Sofala vs Running Stream
In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Running Stream: a median of $1.65 million, against $462,000 in Sofala, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Sofala 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
Sofala
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (72/100 vs 89/100)
- But Running Stream has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 88%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
They split
one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here
- Sofala has cheaper houses ($462,500 vs $1,650,000)
- Running Stream leaves households under less mortgage stress (31% vs 45%)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Sofala has cheaper rent ($194/wk vs $215/wk)
- Running Stream leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 29%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Running Stream
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (211.2 km vs 243.8 km)
- has a shorter drive in (186 min vs 205 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Sofala
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (72/100 vs 89/100)
Weighs 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
Sofala and Running Stream 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
Running Stream has higher household incomes ($49,868 vs $34,736); Running Stream rents higher ($215/wk vs $194/wk).
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 111 | 120 +8% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -15.3% | -10.4% |
| Median age | 60 | 61 |
| Median household income | $34,736/yr | $49,868/yr +44% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $194/wk | $215/wk +11% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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 (7.2%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $462,500 | $1,650,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 31 days from 6 sales | — |
Zoning mix
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% 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
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 131 across Mid-Western same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -4% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 28% of NSW | Higher than 79% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 2% of NSW | Higher than 11% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 29% of NSW | Higher than 2% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 15% of NSW | Higher than 5% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 44% of NSW | Higher than 22% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 15% of NSW | Higher than 1% of NSW |
Liveability
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 |
Risk profile
Running Stream carries more bushfire risk (55 vs 14); Running Stream carries more crime risk (89 vs 72).
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 14/100 | Moderate 55/100 |
| Crime | High 72/100 | High 89/100 |
| 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
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Sofala
- Sofala Public School Government · Primary
Schools in Running Stream
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 3 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 4 | 0 |
| Waterways | 19 | 37 |
Mobility
Sofala sits further from the CBD (243.8 km vs 211.2 km).
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 243.8 km +13% vs other | 211.2 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 205 min | 186 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2795 | 0.2% postcode 2850 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 47 postcode 2795 | 50 postcode 2850 |
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 (63.6%).
Setting
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 674 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 969 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 54 premises | 0% 42 premises |
Climate
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 644 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 28.4°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 1.2°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,083/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mid-Western same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Calare same for both | |
| Member | Andrew Gee same for both | |
| Party | Independent same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Sofala | Running Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Sofala
Other comparisons with Running Stream
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.