Allandale vs Oswald

Oswald is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 49 in Allandale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Oswald, most households are couple families. On these figures, Oswald tends to suit families with children and 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

Oswald

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 93/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Allandale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (117 min vs 124 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (169.2 km vs 174.4 km)
  • But Oswald is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Oswald

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 93/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Oswald

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (0.0% vs -6.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Allandale Oswald
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.

Allandale Oswald
Walkability 0 / 16
Allandale — Walkability: 0/100 Oswald — Walkability: 16/100
Safety 7 / 27
Allandale — Safety: 7/100 Oswald — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 80 / 100
Allandale — Low fire risk: 80/100 Oswald — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Oswald has more residents (88 vs 68); Allandale skews older (49 vs 44).

Allandale Oswald
Population 68 88
+29% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -6.8% +0.0%
Median age 49 44
Median household income $110,448/yr $110,500/yr
Median weekly rent $330/wk $350/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Allandale Oswald
0-4 — / 3.4%
Allandale — 0-4: not among its largest Oswald — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 14.7% / 15.9%
Allandale — 5-14: 14.7% Oswald — 5-14: 15.9%
15-19 11.8% / 8.0%
Allandale — 15-19: 11.8% Oswald — 15-19: 8.0%
20-24 — / 6.8%
Allandale — 20-24: not among its largest Oswald — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 8.8% / —
Allandale — 25-34: 8.8% Oswald — 25-34: not among its largest
35-44 5.9% / 13.6%
Allandale — 35-44: 5.9% Oswald — 35-44: 13.6%
45-54 20.6% / 25.0%
Allandale — 45-54: 20.6% Oswald — 45-54: 25.0%
55-64 17.6% / 3.4%
Allandale — 55-64: 17.6% Oswald — 55-64: 3.4%
65-74 19.1% / 8.0%
Allandale — 65-74: 19.1% Oswald — 65-74: 8.0%
75-84 — / 6.8%
Allandale — 75-84: not among its largest Oswald — 75-84: 6.8%
85+ — / 3.4%
Allandale — 85+: not among its largest Oswald — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Allandale 40.9% couple families
Allandale — Couple Families: 40.9% Allandale — Lone Person: 31.8% Allandale — One Parent Families: 27.3%
Oswald 64.0% couple families
Oswald — Couple Families: 64.0% Oswald — Lone Person: 36.0% Oswald — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Allandale 0.0% renting
Allandale — Owned Outright: 40.7% Allandale — Mortgage: 59.3% Allandale — Renting: 0.0%
Oswald 23.3% renting
Oswald — Owned Outright: 43.3% Oswald — Mortgage: 33.3% Oswald — Renting: 23.3%
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.

Allandale Oswald
England 8.8% / —
Allandale — England: 8.8% Oswald — England: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 5.7%
Allandale — Netherlands: not among its largest Oswald — Netherlands: 5.7%
New Zealand — / 4.5%
Allandale — New Zealand: not among its largest Oswald — New Zealand: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.8%).

Qualifications

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

Allandale Oswald
Certificate III & IV 20.6% / 11.4%
Allandale — Certificate III & IV: 20.6% Oswald — Certificate III & IV: 11.4%
Bachelor Degree 7.4% / 12.5%
Allandale — Bachelor Degree: 7.4% Oswald — Bachelor Degree: 12.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 3.4%
Allandale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Oswald — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 4.5%
Allandale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Oswald — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5%
Postgraduate Degree 4.4% / —
Allandale — Postgraduate Degree: 4.4% Oswald — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Allandale 100.0% houses
Allandale — Houses: 100.0%
Oswald 100.0% houses
Oswald — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

Allandale Oswald
Median house price $1,600,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Allandale Oswald
Rural and farming 87% 97%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 0%
Residential 5% 0%
Environmental 0% 3%
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

Allandale Oswald
New dwellings approved 719
across Cessnock
 1,413
across Maitland
Approvals change year on year -31% +20%

Ranking within NSW

Allandale Oswald
House price Higher than 77% of NSW —
Income Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 36% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 55% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 37% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW

Liveability

Oswald is more walkable (16 vs 0).

Allandale Oswald
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Allandale carries more bushfire risk (20 vs 0); Allandale carries more crime risk (93 vs 73).

Allandale Oswald
Bushfire Low
20/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
93/100
 High
73/100
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

Allandale Oswald
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

Allandale Oswald
Waterways 4 0

Mobility

Oswald sits further from the CBD (174.4 km vs 169.2 km).

Allandale Oswald
Walkability score 0/100 16/100
Distance to Sydney 169.2 km 174.4 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 117 min 124 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2320
 0.6%
postcode 2321
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2320
 69
postcode 2321

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.

Allandale Oswald
Car (driver) 51.2% / 75.8%
Allandale — Car (driver): 51.2% Oswald — Car (driver): 75.8%
Worked from Home 39.5% / 15.2%
Allandale — Worked from Home: 39.5% Oswald — Worked from Home: 15.2%
Walked Only 9.3% / 9.1%
Allandale — Walked Only: 9.3% Oswald — Walked Only: 9.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.8%).

Setting

Allandale Oswald
Elevation 101 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 36.1 km 36.7 km

NBN connectivity

Allandale Oswald
Connectivity score 26/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
31 premises
 0%
27 premises

Climate

Allandale Oswald
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)

Allandale Oswald
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³ —
PM10 17.5 µg/m³ 19.5 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.72 pphm —

Council rates

Allandale Oswald
Average residential rate $1,405/yr $1,908/yr
Council Cessnock Maitland

Federal electorate

Allandale Oswald
Division Hunter Paterson
Member Dan Repacholi Meryl Swanson
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Allandale Oswald
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Allandale

River Rural

Oswald

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Allandale

Allandale vs Greta Allandale vs Lochinvar Allandale vs Lovedale Allandale vs Bishops Bridge Allandale vs Keinbah Allandale vs Harpers Hill

Other comparisons with Oswald

Oswald vs Lochinvar Oswald vs Luskintyre Oswald vs Harpers Hill
Full data on Allandale Full data on Oswald
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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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