Lower Southgate vs Ulmarra

Ulmarra is the younger of the two, with a median age of 49 against 52 in Lower Southgate. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lower Southgate, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Lower Southgate: a median of $1.66 million, against $635,000 in Ulmarra, though rent is higher in Ulmarra. On these figures, Lower Southgate tends to suit couples, while Ulmarra suits older residents 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Lower Southgate carries lower crime risk (63/100 vs 76/100)
  • Ulmarra has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Ulmarra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($635,000 vs $1,660,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Lower Southgate

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($180/wk vs $260/wk)
  • But Ulmarra has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 11%)

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

Commuting to the city

Ulmarra

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (411 min vs 427 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (621.8 km vs 637.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Lower Southgate carries lower crime risk (63/100 vs 76/100)
  • Ulmarra has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 21%)

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

Lower Southgate and Ulmarra 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 Southgate Ulmarra
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 Southgate Ulmarra
Walkability 10 / 14
Lower Southgate — Walkability: 10/100 Ulmarra — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 37 / 24
Lower Southgate — Safety: 37/100 Ulmarra — Safety: 24/100
Low fire risk 43 / 68
Lower Southgate — Low fire risk: 43/100 Ulmarra — Low fire risk: 68/100

Demographics

Ulmarra has more residents (749 vs 112); Lower Southgate has higher household incomes ($74,724 vs $51,168).

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Population 112 749
+569% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.9% -3.9%
Median age 52 49
Median household income $74,724/yr
+32% vs other
 $51,168/yr
Median weekly rent $180/wk $260/wk
+44% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
0-4 4.5% / 4.3%
Lower Southgate — 0-4: 4.5% Ulmarra — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 5.4% / 12.1%
Lower Southgate — 5-14: 5.4% Ulmarra — 5-14: 12.1%
15-19 5.4% / 5.1%
Lower Southgate — 15-19: 5.4% Ulmarra — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 7.1% / 4.8%
Lower Southgate — 20-24: 7.1% Ulmarra — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 10.7% / 8.0%
Lower Southgate — 25-34: 10.7% Ulmarra — 25-34: 8.0%
35-44 9.8% / 11.2%
Lower Southgate — 35-44: 9.8% Ulmarra — 35-44: 11.2%
45-54 15.2% / 10.9%
Lower Southgate — 45-54: 15.2% Ulmarra — 45-54: 10.9%
55-64 21.4% / 13.0%
Lower Southgate — 55-64: 21.4% Ulmarra — 55-64: 13.0%
65-74 21.4% / 15.4%
Lower Southgate — 65-74: 21.4% Ulmarra — 65-74: 15.4%
75-84 — / 10.5%
Lower Southgate — 75-84: not among its largest Ulmarra — 75-84: 10.5%
85+ — / 4.8%
Lower Southgate — 85+: not among its largest Ulmarra — 85+: 4.8%

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

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 Southgate Ulmarra
New Zealand 4.5% / 0.4%
Lower Southgate — New Zealand: 4.5% Ulmarra — New Zealand: 0.4%
England — / 1.6%
Lower Southgate — England: not among its largest Ulmarra — England: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lower Southgate 48.0% lone person
Lower Southgate — Lone Person: 48.0% Lower Southgate — Couple Families: 52.0% Lower Southgate — One Parent Families: 0.0% Lower Southgate — Group Household: 0.0% Lower Southgate — Other Families: 0.0%
Ulmarra 42.2% lone person
Ulmarra — Lone Person: 42.2% Ulmarra — Couple Families: 31.9% Ulmarra — One Parent Families: 21.1% Ulmarra — Group Household: 3.2% Ulmarra — Other Families: 1.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lower Southgate 100.0% houses
Lower Southgate — Houses: 100.0% Lower Southgate — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Lower Southgate — Townhouses: 0.0%
Ulmarra 91.3% houses
Ulmarra — Houses: 91.3% Ulmarra — Flats / Apartments: 5.9% Ulmarra — Townhouses: 2.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Certificate III & IV 24.1% / 20.2%
Lower Southgate — Certificate III & IV: 24.1% Ulmarra — Certificate III & IV: 20.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 6.4%
Lower Southgate — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Ulmarra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Bachelor Degree 6.2% / 4.0%
Lower Southgate — Bachelor Degree: 6.2% Ulmarra — Bachelor Degree: 4.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.9%
Lower Southgate — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Ulmarra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.7%
Lower Southgate — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Ulmarra — Postgraduate Degree: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.1%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Lower Southgate 11.4% renting
Lower Southgate — Owned Outright: 56.8% Lower Southgate — Mortgage: 31.8% Lower Southgate — Renting: 11.4%
Ulmarra 27.6% renting
Ulmarra — Owned Outright: 46.2% Ulmarra — Mortgage: 26.2% Ulmarra — Renting: 27.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Median house price $1,660,000 $635,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 26 days
from 13 sales

Zoning mix

Lower Southgate has more land zoned for conservation (37% vs 6%); Ulmarra has more rural and farming land (93% vs 63%).

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Rural and farming 63% 93%
Environmental 37% 6%
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 Southgate Ulmarra
New dwellings approved 246
across Clarence Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -80%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
House price Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 17% of NSW
Income Higher than 42% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 5% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW

Liveability

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Grade — D
Score — 18/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Lower Southgate carries more bushfire risk (57 vs 32); Ulmarra carries more crime risk (76 vs 63).

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Bushfire Moderate
57/100
 Low
32/100
Crime Moderate
63/100
 High
76/100
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 Southgate Ulmarra
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Lower Southgate

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Ulmarra

  • Ulmarra Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 4 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 18 10

Mobility

Lower Southgate sits further from the CBD (637.6 km vs 621.8 km).

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Walkability score 10/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 637.6 km
+2% vs other
 621.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 427 min 411 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2460
 0.2%
postcode 2462
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 60
postcode 2460
 55
postcode 2462

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 Southgate Ulmarra
Car (driver) 72.7% / 81.7%
Lower Southgate — Car (driver): 72.7% Ulmarra — Car (driver): 81.7%
Worked from Home 27.3% / 10.4%
Lower Southgate — Worked from Home: 27.3% Ulmarra — Worked from Home: 10.4%
Walked Only — / 4.6%
Lower Southgate — Walked Only: not among its largest Ulmarra — Walked Only: 4.6%
Car (passenger) — / 3.3%
Lower Southgate — Car (passenger): not among its largest Ulmarra — Car (passenger): 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.7%).

Setting

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Elevation 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 25.7 km 25.5 km

NBN connectivity

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
57 premises
 0%
358 premises

Climate

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Annual rainfall 1,060 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.3°C
same for both

Council rates

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Average residential rate $1,380/yr
same for both
Council Clarence Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lower Southgate Ulmarra
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lower Southgate

River Rural

Ulmarra

Affordable Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lower Southgate

Lower Southgate vs Lawrence Lower Southgate vs Woodford Island Lower Southgate vs Southgate Lower Southgate vs Brushgrove Lower Southgate vs Cowper Lower Southgate vs Warragai Creek

Other comparisons with Ulmarra

Ulmarra vs Clarenza Ulmarra vs Tucabia Ulmarra vs Southgate Ulmarra vs Great Marlow Ulmarra vs Swan Creek Ulmarra vs Cowper
Full data on Lower Southgate Full data on Ulmarra
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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