Darkwood vs Thora
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. Houses cost more in Darkwood: a median of $1.1 million, against $960,000 in Thora, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Darkwood tends to suit people living alone.
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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Darkwood has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
- Thora is already more of a family suburb (62% vs 42%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Thora
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($960,000 vs $1,100,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Thora
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 32%)
- has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $300/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Thora
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (352 min vs 384 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (530.5 km vs 548.7 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Thora
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Darkwood
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (33.9% vs -6.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Darkwood and Thora 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
Thora has higher household incomes ($66,092 vs $49,348); Thora has more residents (311 vs 237).
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 237 | 311 +31% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +33.9% | -6.3% |
| Median age | 47 | 49 |
| Median household income | $49,348/yr | $66,092/yr +34% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk +13% vs other | $260/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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 (2.9%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,100,000 | $960,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $3,520 |
Zoning mix
Darkwood has more land zoned for conservation (90% vs 43%); Thora has more rural and farming land (57% vs 10%).
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 40 across Bellingen same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +12% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 57% of NSW | Higher than 48% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 10% of NSW | Higher than 28% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 27% of NSW | Higher than 63% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 12% of NSW | Higher than 36% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 80% of NSW | Higher than 79% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 14% of NSW | Higher than 26% of NSW |
Liveability
Thora is more walkable (14 vs 0).
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Darkwood carries more bushfire risk (63 vs 39).
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 63/100 | Low 39/100 |
| Crime | High 70/100 | Moderate 62/100 |
| 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 | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Thora
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 1 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 32 | 23 |
Mobility
Darkwood sits further from the CBD (548.7 km vs 530.5 km).
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 14/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 548.7 km +3% vs other | 530.5 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 384 min | 352 min |
| Public transport score | 20/100 Bus | 26/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 2.8 7-9am + 5-7pm | 6.5 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 5 min scheduled, not actual | 3 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 (59.5%).
Setting
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 170 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 92 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 38.3 km | 25.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 17/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 79 premises | 0% 109 premises |
Council rates
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,592/yr same for both | |
| Council | Bellingen same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Cowper same for both | |
| Member | Pat Conaghan same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Darkwood | Thora | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Darkwood
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Darkwood
Other comparisons with Thora
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.