Coffs Harbour vs Sawtell

Coffs Harbour is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 47 in Sawtell. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Sawtell: a median of $1.24 million, against $840,000 in Coffs Harbour, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Coffs Harbour 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

Coffs Harbour

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (23 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (64 vs 4)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (14 vs 1)
  • But Sawtell carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 93/100)

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

First-home buyers

Coffs Harbour

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($840,000 vs $1,240,000)
  • has cheaper units ($520,000 vs $675,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

  • Coffs Harbour is more walkable (88/100 vs 56/100)
  • Sawtell sits closer to the CBD (521.7 km vs 525.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Coffs Harbour

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (11 vs 1)
  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 56/100)
  • But Sawtell carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 93/100)

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

Investors

Coffs Harbour

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.9% vs 3.0%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Coffs Harbour and Sawtell 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 Sawtell
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 Sawtell
Walkability 88 / 56
Coffs Harbour — Walkability: 88/100 Sawtell — Walkability: 56/100
Safety 7 / 27
Coffs Harbour — Safety: 7/100 Sawtell — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 66 / 50
Coffs Harbour — Low fire risk: 66/100 Sawtell — Low fire risk: 50/100

Demographics

Coffs Harbour has more residents (27,089 vs 3,788); Sawtell has higher household incomes ($73,060 vs $64,012).

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
Population 27,089
+86% vs other
 3,788
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.2% +2.9%
Median age 43 47
Median household income $64,012/yr $73,060/yr
+14% vs other
Median weekly rent $355/wk $380/wk
+7% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
0-4 5.0% / 4.7%
Coffs Harbour — 0-4: 5.0% Sawtell — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 11.8% / 11.6%
Coffs Harbour — 5-14: 11.8% Sawtell — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 6.0% / 5.4%
Coffs Harbour — 15-19: 6.0% Sawtell — 15-19: 5.4%
20-24 5.5% / 3.4%
Coffs Harbour — 20-24: 5.5% Sawtell — 20-24: 3.4%
25-34 11.9% / 9.5%
Coffs Harbour — 25-34: 11.9% Sawtell — 25-34: 9.5%
35-44 11.9% / 11.5%
Coffs Harbour — 35-44: 11.9% Sawtell — 35-44: 11.5%
45-54 11.8% / 14.1%
Coffs Harbour — 45-54: 11.8% Sawtell — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 12.7% / 14.6%
Coffs Harbour — 55-64: 12.7% Sawtell — 55-64: 14.6%
65-74 12.1% / 15.1%
Coffs Harbour — 65-74: 12.1% Sawtell — 65-74: 15.1%
75-84 7.8% / 7.6%
Coffs Harbour — 75-84: 7.8% Sawtell — 75-84: 7.6%
85+ 3.5% / 2.6%
Coffs Harbour — 85+: 3.5% Sawtell — 85+: 2.6%

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

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%
Sawtell 44.9% lone person
Sawtell — Lone Person: 44.9% Sawtell — Couple Families: 32.9% Sawtell — One Parent Families: 16.4% Sawtell — Group Household: 4.7% Sawtell — 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%
Sawtell 33.3% renting
Sawtell — Owned Outright: 43.2% Sawtell — Mortgage: 23.6% Sawtell — Renting: 33.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
Certificate III & IV 16.4% / 15.0%
Coffs Harbour — Certificate III & IV: 16.4% Sawtell — Certificate III & IV: 15.0%
Bachelor Degree 9.4% / 14.6%
Coffs Harbour — Bachelor Degree: 9.4% Sawtell — Bachelor Degree: 14.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 9.1%
Coffs Harbour — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% Sawtell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.3% / 4.9%
Coffs Harbour — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3% Sawtell — Postgraduate Degree: 4.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 2.7%
Coffs Harbour — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Sawtell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%

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 Sawtell
England 2.9% / 3.6%
Coffs Harbour — England: 2.9% Sawtell — England: 3.6%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.5%
Coffs Harbour — New Zealand: 1.3% Sawtell — New Zealand: 1.5%
Myanmar 1.5% / —
Coffs Harbour — Myanmar: 1.5% Sawtell — Myanmar: not among its largest
Iraq 1.4% / —
Coffs Harbour — Iraq: 1.4% Sawtell — Iraq: not among its largest
South Africa 0.5% / 0.7%
Coffs Harbour — South Africa: 0.5% Sawtell — South Africa: 0.7%
India 1.1% / —
Coffs Harbour — India: 1.1% Sawtell — India: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.4%
Coffs Harbour — Scotland: not among its largest Sawtell — Scotland: 0.4%
Thailand — / 0.3%
Coffs Harbour — Thailand: not among its largest Sawtell — Thailand: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.6%).

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%
Sawtell 68.6% houses
Sawtell — Houses: 68.6% Sawtell — Flats / Apartments: 18.9% Sawtell — Townhouses: 12.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
Median house price $840,000 $1,240,000
Median unit price $520,000 $675,000
Median land price $1,082,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 32 days
from 182 sales
 74 days
from 35 sales

Unit 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 Sawtell
1 bed $432K / $399K
Coffs Harbour — 1 bed: $432K (8 sales) Sawtell — 1 bed: $399K (5 sales)

8 vs 5 sales

2 bed $497K / $652K
Coffs Harbour — 2 bed: $497K (129 sales) Sawtell — 2 bed: $652K (18 sales)

129 vs 18 sales

3 bed $790K / $1.59M
Coffs Harbour — 3 bed: $790K (23 sales) Sawtell — 3 bed: $1.59M (6 sales)

23 vs 6 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 Sawtell
2 bed $637K / $1.02M
Coffs Harbour — 2 bed: $637K (24 sales) Sawtell — 2 bed: $1.02M (6 sales)

24 vs 6 sales

3 bed $788K / $1.14M
Coffs Harbour — 3 bed: $788K (152 sales) Sawtell — 3 bed: $1.14M (34 sales)

152 vs 34 sales

4 bed $900K / $1.39M
Coffs Harbour — 4 bed: $900K (107 sales) Sawtell — 4 bed: $1.39M (32 sales)

107 vs 32 sales

5 bed $1.02M / $1.28M
Coffs Harbour — 5 bed: $1.02M (23 sales) Sawtell — 5 bed: $1.28M (8 sales)

23 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Coffs Harbour has more rural and farming land (20% vs 0%).

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
Residential 25% 42%
Parks and recreation 20% 41%
Rural and farming 20% 0%
Environmental 16% 14%
Infrastructure and transport 16% 1%
Industrial 3% 0%
Commercial 1%
same for both
Planning zones cover 100% of Coffs Harbour and 99% of Sawtell. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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 Sawtell
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 Sawtell
Houses 3.9%
$650/wk on $864K
 3.0%
$695/wk on $1.23M
Units 4.5%
$500/wk on $580K
 4.5%
$575/wk on $660K

Ranking within NSW

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
House price Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 63% 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 83% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 28% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 55% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 100% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 20% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW

Liveability

Coffs Harbour is more walkable (88 vs 56).

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
Grade C
same for both
Score 33/100 36/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Sawtell carries more bushfire risk (50 vs 34); Coffs Harbour carries more crime risk (93 vs 73).

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
Bushfire Low
34/100
 Moderate
50/100
Crime High
93/100
 High
73/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
57/100
 Moderate
67/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 7
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

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

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 Sawtell

  • Sawtell Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
Supermarkets 8 0
Cafes & restaurants 67 7
Parks & reserves 64 4
Childcare 23 0
GPs 11 1
Pharmacies 14 1
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 13 1
Fuel stations 8 0
EV chargers 3 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 54 1

Mobility

Coffs Harbour sits further from the CBD (525.9 km vs 521.7 km).

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
Walkability score 88/100 56/100
Distance to Sydney 525.9 km 521.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 342 min 340 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 71/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 387.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 25.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2450
 0.4%
postcode 2452
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2450
 49
postcode 2452

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 Sawtell
Car (driver) 76.7% / 72.8%
Coffs Harbour — Car (driver): 76.7% Sawtell — Car (driver): 72.8%
Worked from Home 10.7% / 17.0%
Coffs Harbour — Worked from Home: 10.7% Sawtell — Worked from Home: 17.0%
Car (passenger) 7.1% / 5.2%
Coffs Harbour — Car (passenger): 7.1% Sawtell — Car (passenger): 5.2%
Walked Only 3.3% / 3.3%
Coffs Harbour — Walked Only: 3.3% Sawtell — Walked Only: 3.3%
Bicycle 1.2% / 1.4%
Coffs Harbour — Bicycle: 1.2% Sawtell — Bicycle: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.7%).

Setting

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 13 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.7 km
3.2 km to a named beach
 736 m
801 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
Connectivity score 99/100 100/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 99%
15,989 premises
 100%
2,149 premises

Climate

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
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 Sawtell
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 Sawtell
Average residential rate $1,437/yr
same for both
Council Coffs Harbour
same for both

Federal electorate

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Coffs Harbour Sawtell
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

Sawtell

Beach Coastal Parks Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour vs Toormina Coffs Harbour vs Boambee East Coffs Harbour vs Korora Coffs Harbour vs North Boambee Valley Coffs Harbour vs Boambee Coffs Harbour vs Upper Orara

Other comparisons with Sawtell

Sawtell vs Toormina Sawtell vs Bonville Sawtell vs Bundagen
Full data on Coffs Harbour Full data on Sawtell
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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