Goolgowi vs Rankins Springs
Rankins Springs is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 38 in Goolgowi. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Rankins Springs, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Goolgowi: a median of $315,000, against $125,000 in Rankins Springs, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Rankins Springs tends to suit people living alone, families with children, 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
Goolgowi
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 75/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (58% vs 47%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Rankins Springs
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($125,000 vs $315,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Goolgowi has a bigger rental market to choose from (29% vs 19%)
- Rankins Springs has cheaper rent ($143/wk vs $220/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Rankins Springs
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (411 min vs 440 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (595.2 km vs 627.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Goolgowi
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 75/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Rankins Springs
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (20.2% vs 3.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Goolgowi and Rankins Springs 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
Goolgowi has more residents (416 vs 208); Goolgowi rents higher ($220/wk vs $143/wk).
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 416 +50% vs other | 208 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +3.5% | +20.2% |
| Median age | 38 | 35 |
| Median household income | $71,500/yr +7% vs other | $66,196/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $220/wk +35% vs other | $143/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).
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 (4.8%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $315,000 | $125,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $2,122 |
Zoning mix
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% | 96% |
| Environmental | 1% | 3% |
| 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
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 3 across Carrathool same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -100% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 4% of NSW | Higher than 2% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 37% of NSW | Higher than 28% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 26% of NSW | Higher than 44% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 96% of NSW | Higher than 99% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 3% of NSW | — |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 14% of NSW | Higher than 23% of NSW |
Liveability
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Goolgowi carries more bushfire risk (25 vs 14); Rankins Springs carries more crime risk (75 vs 55).
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 25/100 | Low 14/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 55/100 | High 75/100 |
| 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
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 | 1 |
Schools in Goolgowi
- Goolgowi Public School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Rankins Springs
- Rankins Springs Public School Government · Primary below peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 same for both | |
| Parks & reserves | 4 | 5 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| Police stations | 1 same for both | |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 4 | 15 |
Mobility
Goolgowi sits further from the CBD (627.5 km vs 595.2 km).
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 627.5 km +5% vs other | 595.2 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 440 min | 411 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 2652 | 0.0% postcode 2669 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 58 postcode 2652 | 43 postcode 2669 |
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 (67.8%).
Setting
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 118 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 239 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 37 premises | 0% 40 premises |
Climate
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 406 mm | 447 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 33.2°C | — |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.9°C | — |
Council rates
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $510/yr same for both | |
| Council | Carrathool same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Farrer same for both | |
| Member | David Farley same for both | |
| Party | One Nation same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Goolgowi | Rankins Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Goolgowi
Rankins Springs
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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.