Mole River vs Sandy Flat
Sandy Flat is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 61 in Mole River. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Mole River, the large majority of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Sandy Flat: a median of $845,000, against $450,000 in Mole River, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Mole River tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Sandy Flat suits families with children.
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
Sandy Flat
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (41% vs 19%)
- carries lower crime risk (61/100 vs 83/100)
- But Mole River has more separate houses rather than flats (117% vs 100%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
They split
one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here
- Mole River has cheaper houses ($450,000 vs $845,000)
- Sandy Flat leaves households under less mortgage stress (14% vs 19%)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Mole River
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $285/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Sandy Flat
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (494 min vs 550 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (687.8 km vs 751.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Mole River has more residents already 65 and over (35% vs 25%)
- Sandy Flat carries lower crime risk (61/100 vs 83/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Mole River
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (32.8% vs 18.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Mole River and Sandy Flat drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Sandy Flat rents higher ($285/wk vs $0/wk); Sandy Flat has higher household incomes ($69,316 vs $43,524).
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 89 | 97 +9% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +32.8% | +18.3% |
| Median age | 61 | 48 |
| Median household income | $43,524/yr | $69,316/yr +59% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | — | $285/wk (not reported on the other side) |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.2%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.8%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $450,000 | $845,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $540,000 | — |
Zoning mix
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% | 96% |
| Environmental | 0% | 4% |
| 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
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 48 across Tenterfield same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -75% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 13% of NSW | Higher than 38% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 6% of NSW | Higher than 33% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 28% of NSW | Higher than 46% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 62% of NSW | Higher than 49% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 15% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 15% of NSW | Higher than 24% of NSW |
Liveability
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 |
Risk profile
Mole River carries more crime risk (83 vs 61).
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 68/100 | High 72/100 |
| Crime | High 83/100 | Moderate 61/100 |
| 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
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 26 | 3 |
Mobility
Mole River sits further from the CBD (751.6 km vs 687.8 km).
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 5/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 751.6 km +8% vs other | 687.8 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 550 min | 494 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 2372 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 54 postcode 2372 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (54.2%).
Setting
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 616 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 782 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 16/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 51 premises | 0% 40 premises |
Climate
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 760 mm | 798 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 26.4°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 1.0°C |
Council rates
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $922/yr same for both | |
| Council | Tenterfield same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | New England same for both | |
| Member | Barnaby Joyce same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Mole River | Sandy Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Mole River
Other comparisons with Sandy Flat
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.