Dondingalong vs Sherwood

Dondingalong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 51 against 55 in Sherwood. 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. Houses cost more in Sherwood: a median of $860,000, 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 Sherwood suits share households and older residents.

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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 5 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

First-home buyers

Dondingalong

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($620,000 vs $860,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 32%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Sherwood

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (23% vs 28%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $330/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Dondingalong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (432.2 km vs 435 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sherwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (34% vs 22%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

Dondingalong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (7.2% vs 0.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Dondingalong Sherwood
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.

Dondingalong Sherwood
Walkability 0 / 5
Dondingalong — Walkability: 0/100 Sherwood — Walkability: 5/100
Low fire risk 46 / 35
Dondingalong — Low fire risk: 46/100 Sherwood — Low fire risk: 35/100

Demographics

Dondingalong has more residents (712 vs 145); Sherwood has higher household incomes ($67,756 vs $60,528).

Dondingalong Sherwood
Population 712
+80% vs other
 145
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.2% +0.7%
Median age 51 55
Median household income $60,528/yr $67,756/yr
+12% vs other
Median weekly rent $330/wk
+9% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dondingalong Sherwood
0-4 5.2% / 2.8%
Dondingalong — 0-4: 5.2% Sherwood — 0-4: 2.8%
5-14 9.6% / 8.3%
Dondingalong — 5-14: 9.6% Sherwood — 5-14: 8.3%
15-19 6.0% / 6.9%
Dondingalong — 15-19: 6.0% Sherwood — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 4.9% / —
Dondingalong — 20-24: 4.9% Sherwood — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 9.0% / 6.2%
Dondingalong — 25-34: 9.0% Sherwood — 25-34: 6.2%
35-44 7.4% / 4.8%
Dondingalong — 35-44: 7.4% Sherwood — 35-44: 4.8%
45-54 13.8% / 16.6%
Dondingalong — 45-54: 13.8% Sherwood — 45-54: 16.6%
55-64 21.8% / 22.1%
Dondingalong — 55-64: 21.8% Sherwood — 55-64: 22.1%
65-74 14.3% / 20.7%
Dondingalong — 65-74: 14.3% Sherwood — 65-74: 20.7%
75-84 6.2% / 10.3%
Dondingalong — 75-84: 6.2% Sherwood — 75-84: 10.3%
85+ 1.4% / 3.4%
Dondingalong — 85+: 1.4% Sherwood — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dondingalong 46.4% couple families
Dondingalong — Couple Families: 46.4% Dondingalong — Lone Person: 35.1% Dondingalong — One Parent Families: 13.7% Dondingalong — Group Household: 3.0% Dondingalong — Other Families: 1.8%
Sherwood 41.4% couple families
Sherwood — Couple Families: 41.4% Sherwood — Lone Person: 20.7% Sherwood — One Parent Families: 24.1% Sherwood — Group Household: 13.8% Sherwood — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Dondingalong 11.2% renting
Dondingalong — Owned Outright: 51.4% Dondingalong — Mortgage: 37.5% Dondingalong — Renting: 11.2%
Sherwood 8.9% renting
Sherwood — Owned Outright: 71.4% Sherwood — Mortgage: 19.6% Sherwood — Renting: 8.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Dondingalong Sherwood
England 3.7% / 4.8%
Dondingalong — England: 3.7% Sherwood — England: 4.8%
New Zealand 1.0% / —
Dondingalong — New Zealand: 1.0% Sherwood — New Zealand: not among its largest
Philippines 0.4% / —
Dondingalong — Philippines: 0.4% Sherwood — Philippines: not among its largest
South Africa 0.4% / —
Dondingalong — South Africa: 0.4% Sherwood — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

Qualifications

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

Dondingalong Sherwood
Certificate III & IV 23.0% / 22.8%
Dondingalong — Certificate III & IV: 23.0% Sherwood — Certificate III & IV: 22.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.6% / 9.0%
Dondingalong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6% Sherwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%
Bachelor Degree 6.7% / 6.9%
Dondingalong — Bachelor Degree: 6.7% Sherwood — Bachelor Degree: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.1% / —
Dondingalong — Postgraduate Degree: 1.1% Sherwood — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.8% / —
Dondingalong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8% Sherwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dondingalong 100.4% houses
Dondingalong — Houses: 100.4% Dondingalong — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Sherwood 94.7% houses
Sherwood — Houses: 94.7% Sherwood — Flats / Apartments: 5.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Dondingalong Sherwood
Median house price $620,000 $860,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $665,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 40 days
from 4 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Sherwood has more rural and farming land (95% vs 84%).

Dondingalong Sherwood
Rural and farming 84% 95%
Environmental 13% 5%
Residential 3% 0%
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 Sherwood
New dwellings approved 144
across Kempsey
same for both
Approvals change year on year +380%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Dondingalong Sherwood
House price Higher than 24% of NSW Higher than 40% of NSW
Income Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 8% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW

Liveability

Dondingalong Sherwood
Grade D —
Score 19/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Sherwood carries more bushfire risk (65 vs 54).

Dondingalong Sherwood
Bushfire Moderate
54/100
 Moderate
65/100
Crime Moderate
57/100
 —
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 Sherwood
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 Sherwood
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Waterways 7 3

Mobility

Sherwood sits further from the CBD (435 km vs 432.2 km).

Dondingalong Sherwood
Walkability score 0/100 5/100
Distance to Sydney 432.2 km 435 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 296 min 293 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2440
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 2440
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.

Dondingalong Sherwood
Car (driver) 76.0% / 64.9%
Dondingalong — Car (driver): 76.0% Sherwood — Car (driver): 64.9%
Worked from Home 14.3% / 15.8%
Dondingalong — Worked from Home: 14.3% Sherwood — Worked from Home: 15.8%
Car (passenger) 7.0% / 8.8%
Dondingalong — Car (passenger): 7.0% Sherwood — Car (passenger): 8.8%
Walked Only 1.6% / 10.5%
Dondingalong — Walked Only: 1.6% Sherwood — Walked Only: 10.5%
Bus 1.2% / —
Dondingalong — Bus: 1.2% Sherwood — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.0%).

Setting

Dondingalong Sherwood
Elevation 105 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 48 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 22.6 km 27.7 km

NBN connectivity

Dondingalong Sherwood
Connectivity score 29/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
304 premises
 0%
60 premises

Council rates

Dondingalong Sherwood
Average residential rate $1,447/yr
same for both
Council Kempsey
same for both

Federal electorate

Dondingalong Sherwood
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dondingalong Sherwood
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dondingalong

Affordable Rural

Sherwood

Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dondingalong

Dondingalong vs South Kempsey Dondingalong vs Aldavilla Dondingalong vs Kundabung Dondingalong vs Euroka Dondingalong vs Gum Scrub Dondingalong vs Yessabah

Other comparisons with Sherwood

Sherwood vs Aldavilla Sherwood vs Yarravel Sherwood vs Turners Flat Sherwood vs Yessabah Sherwood vs Mooneba
Full data on Dondingalong Full data on Sherwood
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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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