Tuggerah vs Berkeley Vale

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Berkeley Vale, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Berkeley Vale: a median of $985,000, against $826,000 in Tuggerah. On these figures, Tuggerah tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Berkeley Vale 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

Berkeley Vale

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 99/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (90% vs 73%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Tuggerah has cheaper houses ($825,500 vs $985,000)
  • Berkeley Vale has cheaper units ($440,000 vs $745,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Tuggerah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (38% vs 22%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Berkeley Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (72/100 vs 58/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Tuggerah has more GPs (7 vs 1)
  • Berkeley Vale carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 99/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Berkeley Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (7.1% vs -0.2%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Tuggerah and Berkeley Vale drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
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.

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Walkability 58 / 72
Tuggerah — Walkability: 58/100 Berkeley Vale — Walkability: 72/100
Safety 1 / 50
Tuggerah — Safety: 1/100 Berkeley Vale — Safety: 50/100
Low fire risk 75 / 47
Tuggerah — Low fire risk: 75/100 Berkeley Vale — Low fire risk: 47/100

Demographics

Berkeley Vale has more residents (8,951 vs 925); Berkeley Vale has higher household incomes ($93,132 vs $81,588).

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Population 925 8,951
+868% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.2% +7.1%
Median age 35 36
Median household income $81,588/yr $93,132/yr
+14% vs other
Median weekly rent $418/wk $420/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
0-4 6.7% / 7.2%
Tuggerah — 0-4: 6.7% Berkeley Vale — 0-4: 7.2%
5-14 11.2% / 14.0%
Tuggerah — 5-14: 11.2% Berkeley Vale — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 7.1% / 6.1%
Tuggerah — 15-19: 7.1% Berkeley Vale — 15-19: 6.1%
20-24 8.3% / 6.1%
Tuggerah — 20-24: 8.3% Berkeley Vale — 20-24: 6.1%
25-34 15.2% / 14.0%
Tuggerah — 25-34: 15.2% Berkeley Vale — 25-34: 14.0%
35-44 11.7% / 13.0%
Tuggerah — 35-44: 11.7% Berkeley Vale — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 12.3% / 10.9%
Tuggerah — 45-54: 12.3% Berkeley Vale — 45-54: 10.9%
55-64 13.0% / 12.2%
Tuggerah — 55-64: 13.0% Berkeley Vale — 55-64: 12.2%
65-74 8.3% / 9.2%
Tuggerah — 65-74: 8.3% Berkeley Vale — 65-74: 9.2%
75-84 5.2% / 5.1%
Tuggerah — 75-84: 5.2% Berkeley Vale — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 0.8% / 2.4%
Tuggerah — 85+: 0.8% Berkeley Vale — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tuggerah 36.6% couple families
Tuggerah — Couple Families: 36.6% Tuggerah — Lone Person: 34.1% Tuggerah — One Parent Families: 23.1% Tuggerah — Group Household: 4.8% Tuggerah — Other Families: 1.4%
Berkeley Vale 47.2% couple families
Berkeley Vale — Couple Families: 47.2% Berkeley Vale — Lone Person: 27.8% Berkeley Vale — One Parent Families: 20.1% Berkeley Vale — Group Household: 3.5% Berkeley Vale — Other Families: 1.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Tuggerah 38.3% renting
Tuggerah — Owned Outright: 26.8% Tuggerah — Mortgage: 34.9% Tuggerah — Renting: 38.3%
Berkeley Vale 21.5% renting
Berkeley Vale — Owned Outright: 30.7% Berkeley Vale — Mortgage: 47.8% Berkeley Vale — Renting: 21.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Certificate III & IV 15.7% / 20.0%
Tuggerah — Certificate III & IV: 15.7% Berkeley Vale — Certificate III & IV: 20.0%
Bachelor Degree 12.5% / 8.2%
Tuggerah — Bachelor Degree: 12.5% Berkeley Vale — Bachelor Degree: 8.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.3% / 7.7%
Tuggerah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3% Berkeley Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 1.8%
Tuggerah — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Berkeley Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 1.2%
Tuggerah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Berkeley Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

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.

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
England 3.9% / 3.6%
Tuggerah — England: 3.9% Berkeley Vale — England: 3.6%
New Zealand 1.6% / 1.7%
Tuggerah — New Zealand: 1.6% Berkeley Vale — New Zealand: 1.7%
Philippines 2.5% / 0.4%
Tuggerah — Philippines: 2.5% Berkeley Vale — Philippines: 0.4%
China 1.7% / 0.2%
Tuggerah — China: 1.7% Berkeley Vale — China: 0.2%
Nepal 1.3% / —
Tuggerah — Nepal: 1.3% Berkeley Vale — Nepal: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.4%
Tuggerah — Scotland: not among its largest Berkeley Vale — Scotland: 0.4%
Germany — / 0.4%
Tuggerah — Germany: not among its largest Berkeley Vale — Germany: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Tuggerah 72.9% houses
Tuggerah — Houses: 72.9% Tuggerah — Townhouses: 25.5% Tuggerah — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Berkeley Vale 89.8% houses
Berkeley Vale — Houses: 89.8% Berkeley Vale — Townhouses: 3.3% Berkeley Vale — Flats / Apartments: 6.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Median house price $825,500 $985,000
Median unit price $745,000 $440,000
Median land price $1,250,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 16 days
from 6 sales
 28 days
from 110 sales

Zoning mix

Tuggerah has more land zoned for conservation (50% vs 20%).

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Environmental 50% 20%
Residential 9% 48%
Industrial 13% 21%
Infrastructure and transport 13% 4%
Commercial 8% 0%
Parks and recreation 7%
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

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
New dwellings approved 1,441
across Central Coast (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +67%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Houses 3.4%
$585/wk on $885K
 3.7%
$700/wk on $990K
Units — 5.2%
$570/wk on $568K

Ranking within NSW

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
House price Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
Income Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 76% of NSW

Liveability

Berkeley Vale scores higher overall (46 vs 37); Berkeley Vale is more walkable (72 vs 58).

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Grade C
same for both
Score 37/100 46/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
same for both

Risk profile

Berkeley Vale carries more bushfire risk (53 vs 25); Tuggerah carries more crime risk (99 vs 50).

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Bushfire Low
25/100
 Moderate
53/100
Crime High
99/100
 Moderate
50/100
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 4
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Inside the suburb 2
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
The University of Newcastle (Central Coast), 8.7 km
 1
The University of Newcastle (Central Coast), 9.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.3% 1.1%

Schools in Tuggerah

  • Tuggerah Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Aspect Central Coast School, Tuggerah Independent · Secondary · Special school

Schools in Berkeley Vale

  • TLK Youth College Independent · Secondary · Special school above peers
  • Berkeley Vale Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 17 0
Parks & reserves 7 6
Childcare 4
same for both
GPs 7 1
Pharmacies 1 2
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 8 0
Fuel stations 5 2
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 24 7

Mobility

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Walkability score 58/100 72/100
Distance to Sydney 91 km 90.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 75 min 77 min
Public transport score 89/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 249.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 244.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2259
 0.6%
postcode 2261
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2259
 33
postcode 2261

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.

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Car (driver) 60.4% / 68.8%
Tuggerah — Car (driver): 60.4% Berkeley Vale — Car (driver): 68.8%
Worked from Home 25.4% / 24.8%
Tuggerah — Worked from Home: 25.4% Berkeley Vale — Worked from Home: 24.8%
Car (passenger) 6.9% / 4.0%
Tuggerah — Car (passenger): 6.9% Berkeley Vale — Car (passenger): 4.0%
Walked Only 4.6% / 0.9%
Tuggerah — Walked Only: 4.6% Berkeley Vale — Walked Only: 0.9%
Train 2.0% / 0.8%
Tuggerah — Train: 2.0% Berkeley Vale — Train: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.8%).

Setting

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Elevation 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 7 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.5 km 6.3 km

NBN connectivity

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Connectivity score 59/100 100/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 24%
1,940 premises
 100%
4,107 premises

Climate

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Annual rainfall 1,272 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.36 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Average residential rate $1,409/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Division Dobell
same for both
Member Emma Mcbride
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Tuggerah Berkeley Vale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Tuggerah

Parks Quiet River Townhouses Transport Hub

Berkeley Vale

Large Blocks Parks Regional Centre River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tuggerah

Tuggerah vs Wyong Tuggerah vs Mardi Tuggerah vs Chittaway Bay Tuggerah vs Chittaway Point Tuggerah vs Kangy Angy Tuggerah vs Tacoma South

Other comparisons with Berkeley Vale

Berkeley Vale vs Killarney Vale Berkeley Vale vs Tumbi Umbi Berkeley Vale vs Glenning Valley Berkeley Vale vs Chittaway Bay Berkeley Vale vs Chittaway Point Berkeley Vale vs Fountaindale
Full data on Tuggerah Full data on Berkeley Vale
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or