Grafton vs Waterview
Grafton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 57 in Waterview. In Grafton, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. In Waterview, about half of households rent, about half of homes are flats or apartments, and the large majority of households are people living alone. On these figures, Waterview tends to suit renters, people living alone, and older residents.
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
Grafton
ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (18 vs 0)
- has more childcare (11 vs 0)
- has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 0)
- But Waterview carries lower crime risk (74/100 vs 92/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Waterview
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (49% vs 35%)
- has cheaper rent ($245/wk vs $300/wk)
- But Grafton leaves renters under less rental stress (25% vs 32%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Grafton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (83/100 vs 14/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Waterview
ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more units and townhouses to downsize into (54% vs 24%)
- has more residents already 65 and over (43% vs 26%)
- carries lower crime risk (74/100 vs 92/100)
- But Grafton has more GPs (7 vs 0)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Waterview
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (13.9% vs 1.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Grafton and Waterview 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
Grafton has more residents (10,563 vs 90); Grafton has higher household incomes ($61,308 vs $39,884).
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,563 +99% vs other | 90 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +1.5% | +13.9% |
| Median age | 44 | 57 |
| Median household income | $61,308/yr +35% vs other | $39,884/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk +18% vs other | $245/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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 (3.3%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $530,000 | — |
| Median unit price | $390,000 | — |
| Median land price | $420,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 26 days from 179 sales | — |
Zoning mix
Waterview has more rural and farming land (90% vs 11%); Grafton has more land zoned for conservation (22% vs 10%).
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 11% | 90% |
| Residential | 44% | 0% |
| Environmental | 22% | 10% |
| Parks and recreation | 13% | 0% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 6% | 0% |
| Commercial | 3% | 0% |
| Industrial | 2% | 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
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 246 across Clarence Valley same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -80% same for both | |
Gross rental yield
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 4.9% $565/wk on $605K | — |
| Units | 5.1% $400/wk on $405K | — |
Ranking within NSW
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 18% of NSW | — |
| Income | Higher than 23% of NSW | Higher than 4% of NSW |
| Schools | Higher than 11% of NSW | — |
| Walkability | Higher than 93% of NSW | Higher than 64% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 72% of NSW | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 17% of NSW | Higher than 18% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 88% of NSW | Higher than 64% of NSW |
| Rental yield (houses) | Higher than 96% of NSW | — |
| Rental yield (units) | Higher than 71% of NSW | — |
Liveability
Grafton is more walkable (83 vs 14).
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | C | — |
| Score | 33/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 | high-need area decile 1/10 |
Risk profile
Waterview carries more bushfire risk (15 vs 0); Grafton carries more crime risk (92 vs 74).
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 15/100 |
| Crime | High 92/100 | High 74/100 |
| 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 | 4 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 5 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 3 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 1 | 0 |
Schools in Grafton
- Grafton Public School Government · Primary at peers
- St Mary's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
- Westlawn Public School Government · Primary at peers
- Grafton High School Government · Secondary below peers
- Clarence Valley Anglican School, Grafton Campus Independent · Primary
Schools in Waterview
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 3 | 0 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 5 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 18 | 0 |
| Childcare | 11 | 0 |
| GPs | 7 | 0 |
| Pharmacies | 5 | 0 |
| Hospitals | 1 | 0 |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 9 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 2 | 0 |
| EV chargers | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 3 | 7 |
Mobility
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 83/100 | 14/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 610.9 km | 612 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 402 min | 403 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 2460 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 60 postcode 2460 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 (84.6%).
Setting
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 10 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 4 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 35.5 km | 38.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 79/100 | 43/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the premises | Fibre to the node |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 40% 5,999 premises | 7% 45 premises |
Climate
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,060 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 8.3°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,380/yr same for both | |
| Council | Clarence Valley same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Page same for both | |
| Member | Kevin Hogan same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Grafton | Waterview | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Grafton
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Grafton
Other comparisons with Waterview
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.