Mullumbimby vs The Pocket

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In The Pocket, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in The Pocket: a median of $1.95 million, against $1.12 million in Mullumbimby, though rent is higher in Mullumbimby. On these figures, Mullumbimby tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while The Pocket suits couples.

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

Mullumbimby

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • But The Pocket is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 53%)

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

First-home buyers

The Pocket

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($62,744 vs $827,500)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 33%)
  • But Mullumbimby has cheaper houses ($1,120,000 vs $1,950,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Mullumbimby has a bigger rental market to choose from (31% vs 18%)
  • The Pocket leaves renters under less rental stress (26% vs 37%)

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

Commuting to the city

Mullumbimby

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (75/100 vs 17/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (765.3 km vs 778 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (492 min vs 498 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mullumbimby

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (75/100 vs 17/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)

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

Investors

Mullumbimby

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (16.2% vs -14.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mullumbimby The Pocket
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.

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Walkability 75 / 17
Mullumbimby — Walkability: 75/100 The Pocket — Walkability: 17/100
Safety 18 / 20
Mullumbimby — Safety: 18/100 The Pocket — Safety: 20/100
Low fire risk 100 / 63
Mullumbimby — Low fire risk: 100/100 The Pocket — Low fire risk: 63/100

Demographics

Mullumbimby has more residents (4,180 vs 231); The Pocket has higher household incomes ($94,224 vs $70,460).

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Population 4,180
+94% vs other
 231
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.2% -14.8%
Median age 45 44
Median household income $70,460/yr $94,224/yr
+34% vs other
Median weekly rent $500/wk
+6% vs other
 $470/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mullumbimby The Pocket
0-4 4.5% / 3.0%
Mullumbimby — 0-4: 4.5% The Pocket — 0-4: 3.0%
5-14 13.2% / 9.1%
Mullumbimby — 5-14: 13.2% The Pocket — 5-14: 9.1%
15-19 6.5% / 6.9%
Mullumbimby — 15-19: 6.5% The Pocket — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 3.3% / 2.6%
Mullumbimby — 20-24: 3.3% The Pocket — 20-24: 2.6%
25-34 10.0% / 14.3%
Mullumbimby — 25-34: 10.0% The Pocket — 25-34: 14.3%
35-44 12.6% / 15.2%
Mullumbimby — 35-44: 12.6% The Pocket — 35-44: 15.2%
45-54 15.4% / 8.7%
Mullumbimby — 45-54: 15.4% The Pocket — 45-54: 8.7%
55-64 13.8% / 13.9%
Mullumbimby — 55-64: 13.8% The Pocket — 55-64: 13.9%
65-74 12.5% / 16.0%
Mullumbimby — 65-74: 12.5% The Pocket — 65-74: 16.0%
75-84 5.8% / 7.4%
Mullumbimby — 75-84: 5.8% The Pocket — 75-84: 7.4%
85+ 2.7% / —
Mullumbimby — 85+: 2.7% The Pocket — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mullumbimby 31.7% couple families
Mullumbimby — Couple Families: 31.7% Mullumbimby — Lone Person: 35.9% Mullumbimby — One Parent Families: 21.4% Mullumbimby — Group Household: 9.7% Mullumbimby — Other Families: 1.3%
The Pocket 50.0% couple families
The Pocket — Couple Families: 50.0% The Pocket — Lone Person: 23.8% The Pocket — One Parent Families: 16.7% The Pocket — Group Household: 9.5% The Pocket — 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.

Mullumbimby 31.3% renting
Mullumbimby — Owned Outright: 39.7% Mullumbimby — Mortgage: 29.0% Mullumbimby — Renting: 31.3%
The Pocket 18.2% renting
The Pocket — Owned Outright: 45.5% The Pocket — Mortgage: 36.4% The Pocket — Renting: 18.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Bachelor Degree 15.5% / 16.5%
Mullumbimby — Bachelor Degree: 15.5% The Pocket — Bachelor Degree: 16.5%
Certificate III & IV 11.6% / 11.3%
Mullumbimby — Certificate III & IV: 11.6% The Pocket — Certificate III & IV: 11.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.4% / 8.7%
Mullumbimby — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4% The Pocket — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7%
Postgraduate Degree 4.2% / 2.6%
Mullumbimby — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2% The Pocket — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 1.7%
Mullumbimby — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% The Pocket — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

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.

Mullumbimby The Pocket
England 5.8% / 4.8%
Mullumbimby — England: 5.8% The Pocket — England: 4.8%
Germany 1.7% / 2.6%
Mullumbimby — Germany: 1.7% The Pocket — Germany: 2.6%
New Zealand 2.0% / 1.3%
Mullumbimby — New Zealand: 2.0% The Pocket — New Zealand: 1.3%
France 0.7% / 1.7%
Mullumbimby — France: 0.7% The Pocket — France: 1.7%
India — / 2.2%
Mullumbimby — India: not among its largest The Pocket — India: 2.2%
South Africa 0.7% / —
Mullumbimby — South Africa: 0.7% The Pocket — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mullumbimby 88.6% houses
Mullumbimby — Houses: 88.6% Mullumbimby — Flats / Apartments: 7.8% Mullumbimby — Townhouses: 3.6%
The Pocket 93.0% houses
The Pocket — Houses: 93.0% The Pocket — Flats / Apartments: 7.0% The Pocket — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Median house price $1,120,000 $1,950,000
Median unit price $890,000 —
Median land price $827,500 $62,744
Typical days to sell (houses) 58 days
from 58 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Rural and farming 61% 71%
Environmental 15% 17%
Other and special use 7% 11%
Residential 10% 0%
Parks and recreation 4% 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

Mullumbimby The Pocket
New dwellings approved 129
across Byron
same for both
Approvals change year on year -65%
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.

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Houses 4.1%
$1,000/wk on $1.27M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Mullumbimby The Pocket
House price Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Income Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 61% of NSW
Schools Higher than 52% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 15% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 76% of NSW —

Liveability

Mullumbimby is more walkable (75 vs 17).

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Grade B —
Score 49/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

The Pocket carries more bushfire risk (37 vs 0).

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
37/100
Crime High
82/100
 High
80/100
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

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Inside the suburb 4 1
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 2 0

Schools in Mullumbimby

  • Mullumbimby Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Mullumbimby High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Hinterland Christian College Independent · Combined below peers
  • St John's Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in The Pocket

  • The Pocket Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 12 0
Parks & reserves 2 0
Childcare 5 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 2 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 13 4

Mobility

The Pocket sits further from the CBD (778 km vs 765.3 km).

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Walkability score 75/100 17/100
Distance to Sydney 765.3 km 778 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 492 min 498 min
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 2482
 1.2%
postcode 2483
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 89
postcode 2482
 72
postcode 2483

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.

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Car (driver) 61.1% / 53.6%
Mullumbimby — Car (driver): 61.1% The Pocket — Car (driver): 53.6%
Worked from Home 27.1% / 39.3%
Mullumbimby — Worked from Home: 27.1% The Pocket — Worked from Home: 39.3%
Walked Only 4.8% / 3.6%
Mullumbimby — Walked Only: 4.8% The Pocket — Walked Only: 3.6%
Car (passenger) 3.5% / 3.6%
Mullumbimby — Car (passenger): 3.5% The Pocket — Car (passenger): 3.6%
Bicycle 3.5% / —
Mullumbimby — Bicycle: 3.5% The Pocket — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.1%).

Setting

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Elevation 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 26 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.6 km 7.9 km

NBN connectivity

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Connectivity score 82/100 28/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 52%
2,282 premises
 0%
108 premises

Climate

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Annual rainfall 1,569 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Average residential rate $1,577/yr
same for both
Council Byron
same for both

Federal electorate

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Division Richmond
same for both
Member Justine Elliot
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mullumbimby The Pocket
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mullumbimby

Acreage River Village Feel

The Pocket

Premium River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mullumbimby

Mullumbimby vs Ocean Shores Mullumbimby vs Brunswick Heads Mullumbimby vs Myocum Mullumbimby vs Main Arm Mullumbimby vs Mullumbimby Creek Mullumbimby vs Wilsons Creek

Other comparisons with The Pocket

The Pocket vs Main Arm The Pocket vs Billinudgel The Pocket vs Middle Pocket
Full data on Mullumbimby Full data on The Pocket
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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