Wilcannia vs Wanaaring

In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Wilcannia, most households rent. In Wanaaring, the large majority of households own their home and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Wilcannia: a median of $87,000, against $13,000 in Wanaaring, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Wilcannia tends to suit renters and people living alone, while Wanaaring suits families with children, couples, 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

Wanaaring

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 56%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (96% vs 86%)
  • But Wilcannia has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)

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

  • Wilcannia leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 59%)
  • Wanaaring has cheaper houses ($13,000 vs $87,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Wilcannia has a bigger rental market to choose from (60% vs 17%)
  • Wanaaring has cheaper rent ($125/wk vs $155/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Wilcannia has a shorter drive in (760 min vs 790 min)
  • Wanaaring sits closer to the CBD (989.4 km vs 995.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wilcannia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)

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

Investors

Wilcannia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-1.3% vs -42.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Wilcannia Wanaaring
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.

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Walkability 0 / 0
Wilcannia — Walkability: 0/100 Wanaaring — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 2 / 10
Wilcannia — Safety: 2/100 Wanaaring — Safety: 10/100
Low fire risk 80 / 72
Wilcannia — Low fire risk: 80/100 Wanaaring — Low fire risk: 72/100

Demographics

Wilcannia has more residents (735 vs 81); Wilcannia rents higher ($155/wk vs $125/wk).

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Population 735
+89% vs other
 81
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.3% -42.1%
Median age 32 34
Median household income $62,972/yr $71,500/yr
+14% vs other
Median weekly rent $155/wk
+19% vs other
 $125/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Wilcannia Wanaaring
0-4 6.9% / 3.7%
Wilcannia — 0-4: 6.9% Wanaaring — 0-4: 3.7%
5-14 15.1% / 23.5%
Wilcannia — 5-14: 15.1% Wanaaring — 5-14: 23.5%
15-19 7.5% / 7.4%
Wilcannia — 15-19: 7.5% Wanaaring — 15-19: 7.4%
20-24 7.5% / 3.7%
Wilcannia — 20-24: 7.5% Wanaaring — 20-24: 3.7%
25-34 16.1% / 6.2%
Wilcannia — 25-34: 16.1% Wanaaring — 25-34: 6.2%
35-44 10.7% / 8.6%
Wilcannia — 35-44: 10.7% Wanaaring — 35-44: 8.6%
45-54 13.5% / 7.4%
Wilcannia — 45-54: 13.5% Wanaaring — 45-54: 7.4%
55-64 11.4% / 13.6%
Wilcannia — 55-64: 11.4% Wanaaring — 55-64: 13.6%
65-74 7.6% / 12.3%
Wilcannia — 65-74: 7.6% Wanaaring — 65-74: 12.3%
75-84 2.9% / —
Wilcannia — 75-84: 2.9% Wanaaring — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 1.0% / —
Wilcannia — 85+: 1.0% Wanaaring — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Wilcannia 22.0% couple families
Wilcannia — Couple Families: 22.0% Wilcannia — Lone Person: 39.6% Wilcannia — One Parent Families: 34.1% Wilcannia — Group Household: 2.4% Wilcannia — Other Families: 1.8%
Wanaaring 71.4% couple families
Wanaaring — Couple Families: 71.4% Wanaaring — Lone Person: 28.6% Wanaaring — One Parent Families: 0.0% Wanaaring — Group Household: 0.0% Wanaaring — 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.

Wilcannia 60.4% renting
Wilcannia — Owned Outright: 32.3% Wilcannia — Mortgage: 7.3% Wilcannia — Renting: 60.4%
Wanaaring 16.7% renting
Wanaaring — Owned Outright: 70.8% Wanaaring — Mortgage: 12.5% Wanaaring — Renting: 16.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Wilcannia 85.7% houses
Wilcannia — Houses: 85.7% Wilcannia — Flats / Apartments: 7.9% Wilcannia — Townhouses: 6.3%
Wanaaring 95.7% houses
Wanaaring — Houses: 95.7% Wanaaring — Flats / Apartments: 4.3% Wanaaring — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Certificate III & IV 8.3% / 18.5%
Wilcannia — Certificate III & IV: 8.3% Wanaaring — Certificate III & IV: 18.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.5% / 6.2%
Wilcannia — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.5% Wanaaring — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2%
Bachelor Degree 4.4% / 3.7%
Wilcannia — Bachelor Degree: 4.4% Wanaaring — Bachelor Degree: 3.7%
Postgraduate Degree 1.6% / —
Wilcannia — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6% Wanaaring — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / —
Wilcannia — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Wanaaring — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.5%).

Property market

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Median house price $87,000 $13,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $12,500

Development activity

Wilcannia Wanaaring
New dwellings approved 4
across Central Darling
 3
across Unincorporated NSW

Ranking within NSW

Wilcannia Wanaaring
House price Higher than 1% of NSW
same for both
Income — Higher than 38% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 38% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 100% of NSW
EV adoption — Higher than 10% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 21% of NSW Higher than 20% of NSW

Liveability

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Grade D —
Score 10/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Bushfire Low
20/100
 Low
28/100
Crime High
98/100
 High
90/100
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

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Wilcannia

  • St Therese's Community Parish School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Wilcannia Central School Government · Combined

Schools in Wanaaring

  • Wanaaring Public School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 2 1
Parks & reserves 5 2
Childcare 1 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 3 1
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 182 225

Mobility

Wilcannia sits further from the CBD (995.9 km vs 989.4 km).

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 995.9 km 989.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 760 min 790 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 2836
 0.1%
postcode 2840
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 83
postcode 2836
 77
postcode 2840

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.

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Worked from Home 31.1% / 56.1%
Wilcannia — Worked from Home: 31.1% Wanaaring — Worked from Home: 56.1%
Car (driver) 44.1% / 22.0%
Wilcannia — Car (driver): 44.1% Wanaaring — Car (driver): 22.0%
Walked Only 17.4% / 22.0%
Wilcannia — Walked Only: 17.4% Wanaaring — Walked Only: 22.0%
Car (passenger) 7.5% / —
Wilcannia — Car (passenger): 7.5% Wanaaring — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.1%).

Setting

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Elevation 91 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 166 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Connectivity score 15/100
same for both
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
116 premises
 0%
59 premises

Climate

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Annual rainfall 295 mm 294 mm
Summer max (Jan) 35.3°C 36.8°C
Winter min (Jul) 4.6°C 4.7°C

Federal electorate

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Division Parkes
same for both
Member Jamie Chaffey
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Wilcannia Wanaaring
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Wilcannia

Affordable Family Rural

Wanaaring

Affordable Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Wilcannia

Wilcannia vs Menindee Wilcannia vs Ivanhoe Wilcannia vs White Cliffs

Other comparisons with Wanaaring

Wanaaring vs White Cliffs Wanaaring vs Tibooburra Wanaaring vs Louth
Full data on Wilcannia Full data on Wanaaring
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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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