Forbesdale vs Gloucester

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Forbesdale, about half of households are couple families. In Gloucester, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Forbesdale: a median of $720,000, against $600,000 in Gloucester, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Forbesdale tends to suit couples, while Gloucester suits people living alone 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

Gloucester

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (11 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • But Forbesdale carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 59/100)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Forbesdale leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 30%)
  • Gloucester has cheaper houses ($600,000 vs $720,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Gloucester

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($275/wk vs $340/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Gloucester

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (58/100 vs 6/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Gloucester

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (58/100 vs 6/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (35% vs 29%)
  • But Forbesdale carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 59/100)

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

Investors

Gloucester

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.3% vs -5.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Forbesdale Gloucester
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.

Forbesdale Gloucester
Walkability 6 / 58
Forbesdale — Walkability: 6/100 Gloucester — Walkability: 58/100
Safety 63 / 41
Forbesdale — Safety: 63/100 Gloucester — Safety: 41/100
Low fire risk 54 / 53
Forbesdale — Low fire risk: 54/100 Gloucester — Low fire risk: 53/100

Demographics

Gloucester has more residents (3,133 vs 170); Forbesdale has higher household incomes ($69,316 vs $51,220).

Forbesdale Gloucester
Population 170 3,133
+1743% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -5.6% +5.3%
Median age 54 55
Median household income $69,316/yr
+26% vs other
 $51,220/yr
Median weekly rent $340/wk
+19% vs other
 $275/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Forbesdale Gloucester
0-4 1.8% / 3.8%
Forbesdale — 0-4: 1.8% Gloucester — 0-4: 3.8%
5-14 12.4% / 11.0%
Forbesdale — 5-14: 12.4% Gloucester — 5-14: 11.0%
15-19 9.4% / 4.6%
Forbesdale — 15-19: 9.4% Gloucester — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 — / 3.2%
Forbesdale — 20-24: not among its largest Gloucester — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 2.9% / 7.5%
Forbesdale — 25-34: 2.9% Gloucester — 25-34: 7.5%
35-44 5.3% / 9.3%
Forbesdale — 35-44: 5.3% Gloucester — 35-44: 9.3%
45-54 18.8% / 10.4%
Forbesdale — 45-54: 18.8% Gloucester — 45-54: 10.4%
55-64 15.3% / 15.1%
Forbesdale — 55-64: 15.3% Gloucester — 55-64: 15.1%
65-74 14.1% / 18.3%
Forbesdale — 65-74: 14.1% Gloucester — 65-74: 18.3%
75-84 15.3% / 11.1%
Forbesdale — 75-84: 15.3% Gloucester — 75-84: 11.1%
85+ — / 5.6%
Forbesdale — 85+: not among its largest Gloucester — 85+: 5.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Forbesdale 33.3% lone person
Forbesdale — Lone Person: 33.3% Forbesdale — Couple Families: 54.5% Forbesdale — One Parent Families: 12.1% Forbesdale — Group Household: 0.0% Forbesdale — Other Families: 0.0%
Gloucester 51.8% lone person
Gloucester — Lone Person: 51.8% Gloucester — Couple Families: 26.8% Gloucester — One Parent Families: 16.0% Gloucester — Group Household: 3.5% Gloucester — Other Families: 1.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Forbesdale 19.3% renting
Forbesdale — Owned Outright: 56.1% Forbesdale — Mortgage: 24.6% Forbesdale — Renting: 19.3%
Gloucester 26.5% renting
Gloucester — Owned Outright: 51.8% Gloucester — Mortgage: 21.7% Gloucester — Renting: 26.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Forbesdale 100.0% houses
Forbesdale — Houses: 100.0% Forbesdale — Townhouses: 0.0% Forbesdale — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Gloucester 90.8% houses
Gloucester — Houses: 90.8% Gloucester — Townhouses: 5.5% Gloucester — Flats / Apartments: 3.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Forbesdale Gloucester
Certificate III & IV 14.1% / 18.6%
Forbesdale — Certificate III & IV: 14.1% Gloucester — Certificate III & IV: 18.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.0% / 6.8%
Forbesdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.0% Gloucester — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8%
Bachelor Degree 2.9% / 6.0%
Forbesdale — Bachelor Degree: 2.9% Gloucester — Bachelor Degree: 6.0%
Postgraduate Degree 1.8% / 1.3%
Forbesdale — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8% Gloucester — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 1.3%
Forbesdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Gloucester — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.6%).

Property market

Forbesdale Gloucester
Median house price $720,000 $600,000
Median unit price — $550,000
Median land price — $440,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 42 days
from 49 sales

Zoning mix

Forbesdale has more rural and farming land (66% vs 12%); Gloucester has more land zoned for conservation (75% vs 31%).

Forbesdale Gloucester
Environmental 31% 75%
Rural and farming 66% 12%
Residential 2% 9%
Parks and recreation 0% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 1%
Industrial 0% 1%
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

Forbesdale Gloucester
New dwellings approved 743
across Mid-Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +327%
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.

Forbesdale Gloucester
Houses — 3.3%
$430/wk on $678K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Forbesdale Gloucester
House price Higher than 27% of NSW Higher than 19% of NSW
Income Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 92% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 41% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 34% of NSW

Liveability

Gloucester is more walkable (58 vs 6).

Forbesdale Gloucester
Grade — C
Score — 45/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Gloucester carries more crime risk (59 vs 37).

Forbesdale Gloucester
Bushfire Moderate
46/100
 Moderate
47/100
Crime Low
37/100
 Moderate
59/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Forbesdale Gloucester
Inside the suburb 0 3
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Forbesdale

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

Schools in Gloucester

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

Amenities in the suburb

Forbesdale Gloucester
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 6
Parks & reserves 0 11
Childcare 0 3
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 2
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 4
Fuel stations 0 4
Waterways 10 8

Mobility

Forbesdale Gloucester
Walkability score 6/100 58/100
Distance to Sydney 262.1 km 263.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 203 min 202 min
Public transport score 18/100
Bus
 61/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 2.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 26.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2422
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 57
postcode 2422
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.

Forbesdale Gloucester
Car (driver) 58.1% / 75.1%
Forbesdale — Car (driver): 58.1% Gloucester — Car (driver): 75.1%
Worked from Home 20.3% / 11.0%
Forbesdale — Worked from Home: 20.3% Gloucester — Worked from Home: 11.0%
Walked Only 16.2% / 7.9%
Forbesdale — Walked Only: 16.2% Gloucester — Walked Only: 7.9%
Car (passenger) 5.4% / 5.0%
Forbesdale — Car (passenger): 5.4% Gloucester — Car (passenger): 5.0%
Bicycle — / 0.6%
Forbesdale — Bicycle: not among its largest Gloucester — Bicycle: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.1%).

Setting

Forbesdale Gloucester
Elevation 106 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 113 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Forbesdale Gloucester
Connectivity score 30/100 53/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
77 premises
 21%
1,902 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

Forbesdale Gloucester
Average residential rate $1,560/yr
same for both
Council Mid-Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Forbesdale Gloucester
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Forbesdale Gloucester
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Forbesdale

Retirees River Rural

Gloucester

Acreage Affordable Parks Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Forbesdale

Forbesdale vs Stratford Forbesdale vs Waukivory Forbesdale vs Faulkland

Other comparisons with Gloucester

Gloucester vs Barrington Gloucester vs Waukivory Gloucester vs Faulkland Gloucester vs Tugrabakh
Full data on Forbesdale Full data on Gloucester
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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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