Rushforth vs Waterview Heights
In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Rushforth: a median of $885,000, against $758,000 in Waterview Heights, and rent is higher there too.
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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Rushforth is already more of a family suburb (80% vs 71%)
- Waterview Heights has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 76%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Waterview Heights
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($757,500 vs $885,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Waterview Heights
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $420/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 28%)
- But Rushforth has a bigger rental market to choose from (16% vs 6%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Waterview Heights
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (407 min vs 419 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Waterview Heights
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Rushforth
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (16.3% vs 2.9%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Rushforth and Waterview Heights 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
Waterview Heights has more residents (1,364 vs 285); Rushforth rents higher ($420/wk vs $300/wk).
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 285 | 1,364 +379% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +16.3% | +2.9% |
| Median age | 47 | 49 |
| Median household income | $79,248/yr +3% vs other | $77,220/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $420/wk +29% vs other | $300/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).
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 (22.1%).
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 (1.8%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $885,000 | $757,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $345,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 25 days from 7 sales |
Zoning mix
Rushforth has more rural and farming land (97% vs 83%).
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 97% | 83% |
| Residential | 1% | 14% |
| Environmental | 2% | 3% |
| 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
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 246 across Clarence Valley same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -80% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 20% of NSW | Higher than 30% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 46% of NSW | Higher than 45% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 8% of NSW | Higher than 56% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 83% of NSW | Higher than 66% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 17% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 66% of NSW | Higher than 74% of NSW |
Liveability
Waterview Heights is more walkable (10 vs 0).
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | D |
| Score | — | 23/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 80/100 | High 76/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 41/100 | Low 37/100 |
| 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
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 2 |
| Waterways | 15 | 17 |
Mobility
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 10/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 618.3 km | 616.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 419 min | 407 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 2460 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 60 postcode 2460 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 (82.2%).
Setting
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 43 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 77 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 41.8 km | 43.1 km |
NBN connectivity
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 48/100 | 66/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Fibre to the premises |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 20% 109 premises | 44% 550 premises |
Climate
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,060 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 8.3°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,380/yr same for both | |
| Council | Clarence Valley same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Page same for both | |
| Member | Kevin Hogan same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Rushforth | Waterview Heights | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Rushforth
Other comparisons with Waterview Heights
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.