Dumaresq Island vs Oxley Island

Oxley Island is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 57 in Dumaresq Island. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Oxley Island, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Dumaresq Island: a median of $1.42 million, against $940,000 in Oxley Island. On these figures, Oxley Island tends to suit families with children, 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

Dumaresq Island

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 49/100)

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

First-home buyers

Oxley Island

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($940,000 vs $1,420,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Dumaresq Island

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (44% vs 17%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (9% vs 16%)

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

Commuting to the city

Dumaresq Island

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (317.3 km vs 320.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dumaresq Island

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 49/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 20%)

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

Investors

Dumaresq Island

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (12.9% vs 0.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
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.

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Walkability 17 / 12
Dumaresq Island — Walkability: 17/100 Oxley Island — Walkability: 12/100
Safety 74 / 51
Dumaresq Island — Safety: 74/100 Oxley Island — Safety: 51/100
Low fire risk 100 / 89
Dumaresq Island — Low fire risk: 100/100 Oxley Island — Low fire risk: 89/100

Demographics

Oxley Island has more residents (321 vs 70); Dumaresq Island has higher household incomes ($134,316 vs $74,464).

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Population 70 321
+359% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +12.9% +0.6%
Median age 57 45
Median household income $134,316/yr
+45% vs other
$74,464/yr
Median weekly rent $231/wk
+3% vs other
$225/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
0-4 — / 4.0%
Dumaresq Island — 0-4: not among its largest Oxley Island — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 17.1% / 19.0%
Dumaresq Island — 5-14: 17.1% Oxley Island — 5-14: 19.0%
15-19 5.7% / 5.6%
Dumaresq Island — 15-19: 5.7% Oxley Island — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 5.7% / 3.1%
Dumaresq Island — 20-24: 5.7% Oxley Island — 20-24: 3.1%
25-34 5.7% / 7.8%
Dumaresq Island — 25-34: 5.7% Oxley Island — 25-34: 7.8%
35-44 8.6% / 10.0%
Dumaresq Island — 35-44: 8.6% Oxley Island — 35-44: 10.0%
45-54 8.6% / 13.4%
Dumaresq Island — 45-54: 8.6% Oxley Island — 45-54: 13.4%
55-64 21.4% / 15.3%
Dumaresq Island — 55-64: 21.4% Oxley Island — 55-64: 15.3%
65-74 15.7% / 13.7%
Dumaresq Island — 65-74: 15.7% Oxley Island — 65-74: 13.7%
75-84 10.0% / 5.3%
Dumaresq Island — 75-84: 10.0% Oxley Island — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ — / 0.9%
Dumaresq Island — 85+: not among its largest Oxley Island — 85+: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dumaresq Island 38.5% couple families
Dumaresq Island — Couple Families: 38.5% Dumaresq Island — Lone Person: 30.8% Dumaresq Island — One Parent Families: 30.8% Dumaresq Island — Group Household: 0.0%
Oxley Island 55.7% couple families
Oxley Island — Couple Families: 55.7% Oxley Island — Lone Person: 25.7% Oxley Island — One Parent Families: 12.9% Oxley Island — Group Household: 5.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Dumaresq Island 44.4% renting
Dumaresq Island — Owned Outright: 33.3% Dumaresq Island — Mortgage: 22.2% Dumaresq Island — Renting: 44.4%
Oxley Island 17.0% renting
Oxley Island — Owned Outright: 47.0% Oxley Island — Mortgage: 36.0% Oxley Island — Renting: 17.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dumaresq Island 100.0% houses
Dumaresq Island — Houses: 100.0%
Oxley Island 100.0% houses
Oxley Island — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Bachelor Degree 14.3% / 9.3%
Dumaresq Island — Bachelor Degree: 14.3% Oxley Island — Bachelor Degree: 9.3%
Certificate III & IV 5.7% / 17.1%
Dumaresq Island — Certificate III & IV: 5.7% Oxley Island — Certificate III & IV: 17.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.7% / 6.5%
Dumaresq Island — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.7% Oxley Island — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.5%
Dumaresq Island — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Oxley Island — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.2%
Dumaresq Island — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Oxley Island — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.1%).

Property market

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Median house price $1,420,000 $940,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Oxley Island has more rural and farming land (85% vs 71%); Dumaresq Island has more land zoned for conservation (28% vs 15%).

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Rural and farming 71% 85%
Environmental 28% 15%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 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

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
New dwellings approved 743
across Mid-Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +327%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
House price Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
Income Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 60% of NSW Higher than 47% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 36% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW

Liveability

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Oxley Island carries more bushfire risk (11 vs 0); Oxley Island carries more crime risk (49 vs 26).

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Bushfire None
0/100
Low
11/100
Crime Low
26/100
Moderate
49/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
Moderate
64/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
0
within 5 km

Schools

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
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

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Waterways 0 11

Mobility

Oxley Island sits further from the CBD (320.4 km vs 317.3 km).

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Walkability score 17/100 12/100
Distance to Sydney 317.3 km 320.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 220 min 221 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2430
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 2430
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.

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Car (driver) 100.0% / 64.7%
Dumaresq Island — Car (driver): 100.0% Oxley Island — Car (driver): 64.7%
Worked from Home — / 18.1%
Dumaresq Island — Worked from Home: not among its largest Oxley Island — Worked from Home: 18.1%
Walked Only — / 8.6%
Dumaresq Island — Walked Only: not among its largest Oxley Island — Walked Only: 8.6%
Car (passenger) — / 4.3%
Dumaresq Island — Car (passenger): not among its largest Oxley Island — Car (passenger): 4.3%
Bus — / 4.3%
Dumaresq Island — Bus: not among its largest Oxley Island — Bus: 4.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (100.0%).

Setting

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Elevation 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.3 km 4.2 km

NBN connectivity

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
31 premises
0%
143 premises

Climate

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Annual rainfall 1,331 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Average residential rate $1,560/yr
same for both
Council Mid-Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dumaresq Island Oxley Island
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dumaresq Island

Oxley Island

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dumaresq Island

Other comparisons with Oxley Island

Full data on Dumaresq Island Full data on Oxley Island
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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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