Nowendoc vs Walcha

Walcha is the younger of the two, with a median age of 49 against 62 in Nowendoc. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Nowendoc, the large majority of households are people living alone. In Walcha, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Nowendoc: a median of $1.82 million, against $435,000 in Walcha, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Nowendoc tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Walcha suits 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

Walcha

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (47% vs 25%)
  • But Nowendoc carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 57/100)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Nowendoc leaves households under less mortgage stress (12% vs 20%)
  • Walcha has cheaper houses ($435,000 vs $1,825,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Walcha

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (23% vs 10%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 29%)
  • has cheaper rent ($203/wk vs $320/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Nowendoc

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (349.3 km vs 427.3 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (290 min vs 329 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Nowendoc

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (47% vs 30%)
  • carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 57/100)
  • But Walcha has more GPs (2 vs 0)

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

Investors

Walcha

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-3.1% vs -39.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Nowendoc Walcha
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.

Nowendoc Walcha
Walkability 0 / 0
Nowendoc — Walkability: 0/100 Walcha — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 62 / 43
Nowendoc — Safety: 62/100 Walcha — Safety: 43/100
Low fire risk 27 / 30
Nowendoc — Low fire risk: 27/100 Walcha — Low fire risk: 30/100

Demographics

Walcha has more residents (2,475 vs 88); Nowendoc rents higher ($320/wk vs $203/wk).

Nowendoc Walcha
Population 88 2,475
+2712% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -39.7% -3.1%
Median age 62 49
Median household income $56,836/yr $63,440/yr
+12% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk
+37% vs other
 $203/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Nowendoc Walcha
0-4 — / 5.7%
Nowendoc — 0-4: not among its largest Walcha — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 — / 11.4%
Nowendoc — 5-14: not among its largest Walcha — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 4.5% / 5.0%
Nowendoc — 15-19: 4.5% Walcha — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 3.4% / 3.9%
Nowendoc — 20-24: 3.4% Walcha — 20-24: 3.9%
25-34 10.2% / 9.0%
Nowendoc — 25-34: 10.2% Walcha — 25-34: 9.0%
35-44 5.7% / 8.7%
Nowendoc — 35-44: 5.7% Walcha — 35-44: 8.7%
45-54 4.5% / 11.3%
Nowendoc — 45-54: 4.5% Walcha — 45-54: 11.3%
55-64 29.5% / 14.5%
Nowendoc — 55-64: 29.5% Walcha — 55-64: 14.5%
65-74 33.0% / 15.8%
Nowendoc — 65-74: 33.0% Walcha — 65-74: 15.8%
75-84 9.1% / 11.4%
Nowendoc — 75-84: 9.1% Walcha — 75-84: 11.4%
85+ 4.5% / 2.8%
Nowendoc — 85+: 4.5% Walcha — 85+: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (33.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Nowendoc 75.0% lone person
Nowendoc — Lone Person: 75.0% Nowendoc — Couple Families: 25.0% Nowendoc — One Parent Families: 0.0% Nowendoc — Group Household: 0.0% Nowendoc — Other Families: 0.0%
Walcha 49.8% lone person
Walcha — Lone Person: 49.8% Walcha — Couple Families: 36.9% Walcha — One Parent Families: 10.2% Walcha — Group Household: 1.9% Walcha — Other Families: 1.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Nowendoc 9.8% renting
Nowendoc — Owned Outright: 63.4% Nowendoc — Mortgage: 26.8% Nowendoc — Renting: 9.8%
Walcha 23.4% renting
Walcha — Owned Outright: 53.0% Walcha — Mortgage: 23.6% Walcha — Renting: 23.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Nowendoc 100.0% houses
Nowendoc — Houses: 100.0% Nowendoc — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Walcha 94.5% houses
Walcha — Houses: 94.5% Walcha — Flats / Apartments: 5.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Nowendoc Walcha
Certificate III & IV 20.5% / 15.9%
Nowendoc — Certificate III & IV: 20.5% Walcha — Certificate III & IV: 15.9%
Bachelor Degree 15.9% / 8.2%
Nowendoc — Bachelor Degree: 15.9% Walcha — Bachelor Degree: 8.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 6.5%
Nowendoc — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Walcha — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5%
Postgraduate Degree 8.0% / 1.6%
Nowendoc — Postgraduate Degree: 8.0% Walcha — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.1%
Nowendoc — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Walcha — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.5%).

Property market

Nowendoc Walcha
Median house price $1,825,000 $435,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $175,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 103 days
from 21 sales

Zoning mix

Nowendoc has more rural and farming land (100% vs 83%); Walcha has more land zoned for conservation (17% vs 0%).

Nowendoc Walcha
Rural and farming 100% 83%
Environmental 0% 17%
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

Nowendoc Walcha
New dwellings approved 4
across Walcha
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Nowendoc Walcha
House price Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 10% of NSW
Income Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 26% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 18% of NSW Higher than 15% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 5% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 6% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 9% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW

Liveability

Nowendoc Walcha
Grade — D
Score — 21/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Walcha carries more crime risk (57 vs 38).

Nowendoc Walcha
Bushfire High
73/100
 High
70/100
Crime Low
38/100
 Moderate
57/100
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

Nowendoc Walcha
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Nowendoc

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

Schools in Walcha

  • St Patrick's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Walcha Central School Government · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Nowendoc Walcha
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 5
Parks & reserves 3 5
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 0 4
Fuel stations 0 3
EV chargers 1
same for both
Waterways 117 413

Mobility

Walcha sits further from the CBD (427.3 km vs 349.3 km).

Nowendoc Walcha
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 349.3 km 427.3 km
+22% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 290 min 329 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2354
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 39
postcode 2354
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.

Nowendoc Walcha
Car (driver) 39.6% / 58.6%
Nowendoc — Car (driver): 39.6% Walcha — Car (driver): 58.6%
Worked from Home 52.8% / 28.4%
Nowendoc — Worked from Home: 52.8% Walcha — Worked from Home: 28.4%
Walked Only 7.5% / 7.7%
Nowendoc — Walked Only: 7.5% Walcha — Walked Only: 7.7%
Car (passenger) — / 4.8%
Nowendoc — Car (passenger): not among its largest Walcha — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Bus — / 0.4%
Nowendoc — Bus: not among its largest Walcha — Bus: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (58.6%).

Setting

Nowendoc Walcha
Elevation 919 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 1,094 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Nowendoc Walcha
Connectivity score 15/100 49/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
39 premises
 12%
1,174 premises

Climate

Nowendoc Walcha
Annual rainfall 2,842 mm 784 mm
Summer max (Jan) 29.0°C 27.5°C
Winter min (Jul) 6.7°C 0.1°C

Council rates

Nowendoc Walcha
Average residential rate $772/yr
same for both
Council Walcha
same for both

Federal electorate

Nowendoc Walcha
Division New England
same for both
Member Barnaby Joyce
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Nowendoc Walcha
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Nowendoc

Premium Retirees Rural

Walcha

Affordable Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Nowendoc

Nowendoc vs Yarrowitch Nowendoc vs Niangala

Other comparisons with Walcha

Walcha vs Woolbrook Walcha vs Hillgrove Walcha vs Yarrowitch Walcha vs Niangala Walcha vs Walcha Road Walcha vs Salisbury Plains
Full data on Nowendoc Full data on Walcha
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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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