Cudgen vs Kingscliff

Cudgen is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 47 in Kingscliff. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Cudgen, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Kingscliff: a median of $1.76 million, against $1.43 million in Cudgen, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Cudgen tends to suit families with children, couples, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Kingscliff suits people living alone and 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

Kingscliff

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (12 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (4 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)
  • But Cudgen is already more of a family suburb (74% vs 54%)

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

First-home buyers

Cudgen

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($905,000 vs $2,757,500)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 32%)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,425,000 vs $1,760,000)
  • But Kingscliff has cheaper units ($992,500 vs $1,140,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cudgen

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (23% vs 31%)
  • has cheaper rent ($440/wk vs $490/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Kingscliff

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (77/100 vs 27/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Kingscliff

ahead on 5 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (77/100 vs 27/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (38% vs 18%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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

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

Cudgen Kingscliff
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.

Cudgen Kingscliff
Walkability 27 / 77
Cudgen — Walkability: 27/100 Kingscliff — Walkability: 77/100
Safety 17 / 41
Cudgen — Safety: 17/100 Kingscliff — Safety: 41/100
Low fire risk 31 / 36
Cudgen — Low fire risk: 31/100 Kingscliff — Low fire risk: 36/100

Demographics

Kingscliff has more residents (8,355 vs 952); Kingscliff skews older (47 vs 39).

Cudgen Kingscliff
Population 952 8,355
+778% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +11.1% +11.9%
Median age 39 47
Median household income $98,436/yr
+17% vs other
 $81,900/yr
Median weekly rent $440/wk $490/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cudgen Kingscliff
0-4 6.0% / 4.6%
Cudgen — 0-4: 6.0% Kingscliff — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 15.8% / 12.9%
Cudgen — 5-14: 15.8% Kingscliff — 5-14: 12.9%
15-19 6.2% / 5.4%
Cudgen — 15-19: 6.2% Kingscliff — 15-19: 5.4%
20-24 4.8% / 3.9%
Cudgen — 20-24: 4.8% Kingscliff — 20-24: 3.9%
25-34 10.9% / 7.6%
Cudgen — 25-34: 10.9% Kingscliff — 25-34: 7.6%
35-44 11.9% / 11.8%
Cudgen — 35-44: 11.9% Kingscliff — 35-44: 11.8%
45-54 12.9% / 13.5%
Cudgen — 45-54: 12.9% Kingscliff — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 15.3% / 14.8%
Cudgen — 55-64: 15.3% Kingscliff — 55-64: 14.8%
65-74 10.6% / 14.0%
Cudgen — 65-74: 10.6% Kingscliff — 65-74: 14.0%
75-84 4.2% / 7.9%
Cudgen — 75-84: 4.2% Kingscliff — 75-84: 7.9%
85+ 1.5% / 3.6%
Cudgen — 85+: 1.5% Kingscliff — 85+: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cudgen 52.0% couple families
Cudgen — Couple Families: 52.0% Cudgen — Lone Person: 19.3% Cudgen — One Parent Families: 21.7% Cudgen — Group Household: 5.3% Cudgen — Other Families: 1.6%
Kingscliff 39.7% couple families
Kingscliff — Couple Families: 39.7% Kingscliff — Lone Person: 39.4% Kingscliff — One Parent Families: 14.8% Kingscliff — Group Household: 5.4% Kingscliff — Other Families: 0.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cudgen 25.2% renting
Cudgen — Owned Outright: 37.6% Cudgen — Mortgage: 37.2% Cudgen — Renting: 25.2%
Kingscliff 29.1% renting
Kingscliff — Owned Outright: 43.4% Kingscliff — Mortgage: 27.5% Kingscliff — Renting: 29.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cudgen Kingscliff
Certificate III & IV 16.5% / 14.2%
Cudgen — Certificate III & IV: 16.5% Kingscliff — Certificate III & IV: 14.2%
Bachelor Degree 12.5% / 14.4%
Cudgen — Bachelor Degree: 12.5% Kingscliff — Bachelor Degree: 14.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 9.4%
Cudgen — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Kingscliff — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4%
Postgraduate Degree 3.3% / 4.1%
Cudgen — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3% Kingscliff — Postgraduate Degree: 4.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 2.2%
Cudgen — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Kingscliff — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

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.

Cudgen Kingscliff
England 1.7% / 5.1%
Cudgen — England: 1.7% Kingscliff — England: 5.1%
New Zealand 2.4% / 2.8%
Cudgen — New Zealand: 2.4% Kingscliff — New Zealand: 2.8%
Philippines 1.1% / 0.4%
Cudgen — Philippines: 1.1% Kingscliff — Philippines: 0.4%
Canada 0.4% / 0.5%
Cudgen — Canada: 0.4% Kingscliff — Canada: 0.5%
Japan 0.5% / —
Cudgen — Japan: 0.5% Kingscliff — Japan: not among its largest
South Africa — / 0.5%
Cudgen — South Africa: not among its largest Kingscliff — South Africa: 0.5%
Scotland — / 0.5%
Cudgen — Scotland: not among its largest Kingscliff — Scotland: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cudgen 82.3% houses
Cudgen — Houses: 82.3% Cudgen — Townhouses: 17.7% Cudgen — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Kingscliff 61.6% houses
Kingscliff — Houses: 61.6% Kingscliff — Townhouses: 17.2% Kingscliff — Flats / Apartments: 21.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cudgen Kingscliff
Median house price $1,425,000 $1,760,000
Median unit price $1,140,000 $992,500
Median land price $905,000 $2,757,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 32 days
from 6 sales
 37 days
from 81 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Cudgen Kingscliff
3 bed $1.14M / $1.59M
Cudgen — 3 bed: $1.14M (6 sales) Kingscliff — 3 bed: $1.59M (58 sales)

6 vs 58 sales

4 bed $1.61M / $1.94M
Cudgen — 4 bed: $1.61M (9 sales) Kingscliff — 4 bed: $1.94M (54 sales)

9 vs 54 sales

Zoning mix

Cudgen has more rural and farming land (86% vs 5%).

Cudgen Kingscliff
Rural and farming 86% 5%
Residential 5% 47%
Other and special use 7% 23%
Parks and recreation 0% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 8%
Environmental 0% 4%
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

Cudgen Kingscliff
New dwellings approved 331
across Tweed
same for both
Approvals change year on year -50%
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.

Cudgen Kingscliff
Houses — 3.3%
$1,100/wk on $1.75M
Units — 3.4%
$850/wk on $1.32M

Ranking within NSW

Cudgen Kingscliff
House price Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Income Higher than 67% of NSW —
Schools — Higher than 32% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 49% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 33% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 9% of NSW

Liveability

Kingscliff is more walkable (77 vs 27); Kingscliff scores higher overall (36 vs 24).

Cudgen Kingscliff
Grade D C
Score 24/100 36/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Cudgen carries more crime risk (83 vs 59).

Cudgen Kingscliff
Bushfire Moderate
69/100
 Moderate
64/100
Crime High
83/100
 Moderate
59/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Moderate
41/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Cudgen Kingscliff
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Cudgen

  • Cudgen Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Kingscliff

  • Kingscliff High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Kingscliff Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Anthony's Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Cudgen Kingscliff
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 1 33
Parks & reserves 0 12
Childcare 0 4
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 3
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 4
Fuel stations 0 1
Beaches 0 1
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Cudgen Kingscliff
Walkability score 27/100 77/100
Distance to Sydney 805.6 km 805.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 513 min
same for both
Public transport score 61/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 18.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 122.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 2487
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 66
postcode 2487
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.

Cudgen Kingscliff
Car (driver) 71.3% / 66.1%
Cudgen — Car (driver): 71.3% Kingscliff — Car (driver): 66.1%
Worked from Home 15.3% / 24.0%
Cudgen — Worked from Home: 15.3% Kingscliff — Worked from Home: 24.0%
Car (passenger) 7.4% / 4.2%
Cudgen — Car (passenger): 7.4% Kingscliff — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Walked Only 4.5% / 3.6%
Cudgen — Walked Only: 4.5% Kingscliff — Walked Only: 3.6%
Bicycle 1.4% / 0.9%
Cudgen — Bicycle: 1.4% Kingscliff — Bicycle: 0.9%
Bus — / 1.0%
Cudgen — Bus: not among its largest Kingscliff — Bus: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.3%).

Setting

Cudgen Kingscliff
Elevation 20 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 42 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.8 km
2.9 km to a named beach
 860 m
1.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Cudgen Kingscliff
Connectivity score 54/100 68/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 34%
511 premises
 33%
5,502 premises

Climate

Cudgen Kingscliff
Annual rainfall 1,637 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Cudgen Kingscliff
Average residential rate $1,745/yr
same for both
Council Tweed
same for both

Federal electorate

Cudgen Kingscliff
Division Richmond
same for both
Member Justine Elliot
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cudgen Kingscliff
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cudgen

Coastal

Kingscliff

Beach Coastal Parks Regional Centre Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cudgen

Cudgen vs Chinderah Cudgen vs Duranbah

Other comparisons with Kingscliff

Kingscliff vs Casuarina Kingscliff vs Chinderah Kingscliff vs Fingal Head
Full data on Cudgen Full data on Kingscliff
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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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