Mullaway vs Safety Beach

Mullaway is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 46 in Safety Beach. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Safety Beach, most households are couple families. On these figures, Safety Beach tends to suit couples 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

Safety Beach

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 62/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 89%)

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

First-home buyers

Safety Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($520,000 vs $775,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Mullaway

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 13%)
  • has cheaper rent ($410/wk vs $500/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Mullaway is more walkable (37/100 vs 27/100)
  • Safety Beach sits closer to the CBD (553.6 km vs 561.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Mullaway has more units and townhouses to downsize into (11% vs 0%)
  • Safety Beach carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 62/100)

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

Investors

Safety Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (18.6% vs 7.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mullaway Safety Beach
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.

Mullaway Safety Beach
Walkability 37 / 27
Mullaway — Walkability: 37/100 Safety Beach — Walkability: 27/100
Safety 38 / 80
Mullaway — Safety: 38/100 Safety Beach — Safety: 80/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Mullaway — Low fire risk: 100/100 Safety Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Safety Beach has more residents (1,103 vs 607); Safety Beach rents higher ($500/wk vs $410/wk).

Mullaway Safety Beach
Population 607 1,103
+82% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.1% +18.6%
Median age 40 46
Median household income $91,520/yr $95,524/yr
+4% vs other
Median weekly rent $410/wk $500/wk
+22% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mullaway Safety Beach
0-4 5.9% / 5.8%
Mullaway — 0-4: 5.9% Safety Beach — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 13.5% / 15.0%
Mullaway — 5-14: 13.5% Safety Beach — 5-14: 15.0%
15-19 6.3% / 4.7%
Mullaway — 15-19: 6.3% Safety Beach — 15-19: 4.7%
20-24 3.5% / 3.0%
Mullaway — 20-24: 3.5% Safety Beach — 20-24: 3.0%
25-34 12.2% / 7.1%
Mullaway — 25-34: 12.2% Safety Beach — 25-34: 7.1%
35-44 14.5% / 13.0%
Mullaway — 35-44: 14.5% Safety Beach — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 12.4% / 12.4%
Mullaway — 45-54: 12.4% Safety Beach — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 15.5% / 13.2%
Mullaway — 55-64: 15.5% Safety Beach — 55-64: 13.2%
65-74 13.5% / 18.3%
Mullaway — 65-74: 13.5% Safety Beach — 65-74: 18.3%
75-84 2.1% / 6.3%
Mullaway — 75-84: 2.1% Safety Beach — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ 1.2% / 1.5%
Mullaway — 85+: 1.2% Safety Beach — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mullaway 42.3% couple families
Mullaway — Couple Families: 42.3% Mullaway — Lone Person: 21.8% Mullaway — One Parent Families: 24.6% Mullaway — Group Household: 8.5% Mullaway — Other Families: 2.8%
Safety Beach 57.1% couple families
Safety Beach — Couple Families: 57.1% Safety Beach — Lone Person: 25.3% Safety Beach — One Parent Families: 14.7% Safety Beach — Group Household: 2.9% Safety Beach — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mullaway 28.0% renting
Mullaway — Owned Outright: 33.8% Mullaway — Mortgage: 38.2% Mullaway — Renting: 28.0%
Safety Beach 13.3% renting
Safety Beach — Owned Outright: 51.3% Safety Beach — Mortgage: 35.5% Safety Beach — Renting: 13.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mullaway Safety Beach
Certificate III & IV 21.1% / 16.1%
Mullaway — Certificate III & IV: 21.1% Safety Beach — Certificate III & IV: 16.1%
Bachelor Degree 13.8% / 15.5%
Mullaway — Bachelor Degree: 13.8% Safety Beach — Bachelor Degree: 15.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.9% / 8.9%
Mullaway — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.9% Safety Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.6% / 3.2%
Mullaway — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6% Safety Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 3.0%
Mullaway — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Safety Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

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.

Mullaway Safety Beach
England 3.5% / 3.8%
Mullaway — England: 3.5% Safety Beach — England: 3.8%
New Zealand 1.5% / 2.2%
Mullaway — New Zealand: 1.5% Safety Beach — New Zealand: 2.2%
India — / 2.5%
Mullaway — India: not among its largest Safety Beach — India: 2.5%
Malaysia 1.6% / 0.5%
Mullaway — Malaysia: 1.6% Safety Beach — Malaysia: 0.5%
Vietnam 1.0% / —
Mullaway — Vietnam: 1.0% Safety Beach — Vietnam: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.8%
Mullaway — Scotland: not among its largest Safety Beach — Scotland: 0.8%
Taiwan 0.7% / —
Mullaway — Taiwan: 0.7% Safety Beach — Taiwan: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mullaway 88.8% houses
Mullaway — Houses: 88.8% Mullaway — Flats / Apartments: 8.7% Mullaway — Townhouses: 2.4%
Safety Beach 99.7% houses
Safety Beach — Houses: 99.7% Safety Beach — Flats / Apartments: 0.3% Safety Beach — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Mullaway Safety Beach
Median house price $1,036,250 $1,055,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $775,000 $520,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 76 days
from 7 sales
 30 days
from 9 sales

Zoning mix

Mullaway has more rural and farming land (43% vs 0%); Mullaway has more land zoned for conservation (40% vs 12%).

Mullaway Safety Beach
Parks and recreation 2% 46%
Rural and farming 43% 0%
Residential 14% 42%
Environmental 40% 12%
Planning zones cover 99% of Mullaway and 99% of Safety Beach. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Mullaway Safety Beach
New dwellings approved 356
across Coffs Harbour
same for both
Approvals change year on year +61%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Mullaway Safety Beach
House price Higher than 44% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW
Income Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 65% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 53% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW

Liveability

Mullaway is more walkable (37 vs 27); Safety Beach scores higher overall (59 vs 47).

Mullaway Safety Beach
Grade C B
Score 47/100 59/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Mullaway carries more crime risk (62 vs 20).

Mullaway Safety Beach
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
62/100
 Low
20/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
25/100
 Low
37/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Mullaway Safety Beach
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Mullaway

  • Mullaway Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Safety Beach

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

Amenities in the suburb

Mullaway Safety Beach
Parks & reserves 1 0
Childcare 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Mullaway sits further from the CBD (561.2 km vs 553.6 km).

Mullaway Safety Beach
Walkability score 37/100 27/100
Distance to Sydney 561.2 km
+1% vs other
 553.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 369 min 367 min
Public transport score 21/100
Bus
 20/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 3.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 3.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1.5 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2456
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 59
postcode 2456
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.

Mullaway Safety Beach
Car (driver) 71.3% / 77.7%
Mullaway — Car (driver): 71.3% Safety Beach — Car (driver): 77.7%
Worked from Home 16.6% / 13.1%
Mullaway — Worked from Home: 16.6% Safety Beach — Worked from Home: 13.1%
Car (passenger) 10.9% / 7.3%
Mullaway — Car (passenger): 10.9% Safety Beach — Car (passenger): 7.3%
Walked Only — / 1.9%
Mullaway — Walked Only: not among its largest Safety Beach — Walked Only: 1.9%
Bicycle 1.2% / —
Mullaway — Bicycle: 1.2% Safety Beach — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.7%).

Setting

Mullaway Safety Beach
Elevation 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 550 m
4.7 km to a named beach
 615 m
3.5 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Mullaway Safety Beach
Connectivity score 62/100 77/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 25%
274 premises
 41%
493 premises

Climate

Mullaway Safety Beach
Annual rainfall 1,827 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Mullaway Safety Beach
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 10.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.22 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Mullaway Safety Beach
Average residential rate $1,437/yr
same for both
Council Coffs Harbour
same for both

Federal electorate

Mullaway Safety Beach
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mullaway Safety Beach
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mullaway

Acreage Coastal River

Safety Beach

Coastal Large Blocks Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mullaway

Mullaway vs Woolgoolga Mullaway vs Arrawarra Headland

Other comparisons with Safety Beach

Safety Beach vs Woolgoolga
Full data on Mullaway Full data on Safety Beach
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or