Davistown vs Empire Bay

Empire Bay is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 48 in Davistown. In both, the large majority of households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Empire Bay, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Davistown tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Empire Bay suits couples.

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

Empire Bay

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 28/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 53%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (93% vs 74%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

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

  • Davistown has cheaper units ($665,000 vs $817,500)
  • Empire Bay leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 36%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Empire Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 30%)

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

Commuting to the city

Davistown

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (81 min vs 87 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (86.4 km vs 91 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Davistown

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (26% vs 7%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 20%)
  • But Empire Bay carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 28/100)

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

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

Davistown Empire Bay
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.

Davistown Empire Bay
Walkability 54 / 51
Davistown — Walkability: 54/100 Empire Bay — Walkability: 51/100
Safety 72 / 82
Davistown — Safety: 72/100 Empire Bay — Safety: 82/100
Low fire risk 71 / 36
Davistown — Low fire risk: 71/100 Empire Bay — Low fire risk: 36/100

Demographics

Empire Bay has higher household incomes ($97,968 vs $71,760); Davistown skews older (48 vs 42).

Davistown Empire Bay
Population 2,602
+3% vs other
 2,522
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.6% +5.1%
Median age 48 42
Median household income $71,760/yr $97,968/yr
+37% vs other
Median weekly rent $420/wk
+2% vs other
 $410/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Davistown Empire Bay
0-4 4.7% / 5.9%
Davistown — 0-4: 4.7% Empire Bay — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 12.8% / 14.0%
Davistown — 5-14: 12.8% Empire Bay — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 5.3% / 6.8%
Davistown — 15-19: 5.3% Empire Bay — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 3.3% / 5.0%
Davistown — 20-24: 3.3% Empire Bay — 20-24: 5.0%
25-34 8.1% / 8.7%
Davistown — 25-34: 8.1% Empire Bay — 25-34: 8.7%
35-44 12.0% / 12.6%
Davistown — 35-44: 12.0% Empire Bay — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 11.6% / 14.2%
Davistown — 45-54: 11.6% Empire Bay — 45-54: 14.2%
55-64 13.6% / 13.3%
Davistown — 55-64: 13.6% Empire Bay — 55-64: 13.3%
65-74 12.7% / 12.2%
Davistown — 65-74: 12.7% Empire Bay — 65-74: 12.2%
75-84 10.9% / 5.8%
Davistown — 75-84: 10.9% Empire Bay — 75-84: 5.8%
85+ 5.5% / 1.5%
Davistown — 85+: 5.5% Empire Bay — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Davistown 40.1% couple families
Davistown — Couple Families: 40.1% Davistown — Lone Person: 42.4% Davistown — One Parent Families: 13.2% Davistown — Group Household: 4.4% Davistown — Other Families: 0.0%
Empire Bay 52.1% couple families
Empire Bay — Couple Families: 52.1% Empire Bay — Lone Person: 26.4% Empire Bay — One Parent Families: 17.7% Empire Bay — Group Household: 2.5% Empire Bay — Other Families: 1.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Davistown 16.0% renting
Davistown — Owned Outright: 43.7% Davistown — Mortgage: 40.3% Davistown — Renting: 16.0%
Empire Bay 17.8% renting
Empire Bay — Owned Outright: 39.2% Empire Bay — Mortgage: 43.0% Empire Bay — Renting: 17.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Davistown Empire Bay
Certificate III & IV 21.0% / 19.5%
Davistown — Certificate III & IV: 21.0% Empire Bay — Certificate III & IV: 19.5%
Bachelor Degree 8.7% / 9.4%
Davistown — Bachelor Degree: 8.7% Empire Bay — Bachelor Degree: 9.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 8.4%
Davistown — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Empire Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Postgraduate Degree 1.8% / 3.1%
Davistown — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8% Empire Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 1.2%
Davistown — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Empire Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

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.

Davistown Empire Bay
England 4.9% / 4.6%
Davistown — England: 4.9% Empire Bay — England: 4.6%
New Zealand 1.7% / 1.3%
Davistown — New Zealand: 1.7% Empire Bay — New Zealand: 1.3%
Scotland 0.9% / 0.4%
Davistown — Scotland: 0.9% Empire Bay — Scotland: 0.4%
South Africa 0.6% / 0.5%
Davistown — South Africa: 0.6% Empire Bay — South Africa: 0.5%
Italy 0.2% / 0.4%
Davistown — Italy: 0.2% Empire Bay — Italy: 0.4%
Netherlands 0.5% / —
Davistown — Netherlands: 0.5% Empire Bay — Netherlands: not among its largest
China — / 0.4%
Davistown — China: not among its largest Empire Bay — China: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Davistown 73.5% houses
Davistown — Houses: 73.5% Davistown — Flats / Apartments: 17.5% Davistown — Townhouses: 9.0%
Empire Bay 93.3% houses
Empire Bay — Houses: 93.3% Empire Bay — Flats / Apartments: 2.8% Empire Bay — Townhouses: 3.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Davistown Empire Bay
Median house price $1,200,000 $1,167,500
Median unit price $665,000 $817,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 29 sales
 43 days
from 19 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.

Davistown Empire Bay
3 bed $998K / $1.1M
Davistown — 3 bed: $998K (20 sales) Empire Bay — 3 bed: $1.1M (19 sales)

20 vs 19 sales

4 bed $1.27M / $1.27M
Davistown — 4 bed: $1.27M (7 sales) Empire Bay — 4 bed: $1.27M (15 sales)

7 vs 15 sales

5 bed $1.48M / $1.94M
Davistown — 5 bed: $1.48M (7 sales) Empire Bay — 5 bed: $1.94M (6 sales)

7 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Empire Bay has more land zoned for conservation (77% vs 15%).

Davistown Empire Bay
Environmental 15% 77%
Residential 55% 16%
Parks and recreation 29% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 3%
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

Davistown Empire Bay
New dwellings approved 1,441
across Central Coast (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +67%
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.

Davistown Empire Bay
Houses — 6.0%
$1,000/wk on $872K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Davistown Empire Bay
House price Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Income Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 99% of NSW

Liveability

Davistown Empire Bay
Grade B
same for both
Score 57/100 53/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Empire Bay carries more bushfire risk (64 vs 29); Davistown carries more crime risk (28 vs 18).

Davistown Empire Bay
Bushfire Low
29/100
 Moderate
64/100
Crime Low
28/100
 Low
18/100
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 3
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Davistown Empire Bay
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Davistown

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

Schools in Empire Bay

  • Empire Bay Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Davistown Empire Bay
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 4
Parks & reserves 4 2
Childcare 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1

Mobility

Empire Bay sits further from the CBD (91 km vs 86.4 km).

Davistown Empire Bay
Walkability score 54/100 51/100
Distance to Sydney 86.4 km 91 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 81 min 87 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus · Ferry
Peak arrivals per hour 56.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 94.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 2251
 0.9%
postcode 2257
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 38
postcode 2251
 31
postcode 2257

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.

Davistown Empire Bay
Car (driver) 65.0% / 58.7%
Davistown — Car (driver): 65.0% Empire Bay — Car (driver): 58.7%
Worked from Home 30.4% / 34.3%
Davistown — Worked from Home: 30.4% Empire Bay — Worked from Home: 34.3%
Car (passenger) 3.7% / 3.5%
Davistown — Car (passenger): 3.7% Empire Bay — Car (passenger): 3.5%
Walked Only 0.6% / 1.4%
Davistown — Walked Only: 0.6% Empire Bay — Walked Only: 1.4%
Train — / 1.6%
Davistown — Train: not among its largest Empire Bay — Train: 1.6%
Bus 0.3% / 0.5%
Davistown — Bus: 0.3% Empire Bay — Bus: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.0%).

Setting

Davistown Empire Bay
Elevation 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 -2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.5 km 1.5 km
3.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Davistown Empire Bay
Connectivity score 48/100 63/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 6%
1,247 premises
 32%
978 premises

Climate

Davistown Empire Bay
Annual rainfall 1,272 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Davistown Empire Bay
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.36 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Davistown Empire Bay
Average residential rate $1,409/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Davistown Empire Bay
Division Robertson
same for both
Member Gordon Reid
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Davistown Empire Bay
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Davistown

Coastal Outer Parks Quiet Retirees

Empire Bay

Coastal Large Blocks Outer Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Davistown

Davistown vs Saratoga Davistown vs St Huberts Island Davistown vs Kincumber South

Other comparisons with Empire Bay

Empire Bay vs Bensville Empire Bay vs St Huberts Island Empire Bay vs Killcare Heights Empire Bay vs Kincumber South Empire Bay vs Daleys Point Empire Bay vs Killcare
Full data on Davistown Full data on Empire Bay
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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