Bombala vs South Lismore
Property investment comparison - Bombala, NSW 2632 vs South Lismore, NSW 2480
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Bombala wins 1, South Lismore wins 3. The better choice depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow, growth, affordability, or liquidity, the table below highlights the winner on each metric.
| Metric | Bombala | South Lismore |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $410K | $405K |
| Median unit price | $2.2M | - |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | 4.84% | 6.80% |
| Gross rental yield (units) | - | 5.01% |
| 1-year house growth | +9.0%estimate | +16.7% |
| 3-year house growth | - | +61.5% |
| Vacancy rate | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Population | 1,372 | 1,775 |
Bombala vs South Lismore: what the numbers say
The median house price is $410K in Bombala and $405K in South Lismore, so South Lismore is the cheaper entry point, with Bombala houses about 1% dearer.
On cash flow, South Lismore leads: houses there return a gross rental yield of 6.80%, compared with 4.84% in Bombala, a gap of 1.96 percentage points.
Over the past year house prices moved +9.0% in Bombala (an estimate) and +16.7% in South Lismore, so recent momentum favours South Lismore, although both suburbs recorded growth.
Rental vacancy is 0.5% in Bombala and 0.6% in South Lismore, so landlords in Bombala face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.
South Lismore is the bigger suburb, with a population of 1,775 against 1,372, larger than Bombala; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: South Lismore for rental income, South Lismore for a lower purchase price, South Lismore for recent price momentum, Bombala for the tighter rental market. Which matters more depends on whether the investor is buying for cash flow, capital growth or affordability.
Keep exploring
- National investment guide - top suburbs across every metric
- Take the suburb finder quiz - 5 questions to match your goals
- How our investment score works
- Property investment glossary - every term defined
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