilcotts Grass has higher household incomes ($111,436 vs $68,536).

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Population 237 13,351
+5533% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.2% +3.5%
Median age 50 41
Median household income $111,436/yr
+38% vs other
 $68,536/yr
Median weekly rent $435/wk
+26% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
0-4 2.1% / 5.9%
Chilcotts Grass — 0-4: 2.1% Goonellabah — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 13.1% / 12.4%
Chilcotts Grass — 5-14: 13.1% Goonellabah — 5-14: 12.4%
15-19 10.1% / 5.8%
Chilcotts Grass — 15-19: 10.1% Goonellabah — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 3.0% / 5.3%
Chilcotts Grass — 20-24: 3.0% Goonellabah — 20-24: 5.3%
25-34 8.9% / 12.2%
Chilcotts Grass — 25-34: 8.9% Goonellabah — 25-34: 12.2%
35-44 6.8% / 11.8%
Chilcotts Grass — 35-44: 6.8% Goonellabah — 35-44: 11.8%
45-54 16.5% / 11.8%
Chilcotts Grass — 45-54: 16.5% Goonellabah — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 16.9% / 12.3%
Chilcotts Grass — 55-64: 16.9% Goonellabah — 55-64: 12.3%
65-74 15.6% / 11.5%
Chilcotts Grass — 65-74: 15.6% Goonellabah — 65-74: 11.5%
75-84 7.2% / 7.4%
Chilcotts Grass — 75-84: 7.2% Goonellabah — 75-84: 7.4%
85+ — / 3.5%
Chilcotts Grass — 85+: not among its largest Goonellabah — 85+: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Chilcotts Grass 63.8% couple families
Chilcotts Grass — Couple Families: 63.8% Chilcotts Grass — Lone Person: 24.1% Chilcotts Grass — One Parent Families: 12.1% Chilcotts Grass — Group Household: 0.0% Chilcotts Grass — Other Families: 0.0%
Goonellabah 32.6% couple families
Goonellabah — Couple Families: 32.6% Goonellabah — Lone Person: 41.7% Goonellabah — One Parent Families: 19.8% Goonellabah — Group Household: 4.7% Goonellabah — Other Families: 1.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Chilcotts Grass 8.5% renting
Chilcotts Grass — Owned Outright: 46.3% Chilcotts Grass — Mortgage: 45.1% Chilcotts Grass — Renting: 8.5%
Goonellabah 29.8% renting
Goonellabah — Owned Outright: 37.1% Goonellabah — Mortgage: 33.1% Goonellabah — Renting: 29.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Certificate III & IV 19.0% / 16.5%
Chilcotts Grass — Certificate III & IV: 19.0% Goonellabah — Certificate III & IV: 16.5%
Bachelor Degree 14.3% / 10.4%
Chilcotts Grass — Bachelor Degree: 14.3% Goonellabah — Bachelor Degree: 10.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.0% / 7.0%
Chilcotts Grass — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.0% Goonellabah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Postgraduate Degree 5.5% / 2.7%
Chilcotts Grass — Postgraduate Degree: 5.5% Goonellabah — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 1.9%
Chilcotts Grass — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Goonellabah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

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.

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
England 4.2% / 2.0%
Chilcotts Grass — England: 4.2% Goonellabah — England: 2.0%
Italy 3.0% / 0.4%
Chilcotts Grass — Italy: 3.0% Goonellabah — Italy: 0.4%
Japan 1.3% / —
Chilcotts Grass — Japan: 1.3% Goonellabah — Japan: not among its largest
New Zealand — / 0.9%
Chilcotts Grass — New Zealand: not among its largest Goonellabah — New Zealand: 0.9%
Philippines — / 0.7%
Chilcotts Grass — Philippines: not among its largest Goonellabah — Philippines: 0.7%
India — / 0.6%
Chilcotts Grass — India: not among its largest Goonellabah — India: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Chilcotts Grass 101.2% houses
Chilcotts Grass — Houses: 101.2% Chilcotts Grass — Townhouses: 0.0% Chilcotts Grass — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Goonellabah 77.7% houses
Goonellabah — Houses: 77.7% Goonellabah — Townhouses: 18.0% Goonellabah — Flats / Apartments: 4.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Median house price $1,125,000 $742,500
Median unit price — $530,000
Median land price $332,500 $375,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 56 days
from 7 sales
 30 days
from 187 sales

Zoning mix

Chilcotts Grass has more rural and farming land (64% vs 45%).

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Rural and farming 64% 45%
Residential 26% 40%
Parks and recreation 8% 4%
Environmental 2% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 3%
Industrial 0% 3%
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

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
New dwellings approved 138
across Lismore
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Houses — 4.6%
$720/wk on $814K
Units — 3.7%
$430/wk on $597K

Ranking within NSW

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
House price Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW
Income Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 84% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 55% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 58% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 92% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 16% of NSW

Liveability

Goonellabah is more walkable (83 vs 27).

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Grade — B
Score — 55/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Goonellabah carries more crime risk (80 vs 44).

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
44/100
 High
80/100
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
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Inside the suburb 0 4
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 1
Lismore, 5.5 km
 1
Lismore, 4.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 0.0% 0.8%

Schools in Chilcotts Grass

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

Schools in Goonellabah

  • Goonellabah Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Summerland Christian College Independent · Combined above peers
  • Blue Hills College Independent · Combined below peers
  • The Rivers Secondary College, Kadina High Campus Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Supermarkets 0 4
Parks & reserves 0 19
Childcare 0 9
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 0 3
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 2
same for both

Mobility

Goonellabah sits further from the CBD (727.9 km vs 723.3 km).

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Walkability score 27/100 83/100
Distance to Sydney 723.3 km 727.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 474 min 478 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2480
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 69
postcode 2480
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.

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Car (driver) 76.6% / 79.2%
Chilcotts Grass — Car (driver): 76.6% Goonellabah — Car (driver): 79.2%
Worked from Home 12.1% / 12.8%
Chilcotts Grass — Worked from Home: 12.1% Goonellabah — Worked from Home: 12.8%
Car (passenger) 6.5% / 6.1%
Chilcotts Grass — Car (passenger): 6.5% Goonellabah — Car (passenger): 6.1%
Walked Only 4.7% / 1.2%
Chilcotts Grass — Walked Only: 4.7% Goonellabah — Walked Only: 1.2%
Bus — / 0.5%
Chilcotts Grass — Bus: not among its largest Goonellabah — Bus: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.2%).

Setting

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Elevation 122 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 145 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 19.0 km 20.5 km

NBN connectivity

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Connectivity score 80/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 67%
214 premises
 43%
6,896 premises

Council rates

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Average residential rate $1,487/yr
same for both
Council Lismore
same for both

Federal electorate

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Chilcotts Grass Goonellabah
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Chilcotts Grass

River

Goonellabah

Parks Regional Centre

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Chilcotts Grass

Chilcotts Grass vs Tregeagle Chilcotts Grass vs Lindendale

Other comparisons with Goonellabah

Goonellabah vs East Lismore Goonellabah vs Lismore Goonellabah vs Lismore Heights Goonellabah vs Richmond Hill Goonellabah vs Wyrallah Goonellabah vs Tregeagle
Full data on Chilcotts Grass Full data on Goonellabah
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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