Dumaresq Island vs Pampoolah
Pampoolah is the younger of the two, with a median age of 51 against 57 in Dumaresq Island. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Pampoolah, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Dumaresq Island: a median of $1.42 million, against $670,000 in Pampoolah, though rent is higher in Pampoolah. On these figures, Dumaresq Island tends to suit people living alone, while Pampoolah 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
Dumaresq Island
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 42/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Pampoolah
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- has cheaper houses ($670,000 vs $1,420,000)
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 35%)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Dumaresq Island
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (44% vs 7%)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (9% vs 31%)
- has cheaper rent ($231/wk vs $400/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Pampoolah
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (213 min vs 220 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (310.4 km vs 317.3 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Dumaresq Island
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 42/100)
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 7.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Dumaresq Island and Pampoolah 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
Pampoolah has more residents (423 vs 70); Dumaresq Island has higher household incomes ($134,316 vs $66,976).
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 70 | 423 +504% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +12.9% | +7.6% |
| Median age | 57 | 51 |
| Median household income | $134,316/yr +50% vs other | $66,976/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $231/wk | $400/wk +73% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).
Property market
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,420,000 | $670,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Dumaresq Island has more land zoned for conservation (28% vs 7%); Pampoolah has more rural and farming land (86% vs 71%).
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 71% | 86% |
| Environmental | 28% | 7% |
| Residential | 0% | 6% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 2% same for both | |
| 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 | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 743 across Mid-Coast same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +327% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 72% of NSW | Higher than 31% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 90% of NSW | Higher than 29% 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 54% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 36% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 61% of NSW | Higher than 55% of NSW |
Liveability
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Pampoolah carries more bushfire risk (86 vs 0); Pampoolah carries more crime risk (42 vs 26).
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | High 86/100 |
| Crime | Low 26/100 | Moderate 42/100 |
| 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 | 3 within 5 km | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 0 | 12 |
Mobility
Dumaresq Island sits further from the CBD (317.3 km vs 310.4 km).
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 17/100 | 12/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 317.3 km +2% vs other | 310.4 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 220 min | 213 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (100.0%).
Setting
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 4 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 14 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 9.3 km | 8.2 km |
NBN connectivity
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 31 premises | 0% 176 premises |
Climate
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,331 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,560/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mid-Coast same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lyne same for both | |
| Member | Alison Penfold same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Dumaresq Island | Pampoolah | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Dumaresq Island
Other comparisons with Pampoolah
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.