Dirty Creek vs Halfway Creek

Dirty Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 48 in Halfway Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Dirty Creek, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Dirty Creek: a median of $728,000, against $400,000 in Halfway Creek, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Dirty Creek tends to suit young adults, people living alone, and families with children, while Halfway Creek suits buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Halfway Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (59% vs 45%)

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

First-home buyers

Halfway Creek

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($400,000 vs $727,500)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 31%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Halfway Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (27% vs 34%)
  • has cheaper rent ($325/wk vs $385/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Dirty Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (569.2 km vs 575.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Halfway Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 13%)

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

Investors

Dirty Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (16.5% vs -3.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
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.

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Walkability 12 / 6
Dirty Creek — Walkability: 12/100 Halfway Creek — Walkability: 6/100
Safety 9 / 3
Dirty Creek — Safety: 9/100 Halfway Creek — Safety: 3/100
Low fire risk 20 / 25
Dirty Creek — Low fire risk: 20/100 Halfway Creek — Low fire risk: 25/100

Demographics

Halfway Creek has more residents (246 vs 106); Halfway Creek skews older (48 vs 32).

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Population 106 246
+132% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.5% -3.9%
Median age 32 48
Median household income $58,500/yr $62,816/yr
+7% vs other
Median weekly rent $385/wk
+16% vs other
 $325/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
0-4 6.6% / 3.3%
Dirty Creek — 0-4: 6.6% Halfway Creek — 0-4: 3.3%
5-14 15.1% / 12.6%
Dirty Creek — 5-14: 15.1% Halfway Creek — 5-14: 12.6%
15-19 6.6% / 9.8%
Dirty Creek — 15-19: 6.6% Halfway Creek — 15-19: 9.8%
20-24 5.7% / 1.6%
Dirty Creek — 20-24: 5.7% Halfway Creek — 20-24: 1.6%
25-34 20.8% / 4.9%
Dirty Creek — 25-34: 20.8% Halfway Creek — 25-34: 4.9%
35-44 7.5% / 10.6%
Dirty Creek — 35-44: 7.5% Halfway Creek — 35-44: 10.6%
45-54 11.3% / 16.7%
Dirty Creek — 45-54: 11.3% Halfway Creek — 45-54: 16.7%
55-64 13.2% / 18.7%
Dirty Creek — 55-64: 13.2% Halfway Creek — 55-64: 18.7%
65-74 8.5% / 14.6%
Dirty Creek — 65-74: 8.5% Halfway Creek — 65-74: 14.6%
75-84 4.7% / 4.9%
Dirty Creek — 75-84: 4.7% Halfway Creek — 75-84: 4.9%
85+ — / 1.6%
Dirty Creek — 85+: not among its largest Halfway Creek — 85+: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dirty Creek 45.2% lone person
Dirty Creek — Lone Person: 45.2% Dirty Creek — Couple Families: 19.4% Dirty Creek — One Parent Families: 25.8% Dirty Creek — Group Household: 9.7%
Halfway Creek 36.1% lone person
Halfway Creek — Lone Person: 36.1% Halfway Creek — Couple Families: 34.4% Halfway Creek — One Parent Families: 24.6% Halfway Creek — Group Household: 4.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Dirty Creek 17.1% renting
Dirty Creek — Owned Outright: 31.4% Dirty Creek — Mortgage: 51.4% Dirty Creek — Renting: 17.1%
Halfway Creek 12.2% renting
Halfway Creek — Owned Outright: 50.0% Halfway Creek — Mortgage: 37.8% Halfway Creek — Renting: 12.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Certificate III & IV 16.0% / 19.9%
Dirty Creek — Certificate III & IV: 16.0% Halfway Creek — Certificate III & IV: 19.9%
Bachelor Degree 6.6% / 7.7%
Dirty Creek — Bachelor Degree: 6.6% Halfway Creek — Bachelor Degree: 7.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 2.8% / 4.9%
Dirty Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.8% Halfway Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.6%
Dirty Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Halfway Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).

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.

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
India 3.8% / 3.3%
Dirty Creek — India: 3.8% Halfway Creek — India: 3.3%
Germany — / 3.7%
Dirty Creek — Germany: not among its largest Halfway Creek — Germany: 3.7%
Malaysia 2.8% / —
Dirty Creek — Malaysia: 2.8% Halfway Creek — Malaysia: not among its largest
Bangladesh 2.8% / —
Dirty Creek — Bangladesh: 2.8% Halfway Creek — Bangladesh: not among its largest
England — / 2.4%
Dirty Creek — England: not among its largest Halfway Creek — England: 2.4%
New Zealand — / 2.0%
Dirty Creek — New Zealand: not among its largest Halfway Creek — New Zealand: 2.0%
Netherlands — / 1.6%
Dirty Creek — Netherlands: not among its largest Halfway Creek — Netherlands: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dirty Creek 103.1% houses
Dirty Creek — Houses: 103.1% Dirty Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Halfway Creek 96.6% houses
Halfway Creek — Houses: 96.6% Halfway Creek — Flats / Apartments: 3.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Median house price $727,500 $400,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Halfway Creek has more land zoned for conservation (30% vs 16%); Dirty Creek has more rural and farming land (80% vs 67%).

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Rural and farming 80% 67%
Environmental 16% 30%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 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

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
New dwellings approved 356
across Coffs Harbour
 246
across Clarence Valley
Approvals change year on year +61% -80%

Ranking within NSW

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
House price Higher than 28% of NSW Higher than 11% of NSW
Income Higher than 20% of NSW Higher than 25% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 53% of NSW Higher than 19% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW

Liveability

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Bushfire High
80/100
 High
75/100
Crime High
91/100
 High
97/100
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

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
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

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 0 1
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 10 31

Mobility

Halfway Creek sits further from the CBD (575.8 km vs 569.2 km).

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Walkability score 12/100 6/100
Distance to Sydney 569.2 km 575.8 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 373 min 376 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2456
 0.2%
postcode 2460
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 59
postcode 2456
 60
postcode 2460

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.

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Car (driver) 58.1% / 75.0%
Dirty Creek — Car (driver): 58.1% Halfway Creek — Car (driver): 75.0%
Worked from Home 27.9% / 15.8%
Dirty Creek — Worked from Home: 27.9% Halfway Creek — Worked from Home: 15.8%
Car (passenger) 14.0% / —
Dirty Creek — Car (passenger): 14.0% Halfway Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only — / 9.2%
Dirty Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest Halfway Creek — Walked Only: 9.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.0%).

Setting

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Elevation 103 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 95 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.1 km 12.8 km

NBN connectivity

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Connectivity score 30/100 28/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
56 premises
 0%
108 premises

Climate

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Annual rainfall 1,827 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Average residential rate $1,437/yr $1,380/yr
Council Coffs Harbour Clarence Valley

Federal electorate

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dirty Creek Halfway Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dirty Creek

River Rural

Halfway Creek

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dirty Creek

Dirty Creek vs Corindi Beach Dirty Creek vs Upper Corindi

Other comparisons with Halfway Creek

Halfway Creek vs Glenugie Halfway Creek vs Wells Crossing Halfway Creek vs Upper Corindi Halfway Creek vs Kungala Halfway Creek vs Sherwood
Full data on Dirty Creek Full data on Halfway Creek
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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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