Johns River vs Stewarts River

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Stewarts River, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Stewarts River: a median of $1.1 million, against $800,000 in Johns River, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Johns River tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Stewarts River suits 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

Stewarts River

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 59/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 55%)

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

First-home buyers

Johns River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($799,500 vs $1,100,000)

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

Johns River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Stewarts River

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 59/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 21%)
  • But Johns River is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)

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

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

Johns River Stewarts River
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.

Johns River Stewarts River
Walkability 22 / 0
Johns River — Walkability: 22/100 Stewarts River — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 41 / 75
Johns River — Safety: 41/100 Stewarts River — Safety: 75/100
Low fire risk 21 / 67
Johns River — Low fire risk: 21/100 Stewarts River — Low fire risk: 67/100

Demographics

Johns River has more residents (346 vs 126); Stewarts River has higher household incomes ($73,112 vs $62,088).

Johns River Stewarts River
Population 346
+64% vs other
 126
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.5% +7.7%
Median age 50 49
Median household income $62,088/yr $73,112/yr
+18% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $320/wk
+7% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Johns River Stewarts River
0-4 4.9% / 4.0%
Johns River — 0-4: 4.9% Stewarts River — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 10.7% / 12.7%
Johns River — 5-14: 10.7% Stewarts River — 5-14: 12.7%
15-19 5.2% / 5.6%
Johns River — 15-19: 5.2% Stewarts River — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 3.2% / 7.1%
Johns River — 20-24: 3.2% Stewarts River — 20-24: 7.1%
25-34 7.2% / 9.5%
Johns River — 25-34: 7.2% Stewarts River — 25-34: 9.5%
35-44 9.5% / 5.6%
Johns River — 35-44: 9.5% Stewarts River — 35-44: 5.6%
45-54 18.2% / 21.4%
Johns River — 45-54: 18.2% Stewarts River — 45-54: 21.4%
55-64 18.2% / 11.1%
Johns River — 55-64: 18.2% Stewarts River — 55-64: 11.1%
65-74 15.3% / 22.2%
Johns River — 65-74: 15.3% Stewarts River — 65-74: 22.2%
75-84 6.1% / 6.3%
Johns River — 75-84: 6.1% Stewarts River — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ — / —
Johns River — 85+: not among its largest Stewarts River — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

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.

Johns River Stewarts River
England 4.6% / 2.4%
Johns River — England: 4.6% Stewarts River — England: 2.4%
New Zealand 1.7% / 3.2%
Johns River — New Zealand: 1.7% Stewarts River — New Zealand: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Johns River 32.6% couple families
Johns River — Couple Families: 32.6% Johns River — Lone Person: 34.9% Johns River — One Parent Families: 22.1% Johns River — Group Household: 10.5%
Stewarts River 51.6% couple families
Stewarts River — Couple Families: 51.6% Stewarts River — Lone Person: 32.3% Stewarts River — One Parent Families: 16.1% Stewarts River — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Johns River 100.0% houses
Johns River — Houses: 100.0%
Stewarts River 100.0% houses
Stewarts River — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Johns River Stewarts River
Certificate III & IV 16.2% / 22.2%
Johns River — Certificate III & IV: 16.2% Stewarts River — Certificate III & IV: 22.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 11.9%
Johns River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Stewarts River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.9%
Bachelor Degree 5.8% / 11.9%
Johns River — Bachelor Degree: 5.8% Stewarts River — Bachelor Degree: 11.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.8% / 3.2%
Johns River — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8% Stewarts River — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 2.4%
Johns River — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Stewarts River — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Johns River 9.2% renting
Johns River — Owned Outright: 47.1% Johns River — Mortgage: 43.7% Johns River — Renting: 9.2%
Stewarts River 15.7% renting
Stewarts River — Owned Outright: 52.9% Stewarts River — Mortgage: 31.4% Stewarts River — Renting: 15.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Johns River Stewarts River
Median house price $799,500 $1,100,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 142 days
from 3 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Stewarts River has more rural and farming land (100% vs 71%); Johns River has more land zoned for conservation (26% vs 0%).

Johns River Stewarts River
Rural and farming 71% 100%
Environmental 26% 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

Johns River Stewarts River
New dwellings approved 743
across Mid-Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +327%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Johns River Stewarts River
House price Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Income — Higher than 40% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 2% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 32% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 37% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 40% of NSW

Liveability

Johns River is more walkable (22 vs 0).

Johns River Stewarts River
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Johns River carries more bushfire risk (79 vs 33); Johns River carries more crime risk (59 vs 25).

Johns River Stewarts River
Bushfire High
79/100
 Low
33/100
Crime Moderate
59/100
 Low
25/100
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

Johns River Stewarts River
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

Johns River Stewarts River
Parks & reserves 2 0
Waterways 6 3

Mobility

Johns River Stewarts River
Walkability score 22/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 340.6 km 342.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 231 min 235 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2443
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 2443
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.

Johns River Stewarts River
Car (driver) 72.5% / 77.8%
Johns River — Car (driver): 72.5% Stewarts River — Car (driver): 77.8%
Worked from Home 19.3% / 22.2%
Johns River — Worked from Home: 19.3% Stewarts River — Worked from Home: 22.2%
Walked Only 4.6% / —
Johns River — Walked Only: 4.6% Stewarts River — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 3.7% / —
Johns River — Car (passenger): 3.7% Stewarts River — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.8%).

Setting

Johns River Stewarts River
Elevation 9 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 39 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.6 km 13.5 km

NBN connectivity

Johns River Stewarts River
Connectivity score 30/100 28/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
172 premises
 0%
59 premises

Climate

Johns River Stewarts River
Annual rainfall 1,331 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Johns River Stewarts River
Average residential rate $1,560/yr
same for both
Council Mid-Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Johns River Stewarts River
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Johns River Stewarts River
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Johns River

Quiet Rural

Stewarts River

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Johns River

Johns River vs Moorland Johns River vs Coralville Johns River vs Batar Creek Johns River vs Middle Brother

Other comparisons with Stewarts River

Stewarts River vs Moorland Stewarts River vs Lorne Stewarts River vs Hannam Vale Stewarts River vs Batar Creek
Full data on Johns River Full data on Stewarts River
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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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