Forest Reefs vs Tallwood
Forest Reefs is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 61 in Tallwood. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Forest Reefs, most households are couple families. In Tallwood, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Tallwood: a median of $2.21 million, against $1.2 million in Forest Reefs, though rent is higher in Forest Reefs. On these figures, Forest Reefs tends to suit couples and buyers on a tighter budget, while Tallwood suits people living alone and older residents.
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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Forest Reefs is already more of a family suburb (75% vs 43%)
- Tallwood carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 16/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Forest Reefs
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper houses ($1,200,000 vs $2,212,500)
- has cheaper land ($837,500 vs $975,000)
- But Tallwood leaves households under less mortgage stress (15% vs 21%)
Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.
Renters
Tallwood
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (21% vs 11%)
- has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $325/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Forest Reefs
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Tallwood
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 16/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (42% vs 16%)
- But Forest Reefs is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Forest Reefs
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (3.9% vs -8.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Forest Reefs and Tallwood 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
Forest Reefs has more residents (537 vs 67); Forest Reefs rents higher ($325/wk vs $200/wk).
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 537 +88% vs other | 67 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +3.9% | -8.2% |
| Median age | 43 | 61 |
| Median household income | $121,836/yr +13% vs other | $105,872/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $325/wk +38% vs other | $200/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.9%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.5%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,200,000 | $2,212,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $837,500 | $975,000 |
Zoning mix
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 95% | 100% |
| Residential | 5% | 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
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 51 across Blayney same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +14% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 62% of NSW | Higher than 87% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 85% of NSW | Higher than 72% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 62% of NSW | Higher than 30% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 65% of NSW | Higher than 15% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 72% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 51% of NSW | Higher than 59% of NSW |
Liveability
Forest Reefs is more walkable (14 vs 0).
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | B | — |
| Score | 65/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 10/10 | very advantaged area decile 9/10 |
Risk profile
Forest Reefs carries more crime risk (16 vs 0).
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 16/100 | 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 | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 12 | 8 |
Mobility
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 14/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 260.4 km | 259.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 222 min | 220 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.8% postcode 2798 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 64 postcode 2798 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 (69.0%).
Setting
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 923 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 918 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 195 premises | 0% 46 premises |
Climate
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 894 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 26.3°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 2.2°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 6.0 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 10.8 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | 0.4 pphm same for both | |
Council rates
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $925/yr same for both | |
| Council | Blayney same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Calare same for both | |
| Member | Andrew Gee same for both | |
| Party | Independent same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Forest Reefs | Tallwood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Forest Reefs
Other comparisons with Tallwood
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.