Pokolbin vs Lovedale

Lovedale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 57 in Pokolbin. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Pokolbin, about half of households are couple families. In Lovedale, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Lovedale: a median of $2.17 million, against $1.25 million in Pokolbin, though rent is higher in Pokolbin. On these figures, Pokolbin tends to suit 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

Pokolbin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more parks and reserves (13 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Pokolbin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,250,000 vs $2,175,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Lovedale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($340/wk vs $600/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 25%)

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

Commuting to the city

Lovedale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (127 min vs 134 min)
  • But Pokolbin sits closer to the CBD (165.6 km vs 176.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Pokolbin has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 25%)
  • Lovedale is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Pokolbin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (9.2% vs 3.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Pokolbin Lovedale
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.

Pokolbin Lovedale
Walkability 0 / 8
Pokolbin — Walkability: 0/100 Lovedale — Walkability: 8/100
Safety 10 / 17
Pokolbin — Safety: 10/100 Lovedale — Safety: 17/100
Low fire risk 48 / 56
Pokolbin — Low fire risk: 48/100 Lovedale — Low fire risk: 56/100

Demographics

Pokolbin has more residents (1,049 vs 502); Pokolbin rents higher ($600/wk vs $340/wk).

Pokolbin Lovedale
Population 1,049
+52% vs other
 502
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.2% +3.5%
Median age 57 50
Median household income $124,540/yr
+10% vs other
 $112,424/yr
Median weekly rent $600/wk
+43% vs other
 $340/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Pokolbin Lovedale
0-4 2.6% / 5.8%
Pokolbin — 0-4: 2.6% Lovedale — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 8.9% / 11.6%
Pokolbin — 5-14: 8.9% Lovedale — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 3.5% / 4.0%
Pokolbin — 15-19: 3.5% Lovedale — 15-19: 4.0%
20-24 3.1% / 5.4%
Pokolbin — 20-24: 3.1% Lovedale — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 5.3% / 9.4%
Pokolbin — 25-34: 5.3% Lovedale — 25-34: 9.4%
35-44 10.6% / 9.8%
Pokolbin — 35-44: 10.6% Lovedale — 35-44: 9.8%
45-54 12.1% / 14.3%
Pokolbin — 45-54: 12.1% Lovedale — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 22.8% / 17.3%
Pokolbin — 55-64: 22.8% Lovedale — 55-64: 17.3%
65-74 21.8% / 17.5%
Pokolbin — 65-74: 21.8% Lovedale — 65-74: 17.5%
75-84 8.2% / 5.6%
Pokolbin — 75-84: 8.2% Lovedale — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ 0.6% / 2.0%
Pokolbin — 85+: 0.6% Lovedale — 85+: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Pokolbin 52.2% couple families
Pokolbin — Couple Families: 52.2% Pokolbin — Lone Person: 34.8% Pokolbin — One Parent Families: 11.4% Pokolbin — Group Household: 1.6%
Lovedale 56.7% couple families
Lovedale — Couple Families: 56.7% Lovedale — Lone Person: 26.9% Lovedale — One Parent Families: 13.5% Lovedale — Group Household: 2.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Pokolbin 11.0% renting
Pokolbin — Owned Outright: 50.3% Pokolbin — Mortgage: 38.7% Pokolbin — Renting: 11.0%
Lovedale 14.4% renting
Lovedale — Owned Outright: 49.1% Lovedale — Mortgage: 36.5% Lovedale — Renting: 14.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Pokolbin Lovedale
Bachelor Degree 19.2% / 12.5%
Pokolbin — Bachelor Degree: 19.2% Lovedale — Bachelor Degree: 12.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 15.0% / 13.3%
Pokolbin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 15.0% Lovedale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 13.3%
Certificate III & IV 12.6% / 14.9%
Pokolbin — Certificate III & IV: 12.6% Lovedale — Certificate III & IV: 14.9%
Postgraduate Degree 6.9% / 5.6%
Pokolbin — Postgraduate Degree: 6.9% Lovedale — Postgraduate Degree: 5.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / —
Pokolbin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Lovedale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

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.

Pokolbin Lovedale
England 7.8% / 4.4%
Pokolbin — England: 7.8% Lovedale — England: 4.4%
New Zealand 2.2% / 1.6%
Pokolbin — New Zealand: 2.2% Lovedale — New Zealand: 1.6%
South Africa 2.6% / —
Pokolbin — South Africa: 2.6% Lovedale — South Africa: not among its largest
India — / 1.2%
Pokolbin — India: not among its largest Lovedale — India: 1.2%
Canada — / 1.0%
Pokolbin — Canada: not among its largest Lovedale — Canada: 1.0%
China 0.9% / —
Pokolbin — China: 0.9% Lovedale — China: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.8% / —
Pokolbin — Netherlands: 0.8% Lovedale — Netherlands: not among its largest
Malaysia — / 0.8%
Pokolbin — Malaysia: not among its largest Lovedale — Malaysia: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Pokolbin 99.0% houses
Pokolbin — Houses: 99.0% Pokolbin — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Lovedale 100.0% houses
Lovedale — Houses: 100.0% Lovedale — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Pokolbin Lovedale
Median house price $1,250,000 $2,175,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $230,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 146 days
from 3 sales
 58 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Pokolbin has more rural and farming land (96% vs 80%); Lovedale has more land zoned for conservation (13% vs 0%).

Pokolbin Lovedale
Rural and farming 96% 80%
Environmental 0% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 5%
Residential 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

Pokolbin Lovedale
New dwellings approved 719
across Cessnock
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Pokolbin Lovedale
House price Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Income Higher than 86% of NSW —
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 53% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 35% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 55% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW

Liveability

Lovedale is more walkable (8 vs 0).

Pokolbin Lovedale
Grade C
same for both
Score 38/100 35/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Pokolbin Lovedale
Bushfire Moderate
52/100
 Moderate
44/100
Crime High
90/100
 High
83/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise High
100/100
 Moderate
50/100
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Pokolbin Lovedale
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

Pokolbin Lovedale
Cafes & restaurants 20 1
Parks & reserves 13 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Waterways 35 6

Mobility

Lovedale sits further from the CBD (176.4 km vs 165.6 km).

Pokolbin Lovedale
Walkability score 0/100 8/100
Distance to Sydney 165.6 km 176.4 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 134 min 127 min
Public transport score 23/100
Bus
 29/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 5.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 7.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2320
 0.4%
postcode 2325
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2320
 51
postcode 2325

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.

Pokolbin Lovedale
Car (driver) 38.0% / 56.1%
Pokolbin — Car (driver): 38.0% Lovedale — Car (driver): 56.1%
Worked from Home 52.0% / 36.3%
Pokolbin — Worked from Home: 52.0% Lovedale — Worked from Home: 36.3%
Walked Only 8.0% / 4.7%
Pokolbin — Walked Only: 8.0% Lovedale — Walked Only: 4.7%
Car (passenger) 2.0% / 2.8%
Pokolbin — Car (passenger): 2.0% Lovedale — Car (passenger): 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.1%).

Setting

Pokolbin Lovedale
Elevation 96 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 51 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 46.9 km 39.8 km

NBN connectivity

Pokolbin Lovedale
Connectivity score 56/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 20%
1,310 premises
 1%
264 premises

Climate

Pokolbin Lovedale
Annual rainfall 804 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.1°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Pokolbin Lovedale
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 22.6 µg/m³ 19.5 µg/m³
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Pokolbin Lovedale
Average residential rate $1,405/yr
same for both
Council Cessnock
same for both

Federal electorate

Pokolbin Lovedale
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Pokolbin Lovedale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Pokolbin

Retirees Rural

Lovedale

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Pokolbin

Pokolbin vs Cessnock Pokolbin vs Nulkaba Pokolbin vs Singleton Military Area Pokolbin vs Broke Pokolbin vs Belford Pokolbin vs Mount View

Other comparisons with Lovedale

Lovedale vs Cessnock Lovedale vs Greta Lovedale vs North Rothbury Lovedale vs Nulkaba Lovedale vs Sawyers Gully Lovedale vs Keinbah
Full data on Pokolbin Full data on Lovedale
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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