Lochiel vs South Pambula
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lochiel, most households are couple families. In South Pambula, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Lochiel: a median of $1.2 million, against $722,000 in South Pambula, though rent is higher in South Pambula. On these figures, South Pambula tends to suit 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
South Pambula
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($721,500 vs $1,200,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Lochiel
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $350/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 22%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
South Pambula
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (369 min vs 375 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (531.4 km vs 537 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
South Pambula
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Lochiel
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (16.1% vs 2.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Lochiel and South Pambula 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
South Pambula rents higher ($350/wk vs $260/wk); Lochiel skews older (44 vs 42).
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 411 | 493 +20% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +16.1% | +2.1% |
| Median age | 44 | 42 |
| Median household income | $82,472/yr | $83,616/yr +1% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $260/wk | $350/wk +35% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).
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 (23.5%).
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 (2.9%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,200,000 | $721,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $285,000 |
Zoning mix
Lochiel has more rural and farming land (85% vs 38%); South Pambula has more land zoned for conservation (35% vs 14%).
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 85% | 38% |
| Environmental | 14% | 35% |
| Industrial | 0% | 18% |
| Residential | 0% | 7% |
| Other and special use | 0% | 3% |
| 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
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 109 across Bega Valley same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -32% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 48% of NSW | Higher than 27% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 50% of NSW | Higher than 51% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 42% of NSW | Higher than 67% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 52% of NSW | Higher than 75% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 40% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 35% of NSW | Higher than 79% of NSW |
Liveability
South Pambula is more walkable (17 vs 0).
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 |
Risk profile
Lochiel carries more bushfire risk (31 vs 14).
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 31/100 | Low 14/100 |
| Crime | Low 13/100 | Low 19/100 |
| 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 same for both | |
Schools
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 same for both | |
| Waterways | 14 | 0 |
Mobility
Lochiel sits further from the CBD (537 km vs 531.4 km).
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 17/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 537 km +1% vs other | 531.4 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 375 min | 369 min |
| Public transport score | 23/100 Bus | 26/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 6.5 7-9am + 5-7pm | 4.8 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 2 min scheduled, not actual | 4 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2549 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 52 postcode 2549 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 (82.8%).
Setting
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 141 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 23 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 10.8 km | 5.0 km |
NBN connectivity
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 24/100 | 72/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Fibre to the premises |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 94 premises | 38% 199 premises |
Climate
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 768 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,767/yr same for both | |
| Council | Bega Valley same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Eden-monaro same for both | |
| Member | Kristy Mcbain same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Lochiel | South Pambula | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Lochiel
Other comparisons with South Pambula
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.