Harwood vs Goodwood Island

Harwood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 50 in Goodwood Island. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Harwood, most households own their home. In Goodwood Island, about half of households rent and most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Goodwood Island: a median of $1.12 million, against $705,000 in Harwood, though rent is higher in Harwood. On these figures, Harwood tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Goodwood Island suits renters and people living alone.

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

Harwood

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (99% vs 64%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (53% vs 42%)
  • But Goodwood Island carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 74/100)

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

First-home buyers

Harwood

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($705,000 vs $1,125,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (27% vs 42%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Goodwood Island

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (51% vs 29%)
  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $330/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Harwood

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (421 min vs 434 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (648.6 km vs 663.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Goodwood Island

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (36% vs 1%)
  • carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 74/100)
  • But Harwood is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Goodwood Island

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (31.9% vs 18.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Harwood and Goodwood Island 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 Goodwood Island
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 Goodwood Island
Walkability 15 / 0
Harwood — Walkability: 15/100 Goodwood Island — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 26 / 89
Harwood — Safety: 26/100 Goodwood Island — Safety: 89/100
Low fire risk 88 / 15
Harwood — Low fire risk: 88/100 Goodwood Island — Low fire risk: 15/100

Demographics

Harwood has more residents (346 vs 91); Harwood has higher household incomes ($57,252 vs $43,316).

Harwood Goodwood Island
Population 346
+74% vs other
 91
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +18.9% +31.9%
Median age 45 50
Median household income $57,252/yr
+24% vs other
 $43,316/yr
Median weekly rent $330/wk
+24% vs other
 $250/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Harwood Goodwood Island
0-4 6.6% / 3.3%
Harwood — 0-4: 6.6% Goodwood Island — 0-4: 3.3%
5-14 11.6% / 11.0%
Harwood — 5-14: 11.6% Goodwood Island — 5-14: 11.0%
15-19 7.5% / 6.6%
Harwood — 15-19: 7.5% Goodwood Island — 15-19: 6.6%
20-24 3.2% / 4.4%
Harwood — 20-24: 3.2% Goodwood Island — 20-24: 4.4%
25-34 9.5% / 4.4%
Harwood — 25-34: 9.5% Goodwood Island — 25-34: 4.4%
35-44 10.4% / 4.4%
Harwood — 35-44: 10.4% Goodwood Island — 35-44: 4.4%
45-54 14.2% / 15.4%
Harwood — 45-54: 14.2% Goodwood Island — 45-54: 15.4%
55-64 14.7% / 25.3%
Harwood — 55-64: 14.7% Goodwood Island — 55-64: 25.3%
65-74 11.8% / 12.1%
Harwood — 65-74: 11.8% Goodwood Island — 65-74: 12.1%
75-84 7.5% / 5.5%
Harwood — 75-84: 7.5% Goodwood Island — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ 1.4% / 3.3%
Harwood — 85+: 1.4% Goodwood Island — 85+: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.3%).

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 Goodwood Island
Germany 0.9% / 3.3%
Harwood — Germany: 0.9% Goodwood Island — Germany: 3.3%
Philippines 3.5% / —
Harwood — Philippines: 3.5% Goodwood Island — Philippines: not among its largest

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

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%
Goodwood Island 58.3% lone person
Goodwood Island — Lone Person: 58.3% Goodwood Island — Couple Families: 25.0% Goodwood Island — One Parent Families: 16.7% Goodwood Island — Group Household: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Harwood 99.3% houses
Harwood — Houses: 99.3% Harwood — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Goodwood Island 63.9% houses
Goodwood Island — Houses: 63.9% Goodwood Island — Flats / Apartments: 36.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Harwood Goodwood Island
Certificate III & IV 19.9% / 19.8%
Harwood — Certificate III & IV: 19.9% Goodwood Island — Certificate III & IV: 19.8%
Bachelor Degree 5.2% / 7.7%
Harwood — Bachelor Degree: 5.2% Goodwood Island — Bachelor Degree: 7.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.9% / 3.3%
Harwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9% Goodwood Island — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / —
Harwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Goodwood Island — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / —
Harwood — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Goodwood Island — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

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

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%
Goodwood Island 51.4% renting
Goodwood Island — Owned Outright: 34.3% Goodwood Island — Mortgage: 14.3% Goodwood Island — Renting: 51.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Harwood Goodwood Island
Median house price $705,000 $1,125,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Goodwood Island has more land zoned for conservation (48% vs 25%); Harwood has more rural and farming land (73% vs 51%).

Harwood Goodwood Island
Rural and farming 73% 51%
Environmental 25% 48%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 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

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

Ranking within NSW

Harwood Goodwood Island
House price Higher than 23% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Income Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 6% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 65% of NSW Higher than 20% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 8% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 19% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW

Liveability

Harwood is more walkable (15 vs 0).

Harwood Goodwood Island
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

Goodwood Island carries more bushfire risk (85 vs 12); Harwood carries more crime risk (74 vs 11).

Harwood Goodwood Island
Bushfire Low
12/100
 High
85/100
Crime High
74/100
 Low
11/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
33/100
 High
81/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Harwood Goodwood Island
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
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 Goodwood Island

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

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

Mobility

Goodwood Island sits further from the CBD (663.2 km vs 648.6 km).

Harwood Goodwood Island
Walkability score 15/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 648.6 km 663.2 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 421 min 434 min
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 Goodwood Island
Car (driver) 72.8% / 56.5%
Harwood — Car (driver): 72.8% Goodwood Island — Car (driver): 56.5%
Worked from Home 6.4% / 30.4%
Harwood — Worked from Home: 6.4% Goodwood Island — Worked from Home: 30.4%
Walked Only 11.2% / 13.0%
Harwood — Walked Only: 11.2% Goodwood Island — Walked Only: 13.0%
Car (passenger) 9.6% / —
Harwood — Car (passenger): 9.6% Goodwood Island — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.8%).

Setting

Harwood Goodwood Island
Elevation 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.0 km 57 m

NBN connectivity

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

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Harwood

Coastal Rural

Goodwood Island

Coastal 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 Chatsworth

Other comparisons with Goodwood Island

Goodwood Island vs Iluka Goodwood Island vs Woombah Goodwood Island vs Palmers Island Goodwood Island vs Chatsworth
Full data on Harwood Full data on Goodwood Island
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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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