Killcare vs Pretty Beach

Killcare is the younger of the two, with a median age of 53 against 57 in Pretty Beach. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Killcare, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Pretty Beach tends to suit 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

Killcare

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 52%)

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

First-home buyers

Pretty Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 26%)

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

Pretty Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (53/100 vs 44/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Pretty Beach

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (37% vs 28%)
  • is more walkable (53/100 vs 44/100)

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

Investors

Killcare

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (9.3% vs -10.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Killcare Pretty Beach
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.

Killcare Pretty Beach
Walkability 44 / 53
Killcare — Walkability: 44/100 Pretty Beach — Walkability: 53/100
Low fire risk 27 / 18
Killcare — Low fire risk: 27/100 Pretty Beach — Low fire risk: 18/100

Demographics

Killcare has more residents (517 vs 314); Pretty Beach skews older (57 vs 53).

Killcare Pretty Beach
Population 517
+39% vs other
 314
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.3% -10.8%
Median age 53 57
Median household income $98,280/yr
+4% vs other
 $94,536/yr
Median weekly rent $445/wk
+4% vs other
 $428/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Killcare Pretty Beach
0-4 4.4% / 1.3%
Killcare — 0-4: 4.4% Pretty Beach — 0-4: 1.3%
5-14 12.6% / 8.9%
Killcare — 5-14: 12.6% Pretty Beach — 5-14: 8.9%
15-19 3.3% / 4.1%
Killcare — 15-19: 3.3% Pretty Beach — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 3.9% / 2.2%
Killcare — 20-24: 3.9% Pretty Beach — 20-24: 2.2%
25-34 5.0% / 6.7%
Killcare — 25-34: 5.0% Pretty Beach — 25-34: 6.7%
35-44 11.0% / 6.1%
Killcare — 35-44: 11.0% Pretty Beach — 35-44: 6.1%
45-54 12.0% / 11.8%
Killcare — 45-54: 12.0% Pretty Beach — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 19.5% / 18.2%
Killcare — 55-64: 19.5% Pretty Beach — 55-64: 18.2%
65-74 19.0% / 22.6%
Killcare — 65-74: 19.0% Pretty Beach — 65-74: 22.6%
75-84 9.1% / 11.5%
Killcare — 75-84: 9.1% Pretty Beach — 75-84: 11.5%
85+ — / 2.9%
Killcare — 85+: not among its largest Pretty Beach — 85+: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Killcare 45.0% couple families
Killcare — Couple Families: 45.0% Killcare — Lone Person: 36.4% Killcare — One Parent Families: 15.5% Killcare — Group Household: 3.1%
Pretty Beach 39.7% couple families
Pretty Beach — Couple Families: 39.7% Pretty Beach — Lone Person: 39.7% Pretty Beach — One Parent Families: 12.3% Pretty Beach — Group Household: 8.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Killcare 13.7% renting
Killcare — Owned Outright: 53.2% Killcare — Mortgage: 33.2% Killcare — Renting: 13.7%
Pretty Beach 12.7% renting
Pretty Beach — Owned Outright: 52.4% Pretty Beach — Mortgage: 34.9% Pretty Beach — Renting: 12.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Killcare Pretty Beach
Bachelor Degree 20.7% / 20.1%
Killcare — Bachelor Degree: 20.7% Pretty Beach — Bachelor Degree: 20.1%
Certificate III & IV 10.8% / 13.4%
Killcare — Certificate III & IV: 10.8% Pretty Beach — Certificate III & IV: 13.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.8% / 9.2%
Killcare — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.8% Pretty Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2%
Postgraduate Degree 7.5% / 10.8%
Killcare — Postgraduate Degree: 7.5% Pretty Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 10.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.7% / 4.1%
Killcare — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7% Pretty Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).

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.

Killcare Pretty Beach
England 9.7% / 6.4%
Killcare — England: 9.7% Pretty Beach — England: 6.4%
New Zealand 3.5% / 1.9%
Killcare — New Zealand: 3.5% Pretty Beach — New Zealand: 1.9%
South Africa — / 2.5%
Killcare — South Africa: not among its largest Pretty Beach — South Africa: 2.5%
Germany 1.0% / 1.3%
Killcare — Germany: 1.0% Pretty Beach — Germany: 1.3%
Japan — / 1.0%
Killcare — Japan: not among its largest Pretty Beach — Japan: 1.0%
Italy 0.8% / —
Killcare — Italy: 0.8% Pretty Beach — Italy: not among its largest
Greece 0.6% / —
Killcare — Greece: 0.6% Pretty Beach — Greece: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Killcare 92.8% houses
Killcare — Houses: 92.8% Killcare — Townhouses: 5.3% Killcare — Flats / Apartments: 1.9%
Pretty Beach 100.0% houses
Pretty Beach — Houses: 100.0% Pretty Beach — Townhouses: 3.2% Pretty Beach — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Killcare Pretty Beach
Median house price $1,900,000 $1,755,000
Median unit price $823,250 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 50 days
from 8 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Killcare has more land zoned for conservation (66% vs 34%).

Killcare Pretty Beach
Environmental 66% 34%
Residential 29% 51%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 9%
Parks and recreation 4% 5%
Planning zones cover 100% of Killcare and 99% of Pretty Beach. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Killcare Pretty Beach
New dwellings approved 1,441
across Central Coast (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +67%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Killcare Pretty Beach
House price Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Income Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 35% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW

Liveability

Pretty Beach is more walkable (53 vs 44).

Killcare Pretty Beach
Grade B —
Score 51/100 —
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Killcare Pretty Beach
Bushfire High
73/100
 High
82/100
Crime Low
37/100
 —
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
24/100
 Low
29/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Killcare Pretty Beach
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

Schools in Killcare

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

Schools in Pretty Beach

  • Pretty Beach Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Killcare Pretty Beach
Parks & reserves 1 2
Childcare 0 1

Mobility

Killcare Pretty Beach
Walkability score 44/100 53/100
Distance to Sydney 94.6 km 95.7 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 93 min 94 min
Public transport score 24/100
Bus
 25/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 2.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 3.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 7 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2257
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 31
postcode 2257
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.

Killcare Pretty Beach
Worked from Home 54.4% / 53.5%
Killcare — Worked from Home: 54.4% Pretty Beach — Worked from Home: 53.5%
Car (driver) 38.7% / 38.6%
Killcare — Car (driver): 38.7% Pretty Beach — Car (driver): 38.6%
Walked Only 2.9% / 4.0%
Killcare — Walked Only: 2.9% Pretty Beach — Walked Only: 4.0%
Train 2.5% / 4.0%
Killcare — Train: 2.5% Pretty Beach — Train: 4.0%
Car (passenger) 1.5% / —
Killcare — Car (passenger): 1.5% Pretty Beach — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (54.4%).

Setting

Killcare Pretty Beach
Elevation 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 7 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2 m
2.1 km to a named beach
 38 m
785 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Killcare Pretty Beach
Connectivity score 59/100 63/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 25%
444 premises
 32%
251 premises

Climate

Killcare Pretty Beach
Annual rainfall 1,272 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Killcare Pretty Beach
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.36 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Killcare Pretty Beach
Average residential rate $1,409/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Killcare Pretty Beach
Division Robertson
same for both
Member Gordon Reid
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Killcare Pretty Beach
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Killcare

Acreage Coastal Outer Premium Professionals Retirees

Pretty Beach

Beach Coastal Large Blocks Outer Parks Professionals Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Killcare

Killcare vs Empire Bay Killcare vs Booker Bay Killcare vs Killcare Heights Killcare vs Daleys Point Killcare vs Hardys Bay

Other comparisons with Pretty Beach

Pretty Beach vs Booker Bay Pretty Beach vs Wagstaffe Pretty Beach vs Hardys Bay
Full data on Killcare Full data on Pretty Beach
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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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