East Lismore vs Goonellabah

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Goonellabah: a median of $742,000, against $658,000 in East Lismore.

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

Goonellabah

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (19 vs 10)
  • has more childcare (9 vs 6)
  • But East Lismore has more schools inside the suburb (8 vs 4)

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

First-home buyers

East Lismore

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($405,000 vs $530,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($658,000 vs $742,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

East Lismore

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (472 min vs 478 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (723.2 km vs 727.9 km)
  • But Goonellabah is more walkable (83/100 vs 72/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Goonellabah

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 2)
  • is more walkable (83/100 vs 72/100)

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

Investors

East Lismore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.9% vs 3.7%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

East Lismore Goonellabah
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.

East Lismore Goonellabah
Walkability 72 / 83
East Lismore — Walkability: 72/100 Goonellabah — Walkability: 83/100
Safety 23 / 20
East Lismore — Safety: 23/100 Goonellabah — Safety: 20/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
East Lismore — Low fire risk: 100/100 Goonellabah — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Goonellabah has more residents (13,351 vs 4,980); Goonellabah skews older (41 vs 39).

East Lismore Goonellabah
Population 4,980 13,351
+168% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.1% +3.5%
Median age 39 41
Median household income $64,272/yr $68,536/yr
+7% vs other
Median weekly rent $310/wk $320/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

East Lismore Goonellabah
0-4 5.2% / 5.9%
East Lismore — 0-4: 5.2% Goonellabah — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 11.7% / 12.4%
East Lismore — 5-14: 11.7% Goonellabah — 5-14: 12.4%
15-19 6.8% / 5.8%
East Lismore — 15-19: 6.8% Goonellabah — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 7.7% / 5.3%
East Lismore — 20-24: 7.7% Goonellabah — 20-24: 5.3%
25-34 13.1% / 12.2%
East Lismore — 25-34: 13.1% Goonellabah — 25-34: 12.2%
35-44 10.8% / 11.8%
East Lismore — 35-44: 10.8% Goonellabah — 35-44: 11.8%
45-54 11.5% / 11.8%
East Lismore — 45-54: 11.5% Goonellabah — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 13.1% / 12.3%
East Lismore — 55-64: 13.1% Goonellabah — 55-64: 12.3%
65-74 10.1% / 11.5%
East Lismore — 65-74: 10.1% Goonellabah — 65-74: 11.5%
75-84 6.5% / 7.4%
East Lismore — 75-84: 6.5% Goonellabah — 75-84: 7.4%
85+ 3.5% / 3.5%
East Lismore — 85+: 3.5% Goonellabah — 85+: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

East Lismore 43.6% lone person
East Lismore — Lone Person: 43.6% East Lismore — Couple Families: 26.9% East Lismore — One Parent Families: 20.5% East Lismore — Group Household: 7.3% East Lismore — Other Families: 1.7%
Goonellabah 41.7% lone person
Goonellabah — Lone Person: 41.7% Goonellabah — Couple Families: 32.6% Goonellabah — One Parent Families: 19.8% Goonellabah — Group Household: 4.7% Goonellabah — Other Families: 1.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

East Lismore 39.0% renting
East Lismore — Owned Outright: 32.2% East Lismore — Mortgage: 28.8% East Lismore — Renting: 39.0%
Goonellabah 29.8% renting
Goonellabah — Owned Outright: 37.1% Goonellabah — Mortgage: 33.1% Goonellabah — Renting: 29.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

East Lismore Goonellabah
Certificate III & IV 16.5% / 16.5%
East Lismore — Certificate III & IV: 16.5% Goonellabah — Certificate III & IV: 16.5%
Bachelor Degree 11.2% / 10.4%
East Lismore — Bachelor Degree: 11.2% Goonellabah — Bachelor Degree: 10.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.3% / 7.0%
East Lismore — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3% Goonellabah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Postgraduate Degree 3.3% / 2.7%
East Lismore — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3% Goonellabah — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 1.9%
East Lismore — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Goonellabah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

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.

East Lismore Goonellabah
England 1.9% / 2.0%
East Lismore — England: 1.9% Goonellabah — England: 2.0%
New Zealand 0.8% / 0.9%
East Lismore — New Zealand: 0.8% Goonellabah — New Zealand: 0.9%
India 0.7% / 0.6%
East Lismore — India: 0.7% Goonellabah — India: 0.6%
Philippines 0.6% / 0.7%
East Lismore — Philippines: 0.6% Goonellabah — Philippines: 0.7%
Germany 0.4% / 0.4%
East Lismore — Germany: 0.4% Goonellabah — Germany: 0.4%
Italy — / 0.4%
East Lismore — Italy: not among its largest Goonellabah — Italy: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

East Lismore 78.5% houses
East Lismore — Houses: 78.5% East Lismore — Townhouses: 15.2% East Lismore — Flats / Apartments: 6.3%
Goonellabah 77.7% houses
Goonellabah — Houses: 77.7% Goonellabah — Townhouses: 18.0% Goonellabah — Flats / Apartments: 4.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

East Lismore Goonellabah
Median house price $658,000 $742,500
Median unit price $405,000 $530,000
Median land price $380,000 $375,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 35 days
from 77 sales
 30 days
from 187 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

East Lismore Goonellabah
2 bed $600K / $546K
East Lismore — 2 bed: $600K (19 sales) Goonellabah — 2 bed: $546K (22 sales)

19 vs 22 sales

3 bed $642K / $690K
East Lismore — 3 bed: $642K (101 sales) Goonellabah — 3 bed: $690K (174 sales)

101 vs 174 sales

4 bed $760K / $870K
East Lismore — 4 bed: $760K (35 sales) Goonellabah — 4 bed: $870K (111 sales)

35 vs 111 sales

5 bed $875K / $1M
East Lismore — 5 bed: $875K (5 sales) Goonellabah — 5 bed: $1M (17 sales)

5 vs 17 sales

Zoning mix

Goonellabah has more rural and farming land (45% vs 12%).

East Lismore Goonellabah
Residential 46% 40%
Rural and farming 12% 45%
Parks and recreation 16% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 13% 3%
Environmental 10% 4%
Industrial 3%
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

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

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

East Lismore Goonellabah
Houses 4.8%
$650/wk on $710K
 4.6%
$720/wk on $814K
Units 4.9%
$475/wk on $507K
 3.7%
$430/wk on $597K

Ranking within NSW

East Lismore Goonellabah
House price Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW
Income Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
Schools Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 58% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 16% of NSW

Liveability

Goonellabah scores higher overall (55 vs 44); Goonellabah is more walkable (83 vs 72).

East Lismore Goonellabah
Grade C B
Score 44/100 55/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

East Lismore Goonellabah
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
77/100
 High
80/100
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 6
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

East Lismore Goonellabah
Inside the suburb 8 4
Rated above peers 2
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 2
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Lismore, 0.0 km
 1
Lismore, 4.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.1% 0.8%

Schools in East Lismore

  • Albert Park Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Trinity Catholic College Lismore Independent · Secondary at peers
  • Wyrallah Road Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Living Academy - Southern Cross University - Z Block Independent · Secondary below peers
  • The Rivers Secondary College, Lismore High Campus Government · Secondary below peers

Schools in Goonellabah

  • Goonellabah Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Summerland Christian College Independent · Combined above peers
  • Blue Hills College Independent · Combined below peers
  • The Rivers Secondary College, Kadina High Campus Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

East Lismore Goonellabah
Supermarkets 0 4
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 10 19
Childcare 6 9
GPs 2 4
Pharmacies 1 3
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1 2
Waterways 1 2

Mobility

Goonellabah sits further from the CBD (727.9 km vs 723.2 km).

East Lismore Goonellabah
Walkability score 72/100 83/100
Distance to Sydney 723.2 km 727.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 472 min 478 min
Public transport score 74/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 79.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 175.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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.

East Lismore Goonellabah
Car (driver) 74.0% / 79.2%
East Lismore — Car (driver): 74.0% Goonellabah — Car (driver): 79.2%
Worked from Home 12.9% / 12.8%
East Lismore — Worked from Home: 12.9% Goonellabah — Worked from Home: 12.8%
Car (passenger) 7.5% / 6.1%
East Lismore — Car (passenger): 7.5% Goonellabah — Car (passenger): 6.1%
Walked Only 4.2% / 1.2%
East Lismore — Walked Only: 4.2% Goonellabah — Walked Only: 1.2%
Bus 0.7% / 0.5%
East Lismore — Bus: 0.7% Goonellabah — Bus: 0.5%
Bicycle 0.7% / 0.2%
East Lismore — Bicycle: 0.7% Goonellabah — Bicycle: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.2%).

Setting

East Lismore Goonellabah
Elevation 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 145 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 24.5 km 20.5 km

NBN connectivity

East Lismore Goonellabah
Connectivity score 86/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 42%
2,820 premises
 43%
6,896 premises

Council rates

East Lismore Goonellabah
Average residential rate $1,487/yr
same for both
Council Lismore
same for both

Federal electorate

East Lismore Goonellabah
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

East Lismore Goonellabah
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

East Lismore

Affordable Parks Quiet

Goonellabah

Parks Regional Centre

More comparisons

Other comparisons with East Lismore

East Lismore vs Lismore East Lismore vs South Lismore East Lismore vs Girards Hill East Lismore vs Loftville East Lismore vs Monaltrie

Other comparisons with Goonellabah

Goonellabah vs Lismore Goonellabah vs Lismore Heights Goonellabah vs Richmond Hill Goonellabah vs Wyrallah Goonellabah vs Tregeagle Goonellabah vs Lindendale
Full data on East Lismore Full data on Goonellabah
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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