Gum Flat vs Inverell

Inverell is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 45 in Gum Flat. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Gum Flat, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Gum Flat: a median of $800,000, against $469,000 in Inverell, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Gum Flat tends to suit couples, while Inverell suits people living alone, older residents, 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

Inverell

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (18 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (10 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 1)
  • But Gum Flat carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 88/100)

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

First-home buyers

Inverell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($469,000 vs $800,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Inverell

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (34% vs 13%)
  • has cheaper rent ($270/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Inverell

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (55/100 vs 10/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (440 min vs 450 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (572.4 km vs 585.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Inverell

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (55/100 vs 10/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 13%)
  • But Gum Flat carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 88/100)

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

Investors

Inverell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (3.4% vs -1.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Gum Flat Inverell
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.

Gum Flat Inverell
Walkability 10 / 55
Gum Flat — Walkability: 10/100 Inverell — Walkability: 55/100
Safety 76 / 12
Gum Flat — Safety: 76/100 Inverell — Safety: 12/100
Low fire risk 63 / 61
Gum Flat — Low fire risk: 63/100 Inverell — Low fire risk: 61/100

Demographics

Inverell has more residents (12,057 vs 209); Gum Flat has higher household incomes ($70,200 vs $61,724).

Gum Flat Inverell
Population 209 12,057
+5669% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.9% +3.4%
Median age 45 41
Median household income $70,200/yr
+12% vs other
 $61,724/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+10% vs other
 $270/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gum Flat Inverell
0-4 7.7% / 5.9%
Gum Flat — 0-4: 7.7% Inverell — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 11.0% / 13.7%
Gum Flat — 5-14: 11.0% Inverell — 5-14: 13.7%
15-19 11.0% / 6.1%
Gum Flat — 15-19: 11.0% Inverell — 15-19: 6.1%
20-24 3.3% / 5.6%
Gum Flat — 20-24: 3.3% Inverell — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 10.5% / 12.0%
Gum Flat — 25-34: 10.5% Inverell — 25-34: 12.0%
35-44 9.6% / 10.7%
Gum Flat — 35-44: 9.6% Inverell — 35-44: 10.7%
45-54 22.0% / 11.1%
Gum Flat — 45-54: 22.0% Inverell — 45-54: 11.1%
55-64 16.7% / 11.9%
Gum Flat — 55-64: 16.7% Inverell — 55-64: 11.9%
65-74 10.5% / 11.7%
Gum Flat — 65-74: 10.5% Inverell — 65-74: 11.7%
75-84 2.9% / 8.4%
Gum Flat — 75-84: 2.9% Inverell — 75-84: 8.4%
85+ — / 3.1%
Gum Flat — 85+: not among its largest Inverell — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gum Flat 58.8% couple families
Gum Flat — Couple Families: 58.8% Gum Flat — Lone Person: 32.4% Gum Flat — One Parent Families: 8.8% Gum Flat — Group Household: 0.0% Gum Flat — Other Families: 0.0%
Inverell 31.5% couple families
Inverell — Couple Families: 31.5% Inverell — Lone Person: 42.7% Inverell — One Parent Families: 20.1% Inverell — Group Household: 4.0% Inverell — Other Families: 1.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gum Flat 12.7% renting
Gum Flat — Owned Outright: 44.4% Gum Flat — Mortgage: 42.9% Gum Flat — Renting: 12.7%
Inverell 33.8% renting
Inverell — Owned Outright: 36.9% Inverell — Mortgage: 29.2% Inverell — Renting: 33.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Gum Flat Inverell
Certificate III & IV 18.7% / 17.2%
Gum Flat — Certificate III & IV: 18.7% Inverell — Certificate III & IV: 17.2%
Bachelor Degree 9.6% / 6.4%
Gum Flat — Bachelor Degree: 9.6% Inverell — Bachelor Degree: 6.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.3% / 5.2%
Gum Flat — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.3% Inverell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.2%
Postgraduate Degree 3.8% / 1.0%
Gum Flat — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8% Inverell — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.0%
Gum Flat — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Inverell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

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.

Gum Flat Inverell
South Africa 1.4% / —
Gum Flat — South Africa: 1.4% Inverell — South Africa: not among its largest
England — / 1.1%
Gum Flat — England: not among its largest Inverell — England: 1.1%
Philippines — / 1.0%
Gum Flat — Philippines: not among its largest Inverell — Philippines: 1.0%
Fiji — / 0.7%
Gum Flat — Fiji: not among its largest Inverell — Fiji: 0.7%
New Zealand — / 0.7%
Gum Flat — New Zealand: not among its largest Inverell — New Zealand: 0.7%
Brazil — / 0.4%
Gum Flat — Brazil: not among its largest Inverell — Brazil: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gum Flat 92.3% houses
Gum Flat — Houses: 92.3% Gum Flat — Flats / Apartments: 7.7% Gum Flat — Townhouses: 0.0%
Inverell 87.3% houses
Inverell — Houses: 87.3% Inverell — Flats / Apartments: 2.7% Inverell — Townhouses: 10.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Gum Flat Inverell
Median house price $800,000 $469,000
Median unit price — $329,000
Median land price — $652,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 42 days
from 110 sales

Zoning mix

Gum Flat has more rural and farming land (100% vs 64%).

Gum Flat Inverell
Rural and farming 100% 64%
Residential 0% 26%
Environmental 0% 6%
Parks and recreation 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

Gum Flat Inverell
New dwellings approved 31
across Inverell
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.

Gum Flat Inverell
Houses — 3.8%
$460/wk on $629K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Gum Flat Inverell
House price Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Income Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 5% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 54% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 1% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 62% of NSW

Liveability

Inverell is more walkable (55 vs 10).

Gum Flat Inverell
Grade — D
Score — 20/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Inverell carries more crime risk (88 vs 24).

Gum Flat Inverell
Bushfire Low
37/100
 Low
39/100
Crime Low
24/100
 High
88/100
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 0
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Gum Flat Inverell
Inside the suburb 1 5
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 0 3

Schools in Gum Flat

  • Gum Flat Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Inverell

  • Holy Trinity School Catholic · Combined at peers
  • Inverell High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Inverell Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Macintyre High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Ross Hill Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Gum Flat Inverell
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 0 13
Parks & reserves 1 18
Childcare 0 10
GPs 0 5
Pharmacies 0 2
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 6
Fuel stations 0 6
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 12 8

Mobility

Gum Flat sits further from the CBD (585.4 km vs 572.4 km).

Gum Flat Inverell
Walkability score 10/100 55/100
Distance to Sydney 585.4 km
+2% vs other
 572.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 450 min 440 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 2360
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 50
postcode 2360
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.

Gum Flat Inverell
Car (driver) 72.8% / 78.8%
Gum Flat — Car (driver): 72.8% Inverell — Car (driver): 78.8%
Worked from Home 27.2% / 8.5%
Gum Flat — Worked from Home: 27.2% Inverell — Worked from Home: 8.5%
Car (passenger) — / 8.2%
Gum Flat — Car (passenger): not among its largest Inverell — Car (passenger): 8.2%
Walked Only — / 4.1%
Gum Flat — Walked Only: not among its largest Inverell — Walked Only: 4.1%
Bicycle — / 0.2%
Gum Flat — Bicycle: not among its largest Inverell — Bicycle: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.8%).

Setting

Gum Flat Inverell
Elevation 640 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 595 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Gum Flat Inverell
Connectivity score 29/100 70/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
77 premises
 35%
6,241 premises

Climate

Gum Flat Inverell
Annual rainfall 803 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Gum Flat Inverell
Average residential rate $1,170/yr
same for both
Council Inverell
same for both

Federal electorate

Gum Flat Inverell
Division New England
same for both
Member Barnaby Joyce
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gum Flat Inverell
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gum Flat

River Rural

Inverell

Acreage Affordable

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gum Flat

Gum Flat vs Delungra Gum Flat vs Little Plain Gum Flat vs Auburn Vale Gum Flat vs Rob Roy Gum Flat vs Copeton

Other comparisons with Inverell

Inverell vs Gilgai Inverell vs Oakwood Inverell vs Nullamanna Inverell vs Auburn Vale Inverell vs Stannifer Inverell vs Rob Roy
Full data on Gum Flat Full data on Inverell
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.

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