Cardiff Heights vs Glendale

Glendale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 44 in Cardiff Heights. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses.

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

Glendale

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (8 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 0)
  • But Cardiff Heights carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 92/100)

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 $880,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Glendale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (33% vs 16%)

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

Commuting to the city

Glendale

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 46/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (149.2 km vs 153.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, 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 92/100)
  • Glendale has more GPs (3 vs 0)

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

Where they sit

Cardiff Heights and Glendale 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 Glendale
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 Glendale
Walkability 46 / 80
Cardiff Heights — Walkability: 46/100 Glendale — Walkability: 80/100
Safety 70 / 8
Cardiff Heights — Safety: 70/100 Glendale — Safety: 8/100
Low fire risk 100 / 49
Cardiff Heights — Low fire risk: 100/100 Glendale — Low fire risk: 49/100

Demographics

Glendale has more residents (3,260 vs 1,384); Cardiff Heights skews older (44 vs 36).

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Population 1,384 3,260
+136% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — +5.3%
Median age 44 36
Median household income $96,200/yr
+18% vs other
 $78,728/yr
Median weekly rent $380/wk
+5% vs other
 $360/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cardiff Heights Glendale
0-4 5.1% / 6.7%
Cardiff Heights — 0-4: 5.1% Glendale — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 11.8% / 12.1%
Cardiff Heights — 5-14: 11.8% Glendale — 5-14: 12.1%
15-19 5.5% / 5.3%
Cardiff Heights — 15-19: 5.5% Glendale — 15-19: 5.3%
20-24 5.7% / 6.6%
Cardiff Heights — 20-24: 5.7% Glendale — 20-24: 6.6%
25-34 10.7% / 16.4%
Cardiff Heights — 25-34: 10.7% Glendale — 25-34: 16.4%
35-44 12.3% / 13.4%
Cardiff Heights — 35-44: 12.3% Glendale — 35-44: 13.4%
45-54 12.3% / 11.3%
Cardiff Heights — 45-54: 12.3% Glendale — 45-54: 11.3%
55-64 12.1% / 11.2%
Cardiff Heights — 55-64: 12.1% Glendale — 55-64: 11.2%
65-74 11.0% / 10.0%
Cardiff Heights — 65-74: 11.0% Glendale — 65-74: 10.0%
75-84 7.8% / 5.3%
Cardiff Heights — 75-84: 7.8% Glendale — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 5.9% / 1.9%
Cardiff Heights — 85+: 5.9% Glendale — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).

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%
Glendale 38.5% couple families
Glendale — Couple Families: 38.5% Glendale — Lone Person: 37.1% Glendale — One Parent Families: 19.9% Glendale — Group Household: 3.5% Glendale — Other Families: 0.9%
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%
Glendale 33.4% renting
Glendale — Owned Outright: 30.7% Glendale — Mortgage: 35.9% Glendale — Renting: 33.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Certificate III & IV 15.3% / 19.3%
Cardiff Heights — Certificate III & IV: 15.3% Glendale — Certificate III & IV: 19.3%
Bachelor Degree 15.3% / 9.3%
Cardiff Heights — Bachelor Degree: 15.3% Glendale — Bachelor Degree: 9.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 6.5%
Cardiff Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Glendale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5%
Postgraduate Degree 5.2% / 2.3%
Cardiff Heights — Postgraduate Degree: 5.2% Glendale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 1.7%
Cardiff Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Glendale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

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 Glendale
England 3.7% / 1.3%
Cardiff Heights — England: 3.7% Glendale — England: 1.3%
New Zealand 0.8% / 0.8%
Cardiff Heights — New Zealand: 0.8% Glendale — New Zealand: 0.8%
Germany 0.7% / 0.4%
Cardiff Heights — Germany: 0.7% Glendale — Germany: 0.4%
India 0.6% / 0.3%
Cardiff Heights — India: 0.6% Glendale — India: 0.3%
Netherlands 0.6% / 0.3%
Cardiff Heights — Netherlands: 0.6% Glendale — Netherlands: 0.3%
Philippines — / 0.7%
Cardiff Heights — Philippines: not among its largest Glendale — Philippines: 0.7%
Pakistan — / 0.4%
Cardiff Heights — Pakistan: not among its largest Glendale — Pakistan: 0.4%

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%
Glendale 87.2% houses
Glendale — Houses: 87.2% Glendale — Townhouses: 7.9% Glendale — Flats / Apartments: 4.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Median house price $910,000 $861,000
Median unit price $460,000 $880,000
Median land price — $455,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 34 days
from 4 sales
 20 days
from 18 sales

Zoning mix

Cardiff Heights has more land zoned for conservation (37% vs 16%); Glendale has more commercially zoned land (15% vs 0%).

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Residential 54% 41%
Environmental 37% 16%
Commercial 0% 15%
Rural and farming 7% 14%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 9%
Parks and recreation 2% 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 Glendale
New dwellings approved 1,212
across Lake Macquarie
same for both
Approvals change year on year +2%
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.

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Houses — 3.3%
$725/wk on $1.15M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Cardiff Heights Glendale
House price Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
Income Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 24% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 65% of NSW Higher than 61% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 68% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 34% of NSW

Liveability

Cardiff Heights scores higher overall (67 vs 29); Glendale is more walkable (80 vs 46).

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Grade B D
Score 67/100 29/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Glendale carries more bushfire risk (51 vs 0); Glendale carries more crime risk (92 vs 30).

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
51/100
Crime Low
30/100
 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 1
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Inside the suburb 0 5
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 3
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 5.3 km
 1
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 6.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.7% 1.4%

Schools in Cardiff Heights

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

Schools in Glendale

  • Glendale East Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Glendale Technology High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Holy Cross Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Macquarie College Independent · Combined below peers
  • Newcastle Waldorf School Independent · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Childcare 0 8
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 6
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 0 6

Mobility

Cardiff Heights sits further from the CBD (153.1 km vs 149.2 km).

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Walkability score 46/100 80/100
Distance to Sydney 153.1 km
+3% vs other
 149.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 115 min 111 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 51.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 204.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2285
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 50
postcode 2285
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.

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Car (driver) 62.8% / 70.5%
Cardiff Heights — Car (driver): 62.8% Glendale — Car (driver): 70.5%
Worked from Home 32.3% / 21.1%
Cardiff Heights — Worked from Home: 32.3% Glendale — Worked from Home: 21.1%
Car (passenger) 2.1% / 4.8%
Cardiff Heights — Car (passenger): 2.1% Glendale — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Walked Only 0.8% / 1.6%
Cardiff Heights — Walked Only: 0.8% Glendale — Walked Only: 1.6%
Bus 0.8% / 1.4%
Cardiff Heights — Bus: 0.8% Glendale — Bus: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.5%).

Setting

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Elevation 50 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.0 km 9.2 km

NBN connectivity

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Connectivity score 66/100 68/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 38%
578 premises
 39%
1,652 premises

Climate

Cardiff Heights Glendale
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 Glendale
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 Glendale
Average residential rate $1,708/yr
same for both
Council Lake Macquarie
same for both

Federal electorate

Cardiff Heights Glendale
Division Newcastle Shortland
Member Sharon Claydon Pat Conroy
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cardiff Heights Glendale
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

Glendale

Large Blocks River

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Other comparisons with Glendale

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Full data on Cardiff Heights Full data on Glendale
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.

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