Dripstone vs Wuuluman

Wuuluman is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 52 in Dripstone. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Dripstone, most households are couple families. In Wuuluman, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Dripstone tends to suit couples and older residents, while Wuuluman suits young adults and people living alone.

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

  • Dripstone is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 52%)
  • Wuuluman carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 41/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Wuuluman

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $240/wk)
  • But Dripstone has a bigger rental market to choose from (25% vs 12%)

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

Commuting to the city

Dripstone

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (346.2 km vs 370 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (284 min vs 299 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Dripstone has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 5%)
  • Wuuluman carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 41/100)

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

Investors

Wuuluman

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (10.7% vs -10.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Dripstone Wuuluman
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.

Dripstone Wuuluman
Walkability 0 / 5
Dripstone — Walkability: 0/100 Wuuluman — Walkability: 5/100
Safety 59 / 89
Dripstone — Safety: 59/100 Wuuluman — Safety: 89/100
Low fire risk 53 / 58
Dripstone — Low fire risk: 53/100 Wuuluman — Low fire risk: 58/100

Demographics

Wuuluman has more residents (859 vs 68); Wuuluman has higher household incomes ($106,132 vs $58,500).

Dripstone Wuuluman
Population 68 859
+1163% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -10.5% +10.7%
Median age 52 35
Median household income $58,500/yr $106,132/yr
+81% vs other
Median weekly rent $240/wk
+17% vs other
 $200/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dripstone Wuuluman
0-4 5.9% / 0.6%
Dripstone — 0-4: 5.9% Wuuluman — 0-4: 0.6%
5-14 5.9% / 0.9%
Dripstone — 5-14: 5.9% Wuuluman — 5-14: 0.9%
15-19 10.3% / 2.4%
Dripstone — 15-19: 10.3% Wuuluman — 15-19: 2.4%
20-24 — / 8.6%
Dripstone — 20-24: not among its largest Wuuluman — 20-24: 8.6%
25-34 4.4% / 35.5%
Dripstone — 25-34: 4.4% Wuuluman — 25-34: 35.5%
35-44 8.8% / 26.9%
Dripstone — 35-44: 8.8% Wuuluman — 35-44: 26.9%
45-54 8.8% / 15.1%
Dripstone — 45-54: 8.8% Wuuluman — 45-54: 15.1%
55-64 16.2% / 5.9%
Dripstone — 55-64: 16.2% Wuuluman — 55-64: 5.9%
65-74 23.5% / 3.5%
Dripstone — 65-74: 23.5% Wuuluman — 65-74: 3.5%
75-84 4.4% / 0.9%
Dripstone — 75-84: 4.4% Wuuluman — 75-84: 0.9%
85+ — / 0.6%
Dripstone — 85+: not among its largest Wuuluman — 85+: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (35.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dripstone 71.4% couple families
Dripstone — Couple Families: 71.4% Dripstone — Lone Person: 28.6%
Wuuluman 52.2% couple families
Wuuluman — Couple Families: 52.2% Wuuluman — Lone Person: 47.8%
Couple Families Lone Person

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Dripstone 25.0% renting
Dripstone — Owned Outright: 62.5% Dripstone — Mortgage: 12.5% Dripstone — Renting: 25.0%
Wuuluman 12.1% renting
Wuuluman — Owned Outright: 45.5% Wuuluman — Mortgage: 42.4% Wuuluman — Renting: 12.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dripstone 100.0% houses
Dripstone — Houses: 100.0% Dripstone — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Wuuluman 97.1% houses
Wuuluman — Houses: 97.1% Wuuluman — Flats / Apartments: 2.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Dripstone Wuuluman
Certificate III & IV 25.0% / 1.6%
Dripstone — Certificate III & IV: 25.0% Wuuluman — Certificate III & IV: 1.6%
Bachelor Degree 13.2% / 0.7%
Dripstone — Bachelor Degree: 13.2% Wuuluman — Bachelor Degree: 0.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma — / 1.3%
Dripstone — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest Wuuluman — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).

Property market

Dripstone Wuuluman
Median house price $425,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Dripstone Wuuluman
Rural and farming 98%
same for both
Infrastructure and transport 1% 2%
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

Dripstone Wuuluman
New dwellings approved 405
across Dubbo
same for both
Approvals change year on year -12%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Dripstone Wuuluman
House price Higher than 12% of NSW —
Income Higher than 19% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 15% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 83% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 8% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW

Liveability

Dripstone Wuuluman
Grade — B
Score — 53/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Dripstone carries more crime risk (41 vs 11).

Dripstone Wuuluman
Bushfire Moderate
47/100
 Moderate
42/100
Crime Moderate
41/100
 Low
11/100
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

Dripstone Wuuluman
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

Dripstone Wuuluman
Waterways 29 40

Mobility

Wuuluman sits further from the CBD (370 km vs 346.2 km).

Dripstone Wuuluman
Walkability score 0/100 5/100
Distance to Sydney 346.2 km 370 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 284 min 299 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2820
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 50
postcode 2820
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.

Dripstone Wuuluman
Car (driver) 51.6% / 57.4%
Dripstone — Car (driver): 51.6% Wuuluman — Car (driver): 57.4%
Worked from Home 19.4% / 27.8%
Dripstone — Worked from Home: 19.4% Wuuluman — Worked from Home: 27.8%
Walked Only 19.4% / 14.8%
Dripstone — Walked Only: 19.4% Wuuluman — Walked Only: 14.8%
Car (passenger) 9.7% / —
Dripstone — Car (passenger): 9.7% Wuuluman — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (57.4%).

Setting

Dripstone Wuuluman
Elevation 383 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 469 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Dripstone Wuuluman
Connectivity score 22/100 23/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
31 premises
 0%
38 premises

Climate

Dripstone Wuuluman
Annual rainfall 641 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 32.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.0°C
same for both

Council rates

Dripstone Wuuluman
Average residential rate $1,233/yr
same for both
Council Dubbo
same for both

Federal electorate

Dripstone Wuuluman
Division Calare
same for both
Member Andrew Gee
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dripstone Wuuluman
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dripstone

Affordable Professionals Retirees Rural

Wuuluman

Multicultural River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dripstone

Dripstone vs Mumbil Dripstone vs Neurea Dripstone vs Apsley

Other comparisons with Wuuluman

Wuuluman vs Wellington Wuuluman vs Montefiores Wuuluman vs Maryvale Wuuluman vs Apsley Wuuluman vs Bodangora Wuuluman vs Spicers Creek
Full data on Dripstone Full data on Wuuluman
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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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