Dorroughby vs Whian Whian

Whian Whian is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 53 in Dorroughby. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Whian Whian, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Dorroughby: a median of $1.13 million, against $840,000 in Whian Whian, though rent is higher in Whian Whian. On these figures, Dorroughby tends to suit people living alone, while Whian Whian suits couples and 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Dorroughby carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 55/100)
  • Whian Whian is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 55%)

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

First-home buyers

Whian Whian

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($840,000 vs $1,134,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 28%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Dorroughby

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Dorroughby

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (505 min vs 519 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (752.2 km vs 758.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dorroughby

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 55/100)

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

Investors

Whian Whian

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (27.9% vs 15.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Dorroughby Whian Whian
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.

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Walkability 23 / 0
Dorroughby — Walkability: 23/100 Whian Whian — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 55 / 45
Dorroughby — Safety: 55/100 Whian Whian — Safety: 45/100
Low fire risk 100 / 40
Dorroughby — Low fire risk: 100/100 Whian Whian — Low fire risk: 40/100

Demographics

Whian Whian rents higher ($350/wk vs $260/wk); Dorroughby has higher household incomes ($84,500 vs $74,724).

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Population 158 179
+13% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.3% +27.9%
Median age 53 47
Median household income $84,500/yr
+12% vs other
 $74,724/yr
Median weekly rent $260/wk $350/wk
+35% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dorroughby Whian Whian
0-4 7.0% / 3.4%
Dorroughby — 0-4: 7.0% Whian Whian — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 5.7% / 14.0%
Dorroughby — 5-14: 5.7% Whian Whian — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 7.6% / 7.8%
Dorroughby — 15-19: 7.6% Whian Whian — 15-19: 7.8%
20-24 1.9% / 1.7%
Dorroughby — 20-24: 1.9% Whian Whian — 20-24: 1.7%
25-34 8.9% / 6.1%
Dorroughby — 25-34: 8.9% Whian Whian — 25-34: 6.1%
35-44 11.4% / 10.6%
Dorroughby — 35-44: 11.4% Whian Whian — 35-44: 10.6%
45-54 15.2% / 22.3%
Dorroughby — 45-54: 15.2% Whian Whian — 45-54: 22.3%
55-64 26.6% / 12.3%
Dorroughby — 55-64: 26.6% Whian Whian — 55-64: 12.3%
65-74 20.3% / 15.6%
Dorroughby — 65-74: 20.3% Whian Whian — 65-74: 15.6%
75-84 1.9% / 5.6%
Dorroughby — 75-84: 1.9% Whian Whian — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ 2.5% / —
Dorroughby — 85+: 2.5% Whian Whian — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.6%).

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.

Dorroughby Whian Whian
England 5.7% / 2.8%
Dorroughby — England: 5.7% Whian Whian — England: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dorroughby 42.5% couple families
Dorroughby — Couple Families: 42.5% Dorroughby — Lone Person: 37.5% Dorroughby — One Parent Families: 12.5% Dorroughby — Group Household: 7.5%
Whian Whian 53.3% couple families
Whian Whian — Couple Families: 53.3% Whian Whian — Lone Person: 20.0% Whian Whian — One Parent Families: 13.3% Whian Whian — Group Household: 13.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dorroughby 100.0% houses
Dorroughby — Houses: 100.0%
Whian Whian 100.0% houses
Whian Whian — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Bachelor Degree 20.9% / 16.2%
Dorroughby — Bachelor Degree: 20.9% Whian Whian — Bachelor Degree: 16.2%
Certificate III & IV 13.3% / 10.6%
Dorroughby — Certificate III & IV: 13.3% Whian Whian — Certificate III & IV: 10.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 8.9%
Dorroughby — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Whian Whian — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 8.2% / 2.8%
Dorroughby — Postgraduate Degree: 8.2% Whian Whian — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.2%
Dorroughby — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Whian Whian — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Dorroughby 14.8% renting
Dorroughby — Owned Outright: 49.2% Dorroughby — Mortgage: 36.1% Dorroughby — Renting: 14.8%
Whian Whian 14.0% renting
Whian Whian — Owned Outright: 52.0% Whian Whian — Mortgage: 34.0% Whian Whian — Renting: 14.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Median house price $1,134,000 $840,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Whian Whian has more land zoned for conservation (80% vs 2%); Dorroughby has more rural and farming land (98% vs 20%).

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Rural and farming 98% 20%
Environmental 2% 80%
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

Dorroughby Whian Whian
New dwellings approved 138
across Lismore
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Dorroughby Whian Whian
House price Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
Income Higher than 54% of NSW —
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 42% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 58% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW

Liveability

Dorroughby is more walkable (23 vs 0).

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Whian Whian carries more bushfire risk (60 vs 0); Whian Whian carries more crime risk (55 vs 45).

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
60/100
Crime Moderate
45/100
 Moderate
55/100
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

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Dorroughby

  • Dorroughby Environmental Education Centre Government · Combined

Schools in Whian Whian

  • Whian Whian Public School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 4 7

Mobility

Whian Whian sits further from the CBD (758.4 km vs 752.2 km).

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Walkability score 23/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 752.2 km 758.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 505 min 519 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2480
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 69
postcode 2480
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.

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Car (driver) 59.2% / 59.3%
Dorroughby — Car (driver): 59.2% Whian Whian — Car (driver): 59.3%
Worked from Home 36.6% / 25.4%
Dorroughby — Worked from Home: 36.6% Whian Whian — Worked from Home: 25.4%
Walked Only 4.2% / 8.5%
Dorroughby — Walked Only: 4.2% Whian Whian — Walked Only: 8.5%
Car (passenger) — / 6.8%
Dorroughby — Car (passenger): not among its largest Whian Whian — Car (passenger): 6.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (59.3%).

Setting

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Elevation 125 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 347 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 21.8 km 21.1 km

NBN connectivity

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Connectivity score 28/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
77 premises
 0%
74 premises

Climate

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Annual rainfall 1,569 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Average residential rate $1,487/yr
same for both
Council Lismore
same for both

Federal electorate

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dorroughby Whian Whian
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dorroughby

River Rural

Whian Whian

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dorroughby

Dorroughby vs Dunoon Dorroughby vs Rosebank Dorroughby vs Corndale

Other comparisons with Whian Whian

Whian Whian vs Dunoon Whian Whian vs Rosebank Whian Whian vs Terania Creek Whian Whian vs Repentance Creek Whian Whian vs Huonbrook Whian Whian vs Upper Coopers Creek
Full data on Dorroughby Full data on Whian Whian
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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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