Darawank vs Rainbow Flat

Comparing Darawank and Rainbow Flat, NSW: Rainbow Flat is more walkable (10 vs 0); Rainbow Flat has more residents (693 vs 451); and Rainbow Flat rents higher ($400/wk vs $335/wk).

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

Rainbow Flat

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (97% vs 80%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 56%)

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

First-home buyers

Rainbow Flat

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (30% vs 43%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Darawank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($335/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Rainbow Flat

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Darawank has more units and townhouses to downsize into (20% vs 3%)
  • Rainbow Flat is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Darawank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (14.2% vs 3.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Darawank Rainbow Flat
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.

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Walkability 0 / 10
Darawank — Walkability: 0/100 Rainbow Flat — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 57 / 53
Darawank — Safety: 57/100 Rainbow Flat — Safety: 53/100
Low fire risk 16 / 18
Darawank — Low fire risk: 16/100 Rainbow Flat — Low fire risk: 18/100

Demographics

Rainbow Flat has more residents (693 vs 451); Rainbow Flat rents higher ($400/wk vs $335/wk).

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Population 451 693
+54% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +14.2% +3.3%
Median age 52 51
Median household income $66,820/yr $67,548/yr
+1% vs other
Median weekly rent $335/wk $400/wk
+19% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Darawank Rainbow Flat
0-4 2.9% / 3.2%
Darawank — 0-4: 2.9% Rainbow Flat — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 11.3% / 12.6%
Darawank — 5-14: 11.3% Rainbow Flat — 5-14: 12.6%
15-19 5.3% / 7.1%
Darawank — 15-19: 5.3% Rainbow Flat — 15-19: 7.1%
20-24 4.4% / 3.2%
Darawank — 20-24: 4.4% Rainbow Flat — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 4.4% / 5.2%
Darawank — 25-34: 4.4% Rainbow Flat — 25-34: 5.2%
35-44 10.4% / 9.2%
Darawank — 35-44: 10.4% Rainbow Flat — 35-44: 9.2%
45-54 13.7% / 14.1%
Darawank — 45-54: 13.7% Rainbow Flat — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 20.0% / 18.5%
Darawank — 55-64: 20.0% Rainbow Flat — 55-64: 18.5%
65-74 15.7% / 18.9%
Darawank — 65-74: 15.7% Rainbow Flat — 65-74: 18.9%
75-84 10.0% / 6.5%
Darawank — 75-84: 10.0% Rainbow Flat — 75-84: 6.5%
85+ 1.8% / 1.7%
Darawank — 85+: 1.8% Rainbow Flat — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Darawank 46.7% couple families
Darawank — Couple Families: 46.7% Darawank — Lone Person: 36.2% Darawank — One Parent Families: 9.5% Darawank — Group Household: 7.6%
Rainbow Flat 48.7% couple families
Rainbow Flat — Couple Families: 48.7% Rainbow Flat — Lone Person: 29.2% Rainbow Flat — One Parent Families: 16.9% Rainbow Flat — Group Household: 5.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Darawank 13.5% renting
Darawank — Owned Outright: 54.1% Darawank — Mortgage: 32.4% Darawank — Renting: 13.5%
Rainbow Flat 7.5% renting
Rainbow Flat — Owned Outright: 54.4% Rainbow Flat — Mortgage: 38.1% Rainbow Flat — Renting: 7.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Certificate III & IV 20.4% / 23.4%
Darawank — Certificate III & IV: 20.4% Rainbow Flat — Certificate III & IV: 23.4%
Bachelor Degree 8.4% / 9.1%
Darawank — Bachelor Degree: 8.4% Rainbow Flat — Bachelor Degree: 9.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 8.9%
Darawank — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% Rainbow Flat — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.6% / 2.2%
Darawank — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6% Rainbow Flat — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.3%
Darawank — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Rainbow Flat — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.4%).

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.

Darawank Rainbow Flat
England 2.9% / 4.6%
Darawank — England: 2.9% Rainbow Flat — England: 4.6%
New Zealand 1.1% / 0.9%
Darawank — New Zealand: 1.1% Rainbow Flat — New Zealand: 0.9%
South Africa 1.1% / 0.4%
Darawank — South Africa: 1.1% Rainbow Flat — South Africa: 0.4%
Fiji 1.1% / —
Darawank — Fiji: 1.1% Rainbow Flat — Fiji: not among its largest
Ireland — / 0.7%
Darawank — Ireland: not among its largest Rainbow Flat — Ireland: 0.7%
Philippines — / 0.6%
Darawank — Philippines: not among its largest Rainbow Flat — Philippines: 0.6%
Scotland — / 0.6%
Darawank — Scotland: not among its largest Rainbow Flat — Scotland: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Darawank 79.7% houses
Darawank — Houses: 79.7% Darawank — Flats / Apartments: 20.3%
Rainbow Flat 97.3% houses
Rainbow Flat — Houses: 97.3% Rainbow Flat — Flats / Apartments: 2.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Median house price $1,150,000 $1,138,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,469,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 38 days
from 4 sales
 44 days
from 5 sales

Zoning mix

Rainbow Flat has more rural and farming land (81% vs 25%); Darawank has more land zoned for conservation (60% vs 7%).

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Rural and farming 25% 81%
Environmental 60% 7%
Residential 7% 11%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 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

Darawank Rainbow Flat
New dwellings approved 743
across Mid-Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +327%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Darawank Rainbow Flat
House price Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Income Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 24% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 23% of NSW Higher than 28% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW

Liveability

Rainbow Flat is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Grade — D
Score — 25/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Bushfire High
84/100
 High
82/100
Crime Moderate
43/100
 Moderate
47/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
18/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Darawank Rainbow Flat
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

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Parks & reserves 2 0
Waterways 7 17

Mobility

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Sydney 302.2 km
same for both
Drive time (normal traffic) 214 min 211 min
Public transport score 30/100
Bus
 28/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 9.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 5.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2428
 0.4%
postcode 2430
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 2428
 54
postcode 2430

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.

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Car (driver) 74.8% / 75.5%
Darawank — Car (driver): 74.8% Rainbow Flat — Car (driver): 75.5%
Worked from Home 17.9% / 18.0%
Darawank — Worked from Home: 17.9% Rainbow Flat — Worked from Home: 18.0%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 5.0%
Darawank — Car (passenger): 5.3% Rainbow Flat — Car (passenger): 5.0%
Walked Only 2.0% / 1.5%
Darawank — Walked Only: 2.0% Rainbow Flat — Walked Only: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.5%).

Setting

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Elevation 9 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 23 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.0 km
2.9 km to a named beach
 5.1 km

NBN connectivity

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Connectivity score 33/100 37/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
178 premises
 10%
330 premises

Climate

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Annual rainfall 1,331 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Average residential rate $1,560/yr
same for both
Council Mid-Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Darawank Rainbow Flat
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Darawank

Coastal Retirees Rural

Rainbow Flat

Acreage Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Darawank

Darawank vs Tuncurry Darawank vs Nabiac Darawank vs Black Head Darawank vs Failford Darawank vs Hallidays Point

Other comparisons with Rainbow Flat

Rainbow Flat vs Diamond Beach Rainbow Flat vs Tallwoods Village Rainbow Flat vs Failford Rainbow Flat vs Hallidays Point Rainbow Flat vs Koorainghat Rainbow Flat vs Possum Brush
Full data on Darawank Full data on Rainbow Flat
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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