Main Arm vs Chowan Creek

Main Arm is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 59 in Chowan Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Main Arm, about half of households are couple families. In Chowan Creek, the large majority of households are people living alone. On these figures, Chowan Creek tends to suit people living alone and older residents.

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

Main Arm

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 95/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, and childcare.

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

Chowan Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $450/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Main Arm

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (499 min vs 539 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (772.4 km vs 807 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Main Arm

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 95/100)
  • But Chowan Creek has more residents already 65 and over (42% vs 16%)

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

Investors

Chowan Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (54.1% vs 9.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Main Arm and Chowan Creek drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Main Arm Chowan Creek
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.

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Walkability 16 / 0
Main Arm — Walkability: 16/100 Chowan Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 42 / 5
Main Arm — Safety: 42/100 Chowan Creek — Safety: 5/100
Low fire risk 40 / 50
Main Arm — Low fire risk: 40/100 Chowan Creek — Low fire risk: 50/100

Demographics

Main Arm has more residents (640 vs 57); Main Arm has higher household incomes ($72,956 vs $45,032).

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Population 640
+91% vs other
 57
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.2% +54.1%
Median age 45 59
Median household income $72,956/yr
+38% vs other
 $45,032/yr
Median weekly rent $450/wk
+29% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Main Arm Chowan Creek
0-4 4.5% / —
Main Arm — 0-4: 4.5% Chowan Creek — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 12.0% / —
Main Arm — 5-14: 12.0% Chowan Creek — 5-14: not among its largest
15-19 5.6% / —
Main Arm — 15-19: 5.6% Chowan Creek — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 2.5% / —
Main Arm — 20-24: 2.5% Chowan Creek — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 10.3% / 7.0%
Main Arm — 25-34: 10.3% Chowan Creek — 25-34: 7.0%
35-44 12.5% / 7.0%
Main Arm — 35-44: 12.5% Chowan Creek — 35-44: 7.0%
45-54 15.6% / 12.3%
Main Arm — 45-54: 15.6% Chowan Creek — 45-54: 12.3%
55-64 19.8% / 33.3%
Main Arm — 55-64: 19.8% Chowan Creek — 55-64: 33.3%
65-74 13.3% / 35.1%
Main Arm — 65-74: 13.3% Chowan Creek — 65-74: 35.1%
75-84 2.5% / 7.0%
Main Arm — 75-84: 2.5% Chowan Creek — 75-84: 7.0%
85+ 0.6% / —
Main Arm — 85+: 0.6% Chowan Creek — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (35.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Main Arm 26.7% lone person
Main Arm — Lone Person: 26.7% Main Arm — Couple Families: 50.9% Main Arm — One Parent Families: 15.5% Main Arm — Group Household: 6.9%
Chowan Creek 100.0% lone person
Chowan Creek — Lone Person: 100.0% Chowan Creek — Couple Families: 0.0% Chowan Creek — One Parent Families: 0.0% Chowan Creek — Group Household: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Main Arm 20.0% renting
Main Arm — Owned Outright: 52.6% Main Arm — Mortgage: 27.4% Main Arm — Renting: 20.0%
Chowan Creek 23.1% renting
Chowan Creek — Owned Outright: 53.8% Chowan Creek — Mortgage: 23.1% Chowan Creek — Renting: 23.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Main Arm 96.6% houses
Main Arm — Houses: 96.6% Main Arm — Townhouses: 3.4%
Chowan Creek 100.0% houses
Chowan Creek — Houses: 100.0% Chowan Creek — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Bachelor Degree 13.8% / 10.5%
Main Arm — Bachelor Degree: 13.8% Chowan Creek — Bachelor Degree: 10.5%
Certificate III & IV 13.0% / 8.8%
Main Arm — Certificate III & IV: 13.0% Chowan Creek — Certificate III & IV: 8.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 10.5%
Main Arm — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Chowan Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.5%
Postgraduate Degree 3.8% / —
Main Arm — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8% Chowan Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / —
Main Arm — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Chowan Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.8%).

Property market

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Median house price $2,050,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Chowan Creek has more land zoned for conservation (43% vs 26%); Main Arm has more rural and farming land (69% vs 57%).

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Rural and farming 69% 57%
Environmental 26% 43%
Other and special use 6% 0%
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

Main Arm Chowan Creek
New dwellings approved 129
across Byron
 331
across Tweed
Approvals change year on year -65% -50%

Ranking within NSW

Main Arm Chowan Creek
House price Higher than 86% of NSW —
Income Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 7% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 6% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW

Liveability

Main Arm is more walkable (16 vs 0).

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Grade D —
Score 28/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Chowan Creek carries more crime risk (95 vs 58); Main Arm carries more bushfire risk (60 vs 50).

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Bushfire Moderate
60/100
 Moderate
50/100
Crime Moderate
58/100
 High
95/100
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

Main Arm Chowan Creek
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

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Waterways 4 2

Mobility

Chowan Creek sits further from the CBD (807 km vs 772.4 km).

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Walkability score 16/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 772.4 km 807 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 499 min 539 min
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 2482
 0.6%
postcode 2484
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 89
postcode 2482
 76
postcode 2484

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.

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Car (driver) 64.0% / 58.3%
Main Arm — Car (driver): 64.0% Chowan Creek — Car (driver): 58.3%
Worked from Home 28.0% / 41.7%
Main Arm — Worked from Home: 28.0% Chowan Creek — Worked from Home: 41.7%
Car (passenger) 4.2% / —
Main Arm — Car (passenger): 4.2% Chowan Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 3.7% / —
Main Arm — Walked Only: 3.7% Chowan Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.0%).

Setting

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Elevation 32 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 81 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.2 km 17.6 km

NBN connectivity

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Connectivity score 29/100 19/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
222 premises
 0%
28 premises

Climate

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Annual rainfall 1,569 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Average residential rate $1,577/yr $1,745/yr
Council Byron Tweed

Federal electorate

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Division Richmond
same for both
Member Justine Elliot
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Main Arm Chowan Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Main Arm

Acreage

Chowan Creek

Multicultural Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Main Arm

Main Arm vs Mullumbimby Main Arm vs Mullumbimby Creek Main Arm vs Upper Burringbar Main Arm vs Upper Main Arm Main Arm vs The Pocket Main Arm vs Middle Pocket

Other comparisons with Chowan Creek

Chowan Creek vs Smiths Creek Chowan Creek vs Upper Burringbar Chowan Creek vs Upper Main Arm Chowan Creek vs Rowlands Creek
Full data on Main Arm Full data on Chowan Creek
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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