Monkerai vs Craven
Monkerai is the younger of the two, with a median age of 51 against 54 in Craven. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Monkerai, the large majority of households own their home and most households are couple families. In Craven, about half of households rent and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Monkerai tends to suit people living alone, while Craven suits renters 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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs land prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Monkerai
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 25%)
- has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $265/wk)
- But Craven has a bigger rental market to choose from (49% vs 21%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Monkerai
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (243.7 km vs 251.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Craven
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (36% vs 24%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Monkerai
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (45.7% vs -9.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Monkerai and Craven 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
Monkerai has higher household incomes ($66,612 vs $54,600); Craven rents higher ($265/wk vs $220/wk).
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 102 | 104 +2% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +45.7% | -9.6% |
| Median age | 51 | 54 |
| Median household income | $66,612/yr +18% vs other | $54,600/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $220/wk | $265/wk +20% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.1%).
Property market
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $900,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $850,000 | $825,000 |
Zoning mix
Monkerai has more rural and farming land (98% vs 86%).
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 98% | 86% |
| Environmental | 2% | 12% |
| Industrial | 0% | 2% |
| 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
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 743 across Mid-Coast same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +327% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 43% of NSW | — |
| Income | Higher than 29% of NSW | Higher than 15% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 48% of NSW | Higher than 13% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 41% of NSW | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 71% of NSW | Higher than 41% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 25% of NSW | Higher than 41% of NSW |
Liveability
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | high-need area decile 1/10 |
Risk profile
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 52/100 | Moderate 53/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 48/100 | Moderate 47/100 |
| 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
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 2 |
| Waterways | 19 | 22 |
Mobility
Craven sits further from the CBD (251.6 km vs 243.7 km).
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 5/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 243.7 km | 251.6 km +3% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 192 min | 196 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.7% postcode 2415 | 0.4% postcode 2422 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 81 postcode 2415 | 57 postcode 2422 |
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 (63.9%).
Setting
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 128 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 179 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 16/100 | 28/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 45 premises | 0% 71 premises |
Climate
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,327 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,560/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mid-Coast same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lyne same for both | |
| Member | Alison Penfold same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Monkerai | Craven | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Monkerai
Other comparisons with Craven
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.