Rydal vs Sodwalls

Comparing Rydal and Sodwalls, NSW: Rydal carries more crime risk (68 vs 0); Sodwalls rents higher ($365/wk vs $200/wk); and Sodwalls sits further from the CBD (172.7 km vs 160.8 km).

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

  • Rydal has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
  • Sodwalls carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 68/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Rydal

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $365/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Rydal

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (146 min vs 167 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (160.8 km vs 172.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Rydal has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 21%)
  • Sodwalls carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 68/100)

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

Investors

Sodwalls

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (34.3% vs -23.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Rydal Sodwalls
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.

Rydal Sodwalls
Walkability 0 / 0
Rydal — Walkability: 0/100 Sodwalls — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 32 / 100
Rydal — Safety: 32/100 Sodwalls — Safety: 100/100
Low fire risk 81 / 72
Rydal — Low fire risk: 81/100 Sodwalls — Low fire risk: 72/100

Demographics

Sodwalls rents higher ($365/wk vs $200/wk); Rydal has more residents (163 vs 94).

Rydal Sodwalls
Population 163
+42% vs other
 94
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -23.5% +34.3%
Median age 53 52
Median household income $68,900/yr $100,724/yr
+46% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk $365/wk
+82% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Rydal Sodwalls
0-4 3.1% / —
Rydal — 0-4: 3.1% Sodwalls — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 9.2% / 7.4%
Rydal — 5-14: 9.2% Sodwalls — 5-14: 7.4%
15-19 8.6% / 10.6%
Rydal — 15-19: 8.6% Sodwalls — 15-19: 10.6%
20-24 1.8% / —
Rydal — 20-24: 1.8% Sodwalls — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 8.6% / 4.3%
Rydal — 25-34: 8.6% Sodwalls — 25-34: 4.3%
35-44 9.2% / 10.6%
Rydal — 35-44: 9.2% Sodwalls — 35-44: 10.6%
45-54 17.8% / 20.2%
Rydal — 45-54: 17.8% Sodwalls — 45-54: 20.2%
55-64 15.3% / 24.5%
Rydal — 55-64: 15.3% Sodwalls — 55-64: 24.5%
65-74 17.2% / 21.3%
Rydal — 65-74: 17.2% Sodwalls — 65-74: 21.3%
75-84 9.8% / —
Rydal — 75-84: 9.8% Sodwalls — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 1.8% / —
Rydal — 85+: 1.8% Sodwalls — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Rydal 64.3% lone person
Rydal — Lone Person: 64.3% Rydal — Couple Families: 23.8% Rydal — One Parent Families: 11.9%
Sodwalls 62.5% lone person
Sodwalls — Lone Person: 62.5% Sodwalls — Couple Families: 37.5% Sodwalls — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Rydal 6.2% renting
Rydal — Owned Outright: 59.4% Rydal — Mortgage: 34.4% Rydal — Renting: 6.2%
Sodwalls 8.6% renting
Sodwalls — Owned Outright: 62.9% Sodwalls — Mortgage: 28.6% Sodwalls — Renting: 8.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Rydal 92.4% houses
Rydal — Houses: 92.4% Rydal — Flats / Apartments: 1.5% Rydal — Townhouses: 6.1%
Sodwalls 89.2% houses
Sodwalls — Houses: 89.2% Sodwalls — Flats / Apartments: 10.8% Sodwalls — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Rydal Sodwalls
Certificate III & IV 20.2% / 21.3%
Rydal — Certificate III & IV: 20.2% Sodwalls — Certificate III & IV: 21.3%
Bachelor Degree 9.2% / 11.7%
Rydal — Bachelor Degree: 9.2% Sodwalls — Bachelor Degree: 11.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 6.4%
Rydal — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Sodwalls — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 9.6%
Rydal — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Sodwalls — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 9.6%
Postgraduate Degree 1.8% / —
Rydal — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8% Sodwalls — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).

Property market

Rydal Sodwalls
Median house price $764,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Rydal Sodwalls
Rural and farming 90% 100%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 0%
Residential 1% 0%
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

Rydal Sodwalls
New dwellings approved 55
across Lithgow
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Rydal Sodwalls
House price Higher than 31% of NSW —
Income Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 44% of NSW Higher than 28% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 56% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 47% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW

Liveability

Rydal Sodwalls
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Rydal carries more crime risk (68 vs 0).

Rydal Sodwalls
Bushfire Low
19/100
 Low
28/100
Crime Moderate
68/100
 None
0/100
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

Rydal Sodwalls
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

Rydal Sodwalls
Parks & reserves 5 0
Waterways 17 26

Mobility

Sodwalls sits further from the CBD (172.7 km vs 160.8 km).

Rydal Sodwalls
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 160.8 km 172.7 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 146 min 167 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2790
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 2790
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.

Rydal Sodwalls
Car (driver) 57.4% / 67.5%
Rydal — Car (driver): 57.4% Sodwalls — Car (driver): 67.5%
Worked from Home 29.4% / 32.5%
Rydal — Worked from Home: 29.4% Sodwalls — Worked from Home: 32.5%
Car (passenger) 8.8% / —
Rydal — Car (passenger): 8.8% Sodwalls — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 4.4% / —
Rydal — Walked Only: 4.4% Sodwalls — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.5%).

Setting

Rydal Sodwalls
Elevation 937 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 1,091 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Rydal Sodwalls
Connectivity score 23/100 24/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
54 premises
 0%
34 premises

Climate

Rydal Sodwalls
Annual rainfall 1,147 mm 738 mm
Summer max (Jan) 23.8°C —
Winter min (Jul) 3.2°C —

Council rates

Rydal Sodwalls
Average residential rate $1,150/yr
same for both
Council Lithgow
same for both

Federal electorate

Rydal Sodwalls
Division Calare
same for both
Member Andrew Gee
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Rydal Sodwalls
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Rydal

Retirees Rural Trains

Sodwalls

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Rydal

Rydal vs Bowenfels Rydal vs Wallerawang Rydal vs South Bowenfels Rydal vs Hartley Rydal vs Hampton Rydal vs Mount Lambie

Other comparisons with Sodwalls

Sodwalls vs Tarana Sodwalls vs Hampton Sodwalls vs Mount Lambie
Full data on Rydal Full data on Sodwalls
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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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