Lochiel vs South Wolumla
Lochiel is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 48 in South Wolumla. 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. Houses cost more in Lochiel: a median of $1.2 million, against $940,000 in South Wolumla, though rent is higher in South Wolumla. On these figures, Lochiel tends to suit families with children and couples, while South Wolumla suits 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
Lochiel
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 60%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
South Wolumla
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($940,000 vs $1,200,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Lochiel
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 24%)
- has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $350/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Lochiel
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (375 min vs 398 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (537 km vs 551 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
Lochiel
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (16.1% vs 3.4%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Lochiel and South Wolumla 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
Lochiel has more residents (411 vs 180); South Wolumla rents higher ($350/wk vs $260/wk).
| Lochiel | South Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 411 +56% vs other | 180 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +16.1% | +3.4% |
| Median age | 44 | 48 |
| Median household income | $82,472/yr +7% vs other | $76,492/yr |
| 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 (21.7%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Lochiel | South Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,200,000 | $940,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Lochiel has more rural and farming land (85% vs 53%); South Wolumla has more land zoned for conservation (46% vs 14%).
| Lochiel | South Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 85% | 53% |
| Environmental | 14% | 46% |
| 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 Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 109 across Bega Valley same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -32% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Lochiel | South Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 48% of NSW | Higher than 46% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 50% of NSW | Higher than 44% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 42% of NSW | Higher than 1% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 52% of NSW | Higher than 49% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 40% of NSW | Higher than 69% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 35% of NSW | Higher than 44% of NSW |
Liveability
| Lochiel | South Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
South Wolumla carries more bushfire risk (67 vs 31).
| Lochiel | South Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 31/100 | Moderate 67/100 |
| Crime | Low 13/100 | Low 14/100 |
| 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 Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 same for both | |
| Waterways | 14 | 6 |
Mobility
South Wolumla sits further from the CBD (551 km vs 537 km).
| Lochiel | South Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 537 km | 551 km +3% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 375 min | 398 min |
| Public transport score | 23/100 Bus | 20/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 6.5 7-9am + 5-7pm | 4.2 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 2 min scheduled, not actual | 1 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2549 | 0.7% postcode 2550 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 52 postcode 2549 | 61 postcode 2550 |
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 (82.0%).
Setting
| Lochiel | South Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 141 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 440 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 10.8 km | 13.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Lochiel | South Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 24/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 94 premises | 0% 66 premises |
Climate
| Lochiel | South Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 768 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Lochiel | South Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,767/yr same for both | |
| Council | Bega Valley same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Lochiel | South Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Wolumla | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Wolumla
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.