Heathcote vs Waterfall

In both, the large majority of households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Heathcote, about half of households are couple families. In Waterfall, most households are couple families. Waterfall is closer to the city centre: 43.8 km, against 49.2 km.

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

Heathcote

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (4 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (10 vs 3)
  • carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 89/100)
  • But Waterfall has more separate houses rather than flats (94% vs 74%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house 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

Waterfall

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (36/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (43.8 km vs 49.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Heathcote

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (26% vs 6%)
  • carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 89/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 16%)
  • But Waterfall is more walkable (36/100 vs 0/100)

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

Where they sit

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

Heathcote Waterfall
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.

Heathcote Waterfall
Walkability 0 / 36
Heathcote — Walkability: 0/100 Waterfall — Walkability: 36/100
Safety 65 / 11
Heathcote — Safety: 65/100 Waterfall — Safety: 11/100
Low fire risk 7 / 9
Heathcote — Low fire risk: 7/100 Waterfall — Low fire risk: 9/100

Demographics

Heathcote has more residents (6,148 vs 522); Heathcote skews older (43 vs 41).

Heathcote Waterfall
Population 6,148
+92% vs other
 522
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — +5.7%
Median age 43 41
Median household income $116,480/yr $116,064/yr
Median weekly rent $520/wk $515/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Heathcote Waterfall
0-4 5.6% / 6.3%
Heathcote — 0-4: 5.6% Waterfall — 0-4: 6.3%
5-14 13.0% / 15.1%
Heathcote — 5-14: 13.0% Waterfall — 5-14: 15.1%
15-19 5.9% / 7.5%
Heathcote — 15-19: 5.9% Waterfall — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 5.3% / 7.3%
Heathcote — 20-24: 5.3% Waterfall — 20-24: 7.3%
25-34 9.7% / 8.0%
Heathcote — 25-34: 9.7% Waterfall — 25-34: 8.0%
35-44 12.8% / 12.1%
Heathcote — 35-44: 12.8% Waterfall — 35-44: 12.1%
45-54 13.5% / 18.6%
Heathcote — 45-54: 13.5% Waterfall — 45-54: 18.6%
55-64 11.2% / 10.0%
Heathcote — 55-64: 11.2% Waterfall — 55-64: 10.0%
65-74 9.9% / 10.3%
Heathcote — 65-74: 9.9% Waterfall — 65-74: 10.3%
75-84 7.6% / 4.6%
Heathcote — 75-84: 7.6% Waterfall — 75-84: 4.6%
85+ 5.4% / 1.3%
Heathcote — 85+: 5.4% Waterfall — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Heathcote 54.5% couple families
Heathcote — Couple Families: 54.5% Heathcote — Lone Person: 29.1% Heathcote — One Parent Families: 14.1% Heathcote — Group Household: 1.6% Heathcote — Other Families: 0.8%
Waterfall 56.0% couple families
Waterfall — Couple Families: 56.0% Waterfall — Lone Person: 21.6% Waterfall — One Parent Families: 20.1% Waterfall — Group Household: 2.2% Waterfall — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Heathcote 12.0% renting
Heathcote — Owned Outright: 41.8% Heathcote — Mortgage: 46.2% Heathcote — Renting: 12.0%
Waterfall 14.5% renting
Waterfall — Owned Outright: 37.6% Waterfall — Mortgage: 47.9% Waterfall — Renting: 14.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Heathcote Waterfall
Certificate III & IV 17.6% / 19.9%
Heathcote — Certificate III & IV: 17.6% Waterfall — Certificate III & IV: 19.9%
Bachelor Degree 11.5% / 10.0%
Heathcote — Bachelor Degree: 11.5% Waterfall — Bachelor Degree: 10.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.9% / 7.7%
Heathcote — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9% Waterfall — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Postgraduate Degree 3.9% / 4.0%
Heathcote — Postgraduate Degree: 3.9% Waterfall — Postgraduate Degree: 4.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 0.6%
Heathcote — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Waterfall — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6%

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

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.

Heathcote Waterfall
England 3.9% / 2.9%
Heathcote — England: 3.9% Waterfall — England: 2.9%
Philippines — / 2.5%
Heathcote — Philippines: not among its largest Waterfall — Philippines: 2.5%
New Zealand 0.8% / 1.5%
Heathcote — New Zealand: 0.8% Waterfall — New Zealand: 1.5%
India — / 1.1%
Heathcote — India: not among its largest Waterfall — India: 1.1%
Malaysia — / 0.6%
Heathcote — Malaysia: not among its largest Waterfall — Malaysia: 0.6%
South Africa 0.5% / —
Heathcote — South Africa: 0.5% Waterfall — South Africa: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.4% / —
Heathcote — Netherlands: 0.4% Waterfall — Netherlands: not among its largest
Germany 0.4% / —
Heathcote — Germany: 0.4% Waterfall — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Heathcote 74.3% houses
Heathcote — Houses: 74.3% Heathcote — Flats / Apartments: 14.6% Heathcote — Townhouses: 11.1%
Waterfall 94.2% houses
Waterfall — Houses: 94.2% Waterfall — Flats / Apartments: 5.8% Waterfall — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Heathcote Waterfall
Median house price $1,444,500 $1,330,000
Median unit price $895,000 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 17 days
from 39 sales
 18 days
from 7 sales

Zoning mix

Heathcote Waterfall
Environmental 86% 94%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 4%
Parks and recreation 5% 2%
Residential 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

Heathcote Waterfall
New dwellings approved 1,449
across Sutherland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +117%
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.

Heathcote Waterfall
Houses 3.5%
$895/wk on $1.32M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Heathcote Waterfall
House price Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Income Higher than 80% of NSW
same for both
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 20% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 80% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 45% of NSW —

Liveability

Waterfall is more walkable (36 vs 0).

Heathcote Waterfall
Grade C
same for both
Score 39/100 37/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Waterfall carries more crime risk (89 vs 35).

Heathcote Waterfall
Bushfire High
93/100
 High
91/100
Crime Low
35/100
 High
89/100
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 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Heathcote Waterfall
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Heathcote

  • Heathcote East Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Heathcote High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Heathcote Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Waterfall

  • Waterfall Public School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Heathcote Waterfall
Supermarkets 1 0
Parks & reserves 10 3
Childcare 4 1
Pharmacies 1 0
Fuel stations 3 0
Waterways 12 14

Mobility

Heathcote sits further from the CBD (49.2 km vs 43.8 km).

Heathcote Waterfall
Walkability score 0/100 36/100
Distance to Sydney 49.2 km
+11% vs other
 43.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 53 min 51 min
Public transport score 71/100
Rail · Bus
 50/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 22.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 8.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 7 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 2233
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 37
postcode 2233
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.

Heathcote Waterfall
Car (driver) 52.6% / 53.6%
Heathcote — Car (driver): 52.6% Waterfall — Car (driver): 53.6%
Worked from Home 40.2% / 32.1%
Heathcote — Worked from Home: 40.2% Waterfall — Worked from Home: 32.1%
Train 3.4% / 7.6%
Heathcote — Train: 3.4% Waterfall — Train: 7.6%
Car (passenger) 2.4% / 3.1%
Heathcote — Car (passenger): 2.4% Waterfall — Car (passenger): 3.1%
Walked Only 1.3% / 3.6%
Heathcote — Walked Only: 1.3% Waterfall — Walked Only: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (53.6%).

Setting

Heathcote Waterfall
Elevation 144 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 231 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.8 km 8.2 km

NBN connectivity

Heathcote Waterfall
Connectivity score 76/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
2,597 premises
 0%
179 premises

Climate

Heathcote Waterfall
Annual rainfall 1,038 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Heathcote Waterfall
PM2.5 5.8 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.97 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Heathcote Waterfall
Average residential rate $1,552/yr
same for both
Council Sutherland
same for both

Federal electorate

Heathcote Waterfall
Division Hughes
same for both
Member David Moncrieff
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Heathcote Waterfall
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Heathcote

Outer River Trains

Waterfall

Acreage Outer River Trains

More comparisons

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Heathcote vs Engadine Heathcote vs Holsworthy

Other comparisons with Waterfall

Waterfall vs Helensburgh
Full data on Heathcote Full data on Waterfall
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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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