Goonellabah vs Lismore

In both, most homes are detached houses. In Goonellabah, most households own their home. In Lismore, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Goonellabah: a median of $742,000, against $570,000 in Lismore, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Lismore tends to suit renters 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

Goonellabah

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (19 vs 8)
  • is already more of a family suburb (52% vs 41%)

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

First-home buyers

Lismore

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($290,000 vs $530,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($570,000 vs $742,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Lismore

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (50% vs 30%)
  • has cheaper rent ($280/wk vs $320/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Lismore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (725.4 km vs 727.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Goonellabah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (80/100 vs 98/100)

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

Investors

Lismore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (6.4% vs 4.6%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Goonellabah and Lismore 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 Lismore
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 Lismore
Walkability 83 / 88
Goonellabah — Walkability: 83/100 Lismore — Walkability: 88/100
Safety 20 / 2
Goonellabah — Safety: 20/100 Lismore — Safety: 2/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Goonellabah — Low fire risk: 100/100 Lismore — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Goonellabah has more residents (13,351 vs 3,656); Goonellabah has higher household incomes ($68,536 vs $53,820).

Goonellabah Lismore
Population 13,351
+73% vs other
 3,656
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.5% +2.2%
Median age 41
same for both
Median household income $68,536/yr
+21% vs other
 $53,820/yr
Median weekly rent $320/wk
+12% vs other
 $280/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Goonellabah Lismore
0-4 5.9% / 4.5%
Goonellabah — 0-4: 5.9% Lismore — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 12.4% / 11.3%
Goonellabah — 5-14: 12.4% Lismore — 5-14: 11.3%
15-19 5.8% / 5.8%
Goonellabah — 15-19: 5.8% Lismore — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 5.3% / 6.3%
Goonellabah — 20-24: 5.3% Lismore — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 12.2% / 13.8%
Goonellabah — 25-34: 12.2% Lismore — 25-34: 13.8%
35-44 11.8% / 13.3%
Goonellabah — 35-44: 11.8% Lismore — 35-44: 13.3%
45-54 11.8% / 12.6%
Goonellabah — 45-54: 11.8% Lismore — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 12.3% / 13.4%
Goonellabah — 55-64: 12.3% Lismore — 55-64: 13.4%
65-74 11.5% / 10.9%
Goonellabah — 65-74: 11.5% Lismore — 65-74: 10.9%
75-84 7.4% / 5.0%
Goonellabah — 75-84: 7.4% Lismore — 75-84: 5.0%
85+ 3.5% / 3.0%
Goonellabah — 85+: 3.5% Lismore — 85+: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.8%).

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%
Lismore 48.9% lone person
Lismore — Lone Person: 48.9% Lismore — Couple Families: 17.9% Lismore — One Parent Families: 22.9% Lismore — Group Household: 8.4% Lismore — Other Families: 1.9%
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%
Lismore 49.6% renting
Lismore — Owned Outright: 24.6% Lismore — Mortgage: 25.8% Lismore — Renting: 49.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Goonellabah Lismore
Certificate III & IV 16.5% / 14.5%
Goonellabah — Certificate III & IV: 16.5% Lismore — Certificate III & IV: 14.5%
Bachelor Degree 10.4% / 11.4%
Goonellabah — Bachelor Degree: 10.4% Lismore — Bachelor Degree: 11.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 6.3%
Goonellabah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Lismore — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3%
Postgraduate Degree 2.7% / 2.8%
Goonellabah — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7% Lismore — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 2.2%
Goonellabah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Lismore — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

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 Lismore
England 2.0% / 2.5%
Goonellabah — England: 2.0% Lismore — England: 2.5%
New Zealand 0.9% / 1.3%
Goonellabah — New Zealand: 0.9% Lismore — New Zealand: 1.3%
Philippines 0.7% / 0.6%
Goonellabah — Philippines: 0.7% Lismore — Philippines: 0.6%
India 0.6% / 0.3%
Goonellabah — India: 0.6% Lismore — India: 0.3%
Germany 0.4% / 0.4%
Goonellabah — Germany: 0.4% Lismore — Germany: 0.4%
Nepal — / 0.5%
Goonellabah — Nepal: not among its largest Lismore — Nepal: 0.5%
Italy 0.4% / —
Goonellabah — Italy: 0.4% Lismore — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.5%).

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%
Lismore 69.4% houses
Lismore — Houses: 69.4% Lismore — Townhouses: 13.6% Lismore — Flats / Apartments: 16.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Goonellabah Lismore
Median house price $742,500 $570,000
Median unit price $530,000 $290,000
Median land price $375,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 187 sales
 39 days
from 51 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Goonellabah Lismore
2 bed $546K / $519K
Goonellabah — 2 bed: $546K (22 sales) Lismore — 2 bed: $519K (20 sales)

22 vs 20 sales

3 bed $690K / $559K
Goonellabah — 3 bed: $690K (174 sales) Lismore — 3 bed: $559K (62 sales)

174 vs 62 sales

4 bed $870K / $650K
Goonellabah — 4 bed: $870K (111 sales) Lismore — 4 bed: $650K (25 sales)

111 vs 25 sales

Zoning mix

Goonellabah has more rural and farming land (45% vs 1%); Lismore has more commercially zoned land (21% vs 1%).

Goonellabah Lismore
Residential 40% 46%
Rural and farming 45% 1%
Commercial 1% 21%
Parks and recreation 4% 20%
Environmental 4% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 3%
same for both
Industrial 3% 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

Goonellabah Lismore
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 Lismore
Houses 4.6%
$720/wk on $814K
 6.4%
$800/wk on $650K
Units 3.7%
$430/wk on $597K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Goonellabah Lismore
House price Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 16% of NSW
Income Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 14% of NSW
Schools Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 16% of NSW —

Liveability

Goonellabah scores higher overall (55 vs 30).

Goonellabah Lismore
Grade B D
Score 55/100 30/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Lismore carries more crime risk (98 vs 80).

Goonellabah Lismore
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
80/100
 High
98/100
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
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Goonellabah Lismore
Inside the suburb 4
same for both
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 2 1
Universities within 10 km 1
Lismore, 4.2 km
 1
Lismore, 1.7 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 Lismore

  • St Carthage's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Lismore Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Living School Independent · Combined
  • Trinity Catholic College Lismore, St Joseph's Campus Independent · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Goonellabah Lismore
Supermarkets 4 5
Cafes & restaurants 0 18
Parks & reserves 19 8
Childcare 9 8
GPs 4 5
Pharmacies 3 4
Hospitals 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 10
Fuel stations 2 9
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 2 1

Mobility

Goonellabah sits further from the CBD (727.9 km vs 725.4 km).

Goonellabah Lismore
Walkability score 83/100 88/100
Distance to Sydney 727.9 km 725.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 478 min 476 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 175.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 96.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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 Lismore
Car (driver) 79.2% / 69.3%
Goonellabah — Car (driver): 79.2% Lismore — Car (driver): 69.3%
Worked from Home 12.8% / 12.0%
Goonellabah — Worked from Home: 12.8% Lismore — Worked from Home: 12.0%
Car (passenger) 6.1% / 6.8%
Goonellabah — Car (passenger): 6.1% Lismore — Car (passenger): 6.8%
Walked Only 1.2% / 10.5%
Goonellabah — Walked Only: 1.2% Lismore — Walked Only: 10.5%
Bus 0.5% / 0.6%
Goonellabah — Bus: 0.5% Lismore — Bus: 0.6%
Bicycle 0.2% / 0.8%
Goonellabah — Bicycle: 0.2% Lismore — Bicycle: 0.8%

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

Setting

Goonellabah Lismore
Elevation 145 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 20.5 km 24.9 km

NBN connectivity

Goonellabah Lismore
Connectivity score 70/100 85/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
6,896 premises
 38%
3,255 premises

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Goonellabah Lismore
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

Lismore

Affordable Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Goonellabah

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

Other comparisons with Lismore

Lismore vs East Lismore Lismore vs Lismore Heights Lismore vs South Lismore Lismore vs Girards Hill Lismore vs North Lismore
Full data on Goonellabah Full data on Lismore
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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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