Coffs Harbour vs North Boambee Valley

Coffs Harbour is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 52 in North Boambee Valley. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. On these figures, North Boambee Valley tends to suit 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

Coffs Harbour

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (64 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (14 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (23 vs 4)
  • But North Boambee Valley has more separate houses rather than flats (94% vs 60%)

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

First-home buyers

North Boambee Valley

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($575,000 vs $1,082,500)
  • has cheaper units ($295,000 vs $520,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Coffs Harbour

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (41% vs 20%)
  • has cheaper rent ($355/wk vs $465/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Coffs Harbour

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 17/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Coffs Harbour

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (11 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (40% vs 6%)
  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 17/100)
  • But North Boambee Valley has more residents already 65 and over (38% vs 23%)

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

Investors

North Boambee Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.8% vs 5.2%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Coffs Harbour and North Boambee Valley drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
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.

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Walkability 88 / 17
Coffs Harbour — Walkability: 88/100 North Boambee Valley — Walkability: 17/100
Safety 7 / 29
Coffs Harbour — Safety: 7/100 North Boambee Valley — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 66 / 60
Coffs Harbour — Low fire risk: 66/100 North Boambee Valley — Low fire risk: 60/100

Demographics

Coffs Harbour has more residents (27,089 vs 2,318); North Boambee Valley rents higher ($465/wk vs $355/wk).

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Population 27,089
+91% vs other
 2,318
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.2% +15.8%
Median age 43 52
Median household income $64,012/yr $73,528/yr
+15% vs other
Median weekly rent $355/wk $465/wk
+31% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
0-4 5.0% / 4.8%
Coffs Harbour — 0-4: 5.0% North Boambee Valley — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 11.8% / 10.9%
Coffs Harbour — 5-14: 11.8% North Boambee Valley — 5-14: 10.9%
15-19 6.0% / 4.4%
Coffs Harbour — 15-19: 6.0% North Boambee Valley — 15-19: 4.4%
20-24 5.5% / 3.5%
Coffs Harbour — 20-24: 5.5% North Boambee Valley — 20-24: 3.5%
25-34 11.9% / 7.9%
Coffs Harbour — 25-34: 11.9% North Boambee Valley — 25-34: 7.9%
35-44 11.9% / 10.2%
Coffs Harbour — 35-44: 11.9% North Boambee Valley — 35-44: 10.2%
45-54 11.8% / 11.1%
Coffs Harbour — 45-54: 11.8% North Boambee Valley — 45-54: 11.1%
55-64 12.7% / 9.7%
Coffs Harbour — 55-64: 12.7% North Boambee Valley — 55-64: 9.7%
65-74 12.1% / 11.8%
Coffs Harbour — 65-74: 12.1% North Boambee Valley — 65-74: 11.8%
75-84 7.8% / 15.8%
Coffs Harbour — 75-84: 7.8% North Boambee Valley — 75-84: 15.8%
85+ 3.5% / 10.4%
Coffs Harbour — 85+: 3.5% North Boambee Valley — 85+: 10.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Coffs Harbour 44.5% lone person
Coffs Harbour — Lone Person: 44.5% Coffs Harbour — Couple Families: 28.5% Coffs Harbour — One Parent Families: 19.9% Coffs Harbour — Group Household: 5.6% Coffs Harbour — Other Families: 1.4%
North Boambee Valley 41.8% lone person
North Boambee Valley — Lone Person: 41.8% North Boambee Valley — Couple Families: 40.6% North Boambee Valley — One Parent Families: 14.0% North Boambee Valley — Group Household: 2.4% North Boambee Valley — Other Families: 1.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Coffs Harbour 40.9% renting
Coffs Harbour — Owned Outright: 34.1% Coffs Harbour — Mortgage: 25.1% Coffs Harbour — Renting: 40.9%
North Boambee Valley 20.0% renting
North Boambee Valley — Owned Outright: 47.5% North Boambee Valley — Mortgage: 32.4% North Boambee Valley — Renting: 20.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Certificate III & IV 16.4% / 15.3%
Coffs Harbour — Certificate III & IV: 16.4% North Boambee Valley — Certificate III & IV: 15.3%
Bachelor Degree 9.4% / 9.3%
Coffs Harbour — Bachelor Degree: 9.4% North Boambee Valley — Bachelor Degree: 9.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 7.2%
Coffs Harbour — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% North Boambee Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.3% / 2.1%
Coffs Harbour — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3% North Boambee Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 1.9%
Coffs Harbour — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% North Boambee Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).

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.

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
England 2.9% / 4.0%
Coffs Harbour — England: 2.9% North Boambee Valley — England: 4.0%
India 1.1% / 1.9%
Coffs Harbour — India: 1.1% North Boambee Valley — India: 1.9%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.5%
Coffs Harbour — New Zealand: 1.3% North Boambee Valley — New Zealand: 1.5%
Myanmar 1.5% / —
Coffs Harbour — Myanmar: 1.5% North Boambee Valley — Myanmar: not among its largest
Iraq 1.4% / —
Coffs Harbour — Iraq: 1.4% North Boambee Valley — Iraq: not among its largest
Philippines 0.7% / 0.7%
Coffs Harbour — Philippines: 0.7% North Boambee Valley — Philippines: 0.7%
Italy — / 0.6%
Coffs Harbour — Italy: not among its largest North Boambee Valley — Italy: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Coffs Harbour 59.7% houses
Coffs Harbour — Houses: 59.7% Coffs Harbour — Flats / Apartments: 22.8% Coffs Harbour — Townhouses: 17.5%
North Boambee Valley 94.5% houses
North Boambee Valley — Houses: 94.5% North Boambee Valley — Flats / Apartments: 3.6% North Boambee Valley — Townhouses: 1.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Median house price $840,000 $869,000
Median unit price $520,000 $295,000
Median land price $1,082,500 $575,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 32 days
from 182 sales
 52 days
from 8 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
3 bed $788K / $780K
Coffs Harbour — 3 bed: $788K (152 sales) North Boambee Valley — 3 bed: $780K (21 sales)

152 vs 21 sales

4 bed $900K / $1.07M
Coffs Harbour — 4 bed: $900K (107 sales) North Boambee Valley — 4 bed: $1.07M (23 sales)

107 vs 23 sales

Zoning mix

North Boambee Valley has more rural and farming land (47% vs 20%).

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Rural and farming 20% 47%
Residential 25% 17%
Environmental 16% 22%
Parks and recreation 20% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 16% 3%
Industrial 3% 9%
Commercial 1% 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

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
New dwellings approved 356
across Coffs Harbour
same for both
Approvals change year on year +61%
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.

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Houses 3.9%
$650/wk on $864K
 3.5%
$750/wk on $1.11M
Units 4.5%
$500/wk on $580K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
House price Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 47% of NSW
Income Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 40% of NSW
Schools Higher than 37% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 45% of NSW
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 55% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 43% of NSW —

Liveability

Coffs Harbour is more walkable (88 vs 17).

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Grade C
same for both
Score 33/100 31/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Coffs Harbour carries more crime risk (93 vs 71).

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Bushfire Low
34/100
 Moderate
40/100
Crime High
93/100
 High
71/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
57/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 7
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Inside the suburb 14 1
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 5 1
Rated below peers 3 0

Schools in Coffs Harbour

  • Casuarina Steiner School Independent · Primary above peers
  • Lismore Diocese Online Education Centre Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • Coffs Harbour High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Narranga Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Augustine's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Tyalla Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in North Boambee Valley

  • Bishop Druitt College Independent · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Supermarkets 8 0
Cafes & restaurants 67 5
Parks & reserves 64 2
Childcare 23 4
GPs 11 0
Pharmacies 14 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 13 0
Fuel stations 8 2
EV chargers 3 1
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 54 2

Mobility

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Walkability score 88/100 17/100
Distance to Sydney 525.9 km 525.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 342 min
same for both
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 66/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 387.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 24.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2450
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2450
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.

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Car (driver) 76.7% / 77.0%
Coffs Harbour — Car (driver): 76.7% North Boambee Valley — Car (driver): 77.0%
Worked from Home 10.7% / 12.7%
Coffs Harbour — Worked from Home: 10.7% North Boambee Valley — Worked from Home: 12.7%
Car (passenger) 7.1% / 7.3%
Coffs Harbour — Car (passenger): 7.1% North Boambee Valley — Car (passenger): 7.3%
Walked Only 3.3% / 1.9%
Coffs Harbour — Walked Only: 3.3% North Boambee Valley — Walked Only: 1.9%
Bicycle 1.2% / 1.1%
Coffs Harbour — Bicycle: 1.2% North Boambee Valley — Bicycle: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.0%).

Setting

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 16 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.7 km
3.2 km to a named beach
 5.3 km

NBN connectivity

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Connectivity score 99/100 95/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 99%
15,989 premises
 93%
1,445 premises

Climate

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Annual rainfall 1,827 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 10.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.22 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Average residential rate $1,437/yr
same for both
Council Coffs Harbour
same for both

Federal electorate

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Coffs Harbour North Boambee Valley
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Coffs Harbour

Cafe Culture Coastal Parks Regional Centre

North Boambee Valley

Acreage Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour vs Toormina Coffs Harbour vs Boambee East Coffs Harbour vs Sawtell Coffs Harbour vs Korora Coffs Harbour vs Boambee Coffs Harbour vs Upper Orara

Other comparisons with North Boambee Valley

North Boambee Valley vs Boambee North Boambee Valley vs Upper Orara
Full data on Coffs Harbour Full data on North Boambee Valley
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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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