South Arm vs Woodford Island
Woodford Island is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 56 in South Arm. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Woodford Island, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, South Arm tends to suit older residents, while Woodford Island suits couples.
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
Woodford Island
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 58%)
Weighs schools, house stock, 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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Woodford Island
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (431 min vs 447 min)
- But South Arm sits closer to the CBD (638.2 km vs 653.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- South Arm has more residents already 65 and over (34% vs 20%)
- Woodford Island is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.
Investors
Woodford Island
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (24.9% vs -17.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
South Arm and Woodford Island 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
Woodford Island has more residents (306 vs 196); South Arm skews older (56 vs 50).
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 196 | 306 +56% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -17.3% | +24.9% |
| Median age | 56 | 50 |
| Median household income | $75,504/yr | $77,116/yr +2% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $275/wk | $290/wk +5% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).
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 (5.6%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.8%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $756,240 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 80% | 78% |
| Environmental | 14% | 22% |
| Residential | 5% | 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
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 246 across Clarence Valley same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -80% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 79% of NSW | — |
| Income | Higher than 43% of NSW | Higher than 45% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 27% of NSW | Higher than 59% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 13% of NSW | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 18% of NSW | Higher than 27% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 58% of NSW | Higher than 50% of NSW |
Liveability
Woodford Island is more walkable (12 vs 0).
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
South Arm carries more bushfire risk (77 vs 38).
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 77/100 | Low 38/100 |
| Crime | — | Low 30/100 |
| 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
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 2 |
| Waterways | 4 | 8 |
Mobility
Woodford Island sits further from the CBD (653.6 km vs 638.2 km).
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 12/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 638.2 km | 653.6 km +2% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 447 min | 431 min |
| Public transport score | 20/100 Bus | 23/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 2.5 7-9am + 5-7pm | 5.2 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 2 min scheduled, not actual | 1 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 2460 | 0.2% postcode 2463 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 60 postcode 2460 | 70 postcode 2463 |
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 (76.4%).
Setting
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 9 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 0 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 15.8 km | 17.9 km |
NBN connectivity
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 78 premises | 0% 122 premises |
Climate
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,408 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,380/yr same for both | |
| Council | Clarence Valley same for both | |
Federal electorate
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Page same for both | |
| Member | Kevin Hogan same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| South Arm | Woodford Island | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 South Arm
Other comparisons with Woodford Island
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.