Chowan Creek vs Smiths Creek

Smiths Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 59 in Chowan Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Chowan Creek, the large majority of households are people living alone. On these figures, Chowan Creek tends to suit 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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs schools, house stock, parks, and childcare.

First-home buyers

Chowan Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 36%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Smiths Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (29% vs 37%)

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

Commuting to the city

Smiths Creek

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (516 min vs 539 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (794.9 km vs 807 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Chowan Creek has more residents already 65 and over (42% vs 20%)
  • Smiths Creek is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

Chowan Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (54.1% vs 14.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
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.

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Walkability 0 / 8
Chowan Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Smiths Creek — Walkability: 8/100
Low fire risk 50 / 100
Chowan Creek — Low fire risk: 50/100 Smiths Creek — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Smiths Creek has more residents (345 vs 57); Smiths Creek has higher household incomes ($61,724 vs $45,032).

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Population 57 345
+505% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +54.1% +14.6%
Median age 59 47
Median household income $45,032/yr $61,724/yr
+37% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk $345/wk
+8% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
0-4 — / 2.9%
Chowan Creek — 0-4: not among its largest Smiths Creek — 0-4: 2.9%
5-14 — / 10.7%
Chowan Creek — 5-14: not among its largest Smiths Creek — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 — / 11.0%
Chowan Creek — 15-19: not among its largest Smiths Creek — 15-19: 11.0%
20-24 — / 3.2%
Chowan Creek — 20-24: not among its largest Smiths Creek — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 7.0% / 6.1%
Chowan Creek — 25-34: 7.0% Smiths Creek — 25-34: 6.1%
35-44 7.0% / 9.9%
Chowan Creek — 35-44: 7.0% Smiths Creek — 35-44: 9.9%
45-54 12.3% / 20.0%
Chowan Creek — 45-54: 12.3% Smiths Creek — 45-54: 20.0%
55-64 33.3% / 16.5%
Chowan Creek — 55-64: 33.3% Smiths Creek — 55-64: 16.5%
65-74 35.1% / 11.9%
Chowan Creek — 65-74: 35.1% Smiths Creek — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 7.0% / 7.8%
Chowan Creek — 75-84: 7.0% Smiths Creek — 75-84: 7.8%
85+ — / —
Chowan Creek — 85+: not among its largest Smiths Creek — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (35.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Chowan Creek 100.0% lone person
Chowan Creek — Lone Person: 100.0% Chowan Creek — Couple Families: 0.0% Chowan Creek — One Parent Families: 0.0% Chowan Creek — Group Household: 0.0% Chowan Creek — Other Families: 0.0%
Smiths Creek 32.2% lone person
Smiths Creek — Lone Person: 32.2% Smiths Creek — Couple Families: 40.0% Smiths Creek — One Parent Families: 15.6% Smiths Creek — Group Household: 8.9% Smiths Creek — Other Families: 3.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Chowan Creek 23.1% renting
Chowan Creek — Owned Outright: 53.8% Chowan Creek — Mortgage: 23.1% Chowan Creek — Renting: 23.1%
Smiths Creek 13.5% renting
Smiths Creek — Owned Outright: 53.2% Smiths Creek — Mortgage: 33.3% Smiths Creek — Renting: 13.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Chowan Creek 100.0% houses
Chowan Creek — Houses: 100.0% Chowan Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Smiths Creek 97.5% houses
Smiths Creek — Houses: 97.5% Smiths Creek — Flats / Apartments: 2.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Certificate III & IV 8.8% / 15.1%
Chowan Creek — Certificate III & IV: 8.8% Smiths Creek — Certificate III & IV: 15.1%
Bachelor Degree 10.5% / 11.9%
Chowan Creek — Bachelor Degree: 10.5% Smiths Creek — Bachelor Degree: 11.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.5% / 9.0%
Chowan Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.5% Smiths Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 3.2%
Chowan Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Smiths Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.7%
Chowan Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Smiths Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

Property market

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Median house price — $1,950,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Chowan Creek has more land zoned for conservation (43% vs 25%).

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Rural and farming 57% 62%
Environmental 43% 25%
Other and special use 0% 6%
Residential 0% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 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

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
New dwellings approved 331
across Tweed
same for both
Approvals change year on year -50%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
House price — Higher than 84% of NSW
Income Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 5% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 65% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 47% of NSW

Liveability

Smiths Creek is more walkable (8 vs 0).

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Chowan Creek carries more bushfire risk (50 vs 0).

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Bushfire Moderate
50/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
95/100
 —
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

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
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

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Waterways 2 7

Mobility

Chowan Creek sits further from the CBD (807 km vs 794.9 km).

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Walkability score 0/100 8/100
Distance to Sydney 807 km
+1% vs other
 794.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 539 min 516 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2484
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 76
postcode 2484
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.

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Car (driver) 58.3% / 66.1%
Chowan Creek — Car (driver): 58.3% Smiths Creek — Car (driver): 66.1%
Worked from Home 41.7% / 25.4%
Chowan Creek — Worked from Home: 41.7% Smiths Creek — Worked from Home: 25.4%
Walked Only — / 5.1%
Chowan Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest Smiths Creek — Walked Only: 5.1%
Car (passenger) — / 3.4%
Chowan Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest Smiths Creek — Car (passenger): 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.1%).

Setting

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Elevation 81 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 73 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.6 km 17.5 km

NBN connectivity

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Connectivity score 19/100 29/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
28 premises
 0%
131 premises

Climate

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
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

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Average residential rate $1,745/yr
same for both
Council Tweed
same for both

Federal electorate

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Division Richmond
same for both
Member Justine Elliot
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Chowan Creek Smiths Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Chowan Creek

Multicultural Retirees Rural

Smiths Creek

Premium River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Chowan Creek

Chowan Creek vs Main Arm Chowan Creek vs Upper Burringbar Chowan Creek vs Upper Main Arm Chowan Creek vs Rowlands Creek

Other comparisons with Smiths Creek

Smiths Creek vs Stokers Siding Smiths Creek vs Uki Smiths Creek vs Upper Burringbar Smiths Creek vs Dum Dum Smiths Creek vs Rowlands Creek
Full data on Chowan Creek Full data on Smiths Creek
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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