Goonellabah vs Richmond Hill

Goonellabah is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 52 in Richmond Hill. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Richmond Hill, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Richmond Hill: a median of $1.15 million, against $742,000 in Goonellabah, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Goonellabah tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Richmond Hill 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

They split

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

  • Goonellabah has more childcare (9 vs 0)
  • Richmond Hill carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 80/100)

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

First-home buyers

Goonellabah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($742,500 vs $1,150,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Goonellabah

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 7%)
  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $405/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Goonellabah

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (83/100 vs 32/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (727.9 km vs 747.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Goonellabah has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • Richmond Hill carries lower crime risk (23/100 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 Richmond Hill 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 Richmond Hill
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 Richmond Hill
Walkability 83 / 32
Goonellabah — Walkability: 83/100 Richmond Hill — Walkability: 32/100
Safety 20 / 77
Goonellabah — Safety: 20/100 Richmond Hill — Safety: 77/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Goonellabah — Low fire risk: 100/100 Richmond Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Goonellabah has more residents (13,351 vs 850); Richmond Hill has higher household incomes ($104,312 vs $68,536).

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
Population 13,351
+94% vs other
 850
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.5%
same for both
Median age 41 52
Median household income $68,536/yr $104,312/yr
+52% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk $405/wk
+27% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
0-4 5.9% / 2.9%
Goonellabah — 0-4: 5.9% Richmond Hill — 0-4: 2.9%
5-14 12.4% / 12.4%
Goonellabah — 5-14: 12.4% Richmond Hill — 5-14: 12.4%
15-19 5.8% / 5.5%
Goonellabah — 15-19: 5.8% Richmond Hill — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 5.3% / 3.2%
Goonellabah — 20-24: 5.3% Richmond Hill — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 12.2% / 4.8%
Goonellabah — 25-34: 12.2% Richmond Hill — 25-34: 4.8%
35-44 11.8% / 8.7%
Goonellabah — 35-44: 11.8% Richmond Hill — 35-44: 8.7%
45-54 11.8% / 16.7%
Goonellabah — 45-54: 11.8% Richmond Hill — 45-54: 16.7%
55-64 12.3% / 17.2%
Goonellabah — 55-64: 12.3% Richmond Hill — 55-64: 17.2%
65-74 11.5% / 19.2%
Goonellabah — 65-74: 11.5% Richmond Hill — 65-74: 19.2%
75-84 7.4% / 7.8%
Goonellabah — 75-84: 7.4% Richmond Hill — 75-84: 7.8%
85+ 3.5% / 2.7%
Goonellabah — 85+: 3.5% Richmond Hill — 85+: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Goonellabah 32.6% couple families
Goonellabah — Couple Families: 32.6% Goonellabah — Lone Person: 41.7% Goonellabah — One Parent Families: 19.8% Goonellabah — Group Household: 4.7% Goonellabah — Other Families: 1.2%
Richmond Hill 59.2% couple families
Richmond Hill — Couple Families: 59.2% Richmond Hill — Lone Person: 24.9% Richmond Hill — One Parent Families: 12.4% Richmond Hill — Group Household: 1.8% Richmond Hill — Other Families: 1.8%
Couple Families Lone Person 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%
Richmond Hill 7.0% renting
Richmond Hill — Owned Outright: 56.8% Richmond Hill — Mortgage: 36.2% Richmond Hill — Renting: 7.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
Certificate III & IV 16.5% / 16.2%
Goonellabah — Certificate III & IV: 16.5% Richmond Hill — Certificate III & IV: 16.2%
Bachelor Degree 10.4% / 16.0%
Goonellabah — Bachelor Degree: 10.4% Richmond Hill — Bachelor Degree: 16.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 11.4%
Goonellabah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Richmond Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.4%
Postgraduate Degree 2.7% / 5.5%
Goonellabah — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7% Richmond Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 5.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 3.8%
Goonellabah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Richmond Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8%

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 Richmond Hill
England 2.0% / 4.2%
Goonellabah — England: 2.0% Richmond Hill — England: 4.2%
New Zealand 0.9% / 1.3%
Goonellabah — New Zealand: 0.9% Richmond Hill — New Zealand: 1.3%
Italy 0.4% / 0.7%
Goonellabah — Italy: 0.4% Richmond Hill — Italy: 0.7%
Philippines 0.7% / —
Goonellabah — Philippines: 0.7% Richmond Hill — Philippines: not among its largest
South Africa 0.3% / 0.4%
Goonellabah — South Africa: 0.3% Richmond Hill — South Africa: 0.4%
India 0.6% / —
Goonellabah — India: 0.6% Richmond Hill — India: not among its largest
Zimbabwe — / 0.5%
Goonellabah — Zimbabwe: not among its largest Richmond Hill — Zimbabwe: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

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%
Richmond Hill 100.6% houses
Richmond Hill — Houses: 100.6% Richmond Hill — Townhouses: 0.0% Richmond Hill — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
Median house price $742,500 $1,150,000
Median unit price $530,000 —
Median land price $375,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 187 sales
 29 days
from 12 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 Richmond Hill
3 bed $690K / $1.08M
Goonellabah — 3 bed: $690K (174 sales) Richmond Hill — 3 bed: $1.08M (5 sales)

174 vs 5 sales

4 bed $870K / $1.3M
Goonellabah — 4 bed: $870K (111 sales) Richmond Hill — 4 bed: $1.3M (9 sales)

111 vs 9 sales

Zoning mix

Richmond Hill has more rural and farming land (56% vs 45%).

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
Rural and farming 45% 56%
Residential 40% 39%
Parks and recreation 4% 0%
Environmental 4%
same for both
Infrastructure and transport 3% 0%
Industrial 3% 0%
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 Richmond Hill
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 Richmond Hill
Houses 4.6%
$720/wk on $814K
 —
Units 3.7%
$430/wk on $597K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
House price Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW
Income Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 71% of NSW
Schools Higher than 84% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 85% 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 32); Richmond Hill scores higher overall (64 vs 55).

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
Grade B
same for both
Score 55/100 64/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Goonellabah carries more crime risk (80 vs 23).

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
80/100
 Low
23/100
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 Richmond Hill
Inside the suburb 4 1
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, 7.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 0.8%
same for both

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 Richmond Hill

  • Vistara Primary School Independent · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
Supermarkets 4 0
Parks & reserves 19 2
Childcare 9 0
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Richmond Hill sits further from the CBD (747.5 km vs 727.9 km).

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
Walkability score 83/100 32/100
Distance to Sydney 727.9 km 747.5 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 478 min 482 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 29/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 175.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 9.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
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 Richmond Hill
Car (driver) 79.2% / 72.3%
Goonellabah — Car (driver): 79.2% Richmond Hill — Car (driver): 72.3%
Worked from Home 12.8% / 22.0%
Goonellabah — Worked from Home: 12.8% Richmond Hill — Worked from Home: 22.0%
Car (passenger) 6.1% / 4.8%
Goonellabah — Car (passenger): 6.1% Richmond Hill — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Walked Only 1.2% / 0.8%
Goonellabah — Walked Only: 1.2% Richmond Hill — Walked Only: 0.8%
Bus 0.5% / —
Goonellabah — Bus: 0.5% Richmond Hill — Bus: not among its largest

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

Setting

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
Elevation 145 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 85 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 20.5 km 20.4 km

NBN connectivity

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
Connectivity score 70/100 75/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
6,896 premises
 55%
364 premises

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Goonellabah Richmond Hill
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

Richmond Hill

Acreage Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Goonellabah

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

Other comparisons with Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill vs McLeans Ridges Richmond Hill vs Bexhill Richmond Hill vs Lindendale
Full data on Goonellabah Full data on Richmond Hill
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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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