Darkes Forest vs Appin

Appin is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 45 in Darkes Forest. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Darkes Forest tends to suit couples and older residents, while Appin suits families with children.

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

Appin

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • But Darkes Forest carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 68/100)

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

First-home buyers

Darkes Forest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (12% vs 24%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Darkes Forest has a bigger rental market to choose from (38% vs 17%)
  • Appin has cheaper rent ($450/wk vs $488/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Darkes Forest

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (68 min vs 94 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (64.6 km vs 81.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Darkes Forest

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 10%)
  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 68/100)
  • But Appin has more GPs (2 vs 0)

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

Investors

Appin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.0% vs -17.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Darkes Forest Appin
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.

Darkes Forest Appin
Walkability 13 / 0
Darkes Forest — Walkability: 13/100 Appin — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 63 / 32
Darkes Forest — Safety: 63/100 Appin — Safety: 32/100
Low fire risk 11 / 17
Darkes Forest — Low fire risk: 11/100 Appin — Low fire risk: 17/100

Demographics

Appin has more residents (3,213 vs 95); Darkes Forest skews older (45 vs 33).

Darkes Forest Appin
Population 95 3,213
+3282% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -17.4% +22.0%
Median age 45 33
Median household income $136,448/yr
+8% vs other
 $125,996/yr
Median weekly rent $488/wk
+8% vs other
 $450/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Darkes Forest Appin
0-4 7.4% / 9.7%
Darkes Forest — 0-4: 7.4% Appin — 0-4: 9.7%
5-14 6.3% / 17.7%
Darkes Forest — 5-14: 6.3% Appin — 5-14: 17.7%
15-19 9.5% / 5.9%
Darkes Forest — 15-19: 9.5% Appin — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 8.4% / 5.4%
Darkes Forest — 20-24: 8.4% Appin — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 11.6% / 14.0%
Darkes Forest — 25-34: 11.6% Appin — 25-34: 14.0%
35-44 6.3% / 15.8%
Darkes Forest — 35-44: 6.3% Appin — 35-44: 15.8%
45-54 12.6% / 11.7%
Darkes Forest — 45-54: 12.6% Appin — 45-54: 11.7%
55-64 20.0% / 9.8%
Darkes Forest — 55-64: 20.0% Appin — 55-64: 9.8%
65-74 11.6% / 6.2%
Darkes Forest — 65-74: 11.6% Appin — 65-74: 6.2%
75-84 8.4% / 2.9%
Darkes Forest — 75-84: 8.4% Appin — 75-84: 2.9%
85+ 3.2% / 0.7%
Darkes Forest — 85+: 3.2% Appin — 85+: 0.7%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Darkes Forest 83.3% couple families
Darkes Forest — Couple Families: 83.3% Darkes Forest — Lone Person: 16.7% Darkes Forest — One Parent Families: 0.0% Darkes Forest — Group Household: 0.0% Darkes Forest — Other Families: 0.0%
Appin 65.5% couple families
Appin — Couple Families: 65.5% Appin — Lone Person: 16.0% Appin — One Parent Families: 16.0% Appin — Group Household: 1.7% Appin — 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.

Darkes Forest 37.5% renting
Darkes Forest — Owned Outright: 45.8% Darkes Forest — Mortgage: 16.7% Darkes Forest — Renting: 37.5%
Appin 17.1% renting
Appin — Owned Outright: 26.5% Appin — Mortgage: 56.4% Appin — Renting: 17.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Darkes Forest 92.3% houses
Darkes Forest — Houses: 92.3% Darkes Forest — Flats / Apartments: 7.7% Darkes Forest — Townhouses: 0.0%
Appin 95.7% houses
Appin — Houses: 95.7% Appin — Flats / Apartments: 2.5% Appin — Townhouses: 1.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Darkes Forest Appin
Certificate III & IV 18.9% / 20.4%
Darkes Forest — Certificate III & IV: 18.9% Appin — Certificate III & IV: 20.4%
Bachelor Degree 14.7% / 7.6%
Darkes Forest — Bachelor Degree: 14.7% Appin — Bachelor Degree: 7.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 14.7% / 6.9%
Darkes Forest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 14.7% Appin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 1.4%
Darkes Forest — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Appin — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.7%
Darkes Forest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Appin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).

Property market

Darkes Forest Appin
Median house price — $1,056,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $596,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 33 days
from 51 sales

Zoning mix

Darkes Forest has more land zoned for conservation (98% vs 69%); Appin has more rural and farming land (17% vs 1%).

Darkes Forest Appin
Environmental 98% 69%
Rural and farming 1% 17%
Residential 0% 10%
Parks and recreation 0% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 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

Darkes Forest Appin
New dwellings approved 1,476
across Wollongong
 1,338
across Wollondilly
Approvals change year on year -31% +92%

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.

Darkes Forest Appin
Houses — 3.4%
$780/wk on $1.2M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Darkes Forest Appin
House price — Higher than 54% of NSW
Income Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 31% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 76% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 12% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 38% of NSW

Liveability

Darkes Forest is more walkable (13 vs 0).

Darkes Forest Appin
Grade — D
Score — 29/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Appin carries more crime risk (68 vs 37).

Darkes Forest Appin
Bushfire High
89/100
 High
83/100
Crime Low
37/100
 Moderate
68/100
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
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Darkes Forest Appin
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Darkes Forest

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Appin

  • Appin Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Darkes Forest Appin
Parks & reserves 1 6
Childcare 0 5
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 3 19

Mobility

Appin sits further from the CBD (81.2 km vs 64.6 km).

Darkes Forest Appin
Walkability score 13/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 64.6 km 81.2 km
+26% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 68 min 94 min
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 2508
 0.8%
postcode 2560
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 43
postcode 2508
 44
postcode 2560

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.

Darkes Forest Appin
Car (driver) 59.3% / 62.1%
Darkes Forest — Car (driver): 59.3% Appin — Car (driver): 62.1%
Worked from Home 40.7% / 31.5%
Darkes Forest — Worked from Home: 40.7% Appin — Worked from Home: 31.5%
Car (passenger) — / 3.2%
Darkes Forest — Car (passenger): not among its largest Appin — Car (passenger): 3.2%
Walked Only — / 1.5%
Darkes Forest — Walked Only: not among its largest Appin — Walked Only: 1.5%
Train — / 1.3%
Darkes Forest — Train: not among its largest Appin — Train: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.1%).

Setting

Darkes Forest Appin
Elevation 368 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 275 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.1 km 15.6 km

NBN connectivity

Darkes Forest Appin
Connectivity score 15/100 75/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
10 premises
 58%
1,163 premises

Climate

Darkes Forest Appin
Annual rainfall 1,038 mm 817 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 29.4°C
Winter min (Jul) — 4.2°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Darkes Forest Appin
PM2.5 5.8 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.97 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Darkes Forest Appin
Average residential rate $1,751/yr $2,099/yr
Council Wollongong Wollondilly

Federal electorate

Darkes Forest Appin
Division Cunningham Hume
Member Alison Byrnes Angus Taylor
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

Darkes Forest Appin
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Darkes Forest

Outer

Appin

Acreage Family Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Darkes Forest

Darkes Forest vs Helensburgh Darkes Forest vs Holsworthy Darkes Forest vs Stanwell Tops

Other comparisons with Appin

Appin vs Holsworthy Appin vs Wilton Appin vs Douglas Park Appin vs Gilead Appin vs Wedderburn
Full data on Darkes Forest Full data on Appin
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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