Abernethy vs Elrington
Abernethy is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 51 in Elrington. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Elrington: a median of $1.95 million, against $838,000 in Abernethy, though rent is higher in Abernethy. On these figures, Abernethy tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Elrington suits couples.
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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Abernethy
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- has cheaper houses ($837,500 vs $1,950,000)
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (17% vs 27%)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Elrington
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $360/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (5% vs 17%)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Abernethy is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- Elrington sits closer to the CBD (144.6 km vs 149.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Abernethy
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Elrington
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (34.8% vs -8.9%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Abernethy and Elrington drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Abernethy rents higher ($360/wk vs $100/wk); Abernethy has more residents (317 vs 155).
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 317 +51% vs other | 155 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -8.9% | +34.8% |
| Median age | 37 | 51 |
| Median household income | $107,588/yr +11% vs other | $95,836/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $360/wk +72% vs other | $100/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.8%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $837,500 | $1,950,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 24 days from 4 sales | — |
Zoning mix
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental | 64% | 58% |
| Rural and farming | 35% | 40% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 1% same for both | |
| 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
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 719 across Cessnock same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -31% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 24% of NSW | Higher than 84% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 73% of NSW | Higher than 63% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 58% of NSW | Higher than 6% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 88% of NSW | Higher than 16% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 34% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 48% of NSW | Higher than 44% of NSW |
Liveability
Abernethy is more walkable (10 vs 0).
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Elrington carries more bushfire risk (64 vs 46).
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 46/100 | Moderate 64/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 49/100 | Moderate 43/100 |
| 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 | 1 within 5 km |
Schools
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Abernethy sits further from the CBD (149.4 km vs 144.6 km).
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 10/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 149.4 km +3% vs other | 144.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 113 min | 110 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2325 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 51 postcode 2325 same for both | |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.4%).
Setting
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 84 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 60 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 30.9 km | 30.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 128 premises | 0% 62 premises |
Climate
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 804 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 5.1°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 6.1 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 16.5 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | 0.53 pphm same for both | |
Council rates
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,405/yr same for both | |
| Council | Cessnock same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Hunter same for both | |
| Member | Dan Repacholi same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Abernethy | Elrington | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Abernethy
Other comparisons with Elrington
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.