Dungog vs Fosterton

Dungog is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 58 in Fosterton. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Dungog, about half of households are people living alone. In Fosterton, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Fosterton: a median of $1.48 million, against $665,000 in Dungog, though rent is higher in Dungog. On these figures, Dungog tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Fosterton suits 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

Dungog

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (46% vs 30%)
  • But Fosterton carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 66/100)

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

First-home buyers

Dungog

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($315,000 vs $750,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($665,000 vs $1,475,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (29% vs 38%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fosterton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 29%)
  • has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Dungog

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (82/100 vs 14/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (163 min vs 176 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (214.3 km vs 221.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dungog

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (82/100 vs 14/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • But Fosterton carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 66/100)

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

Investors

Dungog

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-2.1% vs -13.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Dungog Fosterton
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.

Dungog Fosterton
Walkability 82 / 14
Dungog — Walkability: 82/100 Fosterton — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 34 / 100
Dungog — Safety: 34/100 Fosterton — Safety: 100/100
Low fire risk 77 / 83
Dungog — Low fire risk: 77/100 Fosterton — Low fire risk: 83/100

Demographics

Dungog has more residents (1,983 vs 94); Fosterton has higher household incomes ($68,900 vs $54,340).

Dungog Fosterton
Population 1,983
+95% vs other
 94
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -2.1% -13.0%
Median age 52 58
Median household income $54,340/yr $68,900/yr
+27% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+13% vs other
 $260/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dungog Fosterton
0-4 3.8% / —
Dungog — 0-4: 3.8% Fosterton — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 11.2% / 3.2%
Dungog — 5-14: 11.2% Fosterton — 5-14: 3.2%
15-19 5.4% / 3.2%
Dungog — 15-19: 5.4% Fosterton — 15-19: 3.2%
20-24 4.3% / 9.6%
Dungog — 20-24: 4.3% Fosterton — 20-24: 9.6%
25-34 7.7% / 3.2%
Dungog — 25-34: 7.7% Fosterton — 25-34: 3.2%
35-44 8.7% / 3.2%
Dungog — 35-44: 8.7% Fosterton — 35-44: 3.2%
45-54 11.1% / 20.2%
Dungog — 45-54: 11.1% Fosterton — 45-54: 20.2%
55-64 15.3% / 19.1%
Dungog — 55-64: 15.3% Fosterton — 55-64: 19.1%
65-74 15.4% / 17.0%
Dungog — 65-74: 15.4% Fosterton — 65-74: 17.0%
75-84 12.4% / 14.9%
Dungog — 75-84: 12.4% Fosterton — 75-84: 14.9%
85+ 4.8% / 4.3%
Dungog — 85+: 4.8% Fosterton — 85+: 4.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dungog 50.8% lone person
Dungog — Lone Person: 50.8% Dungog — Couple Families: 28.0% Dungog — One Parent Families: 17.8% Dungog — Group Household: 2.1% Dungog — Other Families: 1.3%
Fosterton 70.0% lone person
Fosterton — Lone Person: 70.0% Fosterton — Couple Families: 30.0% Fosterton — One Parent Families: 0.0% Fosterton — Group Household: 0.0% Fosterton — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Dungog 24.8% renting
Dungog — Owned Outright: 46.5% Dungog — Mortgage: 28.7% Dungog — Renting: 24.8%
Fosterton 20.0% renting
Fosterton — Owned Outright: 48.6% Fosterton — Mortgage: 31.4% Fosterton — Renting: 20.0%
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.

Dungog Fosterton
England 1.6% / 3.2%
Dungog — England: 1.6% Fosterton — England: 3.2%
Germany 0.5% / —
Dungog — Germany: 0.5% Fosterton — Germany: not among its largest
Scotland 0.4% / —
Dungog — Scotland: 0.4% Fosterton — Scotland: not among its largest
New Zealand 0.3% / —
Dungog — New Zealand: 0.3% Fosterton — New Zealand: not among its largest
Philippines 0.3% / —
Dungog — Philippines: 0.3% Fosterton — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.2%).

Qualifications

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

Dungog Fosterton
Certificate III & IV 18.9% / 8.5%
Dungog — Certificate III & IV: 18.9% Fosterton — Certificate III & IV: 8.5%
Bachelor Degree 7.3% / 10.6%
Dungog — Bachelor Degree: 7.3% Fosterton — Bachelor Degree: 10.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.3% / 7.4%
Dungog — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3% Fosterton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / 5.3%
Dungog — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Fosterton — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 3.2%
Dungog — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Fosterton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dungog 94.4% houses
Dungog — Houses: 94.4% Dungog — Townhouses: 4.3% Dungog — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Fosterton 100.0% houses
Fosterton — Houses: 100.0% Fosterton — Townhouses: 0.0% Fosterton — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Dungog Fosterton
Median house price $665,000 $1,475,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $315,000 $750,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 56 days
from 20 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Fosterton has more rural and farming land (96% vs 11%); Dungog has more land zoned for conservation (20% vs 2%).

Dungog Fosterton
Rural and farming 11% 96%
Residential 57% 2%
Environmental 20% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 0%
Parks and recreation 4% 0%
Industrial 2% 0%
Commercial 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

Dungog Fosterton
New dwellings approved 55
across Dungog
same for both
Approvals change year on year -23%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Dungog Fosterton
House price Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Income Higher than 14% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
Schools Higher than 65% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 54% of NSW Higher than 14% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 60% of NSW Higher than 61% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 47% of NSW

Liveability

Dungog is more walkable (82 vs 14).

Dungog Fosterton
Grade C —
Score 48/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Dungog carries more crime risk (66 vs 0).

Dungog Fosterton
Bushfire Low
23/100
 Low
17/100
Crime Moderate
66/100
 None
0/100
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 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Dungog Fosterton
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Dungog

  • Dungog Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Dungog High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers

Schools in Fosterton

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Dungog Fosterton
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 4 0
Parks & reserves 6 0
Childcare 2 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Waterways 2 15

Mobility

Fosterton sits further from the CBD (221.5 km vs 214.3 km).

Dungog Fosterton
Walkability score 82/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 214.3 km 221.5 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 163 min 176 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2420
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2420
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.

Dungog Fosterton
Car (driver) 74.3% / 59.0%
Dungog — Car (driver): 74.3% Fosterton — Car (driver): 59.0%
Worked from Home 14.2% / 30.8%
Dungog — Worked from Home: 14.2% Fosterton — Worked from Home: 30.8%
Walked Only 3.6% / 10.3%
Dungog — Walked Only: 3.6% Fosterton — Walked Only: 10.3%
Car (passenger) 6.5% / —
Dungog — Car (passenger): 6.5% Fosterton — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bicycle 0.8% / —
Dungog — Bicycle: 0.8% Fosterton — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.3%).

Setting

Dungog Fosterton
Elevation 59 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 60 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 34.4 km 39.2 km

NBN connectivity

Dungog Fosterton
Connectivity score 70/100 29/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 45%
1,221 premises
 0%
63 premises

Climate

Dungog Fosterton
Annual rainfall 1,327 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Dungog Fosterton
Average residential rate $1,646/yr
same for both
Council Dungog
same for both

Federal electorate

Dungog Fosterton
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dungog Fosterton
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dungog

Acreage Affordable Parks Retirees Village Feel

Fosterton

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dungog

Dungog vs Bendolba Dungog vs Alison Dungog vs Sugarloaf Dungog vs Tabbil Creek

Other comparisons with Fosterton

Fosterton vs Bendolba Fosterton vs Bandon Grove Fosterton vs Alison Fosterton vs Main Creek
Full data on Dungog Full data on Fosterton
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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