Swan Creek vs Ulmarra
Swan Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 49 in Ulmarra. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Swan Creek, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Swan Creek tends to suit families with children and couples, while Ulmarra suits older residents.
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
- Swan Creek carries lower crime risk (61/100 vs 76/100)
- Ulmarra has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Swan Creek
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 26%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Ulmarra
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (26% vs 34%)
- has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $310/wk)
- But Swan Creek has a bigger rental market to choose from (38% vs 28%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Swan Creek
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (402 min vs 411 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (609.8 km vs 621.8 km)
- But Ulmarra is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Ulmarra
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 22%)
- But Swan Creek carries lower crime risk (61/100 vs 76/100)
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
Swan Creek and Ulmarra 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
Ulmarra has more residents (749 vs 106); Ulmarra skews older (49 vs 37).
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 106 | 749 +607% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -4.5% | -3.9% |
| Median age | 37 | 49 |
| Median household income | $46,800/yr | $51,168/yr +9% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $310/wk +16% vs other | $260/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.4%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 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 (20.2%).
Property market
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $635,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 26 days from 13 sales |
Zoning mix
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 93% same for both | |
| Environmental | 5% | 6% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 1% | 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
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 246 across Clarence Valley same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -80% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — | Higher than 17% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 8% of NSW | Higher than 12% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 21% of NSW | Higher than 62% of NSW |
| Affordability | — | Higher than 60% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 21% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 56% of NSW | Higher than 50% of NSW |
Liveability
Ulmarra is more walkable (14 vs 0).
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | D |
| Score | — | 18/100 |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 | high-need area decile 1/10 |
Risk profile
Ulmarra carries more bushfire risk (32 vs 0); Ulmarra carries more crime risk (76 vs 61).
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 32/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 61/100 | High 76/100 |
| 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
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Swan Creek
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Ulmarra
- Ulmarra Public School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 2 |
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 2 |
| Police stations | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 3 | 10 |
Mobility
Ulmarra sits further from the CBD (621.8 km vs 609.8 km).
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 14/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 609.8 km | 621.8 km +2% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 402 min | 411 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 2462 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 55 postcode 2462 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.7%).
Setting
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 3 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 2 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 29.4 km | 25.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 43 premises | 0% 358 premises |
Climate
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,060 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 8.3°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,380/yr same for both | |
| Council | Clarence Valley same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Page same for both | |
| Member | Kevin Hogan same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Swan Creek | Ulmarra | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Swan Creek
Ulmarra
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Swan Creek
Other comparisons with Ulmarra
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.