North Arm Cove vs Nerong

North Arm Cove is the younger of the two, with a median age of 56 against 59 in Nerong. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in North Arm Cove: a median of $812,000, against $489,000 in Nerong, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Nerong tends to suit share households 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

Nerong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (78/100 vs 90/100)

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

First-home buyers

They split

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

  • North Arm Cove has cheaper land ($65,500 vs $142,000)
  • Nerong has cheaper houses ($488,750 vs $812,500)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • North Arm Cove leaves renters under less rental stress (27% vs 36%)
  • Nerong has cheaper rent ($310/wk vs $340/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

North Arm Cove

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (206.4 km vs 221.7 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (152 min vs 157 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Nerong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (78/100 vs 90/100)

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

Investors

Nerong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (60.0% vs 24.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

North Arm Cove and Nerong drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

North Arm Cove Nerong
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.

North Arm Cove Nerong
Walkability 0 / 0
North Arm Cove — Walkability: 0/100 Nerong — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 10 / 22
North Arm Cove — Safety: 10/100 Nerong — Safety: 22/100
Low fire risk 65 / 29
North Arm Cove — Low fire risk: 65/100 Nerong — Low fire risk: 29/100

Demographics

North Arm Cove has more residents (552 vs 168); North Arm Cove has higher household incomes ($66,144 vs $44,824).

North Arm Cove Nerong
Population 552
+70% vs other
 168
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +24.0% +60.0%
Median age 56 59
Median household income $66,144/yr
+32% vs other
 $44,824/yr
Median weekly rent $340/wk
+9% vs other
 $310/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

North Arm Cove Nerong
0-4 2.7% / 4.8%
North Arm Cove — 0-4: 2.7% Nerong — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 9.6% / 3.0%
North Arm Cove — 5-14: 9.6% Nerong — 5-14: 3.0%
15-19 4.2% / 8.3%
North Arm Cove — 15-19: 4.2% Nerong — 15-19: 8.3%
20-24 2.5% / —
North Arm Cove — 20-24: 2.5% Nerong — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 5.6% / 4.2%
North Arm Cove — 25-34: 5.6% Nerong — 25-34: 4.2%
35-44 9.1% / 9.5%
North Arm Cove — 35-44: 9.1% Nerong — 35-44: 9.5%
45-54 12.3% / 8.9%
North Arm Cove — 45-54: 12.3% Nerong — 45-54: 8.9%
55-64 20.7% / 26.2%
North Arm Cove — 55-64: 20.7% Nerong — 55-64: 26.2%
65-74 22.3% / 25.0%
North Arm Cove — 65-74: 22.3% Nerong — 65-74: 25.0%
75-84 9.2% / 10.1%
North Arm Cove — 75-84: 9.2% Nerong — 75-84: 10.1%
85+ 1.4% / —
North Arm Cove — 85+: 1.4% Nerong — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

North Arm Cove 38.7% lone person
North Arm Cove — Lone Person: 38.7% North Arm Cove — Couple Families: 37.9% North Arm Cove — One Parent Families: 20.2% North Arm Cove — Group Household: 3.2%
Nerong 34.1% lone person
Nerong — Lone Person: 34.1% Nerong — Couple Families: 34.1% Nerong — One Parent Families: 20.5% Nerong — Group Household: 11.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

North Arm Cove 16.3% renting
North Arm Cove — Owned Outright: 51.7% North Arm Cove — Mortgage: 32.1% North Arm Cove — Renting: 16.3%
Nerong 12.3% renting
Nerong — Owned Outright: 47.7% Nerong — Mortgage: 40.0% Nerong — Renting: 12.3%
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.

North Arm Cove Nerong
England 7.1% / 4.2%
North Arm Cove — England: 7.1% Nerong — England: 4.2%
New Zealand 2.5% / 2.4%
North Arm Cove — New Zealand: 2.5% Nerong — New Zealand: 2.4%
Germany 2.0% / —
North Arm Cove — Germany: 2.0% Nerong — Germany: not among its largest
Ireland 0.9% / —
North Arm Cove — Ireland: 0.9% Nerong — Ireland: not among its largest
Malaysia 0.7% / —
North Arm Cove — Malaysia: 0.7% Nerong — Malaysia: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.1%).

Qualifications

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

North Arm Cove Nerong
Certificate III & IV 17.9% / 15.5%
North Arm Cove — Certificate III & IV: 17.9% Nerong — Certificate III & IV: 15.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 8.9%
North Arm Cove — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% Nerong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Bachelor Degree 9.8% / 6.0%
North Arm Cove — Bachelor Degree: 9.8% Nerong — Bachelor Degree: 6.0%
Postgraduate Degree 4.2% / —
North Arm Cove — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2% Nerong — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / —
North Arm Cove — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Nerong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

North Arm Cove 100.0% houses
North Arm Cove — Houses: 100.0%
Nerong 100.0% houses
Nerong — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

North Arm Cove Nerong
Median house price $812,500 $488,750
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $65,500 $142,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 76 days
from 9 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Nerong has more land zoned for conservation (45% vs 1%); North Arm Cove has more rural and farming land (97% vs 54%).

North Arm Cove Nerong
Rural and farming 97% 54%
Environmental 1% 45%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 1%
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

North Arm Cove Nerong
New dwellings approved 743
across Mid-Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +327%
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.

North Arm Cove Nerong
Houses 2.8%
$600/wk on $1.11M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

North Arm Cove Nerong
House price Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 15% of NSW
Income Higher than 28% of NSW Higher than 7% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 15% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 19% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 14% of NSW —

Liveability

North Arm Cove Nerong
Grade D —
Score 24/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Nerong carries more bushfire risk (71 vs 35); North Arm Cove carries more crime risk (90 vs 78).

North Arm Cove Nerong
Bushfire Low
35/100
 High
71/100
Crime High
90/100
 High
78/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
38/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

North Arm Cove Nerong
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

North Arm Cove Nerong
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 3
same for both
Childcare 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 8 23

Mobility

Nerong sits further from the CBD (221.7 km vs 206.4 km).

North Arm Cove Nerong
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 206.4 km 221.7 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 152 min 157 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2324
 0.3%
postcode 2423
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 2324
 61
postcode 2423

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.

North Arm Cove Nerong
Car (driver) 65.6% / 71.1%
North Arm Cove — Car (driver): 65.6% Nerong — Car (driver): 71.1%
Worked from Home 27.6% / 18.4%
North Arm Cove — Worked from Home: 27.6% Nerong — Worked from Home: 18.4%
Car (passenger) 4.3% / 10.5%
North Arm Cove — Car (passenger): 4.3% Nerong — Car (passenger): 10.5%
Walked Only 2.5% / —
North Arm Cove — Walked Only: 2.5% Nerong — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.1%).

Setting

North Arm Cove Nerong
Elevation 37 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 51 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.3 km 10.6 km

NBN connectivity

North Arm Cove Nerong
Connectivity score 93/100 15/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 76%
357 premises
 0%
44 premises

Climate

North Arm Cove Nerong
Annual rainfall 1,181 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.5°C
same for both

Council rates

North Arm Cove Nerong
Average residential rate $1,560/yr
same for both
Council Mid-Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

North Arm Cove Nerong
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

North Arm Cove Nerong
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

North Arm Cove

Retirees Rural

Nerong

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with North Arm Cove

North Arm Cove vs Tea Gardens North Arm Cove vs Karuah North Arm Cove vs Pindimar North Arm Cove vs The Branch

Other comparisons with Nerong

Nerong vs Tea Gardens Nerong vs Bulahdelah Nerong vs Hawks Nest Nerong vs Girvan Nerong vs The Branch Nerong vs Crawford River
Full data on North Arm Cove Full data on Nerong
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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