Lawrence vs Ashby

Lawrence is the younger of the two, with a median age of 54 against 61 in Ashby. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Ashby, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Ashby: a median of $872,000, against $630,000 in Lawrence, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Lawrence tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Ashby suits 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

Lawrence

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (54% vs 40%)
  • But Ashby carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 55/100)

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

First-home buyers

Lawrence

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($395,000 vs $894,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($630,000 vs $872,500)

Weighs house prices, land 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

Lawrence

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (645.9 km vs 659.4 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (432 min vs 439 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Ashby

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 55/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (40% vs 33%)

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

Investors

Lawrence

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (10.8% vs -3.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Lawrence Ashby
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.

Lawrence Ashby
Walkability 8 / 4
Lawrence — Walkability: 8/100 Ashby — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 45 / 64
Lawrence — Safety: 45/100 Ashby — Safety: 64/100
Low fire risk 43 / 6
Lawrence — Low fire risk: 43/100 Ashby — Low fire risk: 6/100

Demographics

Lawrence has more residents (1,159 vs 316); Ashby skews older (61 vs 54).

Lawrence Ashby
Population 1,159
+73% vs other
 316
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.8% -3.1%
Median age 54 61
Median household income $57,408/yr $57,876/yr
Median weekly rent $330/wk $350/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lawrence Ashby
0-4 5.9% / 2.5%
Lawrence — 0-4: 5.9% Ashby — 0-4: 2.5%
5-14 10.7% / 7.6%
Lawrence — 5-14: 10.7% Ashby — 5-14: 7.6%
15-19 3.9% / 2.8%
Lawrence — 15-19: 3.9% Ashby — 15-19: 2.8%
20-24 2.8% / 4.1%
Lawrence — 20-24: 2.8% Ashby — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 8.3% / 4.4%
Lawrence — 25-34: 8.3% Ashby — 25-34: 4.4%
35-44 8.0% / 7.0%
Lawrence — 35-44: 8.0% Ashby — 35-44: 7.0%
45-54 11.0% / 10.1%
Lawrence — 45-54: 11.0% Ashby — 45-54: 10.1%
55-64 16.0% / 23.1%
Lawrence — 55-64: 16.0% Ashby — 55-64: 23.1%
65-74 19.3% / 25.9%
Lawrence — 65-74: 19.3% Ashby — 65-74: 25.9%
75-84 11.7% / 13.3%
Lawrence — 75-84: 11.7% Ashby — 75-84: 13.3%
85+ 2.2% / 1.3%
Lawrence — 85+: 2.2% Ashby — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lawrence 38.6% lone person
Lawrence — Lone Person: 38.6% Lawrence — Couple Families: 38.2% Lawrence — One Parent Families: 16.2% Lawrence — Group Household: 5.9% Lawrence — Other Families: 1.1%
Ashby 60.0% lone person
Ashby — Lone Person: 60.0% Ashby — Couple Families: 26.7% Ashby — One Parent Families: 13.3% Ashby — Group Household: 0.0% Ashby — 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.

Lawrence 9.4% renting
Lawrence — Owned Outright: 55.7% Lawrence — Mortgage: 34.9% Lawrence — Renting: 9.4%
Ashby 2.4% renting
Ashby — Owned Outright: 66.4% Ashby — Mortgage: 31.2% Ashby — Renting: 2.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Lawrence Ashby
Certificate III & IV 19.6% / 17.7%
Lawrence — Certificate III & IV: 19.6% Ashby — Certificate III & IV: 17.7%
Bachelor Degree 8.5% / 7.3%
Lawrence — Bachelor Degree: 8.5% Ashby — Bachelor Degree: 7.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.6% / 8.9%
Lawrence — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6% Ashby — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.0% / 6.3%
Lawrence — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0% Ashby — Postgraduate Degree: 6.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / —
Lawrence — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Ashby — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.6%).

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.

Lawrence Ashby
England 3.0% / 7.3%
Lawrence — England: 3.0% Ashby — England: 7.3%
New Zealand 1.4% / 2.5%
Lawrence — New Zealand: 1.4% Ashby — New Zealand: 2.5%
Indonesia — / 1.6%
Lawrence — Indonesia: not among its largest Ashby — Indonesia: 1.6%
Germany 0.4% / —
Lawrence — Germany: 0.4% Ashby — Germany: not among its largest
Zimbabwe 0.3% / —
Lawrence — Zimbabwe: 0.3% Ashby — Zimbabwe: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.3% / —
Lawrence — Netherlands: 0.3% Ashby — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lawrence 99.1% houses
Lawrence — Houses: 99.1% Lawrence — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Ashby 100.0% houses
Ashby — Houses: 100.0% Ashby — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Lawrence Ashby
Median house price $630,000 $872,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $395,000 $894,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 46 days
from 17 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Lawrence has more rural and farming land (65% vs 32%).

Lawrence Ashby
Rural and farming 65% 32%
Residential 2% 36%
Environmental 32% 31%
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

Lawrence Ashby
New dwellings approved 246
across Clarence Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -80%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Lawrence Ashby
House price Higher than 19% of NSW Higher than 38% of NSW
Income Higher than 17% of NSW
same for both
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 27% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW

Liveability

Lawrence Ashby
Grade D —
Score 19/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Ashby carries more bushfire risk (94 vs 57); Lawrence carries more crime risk (55 vs 36).

Lawrence Ashby
Bushfire Moderate
57/100
 High
94/100
Crime Moderate
55/100
 Low
36/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Lawrence Ashby
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Lawrence

  • Lawrence Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Ashby

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

Amenities in the suburb

Lawrence Ashby
Parks & reserves 3 0
Childcare 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Waterways 17 6

Mobility

Ashby sits further from the CBD (659.4 km vs 645.9 km).

Lawrence Ashby
Walkability score 8/100 4/100
Distance to Sydney 645.9 km 659.4 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 432 min 439 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2460
 0.2%
postcode 2463
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 60
postcode 2460
 70
postcode 2463

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.

Lawrence Ashby
Car (driver) 77.8% / 73.6%
Lawrence — Car (driver): 77.8% Ashby — Car (driver): 73.6%
Worked from Home 12.5% / 20.8%
Lawrence — Worked from Home: 12.5% Ashby — Worked from Home: 20.8%
Walked Only 4.8% / 5.6%
Lawrence — Walked Only: 4.8% Ashby — Walked Only: 5.6%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / —
Lawrence — Car (passenger): 3.9% Ashby — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 1.0% / —
Lawrence — Bus: 1.0% Ashby — Bus: not among its largest

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

Setting

Lawrence Ashby
Elevation 15 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 95 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 19.9 km 9.7 km

NBN connectivity

Lawrence Ashby
Connectivity score 30/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
502 premises
 0%
162 premises

Climate

Lawrence Ashby
Annual rainfall 1,408 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Lawrence Ashby
Average residential rate $1,380/yr
same for both
Council Clarence Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Lawrence Ashby
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lawrence Ashby
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lawrence

Affordable Retirees Rural

Ashby

Acreage Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lawrence

Lawrence vs Woodford Island Lawrence vs Ashby Heights Lawrence vs Lower Southgate Lawrence vs Tullymorgan Lawrence vs Gurranang

Other comparisons with Ashby

Ashby vs Maclean Ashby vs Harwood Ashby vs Woodford Island Ashby vs Ashby Heights Ashby vs Ilarwill Ashby vs South Arm
Full data on Lawrence Full data on Ashby
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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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