Emerald Hill vs Ghoolendaadi
Ghoolendaadi is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 39 in Emerald Hill. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Emerald Hill, the large majority of households own their home and about half of households are couple families. In Ghoolendaadi, most households rent and most households are couple families. On these figures, Emerald Hill tends to suit people living alone, while Ghoolendaadi suits renters and families with children.
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
Ghoolendaadi
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 79/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (78% vs 65%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Emerald Hill has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $300/wk)
- Ghoolendaadi has a bigger rental market to choose from (61% vs 12%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Emerald Hill
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (457.6 km vs 466.3 km)
- has a shorter drive in (328 min vs 333 min)
- But Ghoolendaadi is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Ghoolendaadi
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 79/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Ghoolendaadi
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (37.1% vs -3.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Emerald Hill and Ghoolendaadi 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
Emerald Hill has more residents (137 vs 85); Ghoolendaadi rents higher ($300/wk vs $250/wk).
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 137 +38% vs other | 85 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -3.5% | +37.1% |
| Median age | 39 | 35 |
| Median household income | $88,816/yr | $97,500/yr +10% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $250/wk | $300/wk +20% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.5%).
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 (23.4%).
Property market
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $850,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% 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
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 25 across Gunnedah same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -17% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 38% of NSW | — |
| Income | Higher than 57% of NSW | Higher than 66% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 8% of NSW | Higher than 54% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 68% of NSW | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 1% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 4% of NSW | Higher than 17% of NSW |
Liveability
Ghoolendaadi is more walkable (8 vs 0).
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Emerald Hill carries more bushfire risk (29 vs 13); Emerald Hill carries more crime risk (79 vs 45).
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 29/100 | Low 13/100 |
| Crime | High 79/100 | Moderate 45/100 |
| 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
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 0 | 3 |
Mobility
Ghoolendaadi sits further from the CBD (466.3 km vs 457.6 km).
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 8/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 457.6 km | 466.3 km +2% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 328 min | 333 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 2380 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 50 postcode 2380 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 (72.5%).
Setting
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 259 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 273 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 20 premises | 0% 16 premises |
Climate
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 626 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 32.8°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 6.0°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,093/yr same for both | |
| Council | Gunnedah same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Parkes same for both | |
| Member | Jamie Chaffey same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Emerald Hill | Ghoolendaadi | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Emerald Hill
Other comparisons with Ghoolendaadi
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.