Harwood vs Chatsworth

Harwood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 57 in Chatsworth. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Chatsworth, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Harwood: a median of $705,000, against $595,000 in Chatsworth, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Harwood tends to suit families with children, while Chatsworth 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

Chatsworth

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 74/100)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • But Harwood is already more of a family suburb (53% vs 38%)

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

First-home buyers

Chatsworth

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($595,000 vs $705,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Chatsworth

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (24% vs 30%)
  • has cheaper rent ($280/wk vs $330/wk)
  • But Harwood has a bigger rental market to choose from (29% vs 6%)

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

Commuting to the city

Harwood

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (648.6 km vs 650.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Chatsworth

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 74/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (34% vs 21%)
  • But Harwood is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Harwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (18.9% vs -3.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Harwood Chatsworth
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.

Harwood Chatsworth
Walkability 15 / 0
Harwood — Walkability: 15/100 Chatsworth — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 26 / 68
Harwood — Safety: 26/100 Chatsworth — Safety: 68/100
Low fire risk 88 / 100
Harwood — Low fire risk: 88/100 Chatsworth — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Harwood has more residents (346 vs 157); Chatsworth skews older (57 vs 45).

Harwood Chatsworth
Population 346
+55% vs other
 157
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +18.9% -3.7%
Median age 45 57
Median household income $57,252/yr $59,904/yr
+5% vs other
Median weekly rent $330/wk
+15% vs other
 $280/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Harwood Chatsworth
0-4 6.6% / 2.5%
Harwood — 0-4: 6.6% Chatsworth — 0-4: 2.5%
5-14 11.6% / 8.3%
Harwood — 5-14: 11.6% Chatsworth — 5-14: 8.3%
15-19 7.5% / 5.1%
Harwood — 15-19: 7.5% Chatsworth — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 3.2% / 8.9%
Harwood — 20-24: 3.2% Chatsworth — 20-24: 8.9%
25-34 9.5% / 5.1%
Harwood — 25-34: 9.5% Chatsworth — 25-34: 5.1%
35-44 10.4% / 8.9%
Harwood — 35-44: 10.4% Chatsworth — 35-44: 8.9%
45-54 14.2% / 17.2%
Harwood — 45-54: 14.2% Chatsworth — 45-54: 17.2%
55-64 14.7% / 21.0%
Harwood — 55-64: 14.7% Chatsworth — 55-64: 21.0%
65-74 11.8% / 15.9%
Harwood — 65-74: 11.8% Chatsworth — 65-74: 15.9%
75-84 7.5% / 15.3%
Harwood — 75-84: 7.5% Chatsworth — 75-84: 15.3%
85+ 1.4% / 3.2%
Harwood — 85+: 1.4% Chatsworth — 85+: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Harwood 37.9% lone person
Harwood — Lone Person: 37.9% Harwood — Couple Families: 31.1% Harwood — One Parent Families: 22.3% Harwood — Group Household: 8.7%
Chatsworth 53.8% lone person
Chatsworth — Lone Person: 53.8% Chatsworth — Couple Families: 30.8% Chatsworth — One Parent Families: 7.7% Chatsworth — Group Household: 7.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Harwood 28.7% renting
Harwood — Owned Outright: 43.4% Harwood — Mortgage: 27.9% Harwood — Renting: 28.7%
Chatsworth 6.2% renting
Chatsworth — Owned Outright: 58.5% Chatsworth — Mortgage: 35.4% Chatsworth — Renting: 6.2%
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.

Harwood Chatsworth
Philippines 3.5% / —
Harwood — Philippines: 3.5% Chatsworth — Philippines: not among its largest
England — / 2.5%
Harwood — England: not among its largest Chatsworth — England: 2.5%
New Zealand — / 1.9%
Harwood — New Zealand: not among its largest Chatsworth — New Zealand: 1.9%
Germany 0.9% / —
Harwood — Germany: 0.9% Chatsworth — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.5%).

Qualifications

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

Harwood Chatsworth
Certificate III & IV 19.9% / 19.1%
Harwood — Certificate III & IV: 19.9% Chatsworth — Certificate III & IV: 19.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.9% / 7.6%
Harwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9% Chatsworth — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6%
Bachelor Degree 5.2% / 7.0%
Harwood — Bachelor Degree: 5.2% Chatsworth — Bachelor Degree: 7.0%
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / 2.5%
Harwood — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Chatsworth — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / —
Harwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Chatsworth — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Harwood 99.3% houses
Harwood — Houses: 99.3% Harwood — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Chatsworth 100.0% houses
Chatsworth — Houses: 100.0% Chatsworth — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Harwood Chatsworth
Median house price $705,000 $595,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Harwood has more land zoned for conservation (25% vs 10%); Chatsworth has more rural and farming land (84% vs 73%).

Harwood Chatsworth
Rural and farming 73% 84%
Environmental 25% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 5%
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

Harwood Chatsworth
New dwellings approved 246
across Clarence Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -80%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Harwood Chatsworth
House price Higher than 23% of NSW Higher than 20% of NSW
Income Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 65% of NSW Higher than 8% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 19% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW

Liveability

Harwood is more walkable (15 vs 0).

Harwood Chatsworth
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Harwood carries more bushfire risk (12 vs 0); Harwood carries more crime risk (74 vs 32).

Harwood Chatsworth
Bushfire Low
12/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
74/100
 Low
32/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
33/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Harwood Chatsworth
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Harwood

  • Harwood Island Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Chatsworth

  • Chatsworth Island Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Harwood Chatsworth
Childcare 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 6 1

Mobility

Chatsworth sits further from the CBD (650.9 km vs 648.6 km).

Harwood Chatsworth
Walkability score 15/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 648.6 km 650.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 421 min 419 min
Public transport score 20/100
Bus
 22/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 2.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 2.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 5 min
scheduled, not actual
 8 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 2465
 0.2%
postcode 2469
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 43
postcode 2465
 61
postcode 2469

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.

Harwood Chatsworth
Car (driver) 72.8% / 81.0%
Harwood — Car (driver): 72.8% Chatsworth — Car (driver): 81.0%
Worked from Home 6.4% / 13.8%
Harwood — Worked from Home: 6.4% Chatsworth — Worked from Home: 13.8%
Walked Only 11.2% / 5.2%
Harwood — Walked Only: 11.2% Chatsworth — Walked Only: 5.2%
Car (passenger) 9.6% / —
Harwood — Car (passenger): 9.6% Chatsworth — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.0%).

Setting

Harwood Chatsworth
Elevation 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
same for both
Distance to the ocean 3.0 km 2.4 km

NBN connectivity

Harwood Chatsworth
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
163 premises
 0%
82 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

Harwood Chatsworth
Average residential rate $1,380/yr
same for both
Council Clarence Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Harwood Chatsworth
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Harwood Chatsworth
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Harwood

Coastal Rural

Chatsworth

Affordable Coastal Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Harwood

Harwood vs Maclean Harwood vs Palmers Island Harwood vs Ashby Harwood vs Ashby Heights Harwood vs James Creek Harwood vs Palmers Channel

Other comparisons with Chatsworth

Chatsworth vs Woombah Chatsworth vs Mororo Chatsworth vs Goodwood Island
Full data on Harwood Full data on Chatsworth
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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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