Valla vs Urunga

Valla is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 55 in Urunga. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Valla, about half of households are couple families. In Urunga, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Valla: a median of $1.34 million, against $875,000 in Urunga, though rent is higher in Urunga. On these figures, Valla tends to suit couples, while Urunga suits people living alone, older residents, and 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

Valla

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (62% vs 45%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 81%)
  • But Urunga has more parks and reserves (7 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Urunga

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($442,500 vs $732,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($875,000 vs $1,340,000)
  • But Valla leaves households under less mortgage stress (28% vs 36%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Valla

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 32%)
  • has cheaper rent ($310/wk vs $340/wk)
  • But Urunga has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 10%)

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

Commuting to the city

Valla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (493.1 km vs 496.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Urunga

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (34% vs 20%)

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

Investors

Valla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (12.4% vs 6.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Valla Urunga
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.

Valla Urunga
Walkability 8 / 8
Valla — Walkability: 8/100 Urunga — Walkability: 8/100
Safety 30 / 22
Valla — Safety: 30/100 Urunga — Safety: 22/100
Low fire risk 55 / 64
Valla — Low fire risk: 55/100 Urunga — Low fire risk: 64/100

Demographics

Urunga has more residents (3,185 vs 1,052); Valla has higher household incomes ($84,084 vs $55,692).

Valla Urunga
Population 1,052 3,185
+203% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +12.4% +6.2%
Median age 48 55
Median household income $84,084/yr
+34% vs other
 $55,692/yr
Median weekly rent $310/wk $340/wk
+10% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Valla Urunga
0-4 5.6% / 4.3%
Valla — 0-4: 5.6% Urunga — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 11.6% / 9.5%
Valla — 5-14: 11.6% Urunga — 5-14: 9.5%
15-19 6.6% / 4.1%
Valla — 15-19: 6.6% Urunga — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 3.5% / 2.7%
Valla — 20-24: 3.5% Urunga — 20-24: 2.7%
25-34 7.4% / 8.3%
Valla — 25-34: 7.4% Urunga — 25-34: 8.3%
35-44 10.3% / 8.3%
Valla — 35-44: 10.3% Urunga — 35-44: 8.3%
45-54 14.2% / 11.8%
Valla — 45-54: 14.2% Urunga — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 21.2% / 17.2%
Valla — 55-64: 21.2% Urunga — 55-64: 17.2%
65-74 14.0% / 19.4%
Valla — 65-74: 14.0% Urunga — 65-74: 19.4%
75-84 5.2% / 10.6%
Valla — 75-84: 5.2% Urunga — 75-84: 10.6%
85+ 1.0% / 3.7%
Valla — 85+: 1.0% Urunga — 85+: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Valla 51.9% couple families
Valla — Couple Families: 51.9% Valla — Lone Person: 28.7% Valla — One Parent Families: 10.5% Valla — Group Household: 7.6% Valla — Other Families: 1.3%
Urunga 25.0% couple families
Urunga — Couple Families: 25.0% Urunga — Lone Person: 47.5% Urunga — One Parent Families: 20.0% Urunga — Group Household: 6.2% Urunga — Other Families: 1.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Valla 10.1% renting
Valla — Owned Outright: 45.0% Valla — Mortgage: 45.0% Valla — Renting: 10.1%
Urunga 27.9% renting
Urunga — Owned Outright: 49.8% Urunga — Mortgage: 22.2% Urunga — Renting: 27.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Valla Urunga
Certificate III & IV 21.4% / 19.5%
Valla — Certificate III & IV: 21.4% Urunga — Certificate III & IV: 19.5%
Bachelor Degree 10.6% / 9.4%
Valla — Bachelor Degree: 10.6% Urunga — Bachelor Degree: 9.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 6.7%
Valla — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Urunga — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 2.3%
Valla — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Urunga — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 1.9%
Valla — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Urunga — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

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.

Valla Urunga
England 4.0% / 3.7%
Valla — England: 4.0% Urunga — England: 3.7%
New Zealand 0.7% / 1.0%
Valla — New Zealand: 0.7% Urunga — New Zealand: 1.0%
South Africa 0.8% / 0.3%
Valla — South Africa: 0.8% Urunga — South Africa: 0.3%
Germany 0.6% / 0.5%
Valla — Germany: 0.6% Urunga — Germany: 0.5%
Netherlands 0.5% / 0.3%
Valla — Netherlands: 0.5% Urunga — Netherlands: 0.3%
Sri Lanka 0.5% / —
Valla — Sri Lanka: 0.5% Urunga — Sri Lanka: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.5%
Valla — Scotland: not among its largest Urunga — Scotland: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Valla 100.5% houses
Valla — Houses: 100.5% Valla — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Valla — Townhouses: 0.0%
Urunga 80.9% houses
Urunga — Houses: 80.9% Urunga — Flats / Apartments: 13.3% Urunga — Townhouses: 5.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Valla Urunga
Median house price $1,340,000 $875,000
Median unit price — $590,000
Median land price $732,500 $442,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 53 days
from 8 sales
 60 days
from 40 sales

Zoning mix

Valla has more rural and farming land (84% vs 61%); Urunga has more land zoned for conservation (27% vs 8%).

Valla Urunga
Rural and farming 84% 61%
Environmental 8% 27%
Residential 6% 9%
Parks and recreation 0% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 1%
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

Valla Urunga
New dwellings approved 109
across Nambucca Valley
 40
across Bellingen
Approvals change year on year -64% +12%

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.

Valla Urunga
Houses — 3.4%
$672/wk on $1.02M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Valla Urunga
House price Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
Income Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 16% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 55% of NSW Higher than 53% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 34% of NSW
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 30% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 49% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 41% of NSW

Liveability

Valla scores higher overall (29 vs 20).

Valla Urunga
Grade D
same for both
Score 29/100 20/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Valla Urunga
Bushfire Moderate
45/100
 Low
36/100
Crime High
70/100
 High
78/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
39/100
 Moderate
66/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Valla Urunga
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Valla

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

Schools in Urunga

  • Urunga Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Valla Urunga
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 8
Parks & reserves 1 7
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 1 2
Waterways 40 20

Mobility

Urunga sits further from the CBD (496.5 km vs 493.1 km).

Valla Urunga
Walkability score 8/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 493.1 km 496.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 323 min 322 min
Public transport score 25/100
Bus
 37/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 2.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 11.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 4.5 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 2448
 0.3%
postcode 2455
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 2448
 58
postcode 2455

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.

Valla Urunga
Car (driver) 70.3% / 79.1%
Valla — Car (driver): 70.3% Urunga — Car (driver): 79.1%
Worked from Home 21.7% / 13.2%
Valla — Worked from Home: 21.7% Urunga — Worked from Home: 13.2%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 4.1%
Valla — Car (passenger): 5.3% Urunga — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 2.7% / 2.6%
Valla — Walked Only: 2.7% Urunga — Walked Only: 2.6%
Bicycle — / 0.8%
Valla — Bicycle: not among its largest Urunga — Bicycle: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.1%).

Setting

Valla Urunga
Elevation 40 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.7 km 3.5 km
3.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Valla Urunga
Connectivity score 29/100 45/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
399 premises
 4%
1,786 premises

Climate

Valla Urunga
Annual rainfall 1,827 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Valla Urunga
Average residential rate $1,175/yr $1,592/yr
Council Nambucca Valley Bellingen

Federal electorate

Valla Urunga
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Valla Urunga
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Valla

Rural

Urunga

Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Valla

Valla vs Nambucca Heads Valla vs Valla Beach Valla vs Hyland Park Valla vs Newee Creek Valla vs Brierfield Valla vs Missabotti

Other comparisons with Urunga

Urunga vs Raleigh Urunga vs Fernmount Urunga vs Mylestom Urunga vs Brierfield
Full data on Valla Full data on Urunga
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.

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