Lower Portland vs Blaxlands Ridge

Blaxlands Ridge is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 46 in Lower Portland. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Lower Portland: a median of $2.6 million, against $1.47 million in Blaxlands Ridge, though rent is higher in Blaxlands Ridge. On these figures, Blaxlands Ridge tends to suit couples 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

Blaxlands Ridge

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (91% vs 75%)

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

First-home buyers

Blaxlands Ridge

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,470,000 vs $2,595,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 28%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Lower Portland

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($400/wk vs $470/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Blaxlands Ridge

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (72 min vs 81 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (75.8 km vs 83.6 km)
  • But Lower Portland is more walkable (16/100 vs 5/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Lower Portland

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (16/100 vs 5/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 13%)

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

Where they sit

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

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
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.

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Walkability 16 / 5
Lower Portland — Walkability: 16/100 Blaxlands Ridge — Walkability: 5/100
Safety 58 / 65
Lower Portland — Safety: 58/100 Blaxlands Ridge — Safety: 65/100
Low fire risk 11 / 17
Lower Portland — Low fire risk: 11/100 Blaxlands Ridge — Low fire risk: 17/100

Demographics

Blaxlands Ridge has higher household incomes ($143,728 vs $102,180); Lower Portland skews older (46 vs 39).

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Population 711
+17% vs other
 589
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +20.7% —
Median age 46 39
Median household income $102,180/yr $143,728/yr
+41% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk $470/wk
+18% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
0-4 4.8% / 5.9%
Lower Portland — 0-4: 4.8% Blaxlands Ridge — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 12.9% / 14.9%
Lower Portland — 5-14: 12.9% Blaxlands Ridge — 5-14: 14.9%
15-19 7.5% / 8.3%
Lower Portland — 15-19: 7.5% Blaxlands Ridge — 15-19: 8.3%
20-24 4.2% / 6.1%
Lower Portland — 20-24: 4.2% Blaxlands Ridge — 20-24: 6.1%
25-34 8.4% / 8.5%
Lower Portland — 25-34: 8.4% Blaxlands Ridge — 25-34: 8.5%
35-44 11.1% / 13.1%
Lower Portland — 35-44: 11.1% Blaxlands Ridge — 35-44: 13.1%
45-54 15.9% / 13.2%
Lower Portland — 45-54: 15.9% Blaxlands Ridge — 45-54: 13.2%
55-64 16.7% / 16.1%
Lower Portland — 55-64: 16.7% Blaxlands Ridge — 55-64: 16.1%
65-74 13.9% / 8.5%
Lower Portland — 65-74: 13.9% Blaxlands Ridge — 65-74: 8.5%
75-84 5.1% / 3.7%
Lower Portland — 75-84: 5.1% Blaxlands Ridge — 75-84: 3.7%
85+ 0.4% / 1.2%
Lower Portland — 85+: 0.4% Blaxlands Ridge — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lower Portland 61.8% couple families
Lower Portland — Couple Families: 61.8% Lower Portland — Lone Person: 15.8% Lower Portland — One Parent Families: 13.2% Lower Portland — Group Household: 4.6% Lower Portland — Other Families: 4.6%
Blaxlands Ridge 84.3% couple families
Blaxlands Ridge — Couple Families: 84.3% Blaxlands Ridge — Lone Person: 8.7% Blaxlands Ridge — One Parent Families: 7.0% Blaxlands Ridge — Group Household: 0.0% Blaxlands Ridge — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Lower Portland 7.5% renting
Lower Portland — Owned Outright: 36.2% Lower Portland — Mortgage: 56.3% Lower Portland — Renting: 7.5%
Blaxlands Ridge 5.0% renting
Blaxlands Ridge — Owned Outright: 32.9% Blaxlands Ridge — Mortgage: 62.1% Blaxlands Ridge — Renting: 5.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Certificate III & IV 20.1% / 23.6%
Lower Portland — Certificate III & IV: 20.1% Blaxlands Ridge — Certificate III & IV: 23.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 8.5%
Lower Portland — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Blaxlands Ridge — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5%
Bachelor Degree 7.9% / 6.8%
Lower Portland — Bachelor Degree: 7.9% Blaxlands Ridge — Bachelor Degree: 6.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 1.7%
Lower Portland — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Blaxlands Ridge — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%
Postgraduate Degree 2.5% / 0.8%
Lower Portland — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5% Blaxlands Ridge — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.6%).

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.

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
England 3.8% / 3.1%
Lower Portland — England: 3.8% Blaxlands Ridge — England: 3.1%
Ireland 0.4% / 1.4%
Lower Portland — Ireland: 0.4% Blaxlands Ridge — Ireland: 1.4%
South Africa — / 1.7%
Lower Portland — South Africa: not among its largest Blaxlands Ridge — South Africa: 1.7%
New Zealand 0.4% / 1.2%
Lower Portland — New Zealand: 0.4% Blaxlands Ridge — New Zealand: 1.2%
China 0.7% / —
Lower Portland — China: 0.7% Blaxlands Ridge — China: not among its largest
Germany — / 0.7%
Lower Portland — Germany: not among its largest Blaxlands Ridge — Germany: 0.7%
Canada 0.6% / —
Lower Portland — Canada: 0.6% Blaxlands Ridge — Canada: not among its largest
Fiji 0.6% / —
Lower Portland — Fiji: 0.6% Blaxlands Ridge — Fiji: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lower Portland 96.6% houses
Lower Portland — Houses: 96.6% Lower Portland — Townhouses: 2.4% Lower Portland — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Blaxlands Ridge 100.0% houses
Blaxlands Ridge — Houses: 100.0% Blaxlands Ridge — Townhouses: 0.0% Blaxlands Ridge — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Median house price $2,595,000 $1,470,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,050,000 —

Zoning mix

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Rural and farming 60% 67%
Environmental 40% 32%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 1%
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

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
New dwellings approved 459
across Hawkesbury
same for both
Approvals change year on year +3%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
House price Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Income Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 47% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW

Liveability

Lower Portland is more walkable (16 vs 5); Blaxlands Ridge scores higher overall (41 vs 36).

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Grade C
same for both
Score 36/100 41/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Bushfire High
89/100
 High
83/100
Crime Moderate
42/100
 Low
35/100
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

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
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

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 14 6

Mobility

Lower Portland sits further from the CBD (83.6 km vs 75.8 km).

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Walkability score 16/100 5/100
Distance to Sydney 83.6 km
+9% vs other
 75.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 81 min 72 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2756
 0.9%
postcode 2758
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 46
postcode 2756
 57
postcode 2758

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.

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Car (driver) 61.4% / 62.3%
Lower Portland — Car (driver): 61.4% Blaxlands Ridge — Car (driver): 62.3%
Worked from Home 34.1% / 33.8%
Lower Portland — Worked from Home: 34.1% Blaxlands Ridge — Worked from Home: 33.8%
Car (passenger) 2.7% / 3.8%
Lower Portland — Car (passenger): 2.7% Blaxlands Ridge — Car (passenger): 3.8%
Walked Only 1.9% / —
Lower Portland — Walked Only: 1.9% Blaxlands Ridge — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.3%).

Setting

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Elevation 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 57 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 34.0 km 40.4 km

NBN connectivity

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Connectivity score 28/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
279 premises
 0%
201 premises

Climate

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Annual rainfall 806 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.23 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Average residential rate $1,650/yr
same for both
Council Hawkesbury
same for both

Federal electorate

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Division Macquarie
same for both
Member Susan Templeman
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lower Portland Blaxlands Ridge
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lower Portland

Rural

Blaxlands Ridge

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lower Portland

Lower Portland vs East Kurrajong Lower Portland vs Maroota Lower Portland vs South Maroota Lower Portland vs Sackville North Lower Portland vs Colo Heights Lower Portland vs Sackville

Other comparisons with Blaxlands Ridge

Blaxlands Ridge vs Kurrajong Blaxlands Ridge vs East Kurrajong Blaxlands Ridge vs Wheeny Creek Blaxlands Ridge vs Colo
Full data on Lower Portland Full data on Blaxlands Ridge
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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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