Clarenza vs Swan Creek
Swan Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 49 in Clarenza. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Clarenza, most households are couple families. In Swan Creek, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Swan Creek tends to suit people living alone and families with children.
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
Clarenza
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
- is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 54%)
- But Swan Creek carries lower crime risk (61/100 vs 83/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Clarenza leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 34%)
- Swan Creek has a bigger rental market to choose from (38% vs 10%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Clarenza
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (607.6 km vs 609.8 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Swan Creek
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (61/100 vs 83/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Clarenza
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (9.3% vs -4.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Clarenza and Swan 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.
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
Clarenza has more residents (602 vs 106); Clarenza has higher household incomes ($107,952 vs $46,800).
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 602 +82% vs other | 106 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +9.3% | -4.5% |
| Median age | 49 | 37 |
| Median household income | $107,952/yr +57% vs other | $46,800/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk | $310/wk +3% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.8%).
Property market
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $880,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $460,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 45 days from 3 sales | — |
Zoning mix
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 93% same for both | |
| Environmental | 2% | 5% |
| Residential | 3% | 1% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 1% 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
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 246 across Clarence Valley same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -80% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 41% of NSW | — |
| Income | Higher than 74% of NSW | Higher than 8% of NSW |
| Schools | Higher than 31% of NSW | — |
| Walkability | Higher than 40% of NSW | Higher than 21% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 78% of NSW | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 18% of NSW | Higher than 21% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 67% of NSW | Higher than 56% of NSW |
Liveability
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | D | — |
| Score | 27/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Clarenza carries more bushfire risk (17 vs 0); Clarenza carries more crime risk (83 vs 61).
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 17/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | High 83/100 | Moderate 61/100 |
| 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
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 3 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 2 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 1 | 0 |
Schools in Clarenza
- McAuley Catholic College Catholic · Secondary at peers
- St Andrew's Christian School Independent · Combined at peers
- Clarence Valley Anglican School Independent · Combined below peers
Schools in Swan Creek
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 5 | 3 |
Mobility
Swan Creek sits further from the CBD (609.8 km vs 607.6 km).
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 607.6 km | 609.8 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 398 min | 402 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 2460 | 0.2% postcode 2462 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 60 postcode 2460 | 55 postcode 2462 |
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 (75.5%).
Setting
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 30 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 3 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 28.7 km | 29.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 51/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 29% 240 premises | 0% 43 premises |
Climate
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,060 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 8.3°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,380/yr same for both | |
| Council | Clarence Valley same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Page same for both | |
| Member | Kevin Hogan same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Clarenza | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Clarenza
Other comparisons with Swan Creek
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.