Kalang vs Thora

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Kalang: a median of $1.1 million, against $960,000 in Thora, though rent is higher in Thora. On these figures, Kalang tends to suit 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

  • Kalang carries lower crime risk (52/100 vs 62/100)
  • Thora is already more of a family suburb (62% vs 51%)

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

First-home buyers

Thora

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 35%)
  • has cheaper houses ($960,000 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

Thora

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (352 min vs 417 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (530.5 km vs 549 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Kalang

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (52/100 vs 62/100)

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

Investors

Kalang

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.3% vs -6.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kalang Thora
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.

Kalang Thora
Walkability 10 / 14
Kalang — Walkability: 10/100 Thora — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 48 / 38
Kalang — Safety: 48/100 Thora — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 34 / 61
Kalang — Low fire risk: 34/100 Thora — Low fire risk: 61/100

Demographics

Thora has higher household incomes ($66,092 vs $51,428).

Kalang Thora
Population 280 311
+11% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.3% -6.3%
Median age 50 49
Median household income $51,428/yr $66,092/yr
+29% vs other
Median weekly rent $241/wk $260/wk
+8% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kalang Thora
0-4 3.2% / 3.2%
Kalang — 0-4: 3.2% Thora — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 11.4% / 15.1%
Kalang — 5-14: 11.4% Thora — 5-14: 15.1%
15-19 5.7% / 5.5%
Kalang — 15-19: 5.7% Thora — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 1.4% / 3.5%
Kalang — 20-24: 1.4% Thora — 20-24: 3.5%
25-34 5.4% / 8.7%
Kalang — 25-34: 5.4% Thora — 25-34: 8.7%
35-44 8.6% / 9.0%
Kalang — 35-44: 8.6% Thora — 35-44: 9.0%
45-54 22.1% / 8.4%
Kalang — 45-54: 22.1% Thora — 45-54: 8.4%
55-64 19.6% / 21.2%
Kalang — 55-64: 19.6% Thora — 55-64: 21.2%
65-74 17.1% / 17.4%
Kalang — 65-74: 17.1% Thora — 65-74: 17.4%
75-84 3.9% / 4.2%
Kalang — 75-84: 3.9% Thora — 75-84: 4.2%
85+ — / 1.3%
Kalang — 85+: not among its largest Thora — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kalang 37.3% couple families
Kalang — Couple Families: 37.3% Kalang — Lone Person: 44.8% Kalang — One Parent Families: 13.4% Kalang — Group Household: 4.5%
Thora 40.0% couple families
Thora — Couple Families: 40.0% Thora — Lone Person: 30.0% Thora — One Parent Families: 22.5% Thora — Group Household: 7.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kalang 12.3% renting
Kalang — Owned Outright: 62.3% Kalang — Mortgage: 25.5% Kalang — Renting: 12.3%
Thora 15.9% renting
Thora — Owned Outright: 64.5% Thora — Mortgage: 19.6% Thora — Renting: 15.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Kalang Thora
Bachelor Degree 16.1% / 16.1%
Kalang — Bachelor Degree: 16.1% Thora — Bachelor Degree: 16.1%
Certificate III & IV 16.4% / 13.5%
Kalang — Certificate III & IV: 16.4% Thora — Certificate III & IV: 13.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.3% / 8.7%
Kalang — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3% Thora — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.3% / 2.6%
Kalang — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.3% Thora — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6%
Postgraduate Degree 3.6% / 1.6%
Kalang — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6% Thora — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).

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.

Kalang Thora
England 7.1% / 2.9%
Kalang — England: 7.1% Thora — England: 2.9%
New Zealand 2.1% / 1.0%
Kalang — New Zealand: 2.1% Thora — New Zealand: 1.0%
Canada 2.1% / —
Kalang — Canada: 2.1% Thora — Canada: not among its largest
Germany — / 1.6%
Kalang — Germany: not among its largest Thora — Germany: 1.6%
South Africa 1.4% / —
Kalang — South Africa: 1.4% Thora — South Africa: not among its largest
Philippines 1.1% / —
Kalang — Philippines: 1.1% Thora — Philippines: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 1.0%
Kalang — Netherlands: not among its largest Thora — Netherlands: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kalang 95.6% houses
Kalang — Houses: 95.6% Kalang — Flats / Apartments: 4.4%
Thora 100.0% houses
Thora — Houses: 100.0% Thora — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Kalang Thora
Median house price $1,100,000 $960,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $3,520

Zoning mix

Kalang Thora
Rural and farming 57%
same for both
Environmental 43%
same for both
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

Kalang Thora
New dwellings approved 40
across Bellingen
same for both
Approvals change year on year +12%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Kalang Thora
House price Higher than 3% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
Income Higher than 12% of NSW Higher than 28% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 26% of NSW
same for both

Liveability

Kalang Thora
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Kalang carries more bushfire risk (66 vs 39); Thora carries more crime risk (62 vs 52).

Kalang Thora
Bushfire Moderate
66/100
 Low
39/100
Crime Moderate
52/100
 Moderate
62/100
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

Kalang Thora
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

Kalang Thora
Parks & reserves 0 1
Childcare 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 28 23

Mobility

Kalang sits further from the CBD (549 km vs 530.5 km).

Kalang Thora
Walkability score 10/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 549 km
+3% vs other
 530.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 417 min 352 min
Public transport score 22/100
Bus
 26/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 4.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 6.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2.5 min
scheduled, not actual
 3 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2454
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 70
postcode 2454
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.

Kalang Thora
Car (driver) 69.8% / 59.5%
Kalang — Car (driver): 69.8% Thora — Car (driver): 59.5%
Worked from Home 22.1% / 24.0%
Kalang — Worked from Home: 22.1% Thora — Worked from Home: 24.0%
Car (passenger) 3.5% / 6.6%
Kalang — Car (passenger): 3.5% Thora — Car (passenger): 6.6%
Walked Only — / 9.9%
Kalang — Walked Only: not among its largest Thora — Walked Only: 9.9%
Bicycle 4.7% / —
Kalang — Bicycle: 4.7% Thora — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (69.8%).

Setting

Kalang Thora
Elevation 131 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 92 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 28.3 km 25.4 km

NBN connectivity

Kalang Thora
Connectivity score 17/100
same for both
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
111 premises
 0%
109 premises

Council rates

Kalang Thora
Average residential rate $1,592/yr
same for both
Council Bellingen
same for both

Federal electorate

Kalang Thora
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kalang Thora
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kalang

Rural

Thora

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kalang

Kalang vs Bellingen Kalang vs Brierfield Kalang vs Missabotti Kalang vs Darkwood

Other comparisons with Thora

Thora vs Bellingen Thora vs Gleniffer Thora vs Darkwood Thora vs Dorrigo Mountain
Full data on Kalang Full data on Thora
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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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