Cookamidgera vs Parkes

Parkes is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 48 in Cookamidgera. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cookamidgera, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Parkes: a median of $470,000, against $120,000 in Cookamidgera, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Cookamidgera tends to suit couples and 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

Parkes

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (32 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (8 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 0)
  • But Cookamidgera carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 89/100)

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

First-home buyers

Cookamidgera

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($20,000 vs $270,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($120,000 vs $470,000)
  • But Parkes leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 26%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cookamidgera

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($148/wk vs $260/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 19%)
  • But Parkes has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 18%)

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

Commuting to the city

Parkes

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (293 min vs 300 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (354.6 km vs 357.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Cookamidgera carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 89/100)
  • Parkes has more GPs (3 vs 0)

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

Investors

Parkes

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-0.7% vs -7.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cookamidgera Parkes
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.

Cookamidgera Parkes
Walkability 0 / 0
Cookamidgera — Walkability: 0/100 Parkes — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 55 / 11
Cookamidgera — Safety: 55/100 Parkes — Safety: 11/100
Low fire risk 62 / 53
Cookamidgera — Low fire risk: 62/100 Parkes — Low fire risk: 53/100

Demographics

Parkes has more residents (11,324 vs 151); Parkes rents higher ($260/wk vs $148/wk).

Cookamidgera Parkes
Population 151 11,324
+7399% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -7.9% -0.7%
Median age 48 39
Median household income $67,600/yr $72,852/yr
+8% vs other
Median weekly rent $148/wk $260/wk
+76% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cookamidgera Parkes
0-4 6.0% / 6.5%
Cookamidgera — 0-4: 6.0% Parkes — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 13.9% / 14.2%
Cookamidgera — 5-14: 13.9% Parkes — 5-14: 14.2%
15-19 8.6% / 6.2%
Cookamidgera — 15-19: 8.6% Parkes — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 2.0% / 6.0%
Cookamidgera — 20-24: 2.0% Parkes — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 7.3% / 11.8%
Cookamidgera — 25-34: 7.3% Parkes — 25-34: 11.8%
35-44 9.9% / 11.2%
Cookamidgera — 35-44: 9.9% Parkes — 35-44: 11.2%
45-54 19.9% / 11.6%
Cookamidgera — 45-54: 19.9% Parkes — 45-54: 11.6%
55-64 15.9% / 12.5%
Cookamidgera — 55-64: 15.9% Parkes — 55-64: 12.5%
65-74 10.6% / 10.1%
Cookamidgera — 65-74: 10.6% Parkes — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 8.6% / 6.9%
Cookamidgera — 75-84: 8.6% Parkes — 75-84: 6.9%
85+ — / 3.0%
Cookamidgera — 85+: not among its largest Parkes — 85+: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cookamidgera 42.6% lone person
Cookamidgera — Lone Person: 42.6% Cookamidgera — Couple Families: 46.8% Cookamidgera — One Parent Families: 10.6% Cookamidgera — Group Household: 0.0% Cookamidgera — Other Families: 0.0%
Parkes 41.7% lone person
Parkes — Lone Person: 41.7% Parkes — Couple Families: 35.8% Parkes — One Parent Families: 17.8% Parkes — Group Household: 3.4% Parkes — Other Families: 1.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cookamidgera 18.5% renting
Cookamidgera — Owned Outright: 38.9% Cookamidgera — Mortgage: 42.6% Cookamidgera — Renting: 18.5%
Parkes 30.4% renting
Parkes — Owned Outright: 35.3% Parkes — Mortgage: 34.3% Parkes — Renting: 30.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cookamidgera Parkes
Certificate III & IV 12.6% / 17.8%
Cookamidgera — Certificate III & IV: 12.6% Parkes — Certificate III & IV: 17.8%
Bachelor Degree 5.3% / 6.8%
Cookamidgera — Bachelor Degree: 5.3% Parkes — Bachelor Degree: 6.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 2.6% / 5.4%
Cookamidgera — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.6% Parkes — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.4%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 1.4%
Cookamidgera — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Parkes — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.1%
Cookamidgera — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Parkes — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

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.

Cookamidgera Parkes
New Zealand 2.6% / 0.6%
Cookamidgera — New Zealand: 2.6% Parkes — New Zealand: 0.6%
England 2.0% / 0.9%
Cookamidgera — England: 2.0% Parkes — England: 0.9%
Netherlands 2.0% / —
Cookamidgera — Netherlands: 2.0% Parkes — Netherlands: not among its largest
Philippines — / 0.7%
Cookamidgera — Philippines: not among its largest Parkes — Philippines: 0.7%
South Africa — / 0.4%
Cookamidgera — South Africa: not among its largest Parkes — South Africa: 0.4%
China — / 0.3%
Cookamidgera — China: not among its largest Parkes — China: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cookamidgera 95.1% houses
Cookamidgera — Houses: 95.1% Cookamidgera — Townhouses: 4.9% Cookamidgera — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Parkes 88.3% houses
Parkes — Houses: 88.3% Parkes — Townhouses: 3.9% Parkes — Flats / Apartments: 7.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cookamidgera Parkes
Median house price $120,000 $470,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $20,000 $270,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 40 days
from 94 sales

Zoning mix

Cookamidgera has more rural and farming land (97% vs 78%).

Cookamidgera Parkes
Rural and farming 97% 78%
Environmental 3% 12%
Other and special use 0% 5%
Residential 0% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 1%
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

Cookamidgera Parkes
New dwellings approved 31
across Forbes
 15
across Parkes
Approvals change year on year +125% -100%

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.

Cookamidgera Parkes
Houses — 4.7%
$450/wk on $495K
Units — 3.6%
$245/wk on $350K

Ranking within NSW

Cookamidgera Parkes
House price Higher than 1% of NSW Higher than 14% of NSW
Income Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 83% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 15% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 99% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 12% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 94% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 14% of NSW

Liveability

Cookamidgera Parkes
Grade — C
Score — 32/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Parkes carries more crime risk (89 vs 45).

Cookamidgera Parkes
Bushfire Low
38/100
 Moderate
47/100
Crime Moderate
45/100
 High
89/100
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

Cookamidgera Parkes
Inside the suburb 0 6
Rated above peers 0 3
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Cookamidgera

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

Schools in Parkes

  • Holy Family Parish School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Middleton Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Parkes Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Parkes Christian School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Parkes East Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Parkes High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Cookamidgera Parkes
Supermarkets 0 4
Cafes & restaurants 0 4
Parks & reserves 0 32
Childcare 0 8
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 3
Hospitals 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 5
Fuel stations 0 5
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 12 60

Mobility

Cookamidgera sits further from the CBD (357.4 km vs 354.6 km).

Cookamidgera Parkes
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 357.4 km 354.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 300 min 293 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2870
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 2870
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.

Cookamidgera Parkes
Car (driver) 84.3% / 78.9%
Cookamidgera — Car (driver): 84.3% Parkes — Car (driver): 78.9%
Worked from Home 7.8% / 9.4%
Cookamidgera — Worked from Home: 7.8% Parkes — Worked from Home: 9.4%
Car (passenger) 7.8% / 6.8%
Cookamidgera — Car (passenger): 7.8% Parkes — Car (passenger): 6.8%
Walked Only — / 4.4%
Cookamidgera — Walked Only: not among its largest Parkes — Walked Only: 4.4%
Bicycle — / 0.3%
Cookamidgera — Bicycle: not among its largest Parkes — Bicycle: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.3%).

Setting

Cookamidgera Parkes
Elevation 373 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 342 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Cookamidgera Parkes
Connectivity score 17/100 66/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
25 premises
 43%
6,149 premises

Council rates

Cookamidgera Parkes
Average residential rate $957/yr $1,146/yr
Council Forbes Parkes

Federal electorate

Cookamidgera Parkes
Division Parkes
same for both
Member Jamie Chaffey
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cookamidgera Parkes
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cookamidgera

Affordable Rural

Parkes

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cookamidgera

Cookamidgera vs Eugowra Cookamidgera vs Daroobalgie Cookamidgera vs Mandagery

Other comparisons with Parkes

Parkes vs Manildra Parkes vs Alectown Parkes vs Goonumbla Parkes vs Tichborne Parkes vs Gunningbland Parkes vs Daroobalgie
Full data on Cookamidgera Full data on Parkes
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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