Safety Beach vs Woolgoolga

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Safety Beach, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Safety Beach: a median of $1.05 million, against $920,000 in Woolgoolga, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Safety Beach tends to suit families with children and couples, while Woolgoolga suits people living alone.

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

  • Safety Beach carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 81/100)
  • Woolgoolga has more parks and reserves (9 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Woolgoolga

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($450,000 vs $520,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($920,000 vs $1,055,000)
  • But Safety Beach leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 34%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Woolgoolga

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 13%)
  • has cheaper rent ($360/wk vs $500/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Safety Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (27/100 vs 8/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Safety Beach carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 81/100)
  • Woolgoolga has more units and townhouses to downsize into (18% vs 0%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
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.

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Walkability 27 / 8
Safety Beach — Walkability: 27/100 Woolgoolga — Walkability: 8/100
Safety 80 / 19
Safety Beach — Safety: 80/100 Woolgoolga — Safety: 19/100
Low fire risk 100 / 55
Safety Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100 Woolgoolga — Low fire risk: 55/100

Demographics

Woolgoolga has more residents (6,151 vs 1,103); Safety Beach has higher household incomes ($95,524 vs $61,880).

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Population 1,103 6,151
+458% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +18.6% +16.3%
Median age 46 45
Median household income $95,524/yr
+35% vs other
 $61,880/yr
Median weekly rent $500/wk
+28% vs other
 $360/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
0-4 5.8% / 5.3%
Safety Beach — 0-4: 5.8% Woolgoolga — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 15.0% / 10.5%
Safety Beach — 5-14: 15.0% Woolgoolga — 5-14: 10.5%
15-19 4.7% / 4.6%
Safety Beach — 15-19: 4.7% Woolgoolga — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 3.0% / 4.1%
Safety Beach — 20-24: 3.0% Woolgoolga — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 7.1% / 13.6%
Safety Beach — 25-34: 7.1% Woolgoolga — 25-34: 13.6%
35-44 13.0% / 11.4%
Safety Beach — 35-44: 13.0% Woolgoolga — 35-44: 11.4%
45-54 12.4% / 10.6%
Safety Beach — 45-54: 12.4% Woolgoolga — 45-54: 10.6%
55-64 13.2% / 13.2%
Safety Beach — 55-64: 13.2% Woolgoolga — 55-64: 13.2%
65-74 18.3% / 15.3%
Safety Beach — 65-74: 18.3% Woolgoolga — 65-74: 15.3%
75-84 6.3% / 7.9%
Safety Beach — 75-84: 6.3% Woolgoolga — 75-84: 7.9%
85+ 1.5% / 3.6%
Safety Beach — 85+: 1.5% Woolgoolga — 85+: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Safety Beach 57.1% couple families
Safety Beach — Couple Families: 57.1% Safety Beach — Lone Person: 25.3% Safety Beach — One Parent Families: 14.7% Safety Beach — Group Household: 2.9% Safety Beach — Other Families: 0.0%
Woolgoolga 34.6% couple families
Woolgoolga — Couple Families: 34.6% Woolgoolga — Lone Person: 41.0% Woolgoolga — One Parent Families: 16.4% Woolgoolga — Group Household: 6.8% Woolgoolga — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Safety Beach 13.3% renting
Safety Beach — Owned Outright: 51.3% Safety Beach — Mortgage: 35.5% Safety Beach — Renting: 13.3%
Woolgoolga 30.5% renting
Woolgoolga — Owned Outright: 45.8% Woolgoolga — Mortgage: 23.6% Woolgoolga — Renting: 30.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Certificate III & IV 16.1% / 14.9%
Safety Beach — Certificate III & IV: 16.1% Woolgoolga — Certificate III & IV: 14.9%
Bachelor Degree 15.5% / 10.0%
Safety Beach — Bachelor Degree: 15.5% Woolgoolga — Bachelor Degree: 10.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.9% / 8.6%
Safety Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9% Woolgoolga — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 2.4%
Safety Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Woolgoolga — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 1.6%
Safety Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Woolgoolga — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.1%).

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.

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
India 2.5% / 10.7%
Safety Beach — India: 2.5% Woolgoolga — India: 10.7%
England 3.8% / 3.5%
Safety Beach — England: 3.8% Woolgoolga — England: 3.5%
New Zealand 2.2% / 1.0%
Safety Beach — New Zealand: 2.2% Woolgoolga — New Zealand: 1.0%
Malaysia 0.5% / 1.0%
Safety Beach — Malaysia: 0.5% Woolgoolga — Malaysia: 1.0%
Scotland 0.8% / 0.5%
Safety Beach — Scotland: 0.8% Woolgoolga — Scotland: 0.5%
Germany 0.5% / 0.6%
Safety Beach — Germany: 0.5% Woolgoolga — Germany: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Safety Beach 99.7% houses
Safety Beach — Houses: 99.7% Safety Beach — Townhouses: 0.0% Safety Beach — Flats / Apartments: 0.3%
Woolgoolga 82.2% houses
Woolgoolga — Houses: 82.2% Woolgoolga — Townhouses: 13.2% Woolgoolga — Flats / Apartments: 4.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Median house price $1,055,000 $920,000
Median unit price — $640,000
Median land price $520,000 $450,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 9 sales
 32 days
from 56 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
3 bed $1.03M / $855K
Safety Beach — 3 bed: $1.03M (6 sales) Woolgoolga — 3 bed: $855K (31 sales)

6 vs 31 sales

4 bed $1.05M / $929K
Safety Beach — 4 bed: $1.05M (17 sales) Woolgoolga — 4 bed: $929K (44 sales)

17 vs 44 sales

Zoning mix

Woolgoolga has more rural and farming land (77% vs 0%).

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Rural and farming 0% 77%
Parks and recreation 46% 3%
Residential 42% 7%
Environmental 12% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 4%
Planning zones cover 99% of Safety Beach and 100% of Woolgoolga. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
New dwellings approved 356
across Coffs Harbour
same for both
Approvals change year on year +61%
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.

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Houses — 3.7%
$700/wk on $987K
Units — 3.7%
$490/wk on $688K

Ranking within NSW

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
House price Higher than 54% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
Income Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 11% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 53% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 40% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 52% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 56% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 15% of NSW

Liveability

Safety Beach is more walkable (27 vs 8); Safety Beach scores higher overall (59 vs 19).

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Grade B D
Score 59/100 19/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Woolgoolga carries more bushfire risk (45 vs 0); Woolgoolga carries more crime risk (81 vs 20).

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
45/100
Crime Low
20/100
 High
81/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
37/100
 Moderate
58/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Inside the suburb 0 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 2

Schools in Safety Beach

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

Schools in Woolgoolga

  • Woolgoolga Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Francis Xavier Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Woolgoolga High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 0 10
Parks & reserves 0 9
Childcare 0 4
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Fuel stations 0 3
Waterways 0 28

Mobility

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Walkability score 27/100 8/100
Distance to Sydney 553.6 km 554.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 367 min 370 min
Public transport score 20/100
Bus
 71/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 3.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 65.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2456
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 59
postcode 2456
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.

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Car (driver) 77.7% / 76.6%
Safety Beach — Car (driver): 77.7% Woolgoolga — Car (driver): 76.6%
Worked from Home 13.1% / 9.8%
Safety Beach — Worked from Home: 13.1% Woolgoolga — Worked from Home: 9.8%
Car (passenger) 7.3% / 8.4%
Safety Beach — Car (passenger): 7.3% Woolgoolga — Car (passenger): 8.4%
Walked Only 1.9% / 4.2%
Safety Beach — Walked Only: 1.9% Woolgoolga — Walked Only: 4.2%
Bicycle — / 0.6%
Safety Beach — Bicycle: not among its largest Woolgoolga — Bicycle: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.7%).

Setting

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 62 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 615 m
3.5 km to a named beach
 3.4 km
4.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Connectivity score 77/100 59/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 41%
493 premises
 22%
3,566 premises

Climate

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Annual rainfall 1,827 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 10.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.22 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Average residential rate $1,437/yr
same for both
Council Coffs Harbour
same for both

Federal electorate

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Safety Beach Woolgoolga
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Safety Beach

Coastal Large Blocks Retirees

Woolgoolga

Retirees River

More comparisons

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Safety Beach vs Mullaway

Other comparisons with Woolgoolga

Woolgoolga vs Sandy Beach Woolgoolga vs Emerald Beach Woolgoolga vs Corindi Beach Woolgoolga vs Arrawarra Headland Woolgoolga vs Bucca Woolgoolga vs Mullaway
Full data on Safety Beach Full data on Woolgoolga
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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