Woodburn vs Doonbah

Woodburn is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 68 in Doonbah. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Doonbah, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Woodburn tends to suit families with children, while Doonbah suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Woodburn

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (58% vs 29%)

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

First-home buyers

Woodburn

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 40%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Woodburn has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 5%)
  • Doonbah has cheaper rent ($216/wk vs $340/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Woodburn

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (443 min vs 450 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (689 km vs 695.8 km)
  • But Doonbah is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Doonbah

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (58% vs 20%)

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

Investors

Doonbah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.6% vs 0.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Woodburn Doonbah
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.

Woodburn Doonbah
Walkability 0 / 16
Woodburn — Walkability: 0/100 Doonbah — Walkability: 16/100
Low fire risk 15 / 16
Woodburn — Low fire risk: 15/100 Doonbah — Low fire risk: 16/100

Demographics

Woodburn has more residents (743 vs 298); Doonbah skews older (68 vs 41).

Woodburn Doonbah
Population 743
+60% vs other
 298
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.5% +22.6%
Median age 41 68
Median household income $72,072/yr
+37% vs other
 $45,552/yr
Median weekly rent $340/wk
+36% vs other
 $216/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Woodburn Doonbah
0-4 5.7% / 3.0%
Woodburn — 0-4: 5.7% Doonbah — 0-4: 3.0%
5-14 13.2% / 6.7%
Woodburn — 5-14: 13.2% Doonbah — 5-14: 6.7%
15-19 7.0% / 1.0%
Woodburn — 15-19: 7.0% Doonbah — 15-19: 1.0%
20-24 5.5% / 1.7%
Woodburn — 20-24: 5.5% Doonbah — 20-24: 1.7%
25-34 11.4% / 2.3%
Woodburn — 25-34: 11.4% Doonbah — 25-34: 2.3%
35-44 10.8% / 3.4%
Woodburn — 35-44: 10.8% Doonbah — 35-44: 3.4%
45-54 14.4% / 12.1%
Woodburn — 45-54: 14.4% Doonbah — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 13.2% / 12.4%
Woodburn — 55-64: 13.2% Doonbah — 55-64: 12.4%
65-74 10.4% / 33.9%
Woodburn — 65-74: 10.4% Doonbah — 65-74: 33.9%
75-84 7.5% / 18.1%
Woodburn — 75-84: 7.5% Doonbah — 75-84: 18.1%
85+ 1.6% / 5.7%
Woodburn — 85+: 1.6% Doonbah — 85+: 5.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (33.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Woodburn 32.0% lone person
Woodburn — Lone Person: 32.0% Woodburn — Couple Families: 38.1% Woodburn — One Parent Families: 20.1% Woodburn — Group Household: 8.2% Woodburn — Other Families: 1.5%
Doonbah 63.2% lone person
Doonbah — Lone Person: 63.2% Doonbah — Couple Families: 22.4% Doonbah — One Parent Families: 6.6% Doonbah — Group Household: 3.9% Doonbah — Other Families: 3.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Woodburn 24.4% renting
Woodburn — Owned Outright: 36.0% Woodburn — Mortgage: 39.7% Woodburn — Renting: 24.4%
Doonbah 4.6% renting
Doonbah — Owned Outright: 78.5% Doonbah — Mortgage: 16.9% Doonbah — Renting: 4.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Woodburn Doonbah
England 1.9% / 6.7%
Woodburn — England: 1.9% Doonbah — England: 6.7%
New Zealand 1.2% / 3.7%
Woodburn — New Zealand: 1.2% Doonbah — New Zealand: 3.7%
Philippines — / 1.0%
Woodburn — Philippines: not among its largest Doonbah — Philippines: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.7%).

Qualifications

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

Woodburn Doonbah
Certificate III & IV 19.7% / 14.4%
Woodburn — Certificate III & IV: 19.7% Doonbah — Certificate III & IV: 14.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.5% / 9.1%
Woodburn — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.5% Doonbah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Bachelor Degree 5.9% / 7.4%
Woodburn — Bachelor Degree: 5.9% Doonbah — Bachelor Degree: 7.4%
Postgraduate Degree 0.5% / 3.0%
Woodburn — Postgraduate Degree: 0.5% Doonbah — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.8% / 1.0%
Woodburn — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8% Doonbah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Woodburn 90.8% houses
Woodburn — Houses: 90.8% Woodburn — Townhouses: 5.7% Woodburn — Flats / Apartments: 3.4%
Doonbah 97.9% houses
Doonbah — Houses: 97.9% Doonbah — Townhouses: 0.0% Doonbah — Flats / Apartments: 2.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Woodburn Doonbah
Median house price $590,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $285,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 80 days
from 11 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Woodburn Doonbah
Rural and farming 71% 72%
Environmental 26% 24%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 0%
Parks and recreation 0% 3%
Residential 0% 1%
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

Woodburn Doonbah
New dwellings approved 24
across Richmond Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -78%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Woodburn Doonbah
House price Higher than 16% of NSW —
Income Higher than 39% of NSW Higher than 7% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 3% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 84% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 24% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW

Liveability

Doonbah is more walkable (16 vs 0).

Woodburn Doonbah
Grade D —
Score 8/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Woodburn Doonbah
Bushfire High
85/100
 High
84/100
Crime — Low
14/100
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
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Woodburn Doonbah
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

Schools in Woodburn

  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Woodburn Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Doonbah

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

Amenities in the suburb

Woodburn Doonbah
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 7 0
Parks & reserves 2 0
Childcare 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 15 0

Mobility

Doonbah sits further from the CBD (695.8 km vs 689 km).

Woodburn Doonbah
Walkability score 0/100 16/100
Distance to Sydney 689 km 695.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 443 min 450 min
Public transport score 41/100
Bus
 25/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 14.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 5.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2472
 0.4%
postcode 2473
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 79
postcode 2472
 64
postcode 2473

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.

Woodburn Doonbah
Car (driver) 73.5% / 62.9%
Woodburn — Car (driver): 73.5% Doonbah — Car (driver): 62.9%
Worked from Home 9.2% / 17.1%
Woodburn — Worked from Home: 9.2% Doonbah — Worked from Home: 17.1%
Walked Only 7.1% / 12.9%
Woodburn — Walked Only: 7.1% Doonbah — Walked Only: 12.9%
Car (passenger) 10.1% / 7.1%
Woodburn — Car (passenger): 10.1% Doonbah — Car (passenger): 7.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.5%).

Setting

Woodburn Doonbah
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 12 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.6 km
3.1 km to a named beach
 4.6 km
4.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Woodburn Doonbah
Connectivity score 79/100 64/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 52%
367 premises
 38%
170 premises

Climate

Woodburn Doonbah
Annual rainfall 1,557 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 11.0°C
same for both

Council rates

Woodburn Doonbah
Average residential rate $1,282/yr
same for both
Council Richmond Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Woodburn Doonbah
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Woodburn Doonbah
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Woodburn

Affordable Rural

Doonbah

Acreage Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Woodburn

Woodburn vs Evans Head Woodburn vs Broadwater Woodburn vs Swan Bay Woodburn vs New Italy Woodburn vs Rileys Hill Woodburn vs North Woodburn

Other comparisons with Doonbah

Doonbah vs Evans Head Doonbah vs Broadwater
Full data on Woodburn Full data on Doonbah
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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