Mole River vs Tenterfield

Tenterfield is the younger of the two, with a median age of 55 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. In Tenterfield, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Tenterfield: a median of $515,000, against $450,000 in Mole River, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Mole River 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

Tenterfield

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (22 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (41% vs 19%)
  • But Mole River has more separate houses rather than flats (117% vs 94%)

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

First-home buyers

Mole River

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 30%)
  • has cheaper houses ($450,000 vs $515,000)
  • But Tenterfield has cheaper land ($325,000 vs $540,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Mole River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $250/wk)

Weighs rent.

Commuting to the city

Tenterfield

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (508 min vs 550 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (709.2 km vs 751.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tenterfield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)

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 0.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Mole River and Tenterfield drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Mole River Tenterfield
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.

Mole River Tenterfield
Walkability 0 / 4
Mole River — Walkability: 0/100 Tenterfield — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 17 / 18
Mole River — Safety: 17/100 Tenterfield — Safety: 18/100
Low fire risk 32 / 31
Mole River — Low fire risk: 32/100 Tenterfield — Low fire risk: 31/100

Demographics

Tenterfield rents higher ($250/wk vs $0/wk); Tenterfield has more residents (4,067 vs 89).

Mole River Tenterfield
Population 89 4,067
+4470% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +32.8% +0.0%
Median age 61 55
Median household income $43,524/yr $48,516/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent — $250/wk
(not reported on the other side)

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mole River Tenterfield
0-4 — / 4.4%
Mole River — 0-4: not among its largest Tenterfield — 0-4: 4.4%
5-14 4.5% / 10.3%
Mole River — 5-14: 4.5% Tenterfield — 5-14: 10.3%
15-19 — / 5.0%
Mole River — 15-19: not among its largest Tenterfield — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 3.4% / 3.8%
Mole River — 20-24: 3.4% Tenterfield — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 6.7% / 7.2%
Mole River — 25-34: 6.7% Tenterfield — 25-34: 7.2%
35-44 4.5% / 8.2%
Mole River — 35-44: 4.5% Tenterfield — 35-44: 8.2%
45-54 10.1% / 10.8%
Mole River — 45-54: 10.1% Tenterfield — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 25.8% / 15.3%
Mole River — 55-64: 25.8% Tenterfield — 55-64: 15.3%
65-74 31.5% / 20.2%
Mole River — 65-74: 31.5% Tenterfield — 65-74: 20.2%
75-84 3.4% / 10.9%
Mole River — 75-84: 3.4% Tenterfield — 75-84: 10.9%
85+ — / 3.9%
Mole River — 85+: not among its largest Tenterfield — 85+: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mole River 80.8% lone person
Mole River — Lone Person: 80.8% Mole River — Couple Families: 19.2% Mole River — One Parent Families: 0.0% Mole River — Group Household: 0.0% Mole River — Other Families: 0.0%
Tenterfield 54.8% lone person
Tenterfield — Lone Person: 54.8% Tenterfield — Couple Families: 24.8% Tenterfield — One Parent Families: 16.1% Tenterfield — Group Household: 3.6% Tenterfield — Other Families: 0.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mole River 0.0% renting
Mole River — Owned Outright: 72.2% Mole River — Mortgage: 27.8% Mole River — Renting: 0.0%
Tenterfield 23.2% renting
Tenterfield — Owned Outright: 54.8% Tenterfield — Mortgage: 22.1% Tenterfield — Renting: 23.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Mole River Tenterfield
New Zealand 4.5% / 1.0%
Mole River — New Zealand: 4.5% Tenterfield — New Zealand: 1.0%
Germany 3.4% / 0.4%
Mole River — Germany: 3.4% Tenterfield — Germany: 0.4%
England — / 2.2%
Mole River — England: not among its largest Tenterfield — England: 2.2%
Philippines — / 0.5%
Mole River — Philippines: not among its largest Tenterfield — Philippines: 0.5%
India — / 0.4%
Mole River — India: not among its largest Tenterfield — India: 0.4%

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

Qualifications

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

Mole River Tenterfield
Certificate III & IV 25.8% / 16.6%
Mole River — Certificate III & IV: 25.8% Tenterfield — Certificate III & IV: 16.6%
Bachelor Degree 12.4% / 7.5%
Mole River — Bachelor Degree: 12.4% Tenterfield — Bachelor Degree: 7.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.2% / 6.3%
Mole River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.2% Tenterfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.4%
Mole River — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Tenterfield — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.3%
Mole River — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Tenterfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mole River 116.7% houses
Mole River — Houses: 116.7% Mole River — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Mole River — Townhouses: 0.0%
Tenterfield 93.7% houses
Tenterfield — Houses: 93.7% Tenterfield — Flats / Apartments: 4.9% Tenterfield — Townhouses: 1.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Mole River Tenterfield
Median house price $450,000 $515,000
Median unit price — $449,000
Median land price $540,000 $325,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 65 days
from 45 sales

Zoning mix

Mole River Tenterfield
Rural and farming 100% 97%
Environmental 0% 3%
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 Tenterfield
New dwellings approved 48
across Tenterfield
same for both
Approvals change year on year -75%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Mole River Tenterfield
Houses — 3.7%
$450/wk on $640K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Mole River Tenterfield
House price Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 16% of NSW
Income Higher than 6% of NSW —
Schools — Higher than 64% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 28% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 62% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 15% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 15% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 54% of NSW

Liveability

Mole River Tenterfield
Grade — D
Score — 25/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Mole River Tenterfield
Bushfire Moderate
68/100
 Moderate
69/100
Crime High
83/100
 High
82/100
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 Tenterfield
Inside the suburb 0 3
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Mole River

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

Schools in Tenterfield

  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Tenterfield High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • The Sir Henry Parkes Memorial Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mole River Tenterfield
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 14
Parks & reserves 1 22
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 2
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Fuel stations 0 5
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 26 99

Mobility

Mole River sits further from the CBD (751.6 km vs 709.2 km).

Mole River Tenterfield
Walkability score 0/100 4/100
Distance to Sydney 751.6 km
+6% vs other
 709.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 550 min 508 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.

Mole River Tenterfield
Car (driver) 54.2% / 72.8%
Mole River — Car (driver): 54.2% Tenterfield — Car (driver): 72.8%
Worked from Home 45.8% / 15.0%
Mole River — Worked from Home: 45.8% Tenterfield — Worked from Home: 15.0%
Walked Only — / 6.3%
Mole River — Walked Only: not among its largest Tenterfield — Walked Only: 6.3%
Car (passenger) — / 5.1%
Mole River — Car (passenger): not among its largest Tenterfield — Car (passenger): 5.1%
Bus — / 0.5%
Mole River — Bus: not among its largest Tenterfield — Bus: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.8%).

Setting

Mole River Tenterfield
Elevation 616 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 1,028 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Mole River Tenterfield
Connectivity score 15/100 64/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
51 premises
 33%
2,354 premises

Climate

Mole River Tenterfield
Annual rainfall 760 mm 798 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 26.4°C
Winter min (Jul) — 1.0°C

Council rates

Mole River Tenterfield
Average residential rate $922/yr
same for both
Council Tenterfield
same for both

Federal electorate

Mole River Tenterfield
Division New England
same for both
Member Barnaby Joyce
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mole River Tenterfield
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mole River

Retirees Rural

Tenterfield

Affordable Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mole River

Mole River vs Sandy Flat Mole River vs Bolivia Mole River vs Woodside

Other comparisons with Tenterfield

Tenterfield vs Jennings Tenterfield vs Sandy Flat Tenterfield vs Woodside
Full data on Mole River Full data on Tenterfield
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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