Walmer vs Bournewood
Bournewood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 39 in Walmer. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses and the large majority of households are couple families. In Walmer, about half of households rent. In Bournewood, most households own their home. On these figures, Walmer tends to suit renters and older residents, while Bournewood suits families with children.
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
Walmer
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 62/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Walmer
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (48% vs 29%)
- has cheaper rent ($185/wk vs $213/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Bournewood
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (345.5 km vs 362.8 km)
- has a shorter drive in (287 min vs 293 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Walmer
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 13%)
- carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 62/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Walmer
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (36.8% vs 13.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Walmer and Bournewood 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
Walmer skews older (39 vs 33); Bournewood rents higher ($213/wk vs $185/wk).
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 52 | 60 +15% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +36.8% | +13.2% |
| Median age | 39 | 33 |
| Median household income | $106,548/yr +12% vs other | $93,600/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $185/wk | $213/wk +15% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).
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 (18.3%).
Property market
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $470,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% | 100% |
| 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
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 405 across Dubbo same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -12% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 14% of NSW | — |
| Income | Higher than 72% of NSW | Higher than 60% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 27% of NSW | Higher than 23% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 94% of NSW | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 8% of NSW | Higher than 52% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 31% of NSW | Higher than 46% of NSW |
Liveability
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Bournewood carries more crime risk (62 vs 35).
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 12/100 | Low 17/100 |
| Crime | Low 35/100 | Moderate 62/100 |
| 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
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 1 | 7 |
Mobility
Walmer sits further from the CBD (362.8 km vs 345.5 km).
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 362.8 km +5% vs other | 345.5 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 293 min | 287 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 2820 | 0.5% postcode 2868 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 50 postcode 2820 | 71 postcode 2868 |
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 (45.0%).
Setting
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 392 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 499 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 21/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 15 premises | 0% 31 premises |
Climate
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 641 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 32.5°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.0°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,233/yr same for both | |
| Council | Dubbo same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Calare same for both | |
| Member | Andrew Gee same for both | |
| Party | Independent same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Walmer | Bournewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Walmer
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Walmer
Other comparisons with Bournewood
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.