Crawford River vs Nerong
Crawford River is the younger of the two, with a median age of 54 against 59 in Nerong. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Crawford River, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Crawford River: a median of $553,000, against $489,000 in Nerong, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Crawford River tends to suit people living alone, families with children, and couples, while Nerong suits 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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Crawford River carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 78/100)
- Nerong has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Nerong
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (34% vs 39%)
- has cheaper houses ($488,750 vs $553,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Nerong
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($310/wk vs $460/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Nerong
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (157 min vs 193 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (221.7 km vs 252.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Crawford River carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 78/100)
- Nerong has more residents already 65 and over (35% vs 25%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Nerong
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (60.0% vs 32.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Crawford River and Nerong 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
Nerong has more residents (168 vs 57); Crawford River rents higher ($460/wk vs $310/wk).
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57 | 168 +195% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +32.6% | +60.0% |
| Median age | 54 | 59 |
| Median household income | $58,500/yr +23% vs other | $44,824/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $460/wk +33% vs other | $310/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.0%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.5%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $553,000 | $488,750 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $142,000 |
Zoning mix
Crawford River has more rural and farming land (68% vs 54%); Nerong has more land zoned for conservation (45% vs 32%).
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 68% | 54% |
| Environmental | 32% | 45% |
| 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
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 743 across Mid-Coast same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +327% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 18% of NSW | Higher than 15% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 19% of NSW | Higher than 7% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 26% of NSW | Higher than 37% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 69% of NSW | Higher than 58% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 34% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 14% of NSW | Higher than 19% of NSW |
Liveability
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Nerong carries more crime risk (78 vs 0).
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 78/100 | High 71/100 |
| Crime | None 0/100 | High 78/100 |
| 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
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 3 |
| Waterways | 24 | 23 |
Mobility
Crawford River sits further from the CBD (252.5 km vs 221.7 km).
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 252.5 km +12% vs other | 221.7 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 193 min | 157 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 2423 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 61 postcode 2423 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 (71.1%).
Setting
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 133 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 51 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 25.9 km | 10.6 km |
NBN connectivity
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 19 premises | 0% 44 premises |
Climate
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,327 mm | 1,181 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 28.7°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 7.5°C |
Council rates
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,560/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mid-Coast same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lyne same for both | |
| Member | Alison Penfold same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Crawford River | Nerong | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Crawford River
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Crawford River
Other comparisons with Nerong
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.