Sun Valley vs Yellow Rock

Yellow Rock is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 47 in Sun Valley. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Sun Valley: a median of $1.49 million, against $1.13 million in Yellow Rock. On these figures, Sun Valley tends to suit older residents, while Yellow Rock suits 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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 5 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

First-home buyers

Yellow Rock

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 29%)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,132,500 vs $1,487,500)

Weighs house prices and 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

Sun Valley

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (58 min vs 70 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (69.2 km vs 79.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sun Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 14%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

Yellow Rock

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.7% vs 3.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
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.

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Walkability 20 / 18
Sun Valley — Walkability: 20/100 Yellow Rock — Walkability: 18/100
Low fire risk 16 / 10
Sun Valley — Low fire risk: 16/100 Yellow Rock — Low fire risk: 10/100

Demographics

Yellow Rock has more residents (1,119 vs 234); Sun Valley skews older (47 vs 42).

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Population 234 1,119
+378% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.1% +8.7%
Median age 47 42
Median household income $123,448/yr $137,020/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
0-4 1.3% / 4.4%
Sun Valley — 0-4: 1.3% Yellow Rock — 0-4: 4.4%
5-14 16.2% / 14.9%
Sun Valley — 5-14: 16.2% Yellow Rock — 5-14: 14.9%
15-19 8.1% / 7.5%
Sun Valley — 15-19: 8.1% Yellow Rock — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 8.1% / 4.9%
Sun Valley — 20-24: 8.1% Yellow Rock — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 1.3% / 9.0%
Sun Valley — 25-34: 1.3% Yellow Rock — 25-34: 9.0%
35-44 13.2% / 12.7%
Sun Valley — 35-44: 13.2% Yellow Rock — 35-44: 12.7%
45-54 17.1% / 15.0%
Sun Valley — 45-54: 17.1% Yellow Rock — 45-54: 15.0%
55-64 11.1% / 17.2%
Sun Valley — 55-64: 11.1% Yellow Rock — 55-64: 17.2%
65-74 19.2% / 9.3%
Sun Valley — 65-74: 19.2% Yellow Rock — 65-74: 9.3%
75-84 6.4% / 4.2%
Sun Valley — 75-84: 6.4% Yellow Rock — 75-84: 4.2%
85+ 1.3% / 0.4%
Sun Valley — 85+: 1.3% Yellow Rock — 85+: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Sun Valley 72.3% couple families
Sun Valley — Couple Families: 72.3% Sun Valley — Lone Person: 17.0% Sun Valley — One Parent Families: 10.6% Sun Valley — Other Families: 0.0%
Yellow Rock 72.8% couple families
Yellow Rock — Couple Families: 72.8% Yellow Rock — Lone Person: 14.9% Yellow Rock — One Parent Families: 10.1% Yellow Rock — Other Families: 2.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Sun Valley 3.9% renting
Sun Valley — Owned Outright: 54.5% Sun Valley — Mortgage: 41.6% Sun Valley — Renting: 3.9%
Yellow Rock 7.7% renting
Yellow Rock — Owned Outright: 36.4% Yellow Rock — Mortgage: 55.9% Yellow Rock — Renting: 7.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Certificate III & IV 14.1% / 21.1%
Sun Valley — Certificate III & IV: 14.1% Yellow Rock — Certificate III & IV: 21.1%
Bachelor Degree 20.5% / 9.7%
Sun Valley — Bachelor Degree: 20.5% Yellow Rock — Bachelor Degree: 9.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.3% / 9.2%
Sun Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3% Yellow Rock — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2%
Postgraduate Degree 6.4% / 3.8%
Sun Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4% Yellow Rock — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 1.3%
Sun Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Yellow Rock — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

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.

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
England 7.7% / 3.7%
Sun Valley — England: 7.7% Yellow Rock — England: 3.7%
South Africa 2.1% / —
Sun Valley — South Africa: 2.1% Yellow Rock — South Africa: not among its largest
Malaysia — / 0.8%
Sun Valley — Malaysia: not among its largest Yellow Rock — Malaysia: 0.8%
Philippines — / 0.7%
Sun Valley — Philippines: not among its largest Yellow Rock — Philippines: 0.7%
China — / 0.4%
Sun Valley — China: not among its largest Yellow Rock — China: 0.4%
New Zealand — / 0.4%
Sun Valley — New Zealand: not among its largest Yellow Rock — New Zealand: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Sun Valley 100.0% houses
Sun Valley — Houses: 100.0% Sun Valley — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Yellow Rock 98.6% houses
Yellow Rock — Houses: 98.6% Yellow Rock — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Median house price $1,487,500 $1,132,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 45 days
from 9 sales

Zoning mix

Yellow Rock has more land zoned for conservation (99% vs 33%); Sun Valley has more rural and farming land (59% vs 0%).

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Environmental 33% 99%
Rural and farming 59% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 0%
Parks and recreation 3% 1%
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

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
New dwellings approved 123
across Blue Mountains
same for both
Approvals change year on year +14%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
House price Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
Income — Higher than 91% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 69% of NSW
same for both
Affordability — Higher than 83% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 84% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW

Liveability

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Grade — C
Score — 36/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Bushfire High
84/100
 High
90/100
Crime Low
34/100
 —
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 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
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

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Parks & reserves 1 3
Waterways 3 4

Mobility

Yellow Rock sits further from the CBD (79.4 km vs 69.2 km).

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Walkability score 20/100 18/100
Distance to Sydney 69.2 km 79.4 km
+15% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 58 min 70 min
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 2777
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 2777
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.

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Car (driver) 46.9% / 62.2%
Sun Valley — Car (driver): 46.9% Yellow Rock — Car (driver): 62.2%
Worked from Home 49.0% / 33.5%
Sun Valley — Worked from Home: 49.0% Yellow Rock — Worked from Home: 33.5%
Walked Only 4.1% / 1.0%
Sun Valley — Walked Only: 4.1% Yellow Rock — Walked Only: 1.0%
Car (passenger) — / 2.5%
Sun Valley — Car (passenger): not among its largest Yellow Rock — Car (passenger): 2.5%
Train — / 0.8%
Sun Valley — Train: not among its largest Yellow Rock — Train: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.2%).

Setting

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Elevation 193 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 236 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Connectivity score 98/100 93/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 92%
84 premises
 66%
392 premises

Climate

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Annual rainfall 822 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
PM2.5 7.2 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.6 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Average residential rate $2,080/yr
same for both
Council Blue Mountains
same for both

Federal electorate

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Division Macquarie
same for both
Member Susan Templeman
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Sun Valley Yellow Rock
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Sun Valley

Professionals Retirees River

Yellow Rock

Acreage

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Sun Valley

Sun Valley vs Springwood Sun Valley vs Warrimoo Sun Valley vs Valley Heights

Other comparisons with Yellow Rock

Yellow Rock vs Springwood Yellow Rock vs Winmalee Yellow Rock vs Emu Heights Yellow Rock vs Mount Riverview Yellow Rock vs Warrimoo Yellow Rock vs Castlereagh
Full data on Sun Valley Full data on Yellow Rock
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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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