Brookdale vs Milbrulong
Brookdale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 49 in Milbrulong. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Brookdale, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Brookdale tends to suit families with children and couples, while Milbrulong suits older residents.
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
Brookdale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 58%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Brookdale
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (6% vs 14%)
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $165/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Brookdale
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (313 min vs 334 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (490.8 km vs 511.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Milbrulong
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 6%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Brookdale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (92.3% vs 26.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Brookdale and Milbrulong 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
Brookdale has higher household incomes ($142,948 vs $59,540); Milbrulong has more residents (119 vs 50).
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 50 | 119 +138% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +92.3% | +26.6% |
| Median age | 39 | 49 |
| Median household income | $142,948/yr +58% vs other | $59,540/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $150/wk | $165/wk +10% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).
Property market
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $420,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $22,892 | — |
Zoning mix
Milbrulong has more rural and farming land (100% vs 85%).
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 85% | 100% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 15% | 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
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 548 across Wagga Wagga | 7 across Lockhart |
| Approvals change year on year | +139% | -33% |
Ranking within NSW
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — | Higher than 12% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 92% of NSW | Higher than 21% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 24% of NSW | Higher than 22% of NSW |
| Affordability | — | Higher than 84% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 28% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 56% of NSW | Higher than 33% of NSW |
Liveability
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 10/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Brookdale carries more bushfire risk (10 vs 0).
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 10/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 59/100 | Moderate 54/100 |
| 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 same for both | |
Schools
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 7 | 0 |
Mobility
Milbrulong sits further from the CBD (511.6 km vs 490.8 km).
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 490.8 km | 511.6 km +4% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 313 min | 334 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 2656 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 61 postcode 2656 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 (84.0%).
Setting
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 171 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 187 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 23/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 22 premises | 0% 44 premises |
Council rates
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,254/yr | $394/yr |
| Council | Wagga Wagga | Lockhart |
Federal electorate
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Riverina same for both | |
| Member | Michael Mccormack same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Brookdale | Milbrulong | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Brookdale
Milbrulong
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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.