Goonellabah vs Lindendale

Goonellabah is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 49 in Lindendale. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Lindendale: a median of $1.2 million, against $742,000 in Goonellabah, though rent is higher in Goonellabah. On these figures, Goonellabah tends to suit people living alone 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Goonellabah has more parks and reserves (19 vs 0)
  • Lindendale carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 80/100)

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

First-home buyers

Lindendale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($275,000 vs $375,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 27%)
  • But Goonellabah has cheaper houses ($742,500 vs $1,200,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Lindendale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($273/wk vs $320/wk)
  • But Goonellabah has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 14%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Goonellabah is more walkable (83/100 vs 16/100)
  • Lindendale sits closer to the CBD (724.2 km vs 727.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Goonellabah

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (83/100 vs 16/100)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • But Lindendale carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 80/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Goonellabah Lindendale
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.

Goonellabah Lindendale
Walkability 83 / 16
Goonellabah — Walkability: 83/100 Lindendale — Walkability: 16/100
Safety 20 / 78
Goonellabah — Safety: 20/100 Lindendale — Safety: 78/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Goonellabah — Low fire risk: 100/100 Lindendale — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Goonellabah has more residents (13,351 vs 263); Lindendale has higher household incomes ($92,092 vs $68,536).

Goonellabah Lindendale
Population 13,351
+98% vs other
 263
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.5% +7.3%
Median age 41 49
Median household income $68,536/yr $92,092/yr
+34% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk
+15% vs other
 $273/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Goonellabah Lindendale
0-4 5.9% / 4.2%
Goonellabah — 0-4: 5.9% Lindendale — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 12.4% / 12.5%
Goonellabah — 5-14: 12.4% Lindendale — 5-14: 12.5%
15-19 5.8% / 6.1%
Goonellabah — 15-19: 5.8% Lindendale — 15-19: 6.1%
20-24 5.3% / 4.6%
Goonellabah — 20-24: 5.3% Lindendale — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 12.2% / 6.8%
Goonellabah — 25-34: 12.2% Lindendale — 25-34: 6.8%
35-44 11.8% / 14.1%
Goonellabah — 35-44: 11.8% Lindendale — 35-44: 14.1%
45-54 11.8% / 10.3%
Goonellabah — 45-54: 11.8% Lindendale — 45-54: 10.3%
55-64 12.3% / 17.5%
Goonellabah — 55-64: 12.3% Lindendale — 55-64: 17.5%
65-74 11.5% / 15.2%
Goonellabah — 65-74: 11.5% Lindendale — 65-74: 15.2%
75-84 7.4% / 6.5%
Goonellabah — 75-84: 7.4% Lindendale — 75-84: 6.5%
85+ 3.5% / 3.4%
Goonellabah — 85+: 3.5% Lindendale — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Goonellabah 41.7% lone person
Goonellabah — Lone Person: 41.7% Goonellabah — Couple Families: 32.6% Goonellabah — One Parent Families: 19.8% Goonellabah — Group Household: 4.7% Goonellabah — Other Families: 1.2%
Lindendale 31.3% lone person
Lindendale — Lone Person: 31.3% Lindendale — Couple Families: 40.3% Lindendale — One Parent Families: 22.4% Lindendale — Group Household: 6.0% Lindendale — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Goonellabah 29.8% renting
Goonellabah — Owned Outright: 37.1% Goonellabah — Mortgage: 33.1% Goonellabah — Renting: 29.8%
Lindendale 14.3% renting
Lindendale — Owned Outright: 51.6% Lindendale — Mortgage: 34.1% Lindendale — Renting: 14.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Goonellabah Lindendale
Bachelor Degree 10.4% / 18.3%
Goonellabah — Bachelor Degree: 10.4% Lindendale — Bachelor Degree: 18.3%
Certificate III & IV 16.5% / 12.2%
Goonellabah — Certificate III & IV: 16.5% Lindendale — Certificate III & IV: 12.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 9.9%
Goonellabah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Lindendale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.7% / 6.8%
Goonellabah — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7% Lindendale — Postgraduate Degree: 6.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 3.0%
Goonellabah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Lindendale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

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.

Goonellabah Lindendale
England 2.0% / 3.4%
Goonellabah — England: 2.0% Lindendale — England: 3.4%
India 0.6% / 3.0%
Goonellabah — India: 0.6% Lindendale — India: 3.0%
New Zealand 0.9% / 1.9%
Goonellabah — New Zealand: 0.9% Lindendale — New Zealand: 1.9%
Netherlands — / 1.1%
Goonellabah — Netherlands: not among its largest Lindendale — Netherlands: 1.1%
Philippines 0.7% / —
Goonellabah — Philippines: 0.7% Lindendale — Philippines: not among its largest
Italy 0.4% / —
Goonellabah — Italy: 0.4% Lindendale — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Goonellabah 77.7% houses
Goonellabah — Houses: 77.7% Goonellabah — Townhouses: 18.0% Goonellabah — Flats / Apartments: 4.3%
Lindendale 103.2% houses
Lindendale — Houses: 103.2% Lindendale — Townhouses: 0.0% Lindendale — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Goonellabah Lindendale
Median house price $742,500 $1,200,000
Median unit price $530,000 —
Median land price $375,000 $275,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 187 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Lindendale has more rural and farming land (98% vs 45%).

Goonellabah Lindendale
Rural and farming 45% 98%
Residential 40% 0%
Parks and recreation 4% 0%
Environmental 4% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 0%
Industrial 3% 0%
Other and special use 0% 2%
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

Goonellabah Lindendale
New dwellings approved 138
across Lismore
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Goonellabah Lindendale
Houses 4.6%
$720/wk on $814K
 —
Units 3.7%
$430/wk on $597K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Goonellabah Lindendale
House price Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Income Higher than 32% of NSW —
Schools Higher than 84% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 57% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 58% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 92% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 16% of NSW —

Liveability

Goonellabah is more walkable (83 vs 16).

Goonellabah Lindendale
Grade B —
Score 55/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Goonellabah carries more crime risk (80 vs 22).

Goonellabah Lindendale
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
80/100
 Low
22/100
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 2
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Goonellabah Lindendale
Inside the suburb 4 0
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 2 0
Universities within 10 km 1
Lismore, 4.2 km
 1
Lismore, 8.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 0.8% 1.1%

Schools in Goonellabah

  • Goonellabah Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Summerland Christian College Independent · Combined above peers
  • Blue Hills College Independent · Combined below peers
  • The Rivers Secondary College, Kadina High Campus Government · Secondary below peers

Schools in Lindendale

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Goonellabah Lindendale
Supermarkets 4 0
Parks & reserves 19 0
Childcare 9 0
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 2
same for both

Mobility

Goonellabah sits further from the CBD (727.9 km vs 724.2 km).

Goonellabah Lindendale
Walkability score 83/100 16/100
Distance to Sydney 727.9 km 724.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 478 min 475 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2480
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 69
postcode 2480
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.

Goonellabah Lindendale
Car (driver) 79.2% / 52.1%
Goonellabah — Car (driver): 79.2% Lindendale — Car (driver): 52.1%
Worked from Home 12.8% / 42.1%
Goonellabah — Worked from Home: 12.8% Lindendale — Worked from Home: 42.1%
Walked Only 1.2% / 5.8%
Goonellabah — Walked Only: 1.2% Lindendale — Walked Only: 5.8%
Car (passenger) 6.1% / —
Goonellabah — Car (passenger): 6.1% Lindendale — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 0.5% / —
Goonellabah — Bus: 0.5% Lindendale — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.2%).

Setting

Goonellabah Lindendale
Elevation 145 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 163 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 20.5 km 16.2 km

NBN connectivity

Goonellabah Lindendale
Connectivity score 70/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
6,896 premises
 0%
111 premises

Council rates

Goonellabah Lindendale
Average residential rate $1,487/yr
same for both
Council Lismore
same for both

Federal electorate

Goonellabah Lindendale
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Goonellabah Lindendale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Goonellabah

Parks Regional Centre

Lindendale

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Goonellabah

Goonellabah vs East Lismore Goonellabah vs Lismore Goonellabah vs Lismore Heights Goonellabah vs Richmond Hill Goonellabah vs Wyrallah Goonellabah vs Tregeagle

Other comparisons with Lindendale

Lindendale vs Wollongbar Lindendale vs Richmond Hill Lindendale vs McLeans Ridges Lindendale vs Tregeagle Lindendale vs Chilcotts Grass Lindendale vs Rous
Full data on Goonellabah Full data on Lindendale
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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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