Palmers Island vs Harwood

Harwood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 49 in Palmers Island. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Palmers Island, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Palmers Island: a median of $975,000, against $705,000 in Harwood, though rent is higher in Harwood. On these figures, Palmers Island tends to suit couples, while Harwood 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

Palmers Island

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 74/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (63% vs 53%)
  • But Harwood has more separate houses rather than flats (99% vs 87%)

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

First-home buyers

Harwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($705,000 vs $975,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Palmers Island leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 30%)
  • Harwood has a bigger rental market to choose from (29% vs 12%)

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

Commuting to the city

Harwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (648.6 km vs 651.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Palmers Island

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (13% vs 1%)
  • carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 74/100)

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

Investors

Harwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (18.9% vs 5.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Palmers Island Harwood
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.

Palmers Island Harwood
Walkability 21 / 15
Palmers Island — Walkability: 21/100 Harwood — Walkability: 15/100
Safety 72 / 26
Palmers Island — Safety: 72/100 Harwood — Safety: 26/100
Low fire risk 77 / 88
Palmers Island — Low fire risk: 77/100 Harwood — Low fire risk: 88/100

Demographics

Palmers Island has more residents (482 vs 346); Palmers Island has higher household incomes ($73,008 vs $57,252).

Palmers Island Harwood
Population 482
+28% vs other
 346
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.2% +18.9%
Median age 49 45
Median household income $73,008/yr
+22% vs other
 $57,252/yr
Median weekly rent $313/wk $330/wk
+5% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Palmers Island Harwood
0-4 2.9% / 6.6%
Palmers Island — 0-4: 2.9% Harwood — 0-4: 6.6%
5-14 14.3% / 11.6%
Palmers Island — 5-14: 14.3% Harwood — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 4.8% / 7.5%
Palmers Island — 15-19: 4.8% Harwood — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 3.1% / 3.2%
Palmers Island — 20-24: 3.1% Harwood — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 7.1% / 9.5%
Palmers Island — 25-34: 7.1% Harwood — 25-34: 9.5%
35-44 10.6% / 10.4%
Palmers Island — 35-44: 10.6% Harwood — 35-44: 10.4%
45-54 12.9% / 14.2%
Palmers Island — 45-54: 12.9% Harwood — 45-54: 14.2%
55-64 18.9% / 14.7%
Palmers Island — 55-64: 18.9% Harwood — 55-64: 14.7%
65-74 15.8% / 11.8%
Palmers Island — 65-74: 15.8% Harwood — 65-74: 11.8%
75-84 6.6% / 7.5%
Palmers Island — 75-84: 6.6% Harwood — 75-84: 7.5%
85+ 2.5% / 1.4%
Palmers Island — 85+: 2.5% Harwood — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Palmers Island 51.4% couple families
Palmers Island — Couple Families: 51.4% Palmers Island — Lone Person: 37.1% Palmers Island — One Parent Families: 11.4% Palmers Island — Group Household: 0.0%
Harwood 31.1% couple families
Harwood — Couple Families: 31.1% Harwood — Lone Person: 37.9% Harwood — One Parent Families: 22.3% Harwood — Group Household: 8.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Palmers Island 11.6% renting
Palmers Island — Owned Outright: 53.7% Palmers Island — Mortgage: 34.8% Palmers Island — Renting: 11.6%
Harwood 28.7% renting
Harwood — Owned Outright: 43.4% Harwood — Mortgage: 27.9% Harwood — Renting: 28.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Palmers Island Harwood
Certificate III & IV 20.7% / 19.9%
Palmers Island — Certificate III & IV: 20.7% Harwood — Certificate III & IV: 19.9%
Bachelor Degree 7.1% / 5.2%
Palmers Island — Bachelor Degree: 7.1% Harwood — Bachelor Degree: 5.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.4% / 4.9%
Palmers Island — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4% Harwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 1.4%
Palmers Island — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Harwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.9%
Palmers Island — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Harwood — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).

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.

Palmers Island Harwood
England 3.9% / —
Palmers Island — England: 3.9% Harwood — England: not among its largest
Philippines — / 3.5%
Palmers Island — Philippines: not among its largest Harwood — Philippines: 3.5%
Germany — / 0.9%
Palmers Island — Germany: not among its largest Harwood — Germany: 0.9%
New Zealand 0.8% / —
Palmers Island — New Zealand: 0.8% Harwood — New Zealand: not among its largest
Taiwan 0.8% / —
Palmers Island — Taiwan: 0.8% Harwood — Taiwan: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.8% / —
Palmers Island — Netherlands: 0.8% Harwood — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Palmers Island 86.9% houses
Palmers Island — Houses: 86.9% Palmers Island — Flats / Apartments: 10.7% Palmers Island — Townhouses: 2.4%
Harwood 99.3% houses
Harwood — Houses: 99.3% Harwood — Flats / Apartments: 0.7% Harwood — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Palmers Island Harwood
Median house price $975,000 $705,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $880,000 —

Zoning mix

Palmers Island Harwood
Rural and farming 72% 73%
Environmental 28% 25%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 2%
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

Palmers Island Harwood
New dwellings approved 246
across Clarence Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -80%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Palmers Island Harwood
House price Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Income Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 17% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 27% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW

Liveability

Palmers Island Harwood
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Harwood carries more crime risk (74 vs 28); Palmers Island carries more bushfire risk (23 vs 12).

Palmers Island Harwood
Bushfire Low
23/100
 Low
12/100
Crime Low
28/100
 High
74/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
85/100
 Low
33/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Palmers Island Harwood
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Palmers Island

  • Palmers Island Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Harwood

  • Harwood Island Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Palmers Island Harwood
Childcare 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 5 6

Mobility

Palmers Island sits further from the CBD (651.3 km vs 648.6 km).

Palmers Island Harwood
Walkability score 21/100 15/100
Distance to Sydney 651.3 km 648.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 422 min 421 min
Public transport score 27/100
Bus
 20/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 4.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 2.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 4 min
scheduled, not actual
 5 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2463
 1.1%
postcode 2465
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 70
postcode 2463
 43
postcode 2465

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.

Palmers Island Harwood
Car (driver) 76.1% / 72.8%
Palmers Island — Car (driver): 76.1% Harwood — Car (driver): 72.8%
Worked from Home 12.8% / 6.4%
Palmers Island — Worked from Home: 12.8% Harwood — Worked from Home: 6.4%
Walked Only 6.9% / 11.2%
Palmers Island — Walked Only: 6.9% Harwood — Walked Only: 11.2%
Car (passenger) 4.3% / 9.6%
Palmers Island — Car (passenger): 4.3% Harwood — Car (passenger): 9.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.1%).

Setting

Palmers Island Harwood
Elevation 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 491 m 3.0 km

NBN connectivity

Palmers Island Harwood
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
194 premises
 0%
163 premises

Climate

Palmers Island Harwood
Annual rainfall 1,408 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Palmers Island Harwood
Average residential rate $1,380/yr
same for both
Council Clarence Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Palmers Island Harwood
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Palmers Island Harwood
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Palmers Island

Coastal Rural

Harwood

Coastal Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Palmers Island

Palmers Island vs Yamba Palmers Island vs Wooloweyah Palmers Island vs Palmers Channel Palmers Island vs Goodwood Island

Other comparisons with Harwood

Harwood vs Maclean Harwood vs Ashby Harwood vs Ashby Heights Harwood vs James Creek Harwood vs Chatsworth Harwood vs Palmers Channel
Full data on Palmers Island Full data on Harwood
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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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