Monkerai vs Wards River

Monkerai is the younger of the two, with a median age of 51 against 55 in Wards River. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Monkerai, most households are couple families. In Wards River, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Monkerai tends to suit couples, while Wards River suits 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

Monkerai

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (56% vs 47%)

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

First-home buyers

Monkerai

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (27% vs 43%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Monkerai

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 34%)
  • has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $270/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Wards River

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (182 min vs 192 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (240.5 km vs 243.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wards River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (30% 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 0.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Monkerai Wards River
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.

Monkerai Wards River
Walkability 5 / 6
Monkerai — Walkability: 5/100 Wards River — Walkability: 6/100
Safety 52 / 53
Monkerai — Safety: 52/100 Wards River — Safety: 53/100
Low fire risk 48 / 39
Monkerai — Low fire risk: 48/100 Wards River — Low fire risk: 39/100

Demographics

Wards River has more residents (178 vs 102); Monkerai has higher household incomes ($66,612 vs $40,716).

Monkerai Wards River
Population 102 178
+75% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +45.7% +0.0%
Median age 51 55
Median household income $66,612/yr
+39% vs other
 $40,716/yr
Median weekly rent $220/wk $270/wk
+23% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Monkerai Wards River
0-4 2.9% / 2.2%
Monkerai — 0-4: 2.9% Wards River — 0-4: 2.2%
5-14 12.7% / 9.0%
Monkerai — 5-14: 12.7% Wards River — 5-14: 9.0%
15-19 7.8% / 2.8%
Monkerai — 15-19: 7.8% Wards River — 15-19: 2.8%
20-24 — / 1.7%
Monkerai — 20-24: not among its largest Wards River — 20-24: 1.7%
25-34 8.8% / 7.9%
Monkerai — 25-34: 8.8% Wards River — 25-34: 7.9%
35-44 7.8% / 9.6%
Monkerai — 35-44: 7.8% Wards River — 35-44: 9.6%
45-54 15.7% / 15.7%
Monkerai — 45-54: 15.7% Wards River — 45-54: 15.7%
55-64 14.7% / 19.1%
Monkerai — 55-64: 14.7% Wards River — 55-64: 19.1%
65-74 15.7% / 20.8%
Monkerai — 65-74: 15.7% Wards River — 65-74: 20.8%
75-84 8.8% / 9.0%
Monkerai — 75-84: 8.8% Wards River — 75-84: 9.0%
85+ — / —
Monkerai — 85+: not among its largest Wards River — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Monkerai 44.4% lone person
Monkerai — Lone Person: 44.4% Monkerai — Couple Families: 55.6% Monkerai — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Wards River 52.5% lone person
Wards River — Lone Person: 52.5% Wards River — Couple Families: 28.8% Wards River — One Parent Families: 18.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Monkerai 20.7% renting
Monkerai — Owned Outright: 62.1% Monkerai — Mortgage: 17.2% Monkerai — Renting: 20.7%
Wards River 21.7% renting
Wards River — Owned Outright: 55.1% Wards River — Mortgage: 23.2% Wards River — Renting: 21.7%
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.

Monkerai Wards River
England 5.9% / 1.7%
Monkerai — England: 5.9% Wards River — England: 1.7%
New Zealand 2.9% / 2.8%
Monkerai — New Zealand: 2.9% Wards River — New Zealand: 2.8%
Canada 3.9% / —
Monkerai — Canada: 3.9% Wards River — Canada: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.9%).

Qualifications

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

Monkerai Wards River
Certificate III & IV 16.7% / 14.6%
Monkerai — Certificate III & IV: 16.7% Wards River — Certificate III & IV: 14.6%
Bachelor Degree 14.7% / 7.3%
Monkerai — Bachelor Degree: 14.7% Wards River — Bachelor Degree: 7.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.9% / 8.4%
Monkerai — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9% Wards River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / —
Monkerai — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Wards River — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Monkerai 100.0% houses
Monkerai — Houses: 100.0%
Wards River 100.0% houses
Wards River — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

Monkerai Wards River
Median house price $900,000 $875,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $850,000 —

Zoning mix

Monkerai Wards River
Rural and farming 98% 100%
Environmental 2% 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

Monkerai Wards River
New dwellings approved 743
across Mid-Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +327%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Monkerai Wards River
House price Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
Income Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 5% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 15% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 43% of NSW

Liveability

Monkerai Wards River
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 Wards River
Bushfire Moderate
52/100
 Moderate
61/100
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 Wards River
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 Wards River
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 19 38

Mobility

Monkerai sits further from the CBD (243.7 km vs 240.5 km).

Monkerai Wards River
Walkability score 5/100 6/100
Distance to Sydney 243.7 km
+1% vs other
 240.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 192 min 182 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.

Monkerai Wards River
Car (driver) 63.9% / 72.9%
Monkerai — Car (driver): 63.9% Wards River — Car (driver): 72.9%
Worked from Home 19.4% / 27.1%
Monkerai — Worked from Home: 19.4% Wards River — Worked from Home: 27.1%
Car (passenger) 8.3% / —
Monkerai — Car (passenger): 8.3% Wards River — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 8.3% / —
Monkerai — Walked Only: 8.3% Wards River — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.9%).

Setting

Monkerai Wards River
Elevation 128 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 99 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 46.3 km 49.7 km

NBN connectivity

Monkerai Wards River
Connectivity score 16/100 28/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
45 premises
 0%
103 premises

Climate

Monkerai Wards River
Annual rainfall 1,327 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Monkerai Wards River
Average residential rate $1,560/yr
same for both
Council Mid-Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Monkerai Wards River
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Monkerai

Rural

Wards River

Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Monkerai

Monkerai vs Stroud Road Monkerai vs Craven Monkerai vs Main Creek

Other comparisons with Wards River

Wards River vs Stroud Wards River vs Stroud Road Wards River vs Craven
Full data on Monkerai Full data on Wards River
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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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