Lowanna vs Upper Orara

Upper Orara is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 51 in Lowanna. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lowanna, about half of households are people living alone. In Upper Orara, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Upper Orara: a median of $1.4 million, against $255,000 in Lowanna, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Lowanna tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Upper Orara suits families with children and couples.

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

Upper Orara

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 40%)
  • carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 86/100)

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

First-home buyers

Lowanna

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($255,000 vs $1,400,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Lowanna has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $350/wk)
  • Upper Orara leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 37%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Upper Orara

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (367 min vs 391 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (541 km vs 563.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Upper Orara

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 86/100)

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

Investors

Upper Orara

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.0% vs -0.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Lowanna Upper Orara
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.

Lowanna Upper Orara
Walkability 0 / 0
Lowanna — Walkability: 0/100 Upper Orara — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 14 / 50
Lowanna — Safety: 14/100 Upper Orara — Safety: 50/100
Low fire risk 16 / 64
Lowanna — Low fire risk: 16/100 Upper Orara — Low fire risk: 64/100

Demographics

Upper Orara has more residents (863 vs 359); Upper Orara has higher household incomes ($90,428 vs $42,640).

Lowanna Upper Orara
Population 359 863
+140% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.8% +6.0%
Median age 51 45
Median household income $42,640/yr $90,428/yr
+112% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $350/wk
+17% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lowanna Upper Orara
0-4 5.6% / 4.6%
Lowanna — 0-4: 5.6% Upper Orara — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 6.7% / 15.2%
Lowanna — 5-14: 6.7% Upper Orara — 5-14: 15.2%
15-19 6.1% / 5.7%
Lowanna — 15-19: 6.1% Upper Orara — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 4.5% / 4.1%
Lowanna — 20-24: 4.5% Upper Orara — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 13.4% / 9.3%
Lowanna — 25-34: 13.4% Upper Orara — 25-34: 9.3%
35-44 8.1% / 10.9%
Lowanna — 35-44: 8.1% Upper Orara — 35-44: 10.9%
45-54 15.6% / 13.6%
Lowanna — 45-54: 15.6% Upper Orara — 45-54: 13.6%
55-64 21.4% / 16.7%
Lowanna — 55-64: 21.4% Upper Orara — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 17.3% / 14.1%
Lowanna — 65-74: 17.3% Upper Orara — 65-74: 14.1%
75-84 2.5% / 5.6%
Lowanna — 75-84: 2.5% Upper Orara — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ — / 0.3%
Lowanna — 85+: not among its largest Upper Orara — 85+: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lowanna 21.0% couple families
Lowanna — Couple Families: 21.0% Lowanna — Lone Person: 50.5% Lowanna — One Parent Families: 19.0% Lowanna — Group Household: 9.5% Lowanna — Other Families: 0.0%
Upper Orara 58.9% couple families
Upper Orara — Couple Families: 58.9% Upper Orara — Lone Person: 18.9% Upper Orara — One Parent Families: 14.4% Upper Orara — Group Household: 6.1% Upper Orara — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Lowanna 12.7% renting
Lowanna — Owned Outright: 56.3% Lowanna — Mortgage: 31.0% Lowanna — Renting: 12.7%
Upper Orara 20.0% renting
Upper Orara — Owned Outright: 38.5% Upper Orara — Mortgage: 41.5% Upper Orara — Renting: 20.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Lowanna Upper Orara
Certificate III & IV 18.4% / 20.9%
Lowanna — Certificate III & IV: 18.4% Upper Orara — Certificate III & IV: 20.9%
Bachelor Degree 6.4% / 10.5%
Lowanna — Bachelor Degree: 6.4% Upper Orara — Bachelor Degree: 10.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 2.8% / 9.2%
Lowanna — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.8% Upper Orara — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2%
Postgraduate Degree 0.8% / 3.5%
Lowanna — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8% Upper Orara — Postgraduate Degree: 3.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.4%
Lowanna — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Upper Orara — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).

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.

Lowanna Upper Orara
England 1.4% / 3.7%
Lowanna — England: 1.4% Upper Orara — England: 3.7%
New Zealand 3.1% / 1.7%
Lowanna — New Zealand: 3.1% Upper Orara — New Zealand: 1.7%
Germany 1.7% / 1.3%
Lowanna — Germany: 1.7% Upper Orara — Germany: 1.3%
Netherlands 0.8% / 0.9%
Lowanna — Netherlands: 0.8% Upper Orara — Netherlands: 0.9%
Thailand 1.7% / —
Lowanna — Thailand: 1.7% Upper Orara — Thailand: not among its largest
Myanmar — / 1.2%
Lowanna — Myanmar: not among its largest Upper Orara — Myanmar: 1.2%
South Africa — / 0.9%
Lowanna — South Africa: not among its largest Upper Orara — South Africa: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lowanna 96.4% houses
Lowanna — Houses: 96.4% Lowanna — Flats / Apartments: 3.6% Lowanna — Townhouses: 0.0%
Upper Orara 97.8% houses
Upper Orara — Houses: 97.8% Upper Orara — Flats / Apartments: 1.1% Upper Orara — Townhouses: 1.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Lowanna Upper Orara
Median house price $255,000 $1,400,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Upper Orara has more land zoned for conservation (14% vs 2%); Lowanna has more rural and farming land (98% vs 86%).

Lowanna Upper Orara
Rural and farming 98% 86%
Environmental 2% 14%
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

Lowanna Upper Orara
New dwellings approved 356
across Coffs Harbour
same for both
Approvals change year on year +61%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Lowanna Upper Orara
House price Higher than 15% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
Income Higher than 5% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 4% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 53% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 55% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 42% of NSW Higher than 40% of NSW

Liveability

Lowanna Upper Orara
Grade — C
Score — 37/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Lowanna carries more bushfire risk (84 vs 36); Lowanna carries more crime risk (86 vs 50).

Lowanna Upper Orara
Bushfire High
84/100
 Low
36/100
Crime High
86/100
 Moderate
50/100
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

Lowanna Upper Orara
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Lowanna

  • Lowanna Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Upper Orara

  • Orara Upper Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Lowanna Upper Orara
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Childcare 1
same for both
Waterways 30 33

Mobility

Lowanna sits further from the CBD (563.3 km vs 541 km).

Lowanna Upper Orara
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 563.3 km
+4% vs other
 541 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 391 min 367 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2450
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2450
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.

Lowanna Upper Orara
Car (driver) 76.6% / 74.4%
Lowanna — Car (driver): 76.6% Upper Orara — Car (driver): 74.4%
Worked from Home 13.5% / 18.0%
Lowanna — Worked from Home: 13.5% Upper Orara — Worked from Home: 18.0%
Car (passenger) 9.9% / 4.8%
Lowanna — Car (passenger): 9.9% Upper Orara — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Walked Only — / 2.8%
Lowanna — Walked Only: not among its largest Upper Orara — Walked Only: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.6%).

Setting

Lowanna Upper Orara
Elevation 553 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 299 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 24.9 km 13.5 km

NBN connectivity

Lowanna Upper Orara
Connectivity score 28/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
155 premises
 0%
324 premises

Climate

Lowanna Upper Orara
Annual rainfall 1,827 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Lowanna Upper Orara
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 10.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.22 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Lowanna Upper Orara
Average residential rate $1,437/yr
same for both
Council Coffs Harbour
same for both

Federal electorate

Lowanna Upper Orara
Division Page Cowper
Member Kevin Hogan Pat Conaghan
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lowanna Upper Orara
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lowanna

Rural

Upper Orara

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lowanna

Lowanna vs Nana Glen Lowanna vs Glenreagh Lowanna vs Coramba Lowanna vs Ulong

Other comparisons with Upper Orara

Upper Orara vs Coffs Harbour Upper Orara vs Bonville Upper Orara vs North Boambee Valley Upper Orara vs Boambee Upper Orara vs Coramba Upper Orara vs Karangi
Full data on Lowanna Full data on Upper Orara
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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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