Howards Grass vs North Lismore

North Lismore is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 48 in Howards Grass. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Howards Grass, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Howards Grass: a median of $862,000, against $317,000 in North Lismore, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Howards Grass tends to suit couples, while North Lismore suits people living alone 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

North Lismore

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (97% vs 81%)
  • But Howards Grass is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 50%)

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

First-home buyers

North Lismore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($317,000 vs $862,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Howards Grass leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 27%)
  • North Lismore has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $415/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Howards Grass

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (39/100 vs 24/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Howards Grass

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (19% vs 3%)
  • is more walkable (39/100 vs 24/100)
  • But North Lismore has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 5%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Howards Grass North Lismore
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.

Howards Grass North Lismore
Walkability 39 / 24
Howards Grass — Walkability: 39/100 North Lismore — Walkability: 24/100
Safety 12 / 11
Howards Grass — Safety: 12/100 North Lismore — Safety: 11/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Howards Grass — Low fire risk: 100/100 North Lismore — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

North Lismore has more residents (754 vs 78); Howards Grass has higher household incomes ($96,200 vs $60,632).

Howards Grass North Lismore
Population 78 754
+867% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.6% -1.8%
Median age 48 42
Median household income $96,200/yr
+37% vs other
 $60,632/yr
Median weekly rent $415/wk
+23% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Howards Grass North Lismore
0-4 7.7% / 4.0%
Howards Grass — 0-4: 7.7% North Lismore — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 6.4% / 13.5%
Howards Grass — 5-14: 6.4% North Lismore — 5-14: 13.5%
15-19 10.3% / 5.4%
Howards Grass — 15-19: 10.3% North Lismore — 15-19: 5.4%
20-24 6.4% / 5.6%
Howards Grass — 20-24: 6.4% North Lismore — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 10.3% / 10.9%
Howards Grass — 25-34: 10.3% North Lismore — 25-34: 10.9%
35-44 5.1% / 11.9%
Howards Grass — 35-44: 5.1% North Lismore — 35-44: 11.9%
45-54 23.1% / 15.5%
Howards Grass — 45-54: 23.1% North Lismore — 45-54: 15.5%
55-64 17.9% / 13.7%
Howards Grass — 55-64: 17.9% North Lismore — 55-64: 13.7%
65-74 5.1% / 11.9%
Howards Grass — 65-74: 5.1% North Lismore — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 — / 4.9%
Howards Grass — 75-84: not among its largest North Lismore — 75-84: 4.9%
85+ — / 2.1%
Howards Grass — 85+: not among its largest North Lismore — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Howards Grass 48.3% couple families
Howards Grass — Couple Families: 48.3% Howards Grass — Lone Person: 31.0% Howards Grass — One Parent Families: 20.7% Howards Grass — Group Household: 0.0% Howards Grass — Other Families: 0.0%
North Lismore 26.8% couple families
North Lismore — Couple Families: 26.8% North Lismore — Lone Person: 39.1% North Lismore — One Parent Families: 23.4% North Lismore — Group Household: 9.4% North Lismore — Other Families: 1.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Howards Grass 23.5% renting
Howards Grass — Owned Outright: 26.5% Howards Grass — Mortgage: 50.0% Howards Grass — Renting: 23.5%
North Lismore 25.3% renting
North Lismore — Owned Outright: 39.8% North Lismore — Mortgage: 34.9% North Lismore — Renting: 25.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Howards Grass North Lismore
Certificate III & IV 16.7% / 16.6%
Howards Grass — Certificate III & IV: 16.7% North Lismore — Certificate III & IV: 16.6%
Bachelor Degree 16.7% / 10.9%
Howards Grass — Bachelor Degree: 16.7% North Lismore — Bachelor Degree: 10.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.8% / 7.0%
Howards Grass — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.8% North Lismore — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Postgraduate Degree 6.4% / 2.0%
Howards Grass — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4% North Lismore — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 6.4% / 0.7%
Howards Grass — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 6.4% North Lismore — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

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.

Howards Grass North Lismore
India 11.5% / —
Howards Grass — India: 11.5% North Lismore — India: not among its largest
Netherlands 3.8% / —
Howards Grass — Netherlands: 3.8% North Lismore — Netherlands: not among its largest
England — / 3.3%
Howards Grass — England: not among its largest North Lismore — England: 3.3%
New Zealand — / 2.5%
Howards Grass — New Zealand: not among its largest North Lismore — New Zealand: 2.5%
Germany — / 0.5%
Howards Grass — Germany: not among its largest North Lismore — Germany: 0.5%
Italy — / 0.4%
Howards Grass — Italy: not among its largest North Lismore — Italy: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Howards Grass 80.6% houses
Howards Grass — Houses: 80.6% Howards Grass — Flats / Apartments: 19.4% Howards Grass — Townhouses: 0.0%
North Lismore 97.0% houses
North Lismore — Houses: 97.0% North Lismore — Flats / Apartments: 2.0% North Lismore — Townhouses: 1.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Howards Grass North Lismore
Median house price $862,500 $317,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 96 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Howards Grass has more rural and farming land (94% vs 57%).

Howards Grass North Lismore
Rural and farming 94% 57%
Residential 2% 17%
Environmental 4% 10%
Parks and recreation 0% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 6%
Industrial 0% 3%
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

Howards Grass North Lismore
New dwellings approved 138
across Lismore
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Howards Grass North Lismore
House price Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 8% of NSW
Income Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 58% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 90% of NSW

Liveability

Howards Grass is more walkable (39 vs 24).

Howards Grass North Lismore
Grade — D
Score — 28/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Howards Grass North Lismore
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
88/100
 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 3
within 5 km
 7
within 5 km

Schools

Howards Grass North Lismore
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 1
Lismore, 4.0 km
 1
Lismore, 4.2 km

Schools in Howards Grass

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

Schools in North Lismore

  • St John's College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • The Rivers Secondary College, Richmond River High Campus Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Howards Grass North Lismore
Parks & reserves 1 4

Mobility

Howards Grass North Lismore
Walkability score 39/100 24/100
Distance to Sydney 728.5 km 728.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 480 min 482 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2480
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 69
postcode 2480
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.

Howards Grass North Lismore
Car (driver) 65.1% / 72.5%
Howards Grass — Car (driver): 65.1% North Lismore — Car (driver): 72.5%
Worked from Home 25.6% / 17.4%
Howards Grass — Worked from Home: 25.6% North Lismore — Worked from Home: 17.4%
Car (passenger) 9.3% / 4.3%
Howards Grass — Car (passenger): 9.3% North Lismore — Car (passenger): 4.3%
Bicycle — / 3.1%
Howards Grass — Bicycle: not among its largest North Lismore — Bicycle: 3.1%
Walked Only — / 2.7%
Howards Grass — Walked Only: not among its largest North Lismore — Walked Only: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.5%).

Setting

Howards Grass North Lismore
Elevation 7 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
same for both
Distance to the ocean 24.2 km 26.3 km

NBN connectivity

Howards Grass North Lismore
Connectivity score 58/100 81/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 31%
36 premises
 66%
542 premises

Council rates

Howards Grass North Lismore
Average residential rate $1,487/yr
same for both
Council Lismore
same for both

Federal electorate

Howards Grass North Lismore
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Howards Grass North Lismore
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Howards Grass

Rural

North Lismore

Acreage Affordable

More comparisons

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Howards Grass vs Lismore Heights

Other comparisons with North Lismore

North Lismore vs Lismore North Lismore vs Lismore Heights North Lismore vs South Lismore North Lismore vs Tullera North Lismore vs Booerie Creek
Full data on Howards Grass Full data on North Lismore
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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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