Leycester vs Rock Valley
Leycester is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 53 in Rock Valley. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Rock Valley: a median of $750,000, against $515,000 in Leycester, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Leycester tends to suit families with children and buyers on a tighter budget.
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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Leycester
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- has cheaper houses ($515,000 vs $750,000)
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 26%)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Leycester
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 24%)
- has cheaper rent ($275/wk vs $320/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Leycester
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (739.7 km vs 744.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Too close to call
Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Leycester and Rock Valley drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Rock Valley has more residents (266 vs 146); Leycester has higher household incomes ($83,200 vs $69,992).
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 146 | 266 +82% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -2.0% | +0.4% |
| Median age | 46 | 53 |
| Median household income | $83,200/yr +16% vs other | $69,992/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $275/wk | $320/wk +16% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $515,000 | $750,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $610,000 |
Zoning mix
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% same for both | |
| Environmental | 1% 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
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 138 across Lismore same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +0% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 16% of NSW | Higher than 29% of NSW |
| Income | — | Higher than 33% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 66% of NSW | Higher than 62% of NSW |
| Affordability | — | Higher than 59% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 58% of NSW | Higher than 57% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 37% of NSW | Higher than 44% of NSW |
Liveability
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Rock Valley carries more bushfire risk (30 vs 0).
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 30/100 |
| Crime | Low 22/100 same for both | |
| 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
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 1 same for both | |
Mobility
Rock Valley sits further from the CBD (744.4 km vs 739.7 km).
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 16/100 | 14/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 739.7 km | 744.4 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 493 min same for both | |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 2480 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 69 postcode 2480 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (88.6%).
Setting
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 147 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 25 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 36.5 km | 39.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 26/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 44 premises | 0% 123 premises |
Council rates
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,487/yr same for both | |
| Council | Lismore same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Page same for both | |
| Member | Kevin Hogan same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Leycester | Rock Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Leycester
Rock Valley
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Leycester
Other comparisons with Rock Valley
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.