Gulmarrad vs Townsend

Townsend is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 49 in Gulmarrad. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Gulmarrad, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Gulmarrad: a median of $955,000, against $730,000 in Townsend, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Gulmarrad tends to suit couples, while Townsend suits 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

Gulmarrad

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (15/100 vs 68/100)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (75% vs 55%)
  • But Townsend has more childcare (4 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Townsend

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($730,000 vs $955,000)
  • has cheaper land ($335,000 vs $435,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Townsend

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 5%)
  • has cheaper rent ($365/wk vs $450/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Townsend

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (41/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (415 min vs 421 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (641.4 km vs 645.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Gulmarrad carries lower crime risk (15/100 vs 68/100)
  • Townsend is more walkable (41/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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

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

Gulmarrad Townsend
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.

Gulmarrad Townsend
Walkability 0 / 41
Gulmarrad — Walkability: 0/100 Townsend — Walkability: 41/100
Safety 85 / 32
Gulmarrad — Safety: 85/100 Townsend — Safety: 32/100
Low fire risk 28 / 100
Gulmarrad — Low fire risk: 28/100 Townsend — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Gulmarrad has more residents (1,950 vs 991); Gulmarrad has higher household incomes ($67,704 vs $54,288).

Gulmarrad Townsend
Population 1,950
+49% vs other
 991
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.1% +11.3%
Median age 49 42
Median household income $67,704/yr
+20% vs other
 $54,288/yr
Median weekly rent $450/wk
+19% vs other
 $365/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gulmarrad Townsend
0-4 4.7% / 6.6%
Gulmarrad — 0-4: 4.7% Townsend — 0-4: 6.6%
5-14 13.2% / 13.8%
Gulmarrad — 5-14: 13.2% Townsend — 5-14: 13.8%
15-19 5.6% / 7.4%
Gulmarrad — 15-19: 5.6% Townsend — 15-19: 7.4%
20-24 3.5% / 3.9%
Gulmarrad — 20-24: 3.5% Townsend — 20-24: 3.9%
25-34 6.5% / 11.4%
Gulmarrad — 25-34: 6.5% Townsend — 25-34: 11.4%
35-44 10.4% / 11.3%
Gulmarrad — 35-44: 10.4% Townsend — 35-44: 11.3%
45-54 12.2% / 10.9%
Gulmarrad — 45-54: 12.2% Townsend — 45-54: 10.9%
55-64 16.6% / 9.9%
Gulmarrad — 55-64: 16.6% Townsend — 55-64: 9.9%
65-74 19.9% / 14.3%
Gulmarrad — 65-74: 19.9% Townsend — 65-74: 14.3%
75-84 6.8% / 8.4%
Gulmarrad — 75-84: 6.8% Townsend — 75-84: 8.4%
85+ 0.8% / 3.0%
Gulmarrad — 85+: 0.8% Townsend — 85+: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gulmarrad 62.3% couple families
Gulmarrad — Couple Families: 62.3% Gulmarrad — Lone Person: 19.6% Gulmarrad — One Parent Families: 13.1% Gulmarrad — Group Household: 4.2% Gulmarrad — Other Families: 0.8%
Townsend 35.6% couple families
Townsend — Couple Families: 35.6% Townsend — Lone Person: 36.9% Townsend — One Parent Families: 19.4% Townsend — Group Household: 5.2% Townsend — Other Families: 2.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gulmarrad 5.1% renting
Gulmarrad — Owned Outright: 56.3% Gulmarrad — Mortgage: 38.6% Gulmarrad — Renting: 5.1%
Townsend 27.9% renting
Townsend — Owned Outright: 41.5% Townsend — Mortgage: 30.5% Townsend — Renting: 27.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Gulmarrad Townsend
Certificate III & IV 22.9% / 17.8%
Gulmarrad — Certificate III & IV: 22.9% Townsend — Certificate III & IV: 17.8%
Bachelor Degree 8.6% / 5.4%
Gulmarrad — Bachelor Degree: 8.6% Townsend — Bachelor Degree: 5.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 6.4%
Gulmarrad — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Townsend — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 1.8%
Gulmarrad — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Townsend — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%
Postgraduate Degree 1.5% / 1.4%
Gulmarrad — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5% Townsend — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

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.

Gulmarrad Townsend
England 3.7% / 2.0%
Gulmarrad — England: 3.7% Townsend — England: 2.0%
New Zealand 1.7% / 1.2%
Gulmarrad — New Zealand: 1.7% Townsend — New Zealand: 1.2%
South Africa 0.4% / 1.0%
Gulmarrad — South Africa: 0.4% Townsend — South Africa: 1.0%
Scotland 0.5% / 0.5%
Gulmarrad — Scotland: 0.5% Townsend — Scotland: 0.5%
Netherlands 0.4% / 0.5%
Gulmarrad — Netherlands: 0.4% Townsend — Netherlands: 0.5%
Philippines 0.4% / 0.4%
Gulmarrad — Philippines: 0.4% Townsend — Philippines: 0.4%
Germany 0.4% / —
Gulmarrad — Germany: 0.4% Townsend — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gulmarrad 99.6% houses
Gulmarrad — Houses: 99.6% Gulmarrad — Townhouses: 0.0% Gulmarrad — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Townsend 92.3% houses
Townsend — Houses: 92.3% Townsend — Townhouses: 6.7% Townsend — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Gulmarrad Townsend
Median house price $955,000 $730,000
Median unit price — $565,000
Median land price $435,000 $335,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 48 days
from 32 sales
 56 days
from 24 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.

Gulmarrad Townsend
3 bed $862K / $695K
Gulmarrad — 3 bed: $862K (16 sales) Townsend — 3 bed: $695K (28 sales)

16 vs 28 sales

4 bed $1.01M / $780K
Gulmarrad — 4 bed: $1.01M (40 sales) Townsend — 4 bed: $780K (17 sales)

40 vs 17 sales

Zoning mix

Gulmarrad has more rural and farming land (63% vs 42%); Townsend has more industrially zoned land (13% vs 0%).

Gulmarrad Townsend
Rural and farming 63% 42%
Residential 27% 31%
Industrial 0% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 7%
Environmental 7% 3%
Parks and recreation 0% 3%
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

Gulmarrad Townsend
New dwellings approved 246
across Clarence Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -80%
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.

Gulmarrad Townsend
Houses — 4.0%
$620/wk on $800K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Gulmarrad Townsend
House price Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Income Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 14% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 27% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 75% of NSW

Liveability

Townsend is more walkable (41 vs 0); Townsend scores higher overall (34 vs 29).

Gulmarrad Townsend
Grade D C
Score 29/100 34/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Gulmarrad carries more bushfire risk (72 vs 0); Townsend carries more crime risk (68 vs 15).

Gulmarrad Townsend
Bushfire High
72/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
15/100
 Moderate
68/100
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 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Gulmarrad Townsend
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Gulmarrad

  • Gulmarrad Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Townsend

  • Pacific Valley Christian School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Valley Hope Christian School Independent · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Gulmarrad Townsend
Childcare 0 4
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 3 0

Mobility

Gulmarrad sits further from the CBD (645.9 km vs 641.4 km).

Gulmarrad Townsend
Walkability score 0/100 41/100
Distance to Sydney 645.9 km 641.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 421 min 415 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2463
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 70
postcode 2463
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.

Gulmarrad Townsend
Car (driver) 80.3% / 84.0%
Gulmarrad — Car (driver): 80.3% Townsend — Car (driver): 84.0%
Worked from Home 12.3% / 4.8%
Gulmarrad — Worked from Home: 12.3% Townsend — Worked from Home: 4.8%
Car (passenger) 5.6% / 7.1%
Gulmarrad — Car (passenger): 5.6% Townsend — Car (passenger): 7.1%
Walked Only 1.3% / 2.6%
Gulmarrad — Walked Only: 1.3% Townsend — Walked Only: 2.6%
Bicycle 0.6% / 1.6%
Gulmarrad — Bicycle: 0.6% Townsend — Bicycle: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.0%).

Setting

Gulmarrad Townsend
Elevation 27 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.9 km 8.1 km

NBN connectivity

Gulmarrad Townsend
Connectivity score 89/100 79/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 64%
903 premises
 51%
592 premises

Climate

Gulmarrad Townsend
Annual rainfall 1,408 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Gulmarrad Townsend
Average residential rate $1,380/yr
same for both
Council Clarence Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Gulmarrad Townsend
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gulmarrad Townsend
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gulmarrad

Acreage Retirees

Townsend

Acreage Quiet Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gulmarrad

Gulmarrad vs Maclean Gulmarrad vs James Creek Gulmarrad vs South Arm Gulmarrad vs Tyndale Gulmarrad vs Palmers Channel Gulmarrad vs Taloumbi

Other comparisons with Townsend

Townsend vs Maclean Townsend vs James Creek
Full data on Gulmarrad Full data on Townsend
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or