Rydal vs Wallerawang

Wallerawang is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 53 in Rydal. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Rydal, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Rydal: a median of $764,000, against $588,000 in Wallerawang, though rent is higher in Wallerawang. On these figures, Rydal tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Wallerawang suits families with children and 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

Wallerawang

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 5)
  • is already more of a family suburb (59% vs 36%)

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

First-home buyers

Wallerawang

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($588,000 vs $764,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Rydal has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $275/wk)
  • Wallerawang has a bigger rental market to choose from (26% vs 6%)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Rydal

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 18%)

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

Investors

Wallerawang

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (2.0% vs -23.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Rydal and Wallerawang 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 Wallerawang
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 Wallerawang
Walkability 0 / 5
Rydal — Walkability: 0/100 Wallerawang — Walkability: 5/100
Safety 32 / 26
Rydal — Safety: 32/100 Wallerawang — Safety: 26/100
Low fire risk 81 / 70
Rydal — Low fire risk: 81/100 Wallerawang — Low fire risk: 70/100

Demographics

Wallerawang has more residents (2,019 vs 163); Wallerawang rents higher ($275/wk vs $200/wk).

Rydal Wallerawang
Population 163 2,019
+1139% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -23.5% +2.0%
Median age 53 39
Median household income $68,900/yr $74,048/yr
+7% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk $275/wk
+38% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Rydal Wallerawang
0-4 3.1% / 5.8%
Rydal — 0-4: 3.1% Wallerawang — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 9.2% / 15.6%
Rydal — 5-14: 9.2% Wallerawang — 5-14: 15.6%
15-19 8.6% / 6.2%
Rydal — 15-19: 8.6% Wallerawang — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 1.8% / 4.9%
Rydal — 20-24: 1.8% Wallerawang — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 8.6% / 11.8%
Rydal — 25-34: 8.6% Wallerawang — 25-34: 11.8%
35-44 9.2% / 11.2%
Rydal — 35-44: 9.2% Wallerawang — 35-44: 11.2%
45-54 17.8% / 12.0%
Rydal — 45-54: 17.8% Wallerawang — 45-54: 12.0%
55-64 15.3% / 14.1%
Rydal — 55-64: 15.3% Wallerawang — 55-64: 14.1%
65-74 17.2% / 11.9%
Rydal — 65-74: 17.2% Wallerawang — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 9.8% / 4.8%
Rydal — 75-84: 9.8% Wallerawang — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ 1.8% / 1.3%
Rydal — 85+: 1.8% Wallerawang — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

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% Rydal — Group Household: 0.0% Rydal — Other Families: 0.0%
Wallerawang 34.9% lone person
Wallerawang — Lone Person: 34.9% Wallerawang — Couple Families: 40.4% Wallerawang — One Parent Families: 18.2% Wallerawang — Group Household: 4.2% Wallerawang — Other Families: 2.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other 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%
Wallerawang 26.0% renting
Wallerawang — Owned Outright: 35.8% Wallerawang — Mortgage: 38.2% Wallerawang — Renting: 26.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Rydal Wallerawang
England 4.9% / 1.1%
Rydal — England: 4.9% Wallerawang — England: 1.1%
New Zealand — / 0.7%
Rydal — New Zealand: not among its largest Wallerawang — New Zealand: 0.7%
Scotland — / 0.5%
Rydal — Scotland: not among its largest Wallerawang — Scotland: 0.5%
India — / 0.5%
Rydal — India: not among its largest Wallerawang — India: 0.5%
Germany — / 0.5%
Rydal — Germany: not among its largest Wallerawang — Germany: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.9%).

Qualifications

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

Rydal Wallerawang
Certificate III & IV 20.2% / 21.4%
Rydal — Certificate III & IV: 20.2% Wallerawang — Certificate III & IV: 21.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 5.6%
Rydal — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Wallerawang — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6%
Bachelor Degree 9.2% / 4.9%
Rydal — Bachelor Degree: 9.2% Wallerawang — Bachelor Degree: 4.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.8% / 1.0%
Rydal — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8% Wallerawang — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.2%
Rydal — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Wallerawang — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Rydal 92.4% houses
Rydal — Houses: 92.4% Rydal — Townhouses: 6.1% Rydal — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Wallerawang 94.0% houses
Wallerawang — Houses: 94.0% Wallerawang — Townhouses: 3.6% Wallerawang — Flats / Apartments: 2.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Rydal Wallerawang
Median house price $764,000 $588,000
Median unit price — $379,000
Median land price — $562,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 47 days
from 5 sales

Zoning mix

Rydal has more rural and farming land (90% vs 75%).

Rydal Wallerawang
Rural and farming 90% 75%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 11%
Environmental 0% 6%
Residential 1% 5%
Industrial 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

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

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Rydal Wallerawang
Houses — 4.1%
$500/wk on $635K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Rydal Wallerawang
House price Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 17% of NSW
Income Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 44% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 47% of NSW Higher than 13% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 77% of NSW

Liveability

Rydal Wallerawang
Grade — D
Score — 24/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Wallerawang carries more bushfire risk (30 vs 19).

Rydal Wallerawang
Bushfire Low
19/100
 Low
30/100
Crime Moderate
68/100
 High
74/100
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

Rydal Wallerawang
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Rydal

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Wallerawang

  • Wallerawang Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Rydal Wallerawang
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 4
Parks & reserves 5 9
Childcare 0 1
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 17 15

Mobility

Rydal Wallerawang
Walkability score 0/100 5/100
Distance to Sydney 160.8 km 162.7 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 146 min
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2790
 0.2%
postcode 2845
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 2790
 48
postcode 2845

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 Wallerawang
Car (driver) 57.4% / 82.3%
Rydal — Car (driver): 57.4% Wallerawang — Car (driver): 82.3%
Worked from Home 29.4% / 10.2%
Rydal — Worked from Home: 29.4% Wallerawang — Worked from Home: 10.2%
Car (passenger) 8.8% / 4.8%
Rydal — Car (passenger): 8.8% Wallerawang — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Walked Only 4.4% / 2.7%
Rydal — Walked Only: 4.4% Wallerawang — Walked Only: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.3%).

Setting

Rydal Wallerawang
Elevation 937 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 930 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Rydal Wallerawang
Connectivity score 23/100 72/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
54 premises
 48%
952 premises

Climate

Rydal Wallerawang
Annual rainfall 1,147 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 23.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.2°C
same for both

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Rydal Wallerawang
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

Wallerawang

Acreage Affordable River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Rydal

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

Other comparisons with Wallerawang

Wallerawang vs Portland Wallerawang vs Bowenfels Wallerawang vs Marrangaroo Wallerawang vs Lidsdale Wallerawang vs Meadow Flat Wallerawang vs Mount Lambie
Full data on Rydal Full data on Wallerawang
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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