Kalaru vs Tathra

Kalaru is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 56 in Tathra. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Tathra, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Tathra: a median of $1.11 million, against $968,000 in Kalaru, though rent is higher in Kalaru. On these figures, Kalaru tends to suit families with children, while Tathra suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Kalaru

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (58% vs 39%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (93% vs 76%)
  • But Tathra has more parks and reserves (7 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Kalaru

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($410,000 vs $600,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($967,500 vs $1,115,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Tathra

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (27% vs 12%)
  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $375/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Kalaru sits closer to the CBD (520.4 km vs 523.4 km)
  • Tathra is more walkable (23/100 vs 14/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tathra

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (24% vs 7%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (34% vs 20%)
  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 14/100)

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

Investors

Kalaru

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.8% vs -8.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kalaru Tathra
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.

Kalaru Tathra
Walkability 14 / 23
Kalaru — Walkability: 14/100 Tathra — Walkability: 23/100
Safety 74 / 73
Kalaru — Safety: 74/100 Tathra — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 42 / 45
Kalaru — Low fire risk: 42/100 Tathra — Low fire risk: 45/100

Demographics

Tathra has more residents (1,527 vs 820); Tathra skews older (56 vs 44).

Kalaru Tathra
Population 820 1,527
+86% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.8% -8.8%
Median age 44 56
Median household income $75,816/yr
+16% vs other
 $63,492/yr
Median weekly rent $375/wk
+15% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kalaru Tathra
0-4 4.1% / 2.8%
Kalaru — 0-4: 4.1% Tathra — 0-4: 2.8%
5-14 16.3% / 8.0%
Kalaru — 5-14: 16.3% Tathra — 5-14: 8.0%
15-19 5.0% / 4.2%
Kalaru — 15-19: 5.0% Tathra — 15-19: 4.2%
20-24 2.7% / 3.1%
Kalaru — 20-24: 2.7% Tathra — 20-24: 3.1%
25-34 6.8% / 8.3%
Kalaru — 25-34: 6.8% Tathra — 25-34: 8.3%
35-44 15.5% / 8.6%
Kalaru — 35-44: 15.5% Tathra — 35-44: 8.6%
45-54 12.7% / 11.7%
Kalaru — 45-54: 12.7% Tathra — 45-54: 11.7%
55-64 17.4% / 19.7%
Kalaru — 55-64: 17.4% Tathra — 55-64: 19.7%
65-74 13.0% / 20.2%
Kalaru — 65-74: 13.0% Tathra — 65-74: 20.2%
75-84 5.9% / 10.0%
Kalaru — 75-84: 5.9% Tathra — 75-84: 10.0%
85+ 1.6% / 4.0%
Kalaru — 85+: 1.6% Tathra — 85+: 4.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kalaru 38.1% lone person
Kalaru — Lone Person: 38.1% Kalaru — Couple Families: 43.7% Kalaru — One Parent Families: 14.0% Kalaru — Group Household: 4.2% Kalaru — Other Families: 0.0%
Tathra 56.2% lone person
Tathra — Lone Person: 56.2% Tathra — Couple Families: 25.7% Tathra — One Parent Families: 13.2% Tathra — Group Household: 3.9% Tathra — Other Families: 1.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kalaru 11.6% renting
Kalaru — Owned Outright: 46.5% Kalaru — Mortgage: 41.9% Kalaru — Renting: 11.6%
Tathra 27.3% renting
Tathra — Owned Outright: 51.4% Tathra — Mortgage: 21.3% Tathra — Renting: 27.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Kalaru Tathra
Certificate III & IV 19.1% / 16.3%
Kalaru — Certificate III & IV: 19.1% Tathra — Certificate III & IV: 16.3%
Bachelor Degree 14.6% / 17.2%
Kalaru — Bachelor Degree: 14.6% Tathra — Bachelor Degree: 17.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.2% / 8.1%
Kalaru — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2% Tathra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Postgraduate Degree 3.3% / 4.2%
Kalaru — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3% Tathra — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 3.6%
Kalaru — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Tathra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.1%).

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.

Kalaru Tathra
England 3.0% / 2.9%
Kalaru — England: 3.0% Tathra — England: 2.9%
New Zealand 0.9% / 1.3%
Kalaru — New Zealand: 0.9% Tathra — New Zealand: 1.3%
Germany 0.5% / 0.8%
Kalaru — Germany: 0.5% Tathra — Germany: 0.8%
Canada 0.4% / 0.6%
Kalaru — Canada: 0.4% Tathra — Canada: 0.6%
Scotland 0.7% / —
Kalaru — Scotland: 0.7% Tathra — Scotland: not among its largest
India — / 0.6%
Kalaru — India: not among its largest Tathra — India: 0.6%
Fiji 0.5% / —
Kalaru — Fiji: 0.5% Tathra — Fiji: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kalaru 93.3% houses
Kalaru — Houses: 93.3% Kalaru — Townhouses: 0.0% Kalaru — Flats / Apartments: 6.7%
Tathra 76.2% houses
Tathra — Houses: 76.2% Tathra — Townhouses: 17.2% Tathra — Flats / Apartments: 6.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Kalaru Tathra
Median house price $967,500 $1,115,000
Median unit price — $640,000
Median land price $410,000 $600,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 58 days
from 6 sales
 107 days
from 19 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Kalaru Tathra
3 bed $952K / $1.04M
Kalaru — 3 bed: $952K (10 sales) Tathra — 3 bed: $1.04M (8 sales)

10 vs 8 sales

4 bed $950K / $1.06M
Kalaru — 4 bed: $950K (9 sales) Tathra — 4 bed: $1.06M (18 sales)

9 vs 18 sales

Zoning mix

Kalaru has more rural and farming land (10% vs 0%).

Kalaru Tathra
Environmental 88% 85%
Rural and farming 10% 0%
Residential 0% 9%
Parks and recreation 0% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 1%
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

Kalaru Tathra
New dwellings approved 109
across Bega Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -32%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Kalaru Tathra
Houses — 2.3%
$620/wk on $1.4M
Units — 3.0%
$465/wk on $795K

Ranking within NSW

Kalaru Tathra
House price Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Income Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 26% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 69% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 4% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 5% of NSW

Liveability

Tathra is more walkable (23 vs 14).

Kalaru Tathra
Grade C
same for both
Score 38/100 41/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Kalaru Tathra
Bushfire Moderate
58/100
 Moderate
55/100
Crime Low
26/100
 Low
27/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Low
37/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Kalaru Tathra
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Kalaru

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

Schools in Tathra

  • Tathra Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Kalaru Tathra
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 7
Parks & reserves 1 7
Childcare 0 1
GPs 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Tathra sits further from the CBD (523.4 km vs 520.4 km).

Kalaru Tathra
Walkability score 14/100 23/100
Distance to Sydney 520.4 km 523.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 360 min 364 min
Public transport score 27/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 8.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 7.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2550
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 61
postcode 2550
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.

Kalaru Tathra
Car (driver) 74.4% / 75.5%
Kalaru — Car (driver): 74.4% Tathra — Car (driver): 75.5%
Worked from Home 17.4% / 13.8%
Kalaru — Worked from Home: 17.4% Tathra — Worked from Home: 13.8%
Car (passenger) 5.6% / 3.0%
Kalaru — Car (passenger): 5.6% Tathra — Car (passenger): 3.0%
Walked Only 1.8% / 6.6%
Kalaru — Walked Only: 1.8% Tathra — Walked Only: 6.6%
Bicycle 0.9% / 1.1%
Kalaru — Bicycle: 0.9% Tathra — Bicycle: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.5%).

Setting

Kalaru Tathra
Elevation 40 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 99 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.5 km
4.7 km to a named beach
 1.5 km
1.4 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Kalaru Tathra
Connectivity score 40/100 70/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 14%
385 premises
 38%
1,081 premises

Climate

Kalaru Tathra
Annual rainfall 768 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Kalaru Tathra
Average residential rate $1,767/yr
same for both
Council Bega Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Kalaru Tathra
Division Eden-monaro
same for both
Member Kristy Mcbain
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kalaru Tathra
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kalaru

Acreage

Tathra

Beach Coastal Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kalaru

Kalaru vs Wallagoot Kalaru vs Reedy Swamp Kalaru vs Jellat Jellat

Other comparisons with Tathra

Tathra vs Wallagoot Tathra vs Mogareeka
Full data on Kalaru Full data on Tathra
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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