Holsworthy vs Darkes Forest

Holsworthy is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 45 in Darkes Forest. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Holsworthy tends to suit families with children, while Darkes Forest suits couples and 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

Holsworthy

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (8 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • But Darkes Forest has more separate houses rather than flats (92% vs 80%)

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

First-home buyers

Darkes Forest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (12% vs 20%)

Weighs 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

Darkes Forest

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (68 min vs 99 min)
  • But Holsworthy sits closer to the CBD (60.6 km vs 64.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Darkes Forest

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 5%)
  • But Holsworthy has more units and townhouses to downsize into (20% vs 8%)

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

Investors

Holsworthy

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (3.3% vs -17.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
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.

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Walkability 0 / 13
Holsworthy — Walkability: 0/100 Darkes Forest — Walkability: 13/100
Safety 65 / 63
Holsworthy — Safety: 65/100 Darkes Forest — Safety: 63/100
Low fire risk 22 / 11
Holsworthy — Low fire risk: 22/100 Darkes Forest — Low fire risk: 11/100

Demographics

Holsworthy has more residents (5,657 vs 95); Darkes Forest skews older (45 vs 31).

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Population 5,657
+98% vs other
 95
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.3% -17.4%
Median age 31 45
Median household income $133,692/yr $136,448/yr
+2% vs other
Median weekly rent $515/wk
+5% vs other
 $488/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
0-4 6.8% / 7.4%
Holsworthy — 0-4: 6.8% Darkes Forest — 0-4: 7.4%
5-14 14.9% / 6.3%
Holsworthy — 5-14: 14.9% Darkes Forest — 5-14: 6.3%
15-19 8.1% / 9.5%
Holsworthy — 15-19: 8.1% Darkes Forest — 15-19: 9.5%
20-24 9.6% / 8.4%
Holsworthy — 20-24: 9.6% Darkes Forest — 20-24: 8.4%
25-34 16.0% / 11.6%
Holsworthy — 25-34: 16.0% Darkes Forest — 25-34: 11.6%
35-44 16.6% / 6.3%
Holsworthy — 35-44: 16.6% Darkes Forest — 35-44: 6.3%
45-54 13.7% / 12.6%
Holsworthy — 45-54: 13.7% Darkes Forest — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 9.3% / 20.0%
Holsworthy — 55-64: 9.3% Darkes Forest — 55-64: 20.0%
65-74 3.6% / 11.6%
Holsworthy — 65-74: 3.6% Darkes Forest — 65-74: 11.6%
75-84 1.2% / 8.4%
Holsworthy — 75-84: 1.2% Darkes Forest — 75-84: 8.4%
85+ 0.2% / 3.2%
Holsworthy — 85+: 0.2% Darkes Forest — 85+: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Holsworthy 70.0% couple families
Holsworthy — Couple Families: 70.0% Holsworthy — Lone Person: 12.2% Holsworthy — One Parent Families: 15.0% Holsworthy — Group Household: 1.6% Holsworthy — Other Families: 1.3%
Darkes Forest 83.3% couple families
Darkes Forest — Couple Families: 83.3% Darkes Forest — Lone Person: 16.7% Darkes Forest — One Parent Families: 0.0% Darkes Forest — Group Household: 0.0% Darkes Forest — 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.

Holsworthy 33.1% renting
Holsworthy — Owned Outright: 18.5% Holsworthy — Mortgage: 48.4% Holsworthy — Renting: 33.1%
Darkes Forest 37.5% renting
Darkes Forest — Owned Outright: 45.8% Darkes Forest — Mortgage: 16.7% Darkes Forest — Renting: 37.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Holsworthy 79.6% houses
Holsworthy — Houses: 79.6% Holsworthy — Townhouses: 19.8% Holsworthy — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Darkes Forest 92.3% houses
Darkes Forest — Houses: 92.3% Darkes Forest — Townhouses: 0.0% Darkes Forest — Flats / Apartments: 7.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Bachelor Degree 16.2% / 14.7%
Holsworthy — Bachelor Degree: 16.2% Darkes Forest — Bachelor Degree: 14.7%
Certificate III & IV 11.7% / 18.9%
Holsworthy — Certificate III & IV: 11.7% Darkes Forest — Certificate III & IV: 18.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 14.7%
Holsworthy — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Darkes Forest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 14.7%
Postgraduate Degree 7.1% / 3.2%
Holsworthy — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1% Darkes Forest — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / —
Holsworthy — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Darkes Forest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

Property market

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Median house price $1,252,500 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,410,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 35 days
from 13 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Darkes Forest has more land zoned for conservation (98% vs 4%).

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Environmental 4% 98%
Infrastructure and transport 96% 2%
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

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
New dwellings approved 1,788
across Campbelltown (NSW)
 1,476
across Wollongong
Approvals change year on year +48% -31%

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.

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Houses 3.0%
$810/wk on $1.43M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
House price Higher than 64% of NSW —
Income Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Schools Higher than 88% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 71% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 85% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 20% of NSW —

Liveability

Darkes Forest is more walkable (13 vs 0).

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Grade B —
Score 55/100 —
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Darkes Forest carries more bushfire risk (89 vs 78).

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Bushfire High
78/100
 High
89/100
Crime Low
35/100
 Low
37/100
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

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Inside the suburb 4 0
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Western Sydney University - Campbelltown, 9.8 km
 None

Schools in Holsworthy

  • Holsworthy Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Christopher's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Holsworthy High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Aspect Macarthur School, Holsworthy Independent · Primary · Special school

Schools in Darkes Forest

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

Amenities in the suburb

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Parks & reserves 9 1
Childcare 8 0
GPs 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 20 3

Mobility

Darkes Forest sits further from the CBD (64.6 km vs 60.6 km).

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Walkability score 0/100 13/100
Distance to Sydney 60.6 km 64.6 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 99 min 68 min
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 2173
 1.2%
postcode 2508
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 2173
 43
postcode 2508

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.

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Car (driver) 38.0% / 59.3%
Holsworthy — Car (driver): 38.0% Darkes Forest — Car (driver): 59.3%
Worked from Home 44.8% / 40.7%
Holsworthy — Worked from Home: 44.8% Darkes Forest — Worked from Home: 40.7%
Walked Only 8.7% / —
Holsworthy — Walked Only: 8.7% Darkes Forest — Walked Only: not among its largest
Train 4.5% / —
Holsworthy — Train: 4.5% Darkes Forest — Train: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 2.5% / —
Holsworthy — Car (passenger): 2.5% Darkes Forest — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (59.3%).

Setting

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Elevation 139 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 368 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.8 km
4.3 km to a named beach
 7.1 km

NBN connectivity

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Connectivity score 75/100 15/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 14%
1,686 premises
 0%
10 premises

Climate

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Annual rainfall 1,038 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
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

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Average residential rate $1,443/yr $1,751/yr
Council Campbelltown (NSW) Wollongong

Federal electorate

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Division Macarthur Cunningham
Member Mike Freelander Alison Byrnes
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Holsworthy Darkes Forest
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Holsworthy

Easy Commute Multicultural Outer River Trains Transport Hub

Darkes Forest

Outer

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Holsworthy

Holsworthy vs Engadine Holsworthy vs Casula Holsworthy vs Ingleburn Holsworthy vs Macquarie Fields Holsworthy vs Moorebank Holsworthy vs Glenfield

Other comparisons with Darkes Forest

Darkes Forest vs Helensburgh Darkes Forest vs Appin Darkes Forest vs Stanwell Tops
Full data on Holsworthy Full data on Darkes Forest
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or