Darkwood vs Kalang
Darkwood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 50 in Kalang. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Darkwood, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Darkwood tends to suit share households and 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
Kalang
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (52/100 vs 70/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (51% vs 42%)
- But Darkwood has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Darkwood
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 35%)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Kalang
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (24% vs 32%)
- has cheaper rent ($241/wk vs $300/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Darkwood has a shorter drive in (384 min vs 417 min)
- Kalang is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Kalang
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (52/100 vs 70/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Darkwood
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (33.9% vs 5.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Darkwood and Kalang 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
Darkwood rents higher ($300/wk vs $241/wk); Kalang skews older (50 vs 47).
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 237 | 280 +18% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +33.9% | +5.3% |
| Median age | 47 | 50 |
| Median household income | $49,348/yr | $51,428/yr +4% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk +20% vs other | $241/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.1%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,100,000 same for both | |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Kalang has more rural and farming land (57% vs 10%); Darkwood has more land zoned for conservation (90% vs 43%).
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental | 90% | 43% |
| Rural and farming | 10% | 57% |
| 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
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 40 across Bellingen same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +12% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 57% of NSW | Higher than 3% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 10% of NSW | Higher than 12% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 27% of NSW | Higher than 58% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 12% of NSW | Higher than 95% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 80% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 14% of NSW | Higher than 26% of NSW |
Liveability
Kalang is more walkable (10 vs 0).
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Darkwood carries more crime risk (70 vs 52).
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 63/100 | Moderate 66/100 |
| Crime | High 70/100 | Moderate 52/100 |
| 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
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 2 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 2 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Darkwood
- Chrysalis School for Rudolf Steiner Education Independent · Combined above peers
- Orama Public School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Kalang
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 0 |
| Childcare | 1 same for both | |
| Waterways | 32 | 28 |
Mobility
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 10/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 548.7 km | 549 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 384 min | 417 min |
| Public transport score | 20/100 Bus | 22/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 2.8 7-9am + 5-7pm | 4.8 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 5 min scheduled, not actual | 2.5 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.9% postcode 2454 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 70 postcode 2454 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 (69.8%).
Setting
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 170 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 131 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 38.3 km | 28.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 17/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 79 premises | 0% 111 premises |
Council rates
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,592/yr same for both | |
| Council | Bellingen same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Cowper same for both | |
| Member | Pat Conaghan same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Darkwood | Kalang | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Darkwood
Kalang
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Darkwood
Other comparisons with Kalang
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.