Belford vs North Rothbury

North Rothbury is the younger of the two, with a median age of 30 against 44 in Belford. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Belford, the large majority of households are couple families. In North Rothbury, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Belford: a median of $1.05 million, against $875,000 in North Rothbury, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Belford tends to suit couples, while North Rothbury suits young adults, families with children, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Belford

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (56/100 vs 92/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 73%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (107% vs 96%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Belford has cheaper land ($295,000 vs $765,000)
  • North Rothbury has cheaper houses ($875,000 vs $1,050,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

North Rothbury

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (36% vs 8%)
  • has cheaper rent ($450/wk vs $530/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

North Rothbury

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (182 km vs 186.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Belford

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (14% vs 7%)
  • carries lower crime risk (56/100 vs 92/100)
  • But North Rothbury is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

North Rothbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (178.6% vs 2.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Belford North Rothbury
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.

Belford North Rothbury
Walkability 0 / 14
Belford — Walkability: 0/100 North Rothbury — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 44 / 8
Belford — Safety: 44/100 North Rothbury — Safety: 8/100
Low fire risk 89 / 53
Belford — Low fire risk: 89/100 North Rothbury — Low fire risk: 53/100

Demographics

North Rothbury has more residents (2,502 vs 176); Belford skews older (44 vs 30).

Belford North Rothbury
Population 176 2,502
+1322% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.9% +178.6%
Median age 44 30
Median household income $147,316/yr
+22% vs other
 $114,712/yr
Median weekly rent $530/wk
+15% vs other
 $450/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Belford North Rothbury
0-4 8.5% / 10.8%
Belford — 0-4: 8.5% North Rothbury — 0-4: 10.8%
5-14 10.2% / 17.2%
Belford — 5-14: 10.2% North Rothbury — 5-14: 17.2%
15-19 3.4% / 5.7%
Belford — 15-19: 3.4% North Rothbury — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 1.7% / 5.7%
Belford — 20-24: 1.7% North Rothbury — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 10.8% / 20.4%
Belford — 25-34: 10.8% North Rothbury — 25-34: 20.4%
35-44 15.9% / 15.9%
Belford — 35-44: 15.9% North Rothbury — 35-44: 15.9%
45-54 18.8% / 9.6%
Belford — 45-54: 18.8% North Rothbury — 45-54: 9.6%
55-64 15.9% / 8.2%
Belford — 55-64: 15.9% North Rothbury — 55-64: 8.2%
65-74 11.9% / 5.1%
Belford — 65-74: 11.9% North Rothbury — 65-74: 5.1%
75-84 2.3% / 1.9%
Belford — 75-84: 2.3% North Rothbury — 75-84: 1.9%
85+ — / 0.2%
Belford — 85+: not among its largest North Rothbury — 85+: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Belford 88.9% couple families
Belford — Couple Families: 88.9% Belford — One Parent Families: 11.1% Belford — Lone Person: 0.0% Belford — Group Household: 0.0% Belford — Other Families: 0.0%
North Rothbury 53.6% couple families
North Rothbury — Couple Families: 53.6% North Rothbury — One Parent Families: 19.7% North Rothbury — Lone Person: 22.7% North Rothbury — Group Household: 2.5% North Rothbury — Other Families: 1.4%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Belford 7.8% renting
Belford — Owned Outright: 29.4% Belford — Mortgage: 62.7% Belford — Renting: 7.8%
North Rothbury 36.4% renting
North Rothbury — Owned Outright: 15.6% North Rothbury — Mortgage: 48.0% North Rothbury — Renting: 36.4%
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.

Belford North Rothbury
England 2.8% / 2.0%
Belford — England: 2.8% North Rothbury — England: 2.0%
New Zealand — / 1.3%
Belford — New Zealand: not among its largest North Rothbury — New Zealand: 1.3%
South Africa — / 0.8%
Belford — South Africa: not among its largest North Rothbury — South Africa: 0.8%
Philippines — / 0.7%
Belford — Philippines: not among its largest North Rothbury — Philippines: 0.7%
India — / 0.4%
Belford — India: not among its largest North Rothbury — India: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.8%).

Qualifications

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

Belford North Rothbury
Certificate III & IV 22.7% / 22.3%
Belford — Certificate III & IV: 22.7% North Rothbury — Certificate III & IV: 22.3%
Bachelor Degree 9.7% / 9.1%
Belford — Bachelor Degree: 9.7% North Rothbury — Bachelor Degree: 9.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 7.8%
Belford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% North Rothbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 0.9%
Belford — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% North Rothbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.7% / 1.4%
Belford — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7% North Rothbury — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Belford 106.7% houses
Belford — Houses: 106.7% Belford — Townhouses: 0.0% Belford — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
North Rothbury 96.5% houses
North Rothbury — Houses: 96.5% North Rothbury — Townhouses: 2.6% North Rothbury — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Belford North Rothbury
Median house price $1,050,000 $875,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $295,000 $765,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 34 days
from 119 sales

Zoning mix

Belford has more rural and farming land (77% vs 42%).

Belford North Rothbury
Rural and farming 77% 42%
Residential 1% 35%
Environmental 18% 19%
Infrastructure and transport 4%
same for both
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

Belford North Rothbury
New dwellings approved 121
across Singleton
 719
across Cessnock
Approvals change year on year +46% -31%

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.

Belford North Rothbury
Houses — 4.2%
$740/wk on $919K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Belford North Rothbury
House price Higher than 54% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
Income Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 30% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 82% of NSW

Liveability

North Rothbury is more walkable (14 vs 0).

Belford North Rothbury
Grade — D
Score — 27/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

North Rothbury carries more bushfire risk (47 vs 11); North Rothbury carries more crime risk (92 vs 56).

Belford North Rothbury
Bushfire Low
11/100
 Moderate
47/100
Crime Moderate
56/100
 High
92/100
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
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Belford North Rothbury
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

Belford North Rothbury
Supermarkets 0 1
Parks & reserves 2 1
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Waterways 2 3

Mobility

Belford sits further from the CBD (186.5 km vs 182 km).

Belford North Rothbury
Walkability score 0/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 186.5 km
+2% vs other
 182 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 129 min
same for both
Public transport score 29/100
Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 7.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 42.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 2335
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 82
postcode 2335
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.

Belford North Rothbury
Car (driver) 66.2% / 78.6%
Belford — Car (driver): 66.2% North Rothbury — Car (driver): 78.6%
Worked from Home 23.9% / 17.3%
Belford — Worked from Home: 23.9% North Rothbury — Worked from Home: 17.3%
Walked Only 9.9% / 0.3%
Belford — Walked Only: 9.9% North Rothbury — Walked Only: 0.3%
Car (passenger) — / 3.8%
Belford — Car (passenger): not among its largest North Rothbury — Car (passenger): 3.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.6%).

Setting

Belford North Rothbury
Elevation 72 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 70 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 49.4 km 43.3 km

NBN connectivity

Belford North Rothbury
Connectivity score 29/100 91/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
65 premises
 84%
2,189 premises

Climate

Belford North Rothbury
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)

Belford North Rothbury
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 19.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Belford North Rothbury
Average residential rate $1,287/yr $1,405/yr
Council Singleton Cessnock

Federal electorate

Belford North Rothbury
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Belford North Rothbury
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Belford

Rural Young Families

North Rothbury

Acreage Family River Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Belford

Belford vs Branxton Belford vs Pokolbin Belford vs Singleton Military Area Belford vs Whittingham Belford vs Lower Belford Belford vs Rothbury

Other comparisons with North Rothbury

North Rothbury vs Greta North Rothbury vs Branxton North Rothbury vs Lovedale North Rothbury vs Rothbury
Full data on Belford Full data on North Rothbury
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or