Karuah vs Twelve Mile Creek

In Karuah, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Twelve Mile Creek, about half of households rent, most homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. On these figures, Twelve Mile Creek tends to suit renters and 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

Karuah

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (93% vs 38%)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (51% vs 32%)

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

First-home buyers

Karuah

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($350,000 vs $680,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (31% vs 39%)

Weighs land prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Twelve Mile Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (50% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($273/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Twelve Mile Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (138 min vs 151 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (186.7 km vs 196.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Karuah

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (74/100 vs 94/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 24%)
  • But Twelve Mile Creek has more units and townhouses to downsize into (62% vs 8%)

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

Investors

Karuah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (14.7% vs -1.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
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.

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Walkability 10 / 10
Karuah — Walkability: 10/100 Twelve Mile Creek — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 26 / 6
Karuah — Safety: 26/100 Twelve Mile Creek — Safety: 6/100
Low fire risk 24 / 13
Karuah — Low fire risk: 24/100 Twelve Mile Creek — Low fire risk: 13/100

Demographics

Karuah has more residents (1,618 vs 159); Karuah has higher household incomes ($55,172 vs $48,516).

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Population 1,618
+90% vs other
 159
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +14.7% -1.2%
Median age 50 49
Median household income $55,172/yr
+12% vs other
 $48,516/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+9% vs other
 $273/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
0-4 5.6% / —
Karuah — 0-4: 5.6% Twelve Mile Creek — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 12.1% / 15.1%
Karuah — 5-14: 12.1% Twelve Mile Creek — 5-14: 15.1%
15-19 4.9% / —
Karuah — 15-19: 4.9% Twelve Mile Creek — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 3.9% / 2.5%
Karuah — 20-24: 3.9% Twelve Mile Creek — 20-24: 2.5%
25-34 10.0% / 7.5%
Karuah — 25-34: 10.0% Twelve Mile Creek — 25-34: 7.5%
35-44 8.7% / 14.5%
Karuah — 35-44: 8.7% Twelve Mile Creek — 35-44: 14.5%
45-54 11.3% / 15.7%
Karuah — 45-54: 11.3% Twelve Mile Creek — 45-54: 15.7%
55-64 14.2% / 15.1%
Karuah — 55-64: 14.2% Twelve Mile Creek — 55-64: 15.1%
65-74 18.8% / 13.2%
Karuah — 65-74: 18.8% Twelve Mile Creek — 65-74: 13.2%
75-84 10.1% / 8.2%
Karuah — 75-84: 10.1% Twelve Mile Creek — 75-84: 8.2%
85+ 1.2% / 3.1%
Karuah — 85+: 1.2% Twelve Mile Creek — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Karuah 43.3% lone person
Karuah — Lone Person: 43.3% Karuah — Couple Families: 31.0% Karuah — One Parent Families: 20.4% Karuah — Group Household: 4.3% Karuah — Other Families: 1.0%
Twelve Mile Creek 60.0% lone person
Twelve Mile Creek — Lone Person: 60.0% Twelve Mile Creek — Couple Families: 14.0% Twelve Mile Creek — One Parent Families: 18.0% Twelve Mile Creek — Group Household: 8.0% Twelve Mile Creek — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Karuah 20.8% renting
Karuah — Owned Outright: 49.3% Karuah — Mortgage: 29.9% Karuah — Renting: 20.8%
Twelve Mile Creek 50.0% renting
Twelve Mile Creek — Owned Outright: 44.8% Twelve Mile Creek — Mortgage: 5.2% Twelve Mile Creek — Renting: 50.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
England 2.5% / 5.0%
Karuah — England: 2.5% Twelve Mile Creek — England: 5.0%
New Zealand 1.1% / —
Karuah — New Zealand: 1.1% Twelve Mile Creek — New Zealand: not among its largest
Scotland 1.0% / —
Karuah — Scotland: 1.0% Twelve Mile Creek — Scotland: not among its largest
Philippines 0.6% / —
Karuah — Philippines: 0.6% Twelve Mile Creek — Philippines: not among its largest
Germany 0.6% / —
Karuah — Germany: 0.6% Twelve Mile Creek — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.0%).

Qualifications

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

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Certificate III & IV 18.9% / 17.6%
Karuah — Certificate III & IV: 18.9% Twelve Mile Creek — Certificate III & IV: 17.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.4% / 1.9%
Karuah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.4% Twelve Mile Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 1.9%
Bachelor Degree 3.6% / 2.5%
Karuah — Bachelor Degree: 3.6% Twelve Mile Creek — Bachelor Degree: 2.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.8% / 1.9%
Karuah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8% Twelve Mile Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%
Postgraduate Degree 0.7% / —
Karuah — Postgraduate Degree: 0.7% Twelve Mile Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Karuah 92.6% houses
Karuah — Houses: 92.6% Karuah — Flats / Apartments: 4.3% Karuah — Townhouses: 3.2%
Twelve Mile Creek 37.9% houses
Twelve Mile Creek — Houses: 37.9% Twelve Mile Creek — Flats / Apartments: 62.1% Twelve Mile Creek — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Median house price $654,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $350,000 $680,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 34 days
from 18 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Twelve Mile Creek has more rural and farming land (78% vs 67%).

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Rural and farming 67% 78%
Environmental 27% 19%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 2%
Residential 2% 0%
Parks and recreation 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

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
New dwellings approved 495
across Port Stephens
same for both
Approvals change year on year -72%
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.

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Houses 3.7%
$620/wk on $865K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
House price Higher than 18% of NSW —
Income Higher than 15% of NSW Higher than 10% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 63% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 51% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 22% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 59% of NSW —

Liveability

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Grade D —
Score 12/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Twelve Mile Creek carries more crime risk (94 vs 74); Twelve Mile Creek carries more bushfire risk (87 vs 76).

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Bushfire High
76/100
 High
87/100
Crime High
74/100
 High
94/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
18/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Karuah

  • Karuah Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Twelve Mile Creek

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

Amenities in the suburb

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Parks & reserves 2 3
Childcare 2 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 14 2

Mobility

Karuah sits further from the CBD (196.5 km vs 186.7 km).

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Walkability score 10/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 196.5 km
+5% vs other
 186.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 151 min 138 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2324
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 2324
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.

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Car (driver) 79.1% / 66.7%
Karuah — Car (driver): 79.1% Twelve Mile Creek — Car (driver): 66.7%
Worked from Home 12.0% / 23.1%
Karuah — Worked from Home: 12.0% Twelve Mile Creek — Worked from Home: 23.1%
Car (passenger) 4.3% / 10.3%
Karuah — Car (passenger): 4.3% Twelve Mile Creek — Car (passenger): 10.3%
Walked Only 3.4% / —
Karuah — Walked Only: 3.4% Twelve Mile Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 1.2% / —
Karuah — Bicycle: 1.2% Twelve Mile Creek — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.1%).

Setting

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Elevation 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 74 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.6 km 8.4 km

NBN connectivity

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Connectivity score 70/100 15/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
1,055 premises
 0%
11 premises

Climate

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Annual rainfall 1,181 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Average residential rate $1,359/yr
same for both
Council Port Stephens
same for both

Federal electorate

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Karuah Twelve Mile Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Karuah

Acreage Affordable Coastal Retirees

Twelve Mile Creek

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Karuah

Karuah vs North Arm Cove Karuah vs Limeburners Creek Karuah vs Swan Bay Karuah vs The Branch

Other comparisons with Twelve Mile Creek

Twelve Mile Creek vs Clarence Town Twelve Mile Creek vs Limeburners Creek Twelve Mile Creek vs Swan Bay Twelve Mile Creek vs Ferodale
Full data on Karuah Full data on Twelve Mile Creek
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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