Jemalong vs Wirrinya

Wirrinya is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 43 in Jemalong. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Jemalong, about half of households are couple families. In Wirrinya, most households are couple families. On these figures, Wirrinya tends to suit families with children and couples.

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

Wirrinya

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 86/100)

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

First-home buyers

Jemalong

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($1,260 vs $16,544)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (6% vs 25%)

Weighs land prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Wirrinya

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (9% vs 20%)
  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $250/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Jemalong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (418.8 km vs 489.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wirrinya

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 86/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (18% vs 10%)

Weighs 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

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

Jemalong Wirrinya
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.

Jemalong Wirrinya
Walkability 0 / 0
Jemalong — Walkability: 0/100 Wirrinya — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 14 / 57
Jemalong — Safety: 14/100 Wirrinya — Safety: 57/100
Low fire risk 85 / 65
Jemalong — Low fire risk: 85/100 Wirrinya — Low fire risk: 65/100

Demographics

Jemalong rents higher ($250/wk vs $150/wk); Wirrinya has higher household incomes ($84,500 vs $63,336).

Jemalong Wirrinya
Population 82 92
+12% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.1% +3.4%
Median age 43 33
Median household income $63,336/yr $84,500/yr
+33% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk
+40% vs other
 $150/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Jemalong Wirrinya
0-4 4.9% / 15.2%
Jemalong — 0-4: 4.9% Wirrinya — 0-4: 15.2%
5-14 15.9% / 18.5%
Jemalong — 5-14: 15.9% Wirrinya — 5-14: 18.5%
15-19 9.8% / 4.3%
Jemalong — 15-19: 9.8% Wirrinya — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 6.1% / 5.4%
Jemalong — 20-24: 6.1% Wirrinya — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 14.6% / 14.1%
Jemalong — 25-34: 14.6% Wirrinya — 25-34: 14.1%
35-44 9.8% / 19.6%
Jemalong — 35-44: 9.8% Wirrinya — 35-44: 19.6%
45-54 17.1% / 12.0%
Jemalong — 45-54: 17.1% Wirrinya — 45-54: 12.0%
55-64 22.0% / 14.1%
Jemalong — 55-64: 22.0% Wirrinya — 55-64: 14.1%
65-74 6.1% / 14.1%
Jemalong — 65-74: 6.1% Wirrinya — 65-74: 14.1%
75-84 3.7% / 4.3%
Jemalong — 75-84: 3.7% Wirrinya — 75-84: 4.3%
85+ — / —
Jemalong — 85+: not among its largest Wirrinya — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Jemalong 50.0% couple families
Jemalong — Couple Families: 50.0% Jemalong — Lone Person: 21.4% Jemalong — One Parent Families: 28.6%
Wirrinya 72.2% couple families
Wirrinya — Couple Families: 72.2% Wirrinya — Lone Person: 27.8% Wirrinya — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Jemalong 40.0% renting
Jemalong — Owned Outright: 26.7% Jemalong — Mortgage: 33.3% Jemalong — Renting: 40.0%
Wirrinya 0.0% renting
Wirrinya — Owned Outright: 52.9% Wirrinya — Mortgage: 47.1% Wirrinya — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Jemalong 100.0% houses
Jemalong — Houses: 100.0% Jemalong — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Wirrinya 90.6% houses
Wirrinya — Houses: 90.6% Wirrinya — Flats / Apartments: 9.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Jemalong Wirrinya
Certificate III & IV 19.5% / 10.9%
Jemalong — Certificate III & IV: 19.5% Wirrinya — Certificate III & IV: 10.9%
Bachelor Degree 6.1% / 10.9%
Jemalong — Bachelor Degree: 6.1% Wirrinya — Bachelor Degree: 10.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.1% / 6.5%
Jemalong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1% Wirrinya — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.5%).

Property market

Jemalong Wirrinya
Median house price —
same for both
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,260 $16,544

Zoning mix

Jemalong Wirrinya
Rural and farming 99% 100%
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

Jemalong Wirrinya
New dwellings approved 31
across Forbes
same for both
Approvals change year on year +125%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Jemalong Wirrinya
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 37% of NSW
same for both
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 3% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 19% of NSW
same for both

Liveability

Jemalong Wirrinya
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Wirrinya carries more bushfire risk (35 vs 15); Jemalong carries more crime risk (86 vs 43).

Jemalong Wirrinya
Bushfire Low
15/100
 Low
35/100
Crime High
86/100
 Moderate
43/100
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

Jemalong Wirrinya
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

Jemalong Wirrinya
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 21 8

Mobility

Wirrinya sits further from the CBD (489.3 km vs 418.8 km).

Jemalong Wirrinya
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 418.8 km 489.3 km
+17% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 344 min 341 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2871
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 2871
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.

Jemalong Wirrinya
Car (driver) 45.7% / 61.2%
Jemalong — Car (driver): 45.7% Wirrinya — Car (driver): 61.2%
Worked from Home 54.3% / 32.7%
Jemalong — Worked from Home: 54.3% Wirrinya — Worked from Home: 32.7%
Walked Only — / 6.1%
Jemalong — Walked Only: not among its largest Wirrinya — Walked Only: 6.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.2%).

Setting

Jemalong Wirrinya
Elevation 223 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 220 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Jemalong Wirrinya
Connectivity score 15/100
same for both
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
19 premises
 0%
18 premises

Council rates

Jemalong Wirrinya
Average residential rate $957/yr
same for both
Council Forbes
same for both

Federal electorate

Jemalong Wirrinya
Division Parkes
same for both
Member Jamie Chaffey
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Jemalong Wirrinya
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Jemalong

Affordable Rural

Wirrinya

Affordable Family Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Jemalong

Jemalong vs Forbes Jemalong vs Bedgerabong Jemalong vs Warroo Jemalong vs Corinella

Other comparisons with Wirrinya

Wirrinya vs Forbes Wirrinya vs Caragabal Wirrinya vs Garema Wirrinya vs Corinella Wirrinya vs Back Creek Wirrinya vs Pullabooka
Full data on Jemalong Full data on Wirrinya
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.

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