Daw Park vs Colonel Light Gardens.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $1,416,000 and $1,668,000. Daw Park edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.
Daw Park (median $1,416,000) is roughly 15% cheaper to buy into than Colonel Light Gardens ($1,668,000). Over the past year, Daw Park (+17.5%) ran 20.0 percentage points ahead of Colonel Light Gardens (-2.5%) on house-price growth.
Daw Park scores higher on walkability (46/100 vs 18/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Colonel Light Gardens (1105) sits above Daw Park (1092). Colonel Light Gardens skews owner-occupied (86%), Daw Park runs more rental-dense (66% owner).
For buyers
Daw Park is the lower entry point at $1,416,000 median, 15% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
Investors face a yield-versus-growth split: Colonel Light Gardens delivers the better gross yield (2.59% vs 2.53%), but Daw Park has run faster on capital growth this year. The right pick depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow or capital appreciation.
For families
Colonel Light Gardens edges out on average school ICSEA (1105 vs 1092). Colonel Light Gardens also has a higher family-household share (82% vs 62%), so the catchment community skews family-heavy.
Common questions
Is Daw Park or Colonel Light Gardens cheaper to buy in?
Daw Park has the lower median house price at $1,416,000, roughly 15% below Colonel Light Gardens ($1,668,000). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Daw Park or Colonel Light Gardens?
Over the past 12 months, Daw Park grew +17.5% vs -2.5% in Colonel Light Gardens, a gap of 20.0 percentage points. Twelve-month growth can swing year to year, so weight long-run trends from the individual suburb profiles before making a buy decision.
Does Daw Park or Colonel Light Gardens have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Colonel Light Gardens scores 1105 vs 1092 in Daw Park. ICSEA is a school-community indicator, not a quality rating, so always check NAPLAN results and catchment boundaries for the specific address you're considering.
Which is more walkable, Daw Park or Colonel Light Gardens?
Daw Park scores 46/100 on walkability vs 18/100. Above 70 is considered very walkable (most errands on foot), 50-69 is walkable for some errands, below 50 typically requires a car for daily life.
Which suburb has higher rental yield, Daw Park or Colonel Light Gardens?
Gross rental yield on houses is 2.59% in Colonel Light Gardens vs 2.53% in Daw Park. Gross yield equals annual rent divided by purchase price. Net yield (after strata, rates, insurance, agent fees and maintenance) typically runs 1.5-2 percentage points lower.
The numbers behind the take
Price & Market
Rental
Lifestyle & Demographics
Risk & Hazard
Schools
Climate
Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).
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