Colo Heights vs Lower Portland

Colo Heights is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 46 in Lower Portland. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Lower Portland: a median of $2.6 million, against $1.29 million in Colo Heights, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Colo Heights 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

Colo Heights

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • But Lower Portland carries lower crime risk (42/100 vs 54/100)

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

First-home buyers

Colo Heights

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,290,000 vs $2,595,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Colo Heights

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Lower Portland

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (16/100 vs 6/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (83.6 km vs 103.6 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (81 min vs 95 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Lower Portland

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (16/100 vs 6/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (42/100 vs 54/100)

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

Investors

Lower Portland

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (20.7% vs 0.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Colo Heights and Lower Portland drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Colo Heights Lower Portland
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.

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Walkability 6 / 16
Colo Heights — Walkability: 6/100 Lower Portland — Walkability: 16/100
Safety 46 / 58
Colo Heights — Safety: 46/100 Lower Portland — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 13 / 11
Colo Heights — Low fire risk: 13/100 Lower Portland — Low fire risk: 11/100

Demographics

Lower Portland has more residents (711 vs 336); Lower Portland rents higher ($400/wk vs $250/wk).

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Population 336 711
+112% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.6% +20.7%
Median age 40 46
Median household income $83,564/yr $102,180/yr
+22% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk $400/wk
+60% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Colo Heights Lower Portland
0-4 7.7% / 4.8%
Colo Heights — 0-4: 7.7% Lower Portland — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 11.9% / 12.9%
Colo Heights — 5-14: 11.9% Lower Portland — 5-14: 12.9%
15-19 7.4% / 7.5%
Colo Heights — 15-19: 7.4% Lower Portland — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 5.1% / 4.2%
Colo Heights — 20-24: 5.1% Lower Portland — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 11.0% / 8.4%
Colo Heights — 25-34: 11.0% Lower Portland — 25-34: 8.4%
35-44 14.3% / 11.1%
Colo Heights — 35-44: 14.3% Lower Portland — 35-44: 11.1%
45-54 17.3% / 15.9%
Colo Heights — 45-54: 17.3% Lower Portland — 45-54: 15.9%
55-64 11.3% / 16.7%
Colo Heights — 55-64: 11.3% Lower Portland — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 9.5% / 13.9%
Colo Heights — 65-74: 9.5% Lower Portland — 65-74: 13.9%
75-84 5.1% / 5.1%
Colo Heights — 75-84: 5.1% Lower Portland — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 1.8% / 0.4%
Colo Heights — 85+: 1.8% Lower Portland — 85+: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Colo Heights 59.4% couple families
Colo Heights — Couple Families: 59.4% Colo Heights — Lone Person: 27.5% Colo Heights — One Parent Families: 13.0% Colo Heights — Other Families: 0.0% Colo Heights — Group Household: 0.0%
Lower Portland 61.8% couple families
Lower Portland — Couple Families: 61.8% Lower Portland — Lone Person: 15.8% Lower Portland — One Parent Families: 13.2% Lower Portland — Other Families: 4.6% Lower Portland — Group Household: 4.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Colo Heights 10.2% renting
Colo Heights — Owned Outright: 36.4% Colo Heights — Mortgage: 53.4% Colo Heights — Renting: 10.2%
Lower Portland 7.5% renting
Lower Portland — Owned Outright: 36.2% Lower Portland — Mortgage: 56.3% Lower Portland — Renting: 7.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Certificate III & IV 20.8% / 20.1%
Colo Heights — Certificate III & IV: 20.8% Lower Portland — Certificate III & IV: 20.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 7.9%
Colo Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Lower Portland — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9%
Bachelor Degree 4.8% / 7.9%
Colo Heights — Bachelor Degree: 4.8% Lower Portland — Bachelor Degree: 7.9%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.5%
Colo Heights — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Lower Portland — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.0%
Colo Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Lower Portland — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

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.

Colo Heights Lower Portland
England 2.4% / 3.8%
Colo Heights — England: 2.4% Lower Portland — England: 3.8%
New Zealand 2.7% / 0.4%
Colo Heights — New Zealand: 2.7% Lower Portland — New Zealand: 0.4%
South Africa 1.5% / —
Colo Heights — South Africa: 1.5% Lower Portland — South Africa: not among its largest
Taiwan 1.2% / —
Colo Heights — Taiwan: 1.2% Lower Portland — Taiwan: not among its largest
China — / 0.7%
Colo Heights — China: not among its largest Lower Portland — China: 0.7%
Canada — / 0.6%
Colo Heights — Canada: not among its largest Lower Portland — Canada: 0.6%
Fiji — / 0.6%
Colo Heights — Fiji: not among its largest Lower Portland — Fiji: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Colo Heights 94.2% houses
Colo Heights — Houses: 94.2% Colo Heights — Flats / Apartments: 5.8% Colo Heights — Townhouses: 0.0%
Lower Portland 96.6% houses
Lower Portland — Houses: 96.6% Lower Portland — Flats / Apartments: 1.0% Lower Portland — Townhouses: 2.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Median house price $1,290,000 $2,595,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $1,050,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 32 days
from 3 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Lower Portland has more rural and farming land (60% vs 11%); Colo Heights has more land zoned for conservation (89% vs 40%).

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Environmental 89% 40%
Rural and farming 11% 60%
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

Colo Heights Lower Portland
New dwellings approved 459
across Hawkesbury
same for both
Approvals change year on year +3%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Colo Heights Lower Portland
House price Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Income Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 49% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 16% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 47% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 2% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW

Liveability

Lower Portland is more walkable (16 vs 6).

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Grade — C
Score — 36/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Colo Heights carries more crime risk (54 vs 42).

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Bushfire High
87/100
 High
89/100
Crime Moderate
54/100
 Moderate
42/100
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

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Colo Heights

  • Colo Heights Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Lower Portland

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

Amenities in the suburb

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 4 1
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 26 14

Mobility

Colo Heights sits further from the CBD (103.6 km vs 83.6 km).

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Walkability score 6/100 16/100
Distance to Sydney 103.6 km
+19% vs other
 83.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 95 min 81 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2756
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 46
postcode 2756
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.

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Car (driver) 68.0% / 61.4%
Colo Heights — Car (driver): 68.0% Lower Portland — Car (driver): 61.4%
Worked from Home 23.0% / 34.1%
Colo Heights — Worked from Home: 23.0% Lower Portland — Worked from Home: 34.1%
Walked Only 6.6% / 1.9%
Colo Heights — Walked Only: 6.6% Lower Portland — Walked Only: 1.9%
Car (passenger) 2.5% / 2.7%
Colo Heights — Car (passenger): 2.5% Lower Portland — Car (passenger): 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.0%).

Setting

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Elevation 330 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Connectivity score 15/100 28/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
81 premises
 0%
279 premises

Climate

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Annual rainfall 806 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Average residential rate $1,650/yr
same for both
Council Hawkesbury
same for both

Federal electorate

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Division Macquarie
same for both
Member Susan Templeman
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Colo Heights Lower Portland
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Colo Heights

Rural

Lower Portland

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Colo Heights

Colo Heights vs Bilpin Colo Heights vs Colo Colo Heights vs Webbs Creek

Other comparisons with Lower Portland

Lower Portland vs East Kurrajong Lower Portland vs Maroota Lower Portland vs South Maroota Lower Portland vs Blaxlands Ridge Lower Portland vs Sackville North Lower Portland vs Sackville
Full data on Colo Heights Full data on Lower Portland
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or