Croom vs Blackbutt

Croom is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 43 in Blackbutt. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Croom, most households are couple families. In Blackbutt, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Croom tends to suit people living alone, families with children, and couples.

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

Blackbutt

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (10 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 87/100)
  • But Croom has more separate houses rather than flats (109% vs 70%)

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

First-home buyers

Blackbutt

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (29% vs 36%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Croom

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (21% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($365/wk vs $420/wk)
  • But Blackbutt has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 17%)

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

Commuting to the city

Blackbutt

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (86/100 vs 4/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Blackbutt

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (86/100 vs 4/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 87/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Croom Blackbutt
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.

Croom Blackbutt
Walkability 4 / 86
Croom — Walkability: 4/100 Blackbutt — Walkability: 86/100
Safety 13 / 66
Croom — Safety: 13/100 Blackbutt — Safety: 66/100
Low fire risk 84 / 100
Croom — Low fire risk: 84/100 Blackbutt — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Blackbutt has more residents (3,291 vs 112); Blackbutt rents higher ($420/wk vs $365/wk).

Croom Blackbutt
Population 112 3,291
+2838% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.9% -0.3%
Median age 38 43
Median household income $89,336/yr
+7% vs other
 $83,408/yr
Median weekly rent $365/wk $420/wk
+15% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Croom Blackbutt
0-4 6.2% / 4.8%
Croom — 0-4: 6.2% Blackbutt — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 18.8% / 11.3%
Croom — 5-14: 18.8% Blackbutt — 5-14: 11.3%
15-19 2.7% / 6.6%
Croom — 15-19: 2.7% Blackbutt — 15-19: 6.6%
20-24 — / 6.7%
Croom — 20-24: not among its largest Blackbutt — 20-24: 6.7%
25-34 11.6% / 11.2%
Croom — 25-34: 11.6% Blackbutt — 25-34: 11.2%
35-44 14.3% / 10.7%
Croom — 35-44: 14.3% Blackbutt — 35-44: 10.7%
45-54 5.4% / 15.4%
Croom — 45-54: 5.4% Blackbutt — 45-54: 15.4%
55-64 13.4% / 13.7%
Croom — 55-64: 13.4% Blackbutt — 55-64: 13.7%
65-74 12.5% / 12.3%
Croom — 65-74: 12.5% Blackbutt — 65-74: 12.3%
75-84 2.7% / 5.3%
Croom — 75-84: 2.7% Blackbutt — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ — / 1.8%
Croom — 85+: not among its largest Blackbutt — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Croom 60.7% couple families
Croom — Couple Families: 60.7% Croom — Lone Person: 39.3% Croom — One Parent Families: 0.0% Croom — Group Household: 0.0% Croom — Other Families: 0.0%
Blackbutt 48.0% couple families
Blackbutt — Couple Families: 48.0% Blackbutt — Lone Person: 29.2% Blackbutt — One Parent Families: 18.1% Blackbutt — Group Household: 3.5% Blackbutt — Other Families: 1.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Croom 16.7% renting
Croom — Owned Outright: 53.3% Croom — Mortgage: 30.0% Croom — Renting: 16.7%
Blackbutt 29.8% renting
Blackbutt — Owned Outright: 41.2% Blackbutt — Mortgage: 29.0% Blackbutt — Renting: 29.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Croom Blackbutt
Certificate III & IV 18.8% / 17.4%
Croom — Certificate III & IV: 18.8% Blackbutt — Certificate III & IV: 17.4%
Bachelor Degree 9.8% / 8.8%
Croom — Bachelor Degree: 9.8% Blackbutt — Bachelor Degree: 8.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.9% / 8.4%
Croom — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9% Blackbutt — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.5% / 1.4%
Croom — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5% Blackbutt — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.5%
Croom — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Blackbutt — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

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.

Croom Blackbutt
Italy 4.5% / 0.8%
Croom — Italy: 4.5% Blackbutt — Italy: 0.8%
New Zealand 4.5% / 0.5%
Croom — New Zealand: 4.5% Blackbutt — New Zealand: 0.5%
England — / 3.3%
Croom — England: not among its largest Blackbutt — England: 3.3%
Germany — / 0.7%
Croom — Germany: not among its largest Blackbutt — Germany: 0.7%
Philippines — / 0.7%
Croom — Philippines: not among its largest Blackbutt — Philippines: 0.7%
China — / 0.5%
Croom — China: not among its largest Blackbutt — China: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Croom 109.4% houses
Croom — Houses: 109.4% Croom — Townhouses: 0.0% Croom — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Blackbutt 70.0% houses
Blackbutt — Houses: 70.0% Blackbutt — Townhouses: 28.4% Blackbutt — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Croom Blackbutt
Median house price — $1,025,000
Median unit price — $720,000
Median land price — $945,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 29 days
from 27 sales

Zoning mix

Croom has more rural and farming land (69% vs 0%); Croom has more land zoned for conservation (20% vs 0%).

Croom Blackbutt
Rural and farming 69% 0%
Parks and recreation 6% 51%
Residential 0% 43%
Environmental 20% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 5%
same for both
Commercial 0% 2%
Other and special use 1% 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

Croom Blackbutt
New dwellings approved 883
across Shellharbour
same for both
Approvals change year on year +25%
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.

Croom Blackbutt
Houses — 4.8%
$788/wk on $860K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Croom Blackbutt
House price — Higher than 55% of NSW
Income Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 46% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 94% of NSW

Liveability

Blackbutt is more walkable (86 vs 4).

Croom Blackbutt
Grade — B
Score — 66/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Croom carries more bushfire risk (16 vs 0); Croom carries more crime risk (87 vs 34).

Croom Blackbutt
Bushfire Low
16/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
87/100
 Low
34/100
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 7
within 5 km
 8
within 5 km

Schools

Croom Blackbutt
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

Croom Blackbutt
Parks & reserves 1 10
Childcare 0 6
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Croom Blackbutt
Walkability score 4/100 86/100
Distance to Sydney 111.6 km 110.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 102 min 98 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2527
 0.9%
postcode 2529
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 60
postcode 2527
 45
postcode 2529

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.

Croom Blackbutt
Car (driver) 50.0% / 68.6%
Croom — Car (driver): 50.0% Blackbutt — Car (driver): 68.6%
Worked from Home 50.0% / 23.5%
Croom — Worked from Home: 50.0% Blackbutt — Worked from Home: 23.5%
Car (passenger) — / 4.7%
Croom — Car (passenger): not among its largest Blackbutt — Car (passenger): 4.7%
Walked Only — / 1.6%
Croom — Walked Only: not among its largest Blackbutt — Walked Only: 1.6%
Train — / 1.2%
Croom — Train: not among its largest Blackbutt — Train: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.6%).

Setting

Croom Blackbutt
Elevation 118 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 71 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.9 km 2.6 km
2.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Croom Blackbutt
Connectivity score 42/100 73/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 17%
54 premises
 51%
1,373 premises

Climate

Croom Blackbutt
Annual rainfall 974 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Croom Blackbutt
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.37 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Croom Blackbutt
Average residential rate $1,788/yr
same for both
Council Shellharbour
same for both

Federal electorate

Croom Blackbutt
Division Whitlam
same for both
Member Carol Berry
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Croom Blackbutt
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Croom

Family Rural

Blackbutt

Coastal Parks Quiet River Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Croom

Croom vs Albion Park Croom vs Flinders Croom vs Albion Park Rail Croom vs Oak Flats Croom vs Jamberoo Croom vs Dunmore

Other comparisons with Blackbutt

Blackbutt vs Flinders Blackbutt vs Albion Park Rail Blackbutt vs Oak Flats Blackbutt vs Barrack Heights Blackbutt vs Shellharbour Blackbutt vs Shellharbour City Centre
Full data on Croom Full data on Blackbutt
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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