West Wallsend vs Richmond Vale

West Wallsend is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 43 in Richmond Vale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In West Wallsend, about half of households are couple families. In Richmond Vale, most households are couple families. On these figures, Richmond Vale tends to suit people living alone and 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

West Wallsend

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (4 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Richmond Vale

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($462,000 vs $950,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (17% vs 26%)

Weighs land prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Richmond Vale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 25%)
  • has cheaper rent ($240/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Richmond Vale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (107 min vs 113 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (142 km vs 145.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

West Wallsend

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (18% vs 12%)
  • carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 99/100)

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

Investors

West Wallsend

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (33.1% vs 13.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

West Wallsend and Richmond 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.

West Wallsend Richmond 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.

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Walkability 0 / 0
West Wallsend — Walkability: 0/100 Richmond Vale — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 36 / 1
West Wallsend — Safety: 36/100 Richmond Vale — Safety: 1/100
Low fire risk 37 / 37
West Wallsend — Low fire risk: 37/100 Richmond Vale — Low fire risk: 37/100

Demographics

West Wallsend has more residents (2,981 vs 95); Richmond Vale has higher household incomes ($162,448 vs $84,604).

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Population 2,981
+97% vs other
 95
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +33.1% +13.1%
Median age 36 43
Median household income $84,604/yr $162,448/yr
+92% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+40% vs other
 $240/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
0-4 6.8% / 7.4%
West Wallsend — 0-4: 6.8% Richmond Vale — 0-4: 7.4%
5-14 13.2% / 15.8%
West Wallsend — 5-14: 13.2% Richmond Vale — 5-14: 15.8%
15-19 6.3% / 3.2%
West Wallsend — 15-19: 6.3% Richmond Vale — 15-19: 3.2%
20-24 5.7% / 3.2%
West Wallsend — 20-24: 5.7% Richmond Vale — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 15.7% / 8.4%
West Wallsend — 25-34: 15.7% Richmond Vale — 25-34: 8.4%
35-44 12.4% / 9.5%
West Wallsend — 35-44: 12.4% Richmond Vale — 35-44: 9.5%
45-54 10.9% / 10.5%
West Wallsend — 45-54: 10.9% Richmond Vale — 45-54: 10.5%
55-64 10.5% / 31.6%
West Wallsend — 55-64: 10.5% Richmond Vale — 55-64: 31.6%
65-74 10.6% / 11.6%
West Wallsend — 65-74: 10.6% Richmond Vale — 65-74: 11.6%
75-84 6.4% / —
West Wallsend — 75-84: 6.4% Richmond Vale — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 1.5% / —
West Wallsend — 85+: 1.5% Richmond Vale — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

West Wallsend 45.9% couple families
West Wallsend — Couple Families: 45.9% West Wallsend — Lone Person: 31.4% West Wallsend — One Parent Families: 17.1% West Wallsend — Group Household: 4.8% West Wallsend — Other Families: 0.7%
Richmond Vale 60.0% couple families
Richmond Vale — Couple Families: 60.0% Richmond Vale — Lone Person: 40.0% Richmond Vale — One Parent Families: 0.0% Richmond Vale — Group Household: 0.0% Richmond Vale — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

West Wallsend 20.3% renting
West Wallsend — Owned Outright: 30.5% West Wallsend — Mortgage: 49.1% West Wallsend — Renting: 20.3%
Richmond Vale 17.2% renting
Richmond Vale — Owned Outright: 44.8% Richmond Vale — Mortgage: 37.9% Richmond Vale — Renting: 17.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

West Wallsend 95.7% houses
West Wallsend — Houses: 95.7% West Wallsend — Townhouses: 3.2% West Wallsend — Flats / Apartments: 1.2%
Richmond Vale 100.0% houses
Richmond Vale — Houses: 100.0% Richmond Vale — Townhouses: 0.0% Richmond Vale — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Certificate III & IV 22.6% / 17.9%
West Wallsend — Certificate III & IV: 22.6% Richmond Vale — Certificate III & IV: 17.9%
Bachelor Degree 6.6% / 11.6%
West Wallsend — Bachelor Degree: 6.6% Richmond Vale — Bachelor Degree: 11.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 8.4%
West Wallsend — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Richmond Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 4.2%
West Wallsend — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Richmond Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.2%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / —
West Wallsend — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Richmond Vale — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).

Property market

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Median house price $792,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $950,000 $462,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 18 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Richmond Vale has more rural and farming land (74% vs 15%); West Wallsend has more land zoned for conservation (68% vs 22%).

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Rural and farming 15% 74%
Environmental 68% 22%
Residential 8% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 1%
Parks and recreation 3% 0%
Industrial 0% 2%
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

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
New dwellings approved 1,212
across Lake Macquarie
 719
across Cessnock
Approvals change year on year +2% -31%

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.

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Houses 3.8%
$740/wk on $1.01M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
House price Higher than 35% of NSW —
Income Higher than 54% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
Schools Higher than 32% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 42% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 68% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 55% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 40% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 63% of NSW —

Liveability

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Grade D —
Score 21/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Richmond Vale carries more crime risk (99 vs 64).

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Bushfire Moderate
63/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
64/100
 High
99/100
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 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in West Wallsend

  • West Wallsend High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • West Wallsend Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • North Academy Independent · Secondary · Special school

Schools in Richmond Vale

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

Amenities in the suburb

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Supermarkets 1 0
Parks & reserves 4 0
Childcare 4 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Waterways 7 1

Mobility

West Wallsend sits further from the CBD (145.7 km vs 142 km).

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 145.7 km
+3% vs other
 142 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 113 min 107 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2286
 0.5%
postcode 2323
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 2286
 44
postcode 2323

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.

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Car (driver) 76.4% / 77.8%
West Wallsend — Car (driver): 76.4% Richmond Vale — Car (driver): 77.8%
Worked from Home 17.3% / 11.1%
West Wallsend — Worked from Home: 17.3% Richmond Vale — Worked from Home: 11.1%
Walked Only 1.0% / 11.1%
West Wallsend — Walked Only: 1.0% Richmond Vale — Walked Only: 11.1%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / —
West Wallsend — Car (passenger): 4.1% Richmond Vale — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 1.2% / —
West Wallsend — Bus: 1.2% Richmond Vale — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.8%).

Setting

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Elevation 64 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 26 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.9 km 24.7 km

NBN connectivity

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Connectivity score 72/100 27/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 49%
1,277 premises
 0%
35 premises

Climate

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Annual rainfall 1,025 mm 804 mm
Summer max (Jan) 25.4°C 30.0°C
Winter min (Jul) 10.2°C 5.1°C

Air quality (annual mean)

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
PM2.5 6.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.53 pphm
same for both

Council rates

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Average residential rate $1,708/yr $1,405/yr
Council Lake Macquarie Cessnock

Federal electorate

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

West Wallsend Richmond Vale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

West Wallsend

Acreage

Richmond Vale

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with West Wallsend

West Wallsend vs Cameron Park West Wallsend vs Holmesville West Wallsend vs Killingworth West Wallsend vs Mulbring West Wallsend vs Seahampton West Wallsend vs Stockrington

Other comparisons with Richmond Vale

Richmond Vale vs Abermain Richmond Vale vs Pelaw Main Richmond Vale vs Mulbring Richmond Vale vs Buchanan Richmond Vale vs Elrington Richmond Vale vs Stockrington
Full data on West Wallsend Full data on Richmond 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