Fosterton vs Main Creek
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Fosterton, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Fosterton: a median of $1.48 million, against $460,000 in Main Creek. On these figures, Fosterton tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Main Creek suits 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
Main Creek
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
- is already more of a family suburb (57% vs 30%)
- But Fosterton carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 25/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Main Creek
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper houses ($460,000 vs $1,475,000)
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (31% vs 38%)
- But Fosterton has cheaper land ($750,000 vs $1,020,000)
Weighs house 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
Fosterton
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 5/100)
- sits closer to the CBD (221.5 km vs 227.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Fosterton
ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 25/100)
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 5/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (36% vs 25%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Main Creek
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (8.0% vs -13.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Fosterton and Main Creek 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
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 94 | 95 +1% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -13.0% | +8.0% |
| Median age | 58 | 57 |
| Median household income | $68,900/yr | $72,748/yr +6% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $260/wk | $270/wk +4% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.6%).
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 (6.3%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.6%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,475,000 | $460,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $750,000 | $1,020,000 |
Zoning mix
Main Creek has more land zoned for conservation (31% vs 2%); Fosterton has more rural and farming land (96% vs 68%).
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 96% | 68% |
| Environmental | 2% | 31% |
| Residential | 2% | 0% |
| Parks and recreation | 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
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 55 across Dungog same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -23% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 74% of NSW | Higher than 14% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 32% of NSW | Higher than 39% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 64% of NSW | Higher than 48% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 14% of NSW | Higher than 88% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 61% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 47% of NSW | Higher than 37% of NSW |
Liveability
Fosterton is more walkable (14 vs 5).
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Main Creek carries more crime risk (25 vs 0); Main Creek carries more bushfire risk (60 vs 17).
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 17/100 | Moderate 60/100 |
| Crime | None 0/100 | Low 25/100 |
| 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
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 3 |
| Waterways | 15 | 12 |
Mobility
Main Creek sits further from the CBD (227.5 km vs 221.5 km).
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 14/100 | 5/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 221.5 km | 227.5 km +3% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 176 min | 180 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 2420 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 52 postcode 2420 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 (70.4%).
Setting
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 60 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 221 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 39.2 km | 41.8 km |
NBN connectivity
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 26/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 63 premises | 0% 58 premises |
Climate
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,327 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,646/yr same for both | |
| Council | Dungog same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lyne same for both | |
| Member | Alison Penfold same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Fosterton | Main Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Main Creek
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Fosterton
Other comparisons with Main Creek
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.