Side by sideSuburb comparison

Smithton vs Forest.

Suburb-to-suburb comparison across price, growth, lifestyle, schools and risk.

Smithton scores higher on walkability (4/100 vs 0/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Forest (878) sits above Smithton (872). Forest skews owner-occupied (82%), Smithton runs more rental-dense (68% owner).

The takeWhich suburb suits which buyer

For buyers

We don't yet have verified suburb-level medians for one or both of these suburbs. Check the individual profiles for the data we do publish, and the methodology page for how we source it.

For investors

Rental or growth data is incomplete for one or both suburbs. Look at the full investor view on each suburb profile for a complete picture.

For families

Forest edges out on average school ICSEA (878 vs 872).

Common questionsSmithton vs Forest

Common questions

Does Smithton or Forest have better schools?

On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Forest scores 878 vs 872 in Smithton. 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, Smithton or Forest?

Smithton scores 4/100 on walkability vs 0/100. 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.

The numbers behind the take

Smithton
Metric
Forest

Price & Market

$385,000
Median house
$310,000
Median unit
+0.0%
Annual growth (house)
+0.0%
Days on market

Rental

$220/wk
Rent (house / wk)
$220/wk
$222/wk
Rent (unit / wk)
$225/wk
68.0%
Owner occupied
82.0%
27.0%
Renter occupied
16.0%

Lifestyle & Demographics

4
Walk score
0
0
Transit score
0
0
Bike score
0
3,934
Population
464
42
Median age
38

Risk & Hazard

Flood class
Bushfire risk

Schools

4
Schools nearby
5
872
Avg ICSEA
878

Climate

Annual rainfall
Mean max (Jan)

Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).