Dondingalong vs Kundabung
Kundabung is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 51 in Dondingalong. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Dondingalong, about half of households are couple families. In Kundabung, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Kundabung: a median of $940,000, against $620,000 in Dondingalong, though rent is higher in Dondingalong. On these figures, Dondingalong tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Kundabung suits families with children and 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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Dondingalong carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 75/100)
- Kundabung is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 60%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Dondingalong
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper land ($665,000 vs $1,082,500)
- has cheaper houses ($620,000 vs $940,000)
Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.
Renters
Kundabung
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 28%)
- has cheaper rent ($280/wk vs $330/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Kundabung
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (269 min vs 296 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (406.3 km vs 432.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Dondingalong carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 75/100)
- Kundabung is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Dondingalong
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (7.2% vs -2.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Dondingalong and Kundabung 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
Kundabung has higher household incomes ($75,296 vs $60,528); Dondingalong rents higher ($330/wk vs $280/wk).
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 712 +13% vs other | 616 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +7.2% | -2.2% |
| Median age | 51 | 45 |
| Median household income | $60,528/yr | $75,296/yr +24% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $330/wk +15% vs other | $280/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.8%).
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 (4.4%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $620,000 | $940,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $665,000 | $1,082,500 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 40 days from 4 sales | 30 days from 3 sales |
Zoning mix
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 84% | 85% |
| Environmental | 13% same for both | |
| Residential | 3% | 0% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 0% | 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
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 144 across Kempsey same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +380% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 24% of NSW | Higher than 49% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 22% of NSW | Higher than 43% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 32% of NSW | Higher than 57% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 56% of NSW | Higher than 44% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 7% of NSW | Higher than 35% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 48% of NSW | Higher than 24% of NSW |
Liveability
Kundabung is more walkable (10 vs 0).
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | D same for both | |
| Score | 19/100 same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Kundabung carries more crime risk (75 vs 57).
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 54/100 | Moderate 63/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 57/100 | High 75/100 |
| 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
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 7 | 9 |
Mobility
Dondingalong sits further from the CBD (432.2 km vs 406.3 km).
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 10/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 432.2 km +6% vs other | 406.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 296 min | 269 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 2440 | 0.4% postcode 2441 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 53 postcode 2440 | 72 postcode 2441 |
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 (83.3%).
Setting
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 105 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 23 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 22.6 km | 13.7 km |
NBN connectivity
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 16/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 304 premises | 0% 98 premises |
Council rates
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,447/yr same for both | |
| Council | Kempsey same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Cowper same for both | |
| Member | Pat Conaghan same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Dondingalong | Kundabung | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Dondingalong
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Dondingalong
Other comparisons with Kundabung
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.