Possum Brush vs Rainbow Flat
Rainbow Flat is the younger of the two, with a median age of 51 against 55 in Possum Brush. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Possum Brush, most households are couple families. In Rainbow Flat, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Rainbow Flat: a median of $1.14 million, against $672,000 in Possum Brush, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Possum Brush 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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Possum Brush
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($672,500 vs $1,138,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Possum Brush
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (21% vs 31%)
- has cheaper rent ($280/wk vs $400/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Possum Brush
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (297.3 km vs 302.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Too close to call
Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Rainbow Flat
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (3.3% vs -2.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Possum Brush and Rainbow Flat 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
Rainbow Flat has more residents (693 vs 145); Rainbow Flat rents higher ($400/wk vs $280/wk).
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 145 | 693 +378% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -2.0% | +3.3% |
| Median age | 55 | 51 |
| Median household income | $68,900/yr +2% vs other | $67,548/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $280/wk | $400/wk +43% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.0%).
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 (5.5%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $672,500 | $1,138,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 44 days from 5 sales |
Zoning mix
Possum Brush has more land zoned for conservation (26% vs 7%).
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 73% | 81% |
| Environmental | 26% | 7% |
| Residential | 0% | 11% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 1% same for both | |
| 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
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 743 across Mid-Coast same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +327% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 24% of NSW | Higher than 58% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 32% of NSW | Higher than 30% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 52% of NSW | Higher than 57% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 66% of NSW | Higher than 28% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 35% of NSW | Higher than 36% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 44% of NSW | Higher than 64% of NSW |
Liveability
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | D |
| Score | — | 25/100 |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 77/100 | High 82/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 50/100 | Moderate 47/100 |
| 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 | 1 within 5 km |
Schools
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 22 | 17 |
Mobility
Rainbow Flat sits further from the CBD (302.2 km vs 297.3 km).
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 8/100 | 10/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 297.3 km | 302.2 km +2% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 215 min | 211 min |
| Public transport score | 23/100 Bus | 28/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 4.8 7-9am + 5-7pm | 5.8 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 1 min scheduled, not actual same for both | |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2430 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 54 postcode 2430 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 (75.5%).
Setting
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 83 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 23 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 14.1 km | 5.1 km |
NBN connectivity
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 37/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 68 premises | 10% 330 premises |
Climate
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,331 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,560/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mid-Coast same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lyne same for both | |
| Member | Alison Penfold same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Possum Brush | Rainbow Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Possum Brush
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.