Goolma vs Mebul
Mebul is the younger of the two, with a median age of 49 against 54 in Goolma. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Goolma, about half of households are people living alone. In Mebul, the large majority of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Mebul: a median of $1.43 million, against $678,000 in Goolma, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Goolma tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Mebul suits 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
Mebul
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 86/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 53%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Goolma
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- has cheaper houses ($678,300 vs $1,430,000)
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 49%)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Goolma
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves renters under less rental stress (31% vs 40%)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Mebul
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 86/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Mebul
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (52.5% vs -6.9%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Goolma and Mebul 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
Goolma has more residents (95 vs 61); Goolma has higher household incomes ($67,132 vs $55,900).
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 95 +36% vs other | 61 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -6.9% | +52.5% |
| Median age | 54 | 49 |
| Median household income | $67,132/yr +17% vs other | $55,900/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $400/wk | $425/wk +6% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.4%).
Property market
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $678,300 | $1,430,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $1,423,514 |
Zoning mix
Mebul has more land zoned for conservation (22% vs 2%); Goolma has more rural and farming land (97% vs 78%).
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 97% | 78% |
| Environmental | 2% | 22% |
| 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
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 131 across Mid-Western same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -4% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 25% of NSW | Higher than 72% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 29% of NSW | Higher than 16% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 16% of NSW | Higher than 41% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 63% of NSW | Higher than 8% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 11% of NSW | Higher than 12% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 8% of NSW | Higher than 21% of NSW |
Liveability
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Goolma carries more crime risk (86 vs 34).
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 21/100 | Low 25/100 |
| Crime | High 86/100 | Low 34/100 |
| 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
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Goolma
- Goolma Public School Government · Primary
Schools in Mebul
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 24 | 16 |
Mobility
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 326.8 km | 325.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 268 min | 267 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 2852 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 50 postcode 2852 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 (55.3%).
Setting
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 465 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 431 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 39 premises | 0% 18 premises |
Climate
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 669 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 31.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.4°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,083/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mid-Western same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Calare same for both | |
| Member | Andrew Gee same for both | |
| Party | Independent same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Goolma | Mebul | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Goolma
Mebul
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Goolma
Other comparisons with Mebul
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.