Craven vs Wards River
In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Craven, about half of households rent and about half of households are couple families. In Wards River, the large majority of households own their home and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Craven tends to suit renters and couples, while Wards River suits people living alone.
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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Craven
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 43%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Craven
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (49% vs 22%)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (25% vs 34%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Wards River
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (182 min vs 196 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (240.5 km vs 251.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Craven
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (36% vs 30%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Wards River
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (0.0% vs -9.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Craven and Wards River 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
Wards River has more residents (178 vs 104); Craven has higher household incomes ($54,600 vs $40,716).
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 104 | 178 +71% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -9.6% | +0.0% |
| Median age | 54 | 55 |
| Median household income | $54,600/yr +25% vs other | $40,716/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $265/wk | $270/wk +2% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).
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 (23.1%).
Property market
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $875,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $825,000 | — |
Zoning mix
Wards River has more rural and farming land (100% vs 86%); Craven has more land zoned for conservation (12% vs 0%).
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 86% | 100% |
| Environmental | 12% | 0% |
| Industrial | 2% | 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
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 743 across Mid-Coast same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +327% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — | Higher than 37% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 15% of NSW | Higher than 5% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 13% of NSW | Higher than 51% of NSW |
| Affordability | — | Higher than 15% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 41% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 41% of NSW | Higher than 43% of NSW |
Liveability
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | high-need area decile 1/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 53/100 | Moderate 61/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 47/100 same for both | |
| 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
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 1 |
| Waterways | 22 | 38 |
Mobility
Craven sits further from the CBD (251.6 km vs 240.5 km).
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 6/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 251.6 km +4% vs other | 240.5 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 196 min | 182 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2422 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 57 postcode 2422 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.9%).
Setting
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 179 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 99 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 28/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 71 premises | 0% 103 premises |
Climate
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,327 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,560/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mid-Coast same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lyne same for both | |
| Member | Alison Penfold same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Craven | Wards River | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Craven
Other comparisons with Wards River
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.