James Creek vs Palmers Channel
In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, James Creek tends to suit families with children and couples, while Palmers Channel suits 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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- James Creek is already more of a family suburb (88% vs 55%)
- Palmers Channel carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 28/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
James Creek
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 33%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
They split
one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here
- James Creek leaves renters under less rental stress (24% vs 29%)
- Palmers Channel has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $423/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- James Creek is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
- Palmers Channel sits closer to the CBD (647.3 km vs 649.3 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- James Creek is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
- Palmers Channel carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 28/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
James Creek
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (21.8% vs -3.4%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
James Creek and Palmers Channel drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
James Creek has more residents (257 vs 115); James Creek has higher household incomes ($92,248 vs $62,348).
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 257 +55% vs other | 115 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +21.8% | -3.4% |
| Median age | 52 same for both | |
| Median household income | $92,248/yr +32% vs other | $62,348/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $423/wk +17% vs other | $350/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,257,500 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $545,000 | — |
Zoning mix
Palmers Channel has more rural and farming land (76% vs 41%); James Creek has more land zoned for conservation (35% vs 24%).
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 41% | 76% |
| Environmental | 35% | 24% |
| Residential | 22% | 0% |
| 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
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 246 across Clarence Valley same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -80% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 55% of NSW | — |
| Income | Higher than 59% of NSW | Higher than 25% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 53% of NSW | Higher than 14% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 54% of NSW | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 27% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 57% of NSW | Higher than 53% of NSW |
Liveability
James Creek is more walkable (8 vs 0).
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
James Creek carries more bushfire risk (21 vs 0); James Creek carries more crime risk (28 vs 17).
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 21/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Low 28/100 | Low 17/100 |
| 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 | 2 within 5 km | 1 within 5 km |
Schools
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
James Creek sits further from the CBD (649.3 km vs 647.3 km).
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 8/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 649.3 km | 647.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 421 min | 423 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 2463 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 70 postcode 2463 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.6%).
Setting
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 12 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 2 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 5.7 km | 5.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 89 premises | 0% 52 premises |
Climate
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,408 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,380/yr same for both | |
| Council | Clarence Valley same for both | |
Federal electorate
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Page same for both | |
| Member | Kevin Hogan same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| James Creek | Palmers Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with James Creek
Other comparisons with Palmers Channel
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.