Armidale vs Metz

Armidale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 43 in Metz. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Metz, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Metz: a median of $850,000, against $625,000 in Armidale, though rent is higher in Armidale. On these figures, Armidale tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Metz suits couples.

Armidale is a regional city of nearly 24,000 people with a walkability score of 64, making it genuinely navigable on foot, while Metz is a tiny rural locality of 117 people with minimal walkability. Metz residents earn significantly more—median household income of $97,448 versus Armidale's $74,464—and houses there cost substantially more at $850,000 compared to $620,000, though weekly rent is lower. Armidale suits someone seeking an established regional hub with services and community, whereas Metz appeals to those prioritising a quiet, affluent rural setting willing to accept isolation and longer distances to services.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Armidale has more parks and reserves (88 vs 0)
  • Metz is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 48%)

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

First-home buyers

Metz

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($22,000 vs $345,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 24%)
  • But Armidale has cheaper houses ($625,000 vs $850,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Metz

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 20%)
  • has cheaper rent ($243/wk vs $290/wk)
  • But Armidale has a bigger rental market to choose from (39% vs 23%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Armidale

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (64/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (368 min vs 385 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (478.4 km vs 496.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Armidale

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (64/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (9 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (18% vs 3%)
  • But Metz carries lower crime risk (68/100 vs 88/100)

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

Investors

Metz

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (10.4% vs 2.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Armidale Metz
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.

Armidale Metz
Walkability 64 / 0
Armidale — Walkability: 64/100 Metz — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 12 / 32
Armidale — Safety: 12/100 Metz — Safety: 32/100
Low fire risk 71 / 66
Armidale — Low fire risk: 71/100 Metz — Low fire risk: 66/100

Demographics

Armidale has more residents (23,967 vs 117); Metz has higher household incomes ($97,448 vs $74,464).

Armidale Metz
Population 23,967
+100% vs other
 117
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.6% +10.4%
Median age 36 43
Median household income $74,464/yr $97,448/yr
+31% vs other
Median weekly rent $290/wk
+16% vs other
 $243/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Armidale Metz
0-4 5.5% / 7.7%
Armidale — 0-4: 5.5% Metz — 0-4: 7.7%
5-14 12.3% / 9.4%
Armidale — 5-14: 12.3% Metz — 5-14: 9.4%
15-19 8.5% / 6.8%
Armidale — 15-19: 8.5% Metz — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 8.8% / 2.6%
Armidale — 20-24: 8.8% Metz — 20-24: 2.6%
25-34 13.6% / 17.9%
Armidale — 25-34: 13.6% Metz — 25-34: 17.9%
35-44 11.0% / 10.3%
Armidale — 35-44: 11.0% Metz — 35-44: 10.3%
45-54 10.5% / 10.3%
Armidale — 45-54: 10.5% Metz — 45-54: 10.3%
55-64 11.5% / 18.8%
Armidale — 55-64: 11.5% Metz — 55-64: 18.8%
65-74 9.4% / 6.0%
Armidale — 65-74: 9.4% Metz — 65-74: 6.0%
75-84 6.4% / 9.4%
Armidale — 75-84: 6.4% Metz — 75-84: 9.4%
85+ 2.5% / —
Armidale — 85+: 2.5% Metz — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Armidale 31.7% couple families
Armidale — Couple Families: 31.7% Armidale — Lone Person: 44.9% Armidale — One Parent Families: 16.0% Armidale — Group Household: 6.1% Armidale — Other Families: 1.4%
Metz 66.7% couple families
Metz — Couple Families: 66.7% Metz — Lone Person: 33.3% Metz — One Parent Families: 0.0% Metz — Group Household: 0.0% Metz — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Armidale 38.9% renting
Armidale — Owned Outright: 33.1% Armidale — Mortgage: 27.9% Armidale — Renting: 38.9%
Metz 22.9% renting
Metz — Owned Outright: 54.3% Metz — Mortgage: 22.9% Metz — Renting: 22.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Armidale 81.8% houses
Armidale — Houses: 81.8% Armidale — Townhouses: 12.3% Armidale — Flats / Apartments: 5.9%
Metz 97.4% houses
Metz — Houses: 97.4% Metz — Townhouses: 0.0% Metz — Flats / Apartments: 2.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Armidale Metz
Bachelor Degree 13.0% / 18.8%
Armidale — Bachelor Degree: 13.0% Metz — Bachelor Degree: 18.8%
Certificate III & IV 11.8% / 12.0%
Armidale — Certificate III & IV: 11.8% Metz — Certificate III & IV: 12.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.3% / 15.4%
Armidale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3% Metz — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 15.4%
Postgraduate Degree 8.2% / 7.7%
Armidale — Postgraduate Degree: 8.2% Metz — Postgraduate Degree: 7.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 4.3%
Armidale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Metz — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Property market

Armidale Metz
Median house price $625,000 $850,000
Median unit price $402,500 —
Median land price $345,000 $22,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 38 days
from 202 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Metz has more rural and farming land (87% vs 74%).

Armidale Metz
Rural and farming 74% 87%
Environmental 8% 13%
Residential 13% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 0%
Parks and recreation 1% 0%
Industrial 1% 0%
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

Armidale Metz
New dwellings approved 77
across Armidale
same for both
Approvals change year on year -76%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Armidale Metz
Houses 3.8%
$500/wk on $680K
 —
Units 4.9%
$380/wk on $406K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Armidale Metz
House price Higher than 19% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
Income Higher than 42% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
Schools Higher than 34% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 40% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 64% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 60% of NSW —

Liveability

Armidale is more walkable (64 vs 0).

Armidale Metz
Grade C —
Score 36/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Armidale carries more crime risk (88 vs 68).

Armidale Metz
Bushfire Low
29/100
 Low
34/100
Crime High
88/100
 Moderate
68/100
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
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Armidale Metz
Inside the suburb 16 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 7 0
Rated below peers 7 0
Universities within 10 km 1
University of New England, 0.0 km
 None

Schools in Armidale

  • Sandon Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Armidale Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Ben Venue Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Drummond Memorial Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • New England Girls' School Independent · Combined at peers
  • PLC Armidale Independent · Combined at peers

Schools in Metz

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Armidale Metz
Supermarkets 7 0
Cafes & restaurants 58 0
Parks & reserves 88 0
Childcare 19 1
GPs 9 0
Pharmacies 5 0
Hospitals 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 10 0
Fuel stations 10 0
EV chargers 3 0
Waterways 77 29

Mobility

Metz sits further from the CBD (496.2 km vs 478.4 km).

Armidale Metz
Walkability score 64/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 478.4 km 496.2 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 368 min 385 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2350
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 2350
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.

Armidale Metz
Car (driver) 62.0% / 56.0%
Armidale — Car (driver): 62.0% Metz — Car (driver): 56.0%
Worked from Home 26.9% / 38.0%
Armidale — Worked from Home: 26.9% Metz — Worked from Home: 38.0%
Walked Only 4.3% / 6.0%
Armidale — Walked Only: 4.3% Metz — Walked Only: 6.0%
Car (passenger) 5.6% / —
Armidale — Car (passenger): 5.6% Metz — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bicycle 0.7% / —
Armidale — Bicycle: 0.7% Metz — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.0%).

Setting

Armidale Metz
Elevation 1,037 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 965 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Armidale Metz
Connectivity score 94/100 25/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 91%
14,869 premises
 0%
53 premises

Climate

Armidale Metz
Annual rainfall 684 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Armidale Metz
PM2.5 6.7 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 9.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Armidale Metz
Average residential rate $1,477/yr
same for both
Council Armidale
same for both

Federal electorate

Armidale Metz
Division New England
same for both
Member Barnaby Joyce
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Armidale Metz
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Armidale

Affordable Parks

Metz

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Armidale

Armidale vs Saumarez Ponds Armidale vs Kellys Plains Armidale vs Thalgarrah Armidale vs Castle Doyle Armidale vs Dangarsleigh Armidale vs Dumaresq

Other comparisons with Metz

Metz vs Hillgrove Metz vs Thalgarrah Metz vs Castle Doyle
Full data on Armidale Full data on Metz
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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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