Cardiff Heights vs Elermore Vale

Comparing Cardiff Heights and Elermore Vale, NSW: Elermore Vale carries more bushfire risk (54 vs 0); Elermore Vale has more residents (6,057 vs 1,384); and Cardiff Heights scores higher overall (67 vs 34).

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

Elermore Vale

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • But Cardiff Heights carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 59/100)

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

First-home buyers

Cardiff Heights

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($460,000 vs $720,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Elermore Vale

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (58/100 vs 46/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (110 min vs 115 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (150.7 km vs 153.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Cardiff Heights carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 59/100)
  • Elermore Vale is more walkable (58/100 vs 46/100)

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

Where they sit

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

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
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.

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Walkability 46 / 58
Cardiff Heights — Walkability: 46/100 Elermore Vale — Walkability: 58/100
Safety 70 / 41
Cardiff Heights — Safety: 70/100 Elermore Vale — Safety: 41/100
Low fire risk 100 / 46
Cardiff Heights — Low fire risk: 100/100 Elermore Vale — Low fire risk: 46/100

Demographics

Elermore Vale has more residents (6,057 vs 1,384); Cardiff Heights has higher household incomes ($96,200 vs $81,484).

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Population 1,384 6,057
+338% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — +9.6%
Median age 44 42
Median household income $96,200/yr
+15% vs other
 $81,484/yr
Median weekly rent $380/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
0-4 5.1% / 5.2%
Cardiff Heights — 0-4: 5.1% Elermore Vale — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 11.8% / 11.6%
Cardiff Heights — 5-14: 11.8% Elermore Vale — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 5.5% / 5.8%
Cardiff Heights — 15-19: 5.5% Elermore Vale — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 5.7% / 5.6%
Cardiff Heights — 20-24: 5.7% Elermore Vale — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 10.7% / 12.5%
Cardiff Heights — 25-34: 10.7% Elermore Vale — 25-34: 12.5%
35-44 12.3% / 12.2%
Cardiff Heights — 35-44: 12.3% Elermore Vale — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 12.3% / 11.1%
Cardiff Heights — 45-54: 12.3% Elermore Vale — 45-54: 11.1%
55-64 12.1% / 10.8%
Cardiff Heights — 55-64: 12.1% Elermore Vale — 55-64: 10.8%
65-74 11.0% / 11.9%
Cardiff Heights — 65-74: 11.0% Elermore Vale — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 7.8% / 8.7%
Cardiff Heights — 75-84: 7.8% Elermore Vale — 75-84: 8.7%
85+ 5.9% / 4.6%
Cardiff Heights — 85+: 5.9% Elermore Vale — 85+: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cardiff Heights 43.0% couple families
Cardiff Heights — Couple Families: 43.0% Cardiff Heights — Lone Person: 37.8% Cardiff Heights — One Parent Families: 13.2% Cardiff Heights — Group Household: 4.4% Cardiff Heights — Other Families: 1.6%
Elermore Vale 41.4% couple families
Elermore Vale — Couple Families: 41.4% Elermore Vale — Lone Person: 36.3% Elermore Vale — One Parent Families: 16.1% Elermore Vale — Group Household: 4.8% Elermore Vale — Other Families: 1.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cardiff Heights 16.5% renting
Cardiff Heights — Owned Outright: 41.4% Cardiff Heights — Mortgage: 42.1% Cardiff Heights — Renting: 16.5%
Elermore Vale 26.3% renting
Elermore Vale — Owned Outright: 37.0% Elermore Vale — Mortgage: 36.7% Elermore Vale — Renting: 26.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Certificate III & IV 15.3% / 15.7%
Cardiff Heights — Certificate III & IV: 15.3% Elermore Vale — Certificate III & IV: 15.7%
Bachelor Degree 15.3% / 13.2%
Cardiff Heights — Bachelor Degree: 15.3% Elermore Vale — Bachelor Degree: 13.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 7.3%
Cardiff Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Elermore Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3%
Postgraduate Degree 5.2% / 4.2%
Cardiff Heights — Postgraduate Degree: 5.2% Elermore Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 1.6%
Cardiff Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Elermore Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

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.

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
England 3.7% / 1.8%
Cardiff Heights — England: 3.7% Elermore Vale — England: 1.8%
India 0.6% / 1.4%
Cardiff Heights — India: 0.6% Elermore Vale — India: 1.4%
New Zealand 0.8% / 0.8%
Cardiff Heights — New Zealand: 0.8% Elermore Vale — New Zealand: 0.8%
Germany 0.7% / 0.4%
Cardiff Heights — Germany: 0.7% Elermore Vale — Germany: 0.4%
China 0.4% / 0.7%
Cardiff Heights — China: 0.4% Elermore Vale — China: 0.7%
Philippines — / 0.7%
Cardiff Heights — Philippines: not among its largest Elermore Vale — Philippines: 0.7%
Netherlands 0.6% / —
Cardiff Heights — Netherlands: 0.6% Elermore Vale — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cardiff Heights 81.9% houses
Cardiff Heights — Houses: 81.9% Cardiff Heights — Townhouses: 17.5% Cardiff Heights — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Elermore Vale 79.2% houses
Elermore Vale — Houses: 79.2% Elermore Vale — Townhouses: 19.2% Elermore Vale — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Median house price $910,000 $945,000
Median unit price $460,000 $720,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 34 days
from 4 sales
 17 days
from 33 sales

Zoning mix

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Residential 54% 53%
Environmental 37% 34%
Parks and recreation 2% 8%
Rural and farming 7% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 5%
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

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
New dwellings approved 1,212
across Lake Macquarie
 912
across Newcastle
Approvals change year on year +2% +77%

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.

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Houses — 4.5%
$765/wk on $890K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
House price Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
Income Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 8% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 65% of NSW Higher than 53% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 90% of NSW

Liveability

Cardiff Heights scores higher overall (67 vs 34); Elermore Vale is more walkable (58 vs 46).

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Grade B C
Score 67/100 34/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Elermore Vale carries more bushfire risk (54 vs 0); Elermore Vale carries more crime risk (59 vs 30).

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
54/100
Crime Low
30/100
 Moderate
59/100
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
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Inside the suburb 0 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 5.3 km
 1
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 4.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.7% 2.3%

Schools in Cardiff Heights

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

Schools in Elermore Vale

  • Wallsend South Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Elermore Vale Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Alesco Secondary College Independent · Secondary · Special school below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 1 6
Childcare 0 5
Pharmacies 0 1
Waterways 0 11

Mobility

Cardiff Heights sits further from the CBD (153.1 km vs 150.7 km).

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Walkability score 46/100 58/100
Distance to Sydney 153.1 km
+2% vs other
 150.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 115 min 110 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 51.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 153.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2285
 0.9%
postcode 2287
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 50
postcode 2285
 42
postcode 2287

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.

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Car (driver) 62.8% / 67.4%
Cardiff Heights — Car (driver): 62.8% Elermore Vale — Car (driver): 67.4%
Worked from Home 32.3% / 25.6%
Cardiff Heights — Worked from Home: 32.3% Elermore Vale — Worked from Home: 25.6%
Car (passenger) 2.1% / 4.7%
Cardiff Heights — Car (passenger): 2.1% Elermore Vale — Car (passenger): 4.7%
Walked Only 0.8% / 1.1%
Cardiff Heights — Walked Only: 0.8% Elermore Vale — Walked Only: 1.1%
Bus 0.8% / 1.0%
Cardiff Heights — Bus: 0.8% Elermore Vale — Bus: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.4%).

Setting

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Elevation 50 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 53 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.0 km 8.9 km

NBN connectivity

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Connectivity score 66/100 67/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 38%
578 premises
 40%
2,756 premises

Climate

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Annual rainfall 1,025 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.2°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
PM2.5 6.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.53 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Average residential rate $1,708/yr $1,783/yr
Council Lake Macquarie Newcastle

Federal electorate

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Division Newcastle
same for both
Member Sharon Claydon
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cardiff Heights Elermore Vale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cardiff Heights

Professionals River

Elermore Vale

Parks Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cardiff Heights

Cardiff Heights vs Cardiff Cardiff Heights vs Glendale Cardiff Heights vs New Lambton Heights Cardiff Heights vs Rankin Park Cardiff Heights vs Garden Suburb

Other comparisons with Elermore Vale

Elermore Vale vs Wallsend Elermore Vale vs Cameron Park Elermore Vale vs Edgeworth Elermore Vale vs Lambton Elermore Vale vs Glendale Elermore Vale vs New Lambton Heights
Full data on Cardiff Heights Full data on Elermore Vale
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