Lower Southgate vs Woodford Island

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lower Southgate, about half of households are people living alone. In Woodford Island, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Lower Southgate tends to suit people living alone.

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

Woodford Island

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 63/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 52%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Lower Southgate

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($180/wk vs $290/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 20%)

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

Commuting to the city

Lower Southgate

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (637.6 km vs 653.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Woodford Island

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 63/100)

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

Investors

Woodford Island

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (24.9% vs -0.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Lower Southgate and Woodford Island 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 Woodford Island
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 Woodford Island
Walkability 10 / 12
Lower Southgate — Walkability: 10/100 Woodford Island — Walkability: 12/100
Safety 37 / 70
Lower Southgate — Safety: 37/100 Woodford Island — Safety: 70/100
Low fire risk 43 / 62
Lower Southgate — Low fire risk: 43/100 Woodford Island — Low fire risk: 62/100

Demographics

Woodford Island has more residents (306 vs 112); Woodford Island rents higher ($290/wk vs $180/wk).

Lower Southgate Woodford Island
Population 112 306
+173% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.9% +24.9%
Median age 52 50
Median household income $74,724/yr $77,116/yr
+3% vs other
Median weekly rent $180/wk $290/wk
+61% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lower Southgate Woodford Island
0-4 4.5% / 1.6%
Lower Southgate — 0-4: 4.5% Woodford Island — 0-4: 1.6%
5-14 5.4% / 11.4%
Lower Southgate — 5-14: 5.4% Woodford Island — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 5.4% / 6.2%
Lower Southgate — 15-19: 5.4% Woodford Island — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 7.1% / 7.2%
Lower Southgate — 20-24: 7.1% Woodford Island — 20-24: 7.2%
25-34 10.7% / 7.8%
Lower Southgate — 25-34: 10.7% Woodford Island — 25-34: 7.8%
35-44 9.8% / 4.9%
Lower Southgate — 35-44: 9.8% Woodford Island — 35-44: 4.9%
45-54 15.2% / 16.0%
Lower Southgate — 45-54: 15.2% Woodford Island — 45-54: 16.0%
55-64 21.4% / 20.9%
Lower Southgate — 55-64: 21.4% Woodford Island — 55-64: 20.9%
65-74 21.4% / 11.1%
Lower Southgate — 65-74: 21.4% Woodford Island — 65-74: 11.1%
75-84 — / 6.9%
Lower Southgate — 75-84: not among its largest Woodford Island — 75-84: 6.9%
85+ — / 2.3%
Lower Southgate — 85+: not among its largest Woodford Island — 85+: 2.3%

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 Woodford Island
New Zealand 4.5% / 1.0%
Lower Southgate — New Zealand: 4.5% Woodford Island — New Zealand: 1.0%
England — / 2.0%
Lower Southgate — England: not among its largest Woodford Island — England: 2.0%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lower Southgate 52.0% couple families
Lower Southgate — Couple Families: 52.0% Lower Southgate — Lone Person: 48.0% Lower Southgate — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Woodford Island 50.0% couple families
Woodford Island — Couple Families: 50.0% Woodford Island — Lone Person: 31.4% Woodford Island — One Parent Families: 18.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent 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%
Woodford Island 97.5% houses
Woodford Island — Houses: 97.5% Woodford Island — Flats / Apartments: 2.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Lower Southgate Woodford Island
Certificate III & IV 24.1% / 28.8%
Lower Southgate — Certificate III & IV: 24.1% Woodford Island — Certificate III & IV: 28.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 6.5%
Lower Southgate — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Woodford Island — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5%
Bachelor Degree 6.2% / 5.2%
Lower Southgate — Bachelor Degree: 6.2% Woodford Island — Bachelor Degree: 5.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.9%
Lower Southgate — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Woodford Island — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.6%
Lower Southgate — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Woodford Island — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.8%).

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%
Woodford Island 19.1% renting
Woodford Island — Owned Outright: 49.6% Woodford Island — Mortgage: 31.3% Woodford Island — Renting: 19.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Lower Southgate Woodford Island
Median house price $1,660,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Lower Southgate has more land zoned for conservation (37% vs 22%); Woodford Island has more rural and farming land (78% vs 63%).

Lower Southgate Woodford Island
Rural and farming 63% 78%
Environmental 37% 22%
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 Woodford Island
New dwellings approved 246
across Clarence Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -80%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Lower Southgate Woodford Island
House price Higher than 88% of NSW —
Income Higher than 42% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 5% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 27% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW

Liveability

Lower Southgate Woodford Island
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Lower Southgate carries more crime risk (63 vs 30); Lower Southgate carries more bushfire risk (57 vs 38).

Lower Southgate Woodford Island
Bushfire Moderate
57/100
 Low
38/100
Crime Moderate
63/100
 Low
30/100
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 Woodford Island
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 Southgate Woodford Island
Parks & reserves 4 2
Waterways 18 8

Mobility

Woodford Island sits further from the CBD (653.6 km vs 637.6 km).

Lower Southgate Woodford Island
Walkability score 10/100 12/100
Distance to Sydney 637.6 km 653.6 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 427 min 431 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2460
 0.2%
postcode 2463
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 60
postcode 2460
 70
postcode 2463

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 Woodford Island
Car (driver) 72.7% / 76.4%
Lower Southgate — Car (driver): 72.7% Woodford Island — Car (driver): 76.4%
Worked from Home 27.3% / 19.4%
Lower Southgate — Worked from Home: 27.3% Woodford Island — Worked from Home: 19.4%
Car (passenger) — / 2.1%
Lower Southgate — Car (passenger): not among its largest Woodford Island — Car (passenger): 2.1%
Walked Only — / 2.1%
Lower Southgate — Walked Only: not among its largest Woodford Island — Walked Only: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.4%).

Setting

Lower Southgate Woodford Island
Elevation 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 25.7 km 17.9 km

NBN connectivity

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

Climate

Lower Southgate Woodford Island
Annual rainfall 1,060 mm 1,408 mm
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C —
Winter min (Jul) 8.3°C —

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Lower Southgate Woodford Island
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

Woodford Island

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lower Southgate

Lower Southgate vs Lawrence Lower Southgate vs Ulmarra Lower Southgate vs Southgate Lower Southgate vs Brushgrove Lower Southgate vs Cowper Lower Southgate vs Warragai Creek

Other comparisons with Woodford Island

Woodford Island vs Lawrence Woodford Island vs Ashby Woodford Island vs Ilarwill Woodford Island vs South Arm Woodford Island vs Tyndale Woodford Island vs Brushgrove
Full data on Lower Southgate Full data on Woodford Island
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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