Forbes vs Garema

Forbes is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 50 in Garema. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Forbes, about half of households are people living alone. In Garema, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Garema: a median of $1.15 million, against $475,000 in Forbes, though rent is higher in Forbes. On these figures, Forbes tends to suit older residents and buyers on a tighter budget, while Garema suits couples.

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

Forbes

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (36 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (7 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 0)
  • But Garema is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 50%)

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

First-home buyers

Forbes

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($475,000 vs $1,150,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Garema

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (6% vs 19%)
  • has cheaper rent ($75/wk vs $230/wk)
  • But Forbes has a bigger rental market to choose from (29% vs 15%)

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

Commuting to the city

Forbes

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (18/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (385.4 km vs 479 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (310 min vs 324 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Forbes

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (18/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 8%)

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

Investors

Forbes

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-3.3% vs -19.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Forbes Garema
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.

Forbes Garema
Walkability 18 / 0
Forbes — Walkability: 18/100 Garema — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 10 / 14
Forbes — Safety: 10/100 Garema — Safety: 14/100
Low fire risk 77 / 70
Forbes — Low fire risk: 77/100 Garema — Low fire risk: 70/100

Demographics

Forbes has more residents (8,157 vs 84); Forbes rents higher ($230/wk vs $75/wk).

Forbes Garema
Population 8,157
+99% vs other
 84
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.3% -19.2%
Median age 42 50
Median household income $63,492/yr $68,224/yr
+7% vs other
Median weekly rent $230/wk
+67% vs other
 $75/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Forbes Garema
0-4 5.7% / 6.0%
Forbes — 0-4: 5.7% Garema — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 13.7% / 14.3%
Forbes — 5-14: 13.7% Garema — 5-14: 14.3%
15-19 5.7% / 4.8%
Forbes — 15-19: 5.7% Garema — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 5.4% / 6.0%
Forbes — 20-24: 5.4% Garema — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 10.8% / 8.3%
Forbes — 25-34: 10.8% Garema — 25-34: 8.3%
35-44 10.6% / 6.0%
Forbes — 35-44: 10.6% Garema — 35-44: 6.0%
45-54 11.1% / 25.0%
Forbes — 45-54: 11.1% Garema — 45-54: 25.0%
55-64 12.8% / 23.8%
Forbes — 55-64: 12.8% Garema — 55-64: 23.8%
65-74 12.2% / 8.3%
Forbes — 65-74: 12.2% Garema — 65-74: 8.3%
75-84 8.7% / —
Forbes — 75-84: 8.7% Garema — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 3.3% / —
Forbes — 85+: 3.3% Garema — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Forbes 32.0% couple families
Forbes — Couple Families: 32.0% Forbes — Lone Person: 45.2% Forbes — One Parent Families: 18.1% Forbes — Group Household: 3.3% Forbes — Other Families: 1.3%
Garema 60.0% couple families
Garema — Couple Families: 60.0% Garema — Lone Person: 40.0% Garema — One Parent Families: 0.0% Garema — Group Household: 0.0% Garema — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Forbes 29.4% renting
Forbes — Owned Outright: 39.0% Forbes — Mortgage: 31.6% Forbes — Renting: 29.4%
Garema 15.4% renting
Garema — Owned Outright: 57.7% Garema — Mortgage: 26.9% Garema — Renting: 15.4%
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.

Forbes Garema
New Zealand 0.5% / 3.6%
Forbes — New Zealand: 0.5% Garema — New Zealand: 3.6%
England 0.9% / —
Forbes — England: 0.9% Garema — England: not among its largest
India 0.4% / —
Forbes — India: 0.4% Garema — India: not among its largest
Philippines 0.3% / —
Forbes — Philippines: 0.3% Garema — Philippines: not among its largest
China 0.2% / —
Forbes — China: 0.2% Garema — China: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.6%).

Qualifications

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

Forbes Garema
Certificate III & IV 16.3% / 25.0%
Forbes — Certificate III & IV: 16.3% Garema — Certificate III & IV: 25.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.3% / 9.5%
Forbes — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.3% Garema — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5%
Bachelor Degree 7.1% / 3.6%
Forbes — Bachelor Degree: 7.1% Garema — Bachelor Degree: 3.6%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / —
Forbes — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Garema — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.0% / —
Forbes — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0% Garema — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Forbes 88.6% houses
Forbes — Houses: 88.6% Forbes — Flats / Apartments: 6.6% Forbes — Townhouses: 4.9%
Garema 100.0% houses
Garema — Houses: 100.0% Garema — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Garema — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Forbes Garema
Median house price $475,000 $1,150,000
Median unit price $395,000 —
Median land price $212,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 62 days
from 58 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Forbes Garema
Rural and farming 96% 100%
Residential 3% 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

Forbes Garema
New dwellings approved 31
across Forbes
same for both
Approvals change year on year +125%
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.

Forbes Garema
Houses 3.9%
$440/wk on $580K
 —
Units 4.0%
$380/wk on $500K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Forbes Garema
House price Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
Income Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 31% of NSW
Schools Higher than 47% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 26% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 3% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 27% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 70% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 22% of NSW —

Liveability

Forbes is more walkable (18 vs 0).

Forbes Garema
Grade D —
Score 29/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Forbes Garema
Bushfire Low
23/100
 Low
30/100
Crime High
90/100
 High
86/100
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

Forbes Garema
Inside the suburb 5 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 2 0

Schools in Forbes

  • Red Bend Catholic College Independent · Secondary above peers
  • Forbes Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Laurence's Parish School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Forbes High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Forbes North Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Garema

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

Amenities in the suburb

Forbes Garema
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 8 0
Parks & reserves 36 0
Childcare 7 0
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Hospitals 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
Fuel stations 5 0
Waterways 36 10

Mobility

Garema sits further from the CBD (479 km vs 385.4 km).

Forbes Garema
Walkability score 18/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 385.4 km 479 km
+24% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 310 min 324 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2871
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 2871
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.

Forbes Garema
Car (driver) 79.4% / 53.7%
Forbes — Car (driver): 79.4% Garema — Car (driver): 53.7%
Worked from Home 9.2% / 34.1%
Forbes — Worked from Home: 9.2% Garema — Worked from Home: 34.1%
Walked Only 4.2% / 12.2%
Forbes — Walked Only: 4.2% Garema — Walked Only: 12.2%
Car (passenger) 6.2% / —
Forbes — Car (passenger): 6.2% Garema — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 0.5% / —
Forbes — Bus: 0.5% Garema — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.4%).

Setting

Forbes Garema
Elevation 235 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 239 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Forbes Garema
Connectivity score 55/100 18/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 24%
4,208 premises
 0%
22 premises

Council rates

Forbes Garema
Average residential rate $957/yr
same for both
Council Forbes
same for both

Federal electorate

Forbes Garema
Division Parkes
same for both
Member Jamie Chaffey
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Forbes Garema
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Forbes

Affordable Rural

Garema

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Forbes

Forbes vs Eugowra Forbes vs Bogan Gate Forbes vs Bedgerabong Forbes vs Paytens Bridge Forbes vs Wirrinya Forbes vs Tichborne

Other comparisons with Garema

Garema vs Wirrinya
Full data on Forbes Full data on Garema
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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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