Tarana vs Sodwalls
Tarana is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 52 in Sodwalls. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Tarana, about half of households are people living alone. In Sodwalls, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Tarana tends to suit families with children and couples, while Sodwalls 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
Tarana
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (51% vs 38%)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 89%)
- But Sodwalls carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 13/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, 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
Tarana
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($280/wk vs $365/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Sodwalls
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (172.7 km vs 180 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Sodwalls
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 13/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Sodwalls
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (34.3% vs 9.4%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Tarana and Sodwalls 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
Tarana has more residents (187 vs 94); Sodwalls rents higher ($365/wk vs $280/wk).
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 187 +50% vs other | 94 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +9.4% | +34.3% |
| Median age | 48 | 52 |
| Median household income | $97,500/yr | $100,724/yr +3% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $280/wk | $365/wk +30% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.5%).
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 (21.3%).
Property market
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $890,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $1,010,000 | — |
Zoning mix
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 94% | 100% |
| Environmental | 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
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 21 across Oberon | 55 across Lithgow |
| Approvals change year on year | -33% | +0% |
Ranking within NSW
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 42% of NSW | — |
| Income | Higher than 64% of NSW | Higher than 69% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 1% of NSW | Higher than 28% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 71% of NSW | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 28% of NSW | Higher than 47% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 35% of NSW | Higher than 34% of NSW |
Liveability
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Tarana carries more crime risk (13 vs 0).
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 23/100 | Low 28/100 |
| Crime | Low 13/100 | None 0/100 |
| 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
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 17 | 26 |
Mobility
Tarana sits further from the CBD (180 km vs 172.7 km).
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 180 km +4% vs other | 172.7 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 168 min | 167 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 2787 | 0.5% postcode 2790 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 44 postcode 2787 | 36 postcode 2790 |
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 (69.7%).
Setting
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 785 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 1,091 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 25/100 | 24/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 77 premises | 0% 34 premises |
Climate
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 738 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $975/yr | $1,150/yr |
| Council | Oberon | Lithgow |
Federal electorate
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Calare same for both | |
| Member | Andrew Gee same for both | |
| Party | Independent same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Tarana | Sodwalls | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Tarana
Other comparisons with Sodwalls
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.