Wambangalang vs Obley
Wambangalang is the younger of the two, with a median age of 51 against 56 in Obley. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Obley, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Wambangalang: a median of $885,000, against $560,000 in Obley, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Obley tends to suit families with children, 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
Wambangalang
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 73/100)
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
- Wambangalang leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 27%)
- Obley has cheaper houses ($560,000 vs $885,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Obley
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $230/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (7% vs 16%)
- But Wambangalang has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 13%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Obley
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (294 min vs 307 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (366.6 km vs 378.7 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Wambangalang carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 73/100)
- Obley has more residents already 65 and over (32% vs 24%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Obley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (3.3% vs -23.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Wambangalang and Obley 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
Wambangalang rents higher ($230/wk vs $100/wk); Obley has more residents (94 vs 68).
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 68 | 94 +38% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -23.6% | +3.3% |
| Median age | 51 | 56 |
| Median household income | $74,724/yr +2% vs other | $73,112/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $230/wk +57% vs other | $100/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.5%).
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 (23.4%).
Property market
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $885,000 | $560,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $240,000 |
Zoning mix
Wambangalang has more rural and farming land (100% vs 85%); Obley has more land zoned for conservation (15% vs 0%).
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% | 85% |
| Environmental | 0% | 15% |
| 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
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 405 across Dubbo | 29 across Cabonne |
| Approvals change year on year | -12% | -43% |
Ranking within NSW
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 42% of NSW | Higher than 18% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 42% of NSW | Higher than 40% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 30% of NSW | Higher than 18% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 51% of NSW | Higher than 81% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 30% of NSW | Higher than 52% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 16% of NSW | Higher than 10% of NSW |
Liveability
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Obley carries more crime risk (73 vs 0); Obley carries more bushfire risk (66 vs 55).
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 55/100 | Moderate 66/100 |
| Crime | None 0/100 | High 73/100 |
| 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
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Wambangalang
- Wambangalang Environmental Education Centre Government · Combined
Schools in Obley
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 22 | 27 |
Mobility
Wambangalang sits further from the CBD (378.7 km vs 366.6 km).
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 378.7 km +3% vs other | 366.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 307 min | 294 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 2830 | 0.5% postcode 2868 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 72 postcode 2830 | 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 (72.7%).
Setting
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 428 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 423 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 12 premises | 0% 38 premises |
Climate
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 587 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 33.4°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 5.5°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,233/yr | $750/yr |
| Council | Dubbo | Cabonne |
Federal electorate
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Parkes | Calare |
| Member | Jamie Chaffey | Andrew Gee |
| Party | The Nationals | Independent |
First Home Owner Grant
| Wambangalang | Obley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Wambangalang
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Wambangalang
Other comparisons with Obley
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.