Galong vs Mcmahons Reef

McMahons Reef is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 44 in Galong. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Galong tends to suit older residents, while McMahons Reef suits families with children and 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

McMahons Reef

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 78/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

McMahons Reef

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Galong

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (24/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (325.4 km vs 343.5 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (216 min vs 224 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Galong

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (24/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 13%)
  • But McMahons Reef carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 78/100)

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

Investors

McMahons Reef

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (19.3% vs 4.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Galong Mcmahons Reef
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.

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Walkability 24 / 0
Galong — Walkability: 24/100 Mcmahons Reef — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 22 / 86
Galong — Safety: 22/100 Mcmahons Reef — Safety: 86/100
Low fire risk 74 / 78
Galong — Low fire risk: 74/100 Mcmahons Reef — Low fire risk: 78/100

Demographics

Galong has more residents (235 vs 68); Galong rents higher ($200/wk vs $150/wk).

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Population 235
+71% vs other
 68
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.9% +19.3%
Median age 44 40
Median household income $57,772/yr $61,724/yr
+7% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk
+25% vs other
 $150/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Galong Mcmahons Reef
0-4 4.7% / 5.9%
Galong — 0-4: 4.7% Mcmahons Reef — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 9.8% / 14.7%
Galong — 5-14: 9.8% Mcmahons Reef — 5-14: 14.7%
15-19 6.8% / —
Galong — 15-19: 6.8% Mcmahons Reef — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 4.7% / 5.9%
Galong — 20-24: 4.7% Mcmahons Reef — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 11.5% / 11.8%
Galong — 25-34: 11.5% Mcmahons Reef — 25-34: 11.8%
35-44 8.9% / 14.7%
Galong — 35-44: 8.9% Mcmahons Reef — 35-44: 14.7%
45-54 11.9% / 13.2%
Galong — 45-54: 11.9% Mcmahons Reef — 45-54: 13.2%
55-64 11.9% / 17.6%
Galong — 55-64: 11.9% Mcmahons Reef — 55-64: 17.6%
65-74 16.6% / 13.2%
Galong — 65-74: 16.6% Mcmahons Reef — 65-74: 13.2%
75-84 6.8% / —
Galong — 75-84: 6.8% Mcmahons Reef — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 2.1% / —
Galong — 85+: 2.1% Mcmahons Reef — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Galong 46.9% lone person
Galong — Lone Person: 46.9% Galong — Couple Families: 39.1% Galong — One Parent Families: 9.4% Galong — Group Household: 4.7%
Mcmahons Reef 50.0% lone person
Mcmahons Reef — Lone Person: 50.0% Mcmahons Reef — Couple Families: 50.0% Mcmahons Reef — One Parent Families: 0.0% Mcmahons Reef — Group Household: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Galong 19.4% renting
Galong — Owned Outright: 59.7% Galong — Mortgage: 20.9% Galong — Renting: 19.4%
Mcmahons Reef 23.1% renting
Mcmahons Reef — Owned Outright: 53.8% Mcmahons Reef — Mortgage: 23.1% Mcmahons Reef — Renting: 23.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Galong 95.1% houses
Galong — Houses: 95.1% Galong — Townhouses: 3.7% Galong — Flats / Apartments: 1.2%
Mcmahons Reef 100.0% houses
Mcmahons Reef — Houses: 100.0% Mcmahons Reef — Townhouses: 0.0% Mcmahons Reef — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Certificate III & IV 15.7% / 11.8%
Galong — Certificate III & IV: 15.7% Mcmahons Reef — Certificate III & IV: 11.8%
Bachelor Degree 8.9% / 8.8%
Galong — Bachelor Degree: 8.9% Mcmahons Reef — Bachelor Degree: 8.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.2% / 5.9%
Galong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2% Mcmahons Reef — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.4% / —
Galong — Postgraduate Degree: 3.4% Mcmahons Reef — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / —
Galong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Mcmahons Reef — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

Property market

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Median house price $265,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,275,000 —

Zoning mix

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Rural and farming 99% 100%
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

Galong Mcmahons Reef
New dwellings approved 48
across Hilltops
same for both
Approvals change year on year -47%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Galong Mcmahons Reef
House price Higher than 6% of NSW —
Income Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 1% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 93% of NSW —
EV adoption — Higher than 19% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 33% of NSW

Liveability

Galong is more walkable (24 vs 0).

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
same for both

Risk profile

Galong carries more crime risk (78 vs 14).

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Bushfire Low
26/100
 Low
22/100
Crime High
78/100
 Low
14/100
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

Galong Mcmahons Reef
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

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Parks & reserves 2 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 35 7

Mobility

McMahons Reef sits further from the CBD (343.5 km vs 325.4 km).

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Walkability score 24/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 325.4 km 343.5 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 216 min 224 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 2585
 0.2%
postcode 2587
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 37
postcode 2585
 61
postcode 2587

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.

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Car (driver) 69.5% / 55.9%
Galong — Car (driver): 69.5% Mcmahons Reef — Car (driver): 55.9%
Worked from Home 18.3% / 35.3%
Galong — Worked from Home: 18.3% Mcmahons Reef — Worked from Home: 35.3%
Walked Only 12.2% / 8.8%
Galong — Walked Only: 12.2% Mcmahons Reef — Walked Only: 8.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (69.5%).

Setting

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Elevation 499 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 370 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Connectivity score 17/100 24/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
25 premises
 0%
15 premises

Climate

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Annual rainfall 541 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Average residential rate $714/yr
same for both
Council Hilltops
same for both

Federal electorate

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Division Riverina
same for both
Member Michael Mccormack
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Galong Mcmahons Reef
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Galong

Affordable Retirees Rural

Mcmahons Reef

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Galong

Galong vs Boorowa Galong vs Binalong Galong vs Cunningar Galong vs Barwang Galong vs Berremangra

Other comparisons with Mcmahons Reef

Mcmahons Reef vs Jugiong Mcmahons Reef vs Cunningar Mcmahons Reef vs Beggan Beggan Mcmahons Reef vs Berremangra
Full data on Galong Full data on Mcmahons Reef
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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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