Gunnedah vs Curlewis

Gunnedah is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 40 in Curlewis. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Curlewis, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Gunnedah: a median of $570,000, against $395,000 in Curlewis. On these figures, Gunnedah tends to suit people living alone, while Curlewis suits 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

Gunnedah

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (26 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (10 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (7 vs 1)
  • But Curlewis is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 54%)

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

First-home buyers

Curlewis

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($325,000 vs $1,037,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($395,000 vs $570,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 22%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Curlewis

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (412.8 km vs 436.1 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (298 min vs 312 min)
  • But Gunnedah is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Gunnedah

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)

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

Investors

Gunnedah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.5% vs 1.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Gunnedah Curlewis
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.

Gunnedah Curlewis
Walkability 23 / 0
Gunnedah — Walkability: 23/100 Curlewis — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 10 / 16
Gunnedah — Safety: 10/100 Curlewis — Safety: 16/100
Low fire risk 66 / 77
Gunnedah — Low fire risk: 66/100 Curlewis — Low fire risk: 77/100

Demographics

Gunnedah has more residents (10,359 vs 779); Gunnedah has higher household incomes ($81,328 vs $72,956).

Gunnedah Curlewis
Population 10,359
+92% vs other
 779
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.5% +1.0%
Median age 37 40
Median household income $81,328/yr
+10% vs other
 $72,956/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+3% vs other
 $290/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gunnedah Curlewis
0-4 7.4% / 8.0%
Gunnedah — 0-4: 7.4% Curlewis — 0-4: 8.0%
5-14 15.3% / 14.0%
Gunnedah — 5-14: 15.3% Curlewis — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 5.2% / 5.3%
Gunnedah — 15-19: 5.2% Curlewis — 15-19: 5.3%
20-24 5.5% / 6.2%
Gunnedah — 20-24: 5.5% Curlewis — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 13.9% / 13.1%
Gunnedah — 25-34: 13.9% Curlewis — 25-34: 13.1%
35-44 11.7% / 10.1%
Gunnedah — 35-44: 11.7% Curlewis — 35-44: 10.1%
45-54 10.3% / 10.8%
Gunnedah — 45-54: 10.3% Curlewis — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 11.4% / 15.7%
Gunnedah — 55-64: 11.4% Curlewis — 55-64: 15.7%
65-74 9.6% / 11.4%
Gunnedah — 65-74: 9.6% Curlewis — 65-74: 11.4%
75-84 6.9% / 4.9%
Gunnedah — 75-84: 6.9% Curlewis — 75-84: 4.9%
85+ 2.9% / 1.9%
Gunnedah — 85+: 2.9% Curlewis — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gunnedah 38.0% couple families
Gunnedah — Couple Families: 38.0% Gunnedah — Lone Person: 39.2% Gunnedah — One Parent Families: 16.5% Gunnedah — Group Household: 4.3% Gunnedah — Other Families: 2.0%
Curlewis 45.2% couple families
Curlewis — Couple Families: 45.2% Curlewis — Lone Person: 27.9% Curlewis — One Parent Families: 22.3% Curlewis — Group Household: 2.0% Curlewis — Other Families: 2.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gunnedah 32.0% renting
Gunnedah — Owned Outright: 33.3% Gunnedah — Mortgage: 34.7% Gunnedah — Renting: 32.0%
Curlewis 23.2% renting
Curlewis — Owned Outright: 39.8% Curlewis — Mortgage: 37.1% Curlewis — Renting: 23.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Gunnedah Curlewis
England 0.9% / 0.4%
Gunnedah — England: 0.9% Curlewis — England: 0.4%
New Zealand 0.6% / 0.6%
Gunnedah — New Zealand: 0.6% Curlewis — New Zealand: 0.6%
Philippines 0.8% / —
Gunnedah — Philippines: 0.8% Curlewis — Philippines: not among its largest
South Africa 0.4% / —
Gunnedah — South Africa: 0.4% Curlewis — South Africa: not among its largest
India 0.3% / —
Gunnedah — India: 0.3% Curlewis — India: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (0.9%).

Qualifications

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

Gunnedah Curlewis
Certificate III & IV 17.5% / 14.4%
Gunnedah — Certificate III & IV: 17.5% Curlewis — Certificate III & IV: 14.4%
Bachelor Degree 6.8% / 4.6%
Gunnedah — Bachelor Degree: 6.8% Curlewis — Bachelor Degree: 4.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.0% / 4.7%
Gunnedah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0% Curlewis — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / 0.9%
Gunnedah — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Curlewis — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.0% / 1.0%
Gunnedah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0% Curlewis — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gunnedah 88.1% houses
Gunnedah — Houses: 88.1% Gunnedah — Townhouses: 9.3% Gunnedah — Flats / Apartments: 2.6%
Curlewis 100.0% houses
Curlewis — Houses: 100.0% Curlewis — Townhouses: 0.0% Curlewis — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Gunnedah Curlewis
Median house price $570,000 $395,000
Median unit price $391,000 —
Median land price $1,037,500 $325,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 79 sales
 21 days
from 7 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.

Gunnedah Curlewis
3 bed $515K / $390K
Gunnedah — 3 bed: $515K (70 sales) Curlewis — 3 bed: $390K (15 sales)

70 vs 15 sales

4 bed $665K / $400K
Gunnedah — 4 bed: $665K (60 sales) Curlewis — 4 bed: $400K (7 sales)

60 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Curlewis has more rural and farming land (100% vs 89%).

Gunnedah Curlewis
Rural and farming 89% 100%
Environmental 5% 0%
Residential 4% 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

Gunnedah Curlewis
New dwellings approved 25
across Gunnedah
same for both
Approvals change year on year -17%
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.

Gunnedah Curlewis
Houses 4.5%
$560/wk on $640K
 —
Units 4.3%
$425/wk on $518K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Gunnedah Curlewis
House price Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 10% of NSW
Income Higher than 49% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
Schools Higher than 60% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 2% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 1% of NSW Higher than 28% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 91% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 35% of NSW —

Liveability

Gunnedah is more walkable (23 vs 0); Gunnedah scores higher overall (32 vs 20).

Gunnedah Curlewis
Grade C D
Score 32/100 20/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Gunnedah carries more bushfire risk (34 vs 23).

Gunnedah Curlewis
Bushfire Low
34/100
 Low
23/100
Crime High
90/100
 High
84/100
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
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Gunnedah Curlewis
Inside the suburb 7 1
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 4 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Gunnedah

  • St Mary's College Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • St Xavier's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Carinya Christian School Gunnedah Independent · Combined at peers
  • Gunnedah High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Gunnedah Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Gunnedah South Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Curlewis

  • Curlewis Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Gunnedah Curlewis
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 7 0
Parks & reserves 26 0
Childcare 10 0
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 7 1
Fuel stations 6 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 18 0

Mobility

Gunnedah sits further from the CBD (436.1 km vs 412.8 km).

Gunnedah Curlewis
Walkability score 23/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 436.1 km
+5% vs other
 412.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 312 min 298 min
Public transport score 63/100
Bus
 21/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 65.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 3.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2380
 0.3%
postcode 2381
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 50
postcode 2380
 54
postcode 2381

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.

Gunnedah Curlewis
Car (driver) 76.8% / 82.0%
Gunnedah — Car (driver): 76.8% Curlewis — Car (driver): 82.0%
Worked from Home 8.7% / 9.5%
Gunnedah — Worked from Home: 8.7% Curlewis — Worked from Home: 9.5%
Car (passenger) 7.7% / 2.8%
Gunnedah — Car (passenger): 7.7% Curlewis — Car (passenger): 2.8%
Bus 3.3% / 4.7%
Gunnedah — Bus: 3.3% Curlewis — Bus: 4.7%
Walked Only 3.2% / 0.9%
Gunnedah — Walked Only: 3.2% Curlewis — Walked Only: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.0%).

Setting

Gunnedah Curlewis
Elevation 320 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 441 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Gunnedah Curlewis
Connectivity score 65/100 26/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 31%
5,398 premises
 0%
185 premises

Climate

Gunnedah Curlewis
Annual rainfall 626 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 32.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.0°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Gunnedah Curlewis
PM2.5 6.8 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 11.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.2 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Gunnedah Curlewis
Average residential rate $1,093/yr
same for both
Council Gunnedah
same for both

Federal electorate

Gunnedah Curlewis
Division Parkes
same for both
Member Jamie Chaffey
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gunnedah Curlewis
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gunnedah

Affordable Family Rural

Curlewis

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gunnedah

Gunnedah vs Carroll Gunnedah vs Kelvin Gunnedah vs Emerald Hill Gunnedah vs Marys Mount Gunnedah vs Blue Vale Gunnedah vs Milroy

Other comparisons with Curlewis

Curlewis vs Carroll Curlewis vs Tambar Springs Curlewis vs Spring Ridge Curlewis vs Piallaway Curlewis vs Breeza Curlewis vs Milroy
Full data on Gunnedah Full data on Curlewis
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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