Nobbys Creek vs North Arm
North Arm is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 48 in Nobbys Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Nobbys Creek: a median of $1.85 million, against $1.48 million in North Arm, though rent is higher in North Arm. On these figures, North Arm tends to suit families with children and buyers on a tighter budget.
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
North Arm
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($1,475,000 vs $1,847,500)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Nobbys Creek
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (18% vs 35%)
- has cheaper rent ($343/wk vs $550/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
North Arm
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (18/100 vs 8/100)
- sits closer to the CBD (805 km vs 808.9 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
North Arm
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (18/100 vs 8/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Nobbys Creek
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (12.9% vs -7.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Nobbys Creek and North Arm 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
Nobbys Creek has more residents (306 vs 117); North Arm rents higher ($550/wk vs $343/wk).
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 306 +62% vs other | 117 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +12.9% | -7.1% |
| Median age | 48 | 42 |
| Median household income | $101,348/yr +20% vs other | $81,224/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $343/wk | $550/wk +60% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).
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 (20.5%).
Property market
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,847,500 | $1,475,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 96% | 99% |
| Other and special use | 3% | 0% |
| Environmental | 1% same for both | |
| 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
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 331 across Tweed same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -50% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 83% of NSW | Higher than 74% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 69% of NSW | Higher than 49% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 54% of NSW | Higher than 69% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 21% of NSW | Higher than 22% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 65% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 43% of NSW | Higher than 63% of NSW |
Liveability
North Arm is more walkable (18 vs 8).
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
North Arm carries more bushfire risk (43 vs 0).
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Moderate 43/100 |
| Crime | Low 22/100 | Low 15/100 |
| 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
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 4 | 1 |
Mobility
Nobbys Creek sits further from the CBD (808.9 km vs 805 km).
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 8/100 | 18/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 808.9 km | 805 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 532 min | 530 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 2484 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 76 postcode 2484 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (90.0%).
Setting
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 80 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 55 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 22.7 km | 22.6 km |
NBN connectivity
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 28/100 | 34/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 110 premises | 4% 49 premises |
Climate
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,745/yr same for both | |
| Council | Tweed same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Richmond same for both | |
| Member | Justine Elliot same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Nobbys Creek | North Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Nobbys Creek
Other comparisons with North Arm
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.