Palmwoods vs Upper Main Arm
Palmwoods is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 44 in Upper Main Arm. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Upper Main Arm, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Palmwoods tends to suit families with children, while Upper Main Arm suits people living alone.
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
Palmwoods
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 88/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (58% vs 36%)
- But Upper Main Arm has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Palmwoods
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (36% vs 51%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Palmwoods
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (21% vs 46%)
- has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $390/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Upper Main Arm
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here
- Palmwoods carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 88/100)
- Upper Main Arm is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Upper Main Arm
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (25.8% vs -25.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Palmwoods and Upper Main 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
Upper Main Arm has more residents (283 vs 78); Upper Main Arm rents higher ($390/wk vs $200/wk).
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 78 | 283 +263% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -25.0% | +25.8% |
| Median age | 40 | 44 |
| Median household income | $50,232/yr +12% vs other | $44,200/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $200/wk | $390/wk +95% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.1%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.7%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $900,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Upper Main Arm has more land zoned for conservation (62% vs 21%); Palmwoods has more rural and farming land (48% vs 33%).
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental | 21% | 62% |
| Rural and farming | 48% | 33% |
| Other and special use | 30% | 5% |
| 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
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 129 across Byron same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -65% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — | Higher than 43% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 11% of NSW | Higher than 6% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 9% of NSW | Higher than 59% of NSW |
| Affordability | — | Higher than 16% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 89% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 31% of NSW same for both | |
Liveability
Upper Main Arm is more walkable (12 vs 0).
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 |
Risk profile
Upper Main Arm carries more crime risk (88 vs 43); Palmwoods carries more bushfire risk (57 vs 47).
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 57/100 | Moderate 47/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 43/100 | High 88/100 |
| 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
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Palmwoods
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Upper Main Arm
- Main Arm Upper Public School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 1 | 2 |
Mobility
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 12/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 777.4 km | 778.2 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 509 min | 511 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 1.5% postcode 2482 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 89 postcode 2482 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 (77.6%).
Setting
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 194 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 99 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 14.3 km | 15.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 22/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 17 premises | 0% 90 premises |
Climate
| Palmwoods | Upper Main 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
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,577/yr same for both | |
| Council | Byron same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Richmond same for both | |
| Member | Justine Elliot same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Palmwoods | Upper Main Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Palmwoods
Upper Main Arm
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Palmwoods
Other comparisons with Upper Main 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.