Upper Main Arm vs Rowlands Creek

Upper Main Arm is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 59 in Rowlands Creek. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Upper Main Arm, about half of households are people living alone. In Rowlands Creek, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Rowlands Creek: a median of $1.57 million, against $900,000 in Upper Main Arm, though rent is higher in Upper Main Arm. On these figures, Upper Main Arm tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Rowlands Creek suits people living alone and 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

Upper Main Arm

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • 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

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Upper Main Arm has cheaper houses ($900,000 vs $1,575,000)
  • Rowlands Creek leaves households under less mortgage stress (33% vs 51%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Rowlands Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($231/wk vs $390/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (28% vs 46%)
  • But Upper Main Arm has a bigger rental market to choose from (32% vs 14%)

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

Commuting to the city

Upper Main Arm

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (511 min vs 560 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (778.2 km vs 796.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Upper Main Arm is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
  • Rowlands Creek has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 16%)

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

Investors

Upper Main Arm

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (25.8% vs 13.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Upper Main Arm and Rowlands Creek drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
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.

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Walkability 12 / 0
Upper Main Arm — Walkability: 12/100 Rowlands Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 12 / 19
Upper Main Arm — Safety: 12/100 Rowlands Creek — Safety: 19/100
Low fire risk 53 / 39
Upper Main Arm — Low fire risk: 53/100 Rowlands Creek — Low fire risk: 39/100

Demographics

Upper Main Arm has more residents (283 vs 84); Upper Main Arm rents higher ($390/wk vs $231/wk).

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Population 283
+70% vs other
 84
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +25.8% +13.5%
Median age 44 59
Median household income $44,200/yr
+2% vs other
 $43,316/yr
Median weekly rent $390/wk
+41% vs other
 $231/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
0-4 6.0% / —
Upper Main Arm — 0-4: 6.0% Rowlands Creek — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 9.5% / 3.6%
Upper Main Arm — 5-14: 9.5% Rowlands Creek — 5-14: 3.6%
15-19 2.8% / —
Upper Main Arm — 15-19: 2.8% Rowlands Creek — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 7.1% / —
Upper Main Arm — 20-24: 7.1% Rowlands Creek — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 14.8% / 4.8%
Upper Main Arm — 25-34: 14.8% Rowlands Creek — 25-34: 4.8%
35-44 9.2% / 14.3%
Upper Main Arm — 35-44: 9.2% Rowlands Creek — 35-44: 14.3%
45-54 18.7% / 9.5%
Upper Main Arm — 45-54: 18.7% Rowlands Creek — 45-54: 9.5%
55-64 14.1% / 25.0%
Upper Main Arm — 55-64: 14.1% Rowlands Creek — 55-64: 25.0%
65-74 11.3% / 27.4%
Upper Main Arm — 65-74: 11.3% Rowlands Creek — 65-74: 27.4%
75-84 3.9% / —
Upper Main Arm — 75-84: 3.9% Rowlands Creek — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 1.1% / 3.6%
Upper Main Arm — 85+: 1.1% Rowlands Creek — 85+: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Upper Main Arm 53.2% lone person
Upper Main Arm — Lone Person: 53.2% Upper Main Arm — Couple Families: 22.3% Upper Main Arm — One Parent Families: 13.8% Upper Main Arm — Group Household: 7.4% Upper Main Arm — Other Families: 3.2%
Rowlands Creek 64.0% lone person
Rowlands Creek — Lone Person: 64.0% Rowlands Creek — Couple Families: 24.0% Rowlands Creek — One Parent Families: 12.0% Rowlands Creek — Group Household: 0.0% Rowlands Creek — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Upper Main Arm 32.1% renting
Upper Main Arm — Owned Outright: 42.9% Upper Main Arm — Mortgage: 25.0% Upper Main Arm — Renting: 32.1%
Rowlands Creek 13.5% renting
Rowlands Creek — Owned Outright: 75.7% Rowlands Creek — Mortgage: 10.8% Rowlands Creek — Renting: 13.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
England 2.5% / 7.1%
Upper Main Arm — England: 2.5% Rowlands Creek — England: 7.1%
Germany 3.9% / —
Upper Main Arm — Germany: 3.9% Rowlands Creek — Germany: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.1% / —
Upper Main Arm — New Zealand: 1.1% Rowlands Creek — New Zealand: not among its largest
Canada 1.1% / —
Upper Main Arm — Canada: 1.1% Rowlands Creek — Canada: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.1%).

Qualifications

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

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Certificate III & IV 17.7% / 19.0%
Upper Main Arm — Certificate III & IV: 17.7% Rowlands Creek — Certificate III & IV: 19.0%
Bachelor Degree 15.2% / 10.7%
Upper Main Arm — Bachelor Degree: 15.2% Rowlands Creek — Bachelor Degree: 10.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.6% / 9.5%
Upper Main Arm — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.6% Rowlands Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5%
Postgraduate Degree 4.6% / 6.0%
Upper Main Arm — Postgraduate Degree: 4.6% Rowlands Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 6.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / —
Upper Main Arm — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Rowlands Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Upper Main Arm 91.2% houses
Upper Main Arm — Houses: 91.2% Upper Main Arm — Flats / Apartments: 8.8%
Rowlands Creek 94.3% houses
Rowlands Creek — Houses: 94.3% Rowlands Creek — Flats / Apartments: 5.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Median house price $900,000 $1,575,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Environmental 62% 65%
Rural and farming 33% 34%
Other and special use 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

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
New dwellings approved 129
across Byron
 331
across Tweed
Approvals change year on year -65% -50%

Ranking within NSW

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
House price Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Income Higher than 6% of NSW
same for both
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 4% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW

Liveability

Upper Main Arm is more walkable (12 vs 0).

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Rowlands Creek carries more bushfire risk (61 vs 47).

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Bushfire Moderate
47/100
 Moderate
61/100
Crime High
88/100
 High
81/100
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

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Upper Main Arm

  • Main Arm Upper Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Rowlands Creek

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 2
same for both

Mobility

Rowlands Creek sits further from the CBD (796.9 km vs 778.2 km).

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Walkability score 12/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 778.2 km 796.9 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 511 min 560 min
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 2482
 0.6%
postcode 2484
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 89
postcode 2482
 76
postcode 2484

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.

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Car (driver) 77.6% / 100.0%
Upper Main Arm — Car (driver): 77.6% Rowlands Creek — Car (driver): 100.0%
Worked from Home 18.4% / —
Upper Main Arm — Worked from Home: 18.4% Rowlands Creek — Worked from Home: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 3.9% / —
Upper Main Arm — Car (passenger): 3.9% Rowlands Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (100.0%).

Setting

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Elevation 99 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 182 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 15.4 km 20.1 km

NBN connectivity

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Connectivity score 22/100 21/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
90 premises
 0%
37 premises

Climate

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Annual rainfall 1,569 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Average residential rate $1,577/yr $1,745/yr
Council Byron Tweed

Federal electorate

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Division Richmond
same for both
Member Justine Elliot
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Upper Main Arm Rowlands Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Upper Main Arm

Rural

Rowlands Creek

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Upper Main Arm

Upper Main Arm vs Main Arm Upper Main Arm vs Upper Wilsons Creek Upper Main Arm vs Palmwoods Upper Main Arm vs Chowan Creek

Other comparisons with Rowlands Creek

Rowlands Creek vs Uki Rowlands Creek vs Smiths Creek Rowlands Creek vs Huonbrook Rowlands Creek vs Doon Doon Rowlands Creek vs Upper Wilsons Creek Rowlands Creek vs Chowan Creek
Full data on Upper Main Arm Full data on Rowlands Creek
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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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