Gum Scrub vs Rollands Plains

Gum Scrub is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 51 in Rollands Plains. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Rollands Plains tends to suit 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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

First-home buyers

Gum Scrub

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (29% vs 35%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Rollands Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $400/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Rollands Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a shorter drive in (282 min vs 294 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Rollands Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 13%)

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

Gum Scrub and Rollands Plains 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 Scrub Rollands Plains
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 Scrub Rollands Plains
Walkability 0 / 5
Gum Scrub — Walkability: 0/100 Rollands Plains — Walkability: 5/100
Safety 27 / 21
Gum Scrub — Safety: 27/100 Rollands Plains — Safety: 21/100
Low fire risk 40 / 12
Gum Scrub — Low fire risk: 40/100 Rollands Plains — Low fire risk: 12/100

Demographics

Gum Scrub rents higher ($400/wk vs $300/wk); Gum Scrub has higher household incomes ($82,316 vs $67,184).

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Population 121 151
+25% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.8% -2.6%
Median age 44 51
Median household income $82,316/yr
+18% vs other
 $67,184/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+25% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
0-4 5.8% / 5.3%
Gum Scrub — 0-4: 5.8% Rollands Plains — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 9.1% / 12.6%
Gum Scrub — 5-14: 9.1% Rollands Plains — 5-14: 12.6%
15-19 2.5% / 4.0%
Gum Scrub — 15-19: 2.5% Rollands Plains — 15-19: 4.0%
20-24 5.0% / —
Gum Scrub — 20-24: 5.0% Rollands Plains — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 14.0% / 7.3%
Gum Scrub — 25-34: 14.0% Rollands Plains — 25-34: 7.3%
35-44 9.9% / 12.6%
Gum Scrub — 35-44: 9.9% Rollands Plains — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 12.4% / 11.9%
Gum Scrub — 45-54: 12.4% Rollands Plains — 45-54: 11.9%
55-64 21.5% / 17.9%
Gum Scrub — 55-64: 21.5% Rollands Plains — 55-64: 17.9%
65-74 13.2% / 18.5%
Gum Scrub — 65-74: 13.2% Rollands Plains — 65-74: 18.5%
75-84 — / 2.0%
Gum Scrub — 75-84: not among its largest Rollands Plains — 75-84: 2.0%
85+ — / 4.6%
Gum Scrub — 85+: not among its largest Rollands Plains — 85+: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).

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.

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
England 4.1% / 2.0%
Gum Scrub — England: 4.1% Rollands Plains — England: 2.0%
Italy — / 2.6%
Gum Scrub — Italy: not among its largest Rollands Plains — Italy: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gum Scrub 50.0% couple families
Gum Scrub — Couple Families: 50.0% Gum Scrub — Lone Person: 30.8% Gum Scrub — One Parent Families: 19.2%
Rollands Plains 47.1% couple families
Rollands Plains — Couple Families: 47.1% Rollands Plains — Lone Person: 32.4% Rollands Plains — One Parent Families: 20.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gum Scrub 100.0% houses
Gum Scrub — Houses: 100.0%
Rollands Plains 100.0% houses
Rollands Plains — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Certificate III & IV 26.4% / 17.2%
Gum Scrub — Certificate III & IV: 26.4% Rollands Plains — Certificate III & IV: 17.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.6% / 15.2%
Gum Scrub — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.6% Rollands Plains — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 15.2%
Bachelor Degree 9.1% / 6.0%
Gum Scrub — Bachelor Degree: 9.1% Rollands Plains — Bachelor Degree: 6.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.4%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gum Scrub 0.0% renting
Gum Scrub — Owned Outright: 50.0% Gum Scrub — Mortgage: 50.0% Gum Scrub — Renting: 0.0%
Rollands Plains 18.9% renting
Rollands Plains — Owned Outright: 50.9% Rollands Plains — Mortgage: 30.2% Rollands Plains — Renting: 18.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Median house price —
same for both
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $2,000

Zoning mix

Gum Scrub has more land zoned for conservation (16% vs 0%); Rollands Plains has more rural and farming land (100% vs 84%).

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Rural and farming 84% 100%
Environmental 16% 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

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
New dwellings approved 546
across Port Macquarie-Hastings
same for both
Approvals change year on year +33%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 35% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW

Liveability

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Rollands Plains carries more bushfire risk (88 vs 60).

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Bushfire Moderate
60/100
 High
88/100
Crime High
73/100
 High
79/100
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
same for both

Schools

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 2 11

Mobility

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Walkability score 0/100 5/100
Distance to Sydney 411.5 km 410.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 294 min 282 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2441
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 72
postcode 2441
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 Scrub Rollands Plains
Car (driver) 81.5% / 66.7%
Gum Scrub — Car (driver): 81.5% Rollands Plains — Car (driver): 66.7%
Worked from Home 13.0% / 33.3%
Gum Scrub — Worked from Home: 13.0% Rollands Plains — Worked from Home: 33.3%
Car (passenger) 5.6% / —
Gum Scrub — Car (passenger): 5.6% Rollands Plains — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.5%).

Setting

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Elevation 45 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 38 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 22 km 24.8 km

NBN connectivity

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
52 premises
 0%
66 premises

Climate

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Annual rainfall 2,842 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.7°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 11.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.92 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Average residential rate $1,325/yr
same for both
Council Port Macquarie-Hastings
same for both

Federal electorate

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Division Cowper Lyne
Member Pat Conaghan Alison Penfold
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gum Scrub Rollands Plains
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gum Scrub

Rural

Rollands Plains

Affordable Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gum Scrub

Gum Scrub vs Dondingalong Gum Scrub vs Kundabung Gum Scrub vs Cooperabung Gum Scrub vs Upper Rollands Plains Gum Scrub vs Ballengarra Gum Scrub vs Marlo Merrican

Other comparisons with Rollands Plains

Rollands Plains vs Upper Rollands Plains Rollands Plains vs Bellangry Rollands Plains vs Ballengarra
Full data on Gum Scrub Full data on Rollands Plains
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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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