Buchanan vs Stanford Merthyr

Buchanan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 41 in Stanford Merthyr. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Buchanan, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Buchanan: a median of $860,000, against $710,000 in Stanford Merthyr, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Buchanan tends to suit families with children and couples, while Stanford Merthyr suits people living alone 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

They split

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

  • Buchanan is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 57%)
  • Stanford Merthyr carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 97/100)

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

First-home buyers

Stanford Merthyr

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (27% vs 34%)
  • has cheaper houses ($710,000 vs $860,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Stanford Merthyr

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($310/wk vs $460/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Stanford Merthyr

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (52/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (147.4 km vs 153.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Stanford Merthyr

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (52/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 16%)
  • carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 97/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
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.

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Walkability 0 / 52
Buchanan — Walkability: 0/100 Stanford Merthyr — Walkability: 52/100
Safety 3 / 27
Buchanan — Safety: 3/100 Stanford Merthyr — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 45 / 21
Buchanan — Low fire risk: 45/100 Stanford Merthyr — Low fire risk: 21/100

Demographics

Stanford Merthyr has more residents (575 vs 212); Buchanan has higher household incomes ($105,456 vs $69,524).

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Population 212 575
+171% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.6% +4.2%
Median age 38 41
Median household income $105,456/yr
+34% vs other
 $69,524/yr
Median weekly rent $460/wk
+33% vs other
 $310/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
0-4 5.2% / 6.8%
Buchanan — 0-4: 5.2% Stanford Merthyr — 0-4: 6.8%
5-14 17.9% / 11.8%
Buchanan — 5-14: 17.9% Stanford Merthyr — 5-14: 11.8%
15-19 10.4% / 5.2%
Buchanan — 15-19: 10.4% Stanford Merthyr — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 8.0% / 6.3%
Buchanan — 20-24: 8.0% Stanford Merthyr — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 9.0% / 13.6%
Buchanan — 25-34: 9.0% Stanford Merthyr — 25-34: 13.6%
35-44 9.0% / 9.4%
Buchanan — 35-44: 9.0% Stanford Merthyr — 35-44: 9.4%
45-54 13.2% / 14.1%
Buchanan — 45-54: 13.2% Stanford Merthyr — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 15.6% / 11.1%
Buchanan — 55-64: 15.6% Stanford Merthyr — 55-64: 11.1%
65-74 9.0% / 14.6%
Buchanan — 65-74: 9.0% Stanford Merthyr — 65-74: 14.6%
75-84 5.2% / 5.4%
Buchanan — 75-84: 5.2% Stanford Merthyr — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ 1.9% / 1.7%
Buchanan — 85+: 1.9% Stanford Merthyr — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

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.

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
England 1.4% / 1.0%
Buchanan — England: 1.4% Stanford Merthyr — England: 1.0%
Germany — / 0.9%
Buchanan — Germany: not among its largest Stanford Merthyr — Germany: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Buchanan 46.9% couple families
Buchanan — Couple Families: 46.9% Buchanan — Lone Person: 26.5% Buchanan — One Parent Families: 26.5% Buchanan — Group Household: 0.0% Buchanan — Other Families: 0.0%
Stanford Merthyr 32.1% couple families
Stanford Merthyr — Couple Families: 32.1% Stanford Merthyr — Lone Person: 34.5% Stanford Merthyr — One Parent Families: 24.8% Stanford Merthyr — Group Household: 5.5% Stanford Merthyr — Other Families: 3.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Buchanan 100.0% houses
Buchanan — Houses: 100.0% Buchanan — Townhouses: 0.0% Buchanan — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Stanford Merthyr 94.6% houses
Stanford Merthyr — Houses: 94.6% Stanford Merthyr — Townhouses: 3.6% Stanford Merthyr — Flats / Apartments: 1.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Certificate III & IV 19.3% / 24.7%
Buchanan — Certificate III & IV: 19.3% Stanford Merthyr — Certificate III & IV: 24.7%
Bachelor Degree 8.5% / 4.2%
Buchanan — Bachelor Degree: 8.5% Stanford Merthyr — Bachelor Degree: 4.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.1% / 5.9%
Buchanan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1% Stanford Merthyr — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.3% / 0.7%
Buchanan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3% Stanford Merthyr — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / —
Buchanan — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Stanford Merthyr — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.7%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Buchanan 10.0% renting
Buchanan — Owned Outright: 40.0% Buchanan — Mortgage: 50.0% Buchanan — Renting: 10.0%
Stanford Merthyr 17.0% renting
Stanford Merthyr — Owned Outright: 44.5% Stanford Merthyr — Mortgage: 38.5% Stanford Merthyr — Renting: 17.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Median house price $860,000 $710,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $422,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 50 days
from 10 sales
 22 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Buchanan has more rural and farming land (84% vs 35%).

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Rural and farming 84% 35%
Residential 1% 52%
Environmental 9% 3%
Parks and recreation 0% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 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

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
New dwellings approved 719
across Cessnock
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
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.

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Houses 4.2%
$700/wk on $865K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
House price Higher than 42% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Income Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 33% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 82% of NSW —

Liveability

Stanford Merthyr is more walkable (52 vs 0).

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Grade — D
Score — 21/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Stanford Merthyr carries more bushfire risk (79 vs 55); Buchanan carries more crime risk (97 vs 73).

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Bushfire Moderate
55/100
 High
79/100
Crime High
97/100
 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 4
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Buchanan

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

Schools in Stanford Merthyr

  • Stanford Merthyr Infants School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Parks & reserves 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 9 0

Mobility

Buchanan sits further from the CBD (153.6 km vs 147.4 km).

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Walkability score 0/100 52/100
Distance to Sydney 153.6 km
+4% vs other
 147.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 109 min 112 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2323
 0.2%
postcode 2327
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 2323
 40
postcode 2327

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.

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Car (driver) 68.9% / 81.0%
Buchanan — Car (driver): 68.9% Stanford Merthyr — Car (driver): 81.0%
Worked from Home 24.4% / 11.8%
Buchanan — Worked from Home: 24.4% Stanford Merthyr — Worked from Home: 11.8%
Car (passenger) 6.7% / 5.6%
Buchanan — Car (passenger): 6.7% Stanford Merthyr — Car (passenger): 5.6%
Walked Only — / 1.5%
Buchanan — Walked Only: not among its largest Stanford Merthyr — Walked Only: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.0%).

Setting

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Elevation 40 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 33 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 22.4 km 25.9 km

NBN connectivity

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Connectivity score 67/100 78/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 53%
141 premises
 61%
247 premises

Climate

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
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)

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.72 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Average residential rate $1,405/yr
same for both
Council Cessnock
same for both

Federal electorate

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Division Paterson Hunter
Member Meryl Swanson Dan Repacholi
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Buchanan Stanford Merthyr
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Buchanan

Family Rural

Stanford Merthyr

Large Blocks Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Buchanan

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Other comparisons with Stanford Merthyr

Stanford Merthyr vs Kurri Kurri Stanford Merthyr vs Heddon Greta Stanford Merthyr vs Pelaw Main
Full data on Buchanan Full data on Stanford Merthyr
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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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