Carrathool vs Hay
Carrathool is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 47 in Hay. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Carrathool, about half of households are couple families. In Hay, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Carrathool tends to suit couples, while Hay suits people living alone.
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
Hay
ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
- has more childcare (3 vs 0)
- has more parks and reserves (8 vs 4)
- But Carrathool is already more of a family suburb (61% vs 48%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Carrathool
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- has cheaper land ($35,000 vs $150,000)
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (11% vs 17%)
Weighs land 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
Carrathool
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (427 min vs 474 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (670.8 km vs 738.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Hay
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 19%)
- carries lower crime risk (76/100 vs 89/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Hay
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-4.4% vs -16.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Carrathool and Hay 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
Hay has more residents (2,300 vs 200); Carrathool has higher household incomes ($79,612 vs $59,904).
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 200 | 2,300 +1050% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -16.0% | -4.4% |
| Median age | 42 | 47 |
| Median household income | $79,612/yr +25% vs other | $59,904/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $180/wk +3% vs other | $175/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $280,000 |
| Median unit price | — | $206,250 |
| Median land price | $35,000 | $150,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 82 days from 21 sales |
Zoning mix
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 91% | 95% |
| Environmental | 9% | 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
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 3 across Carrathool | 3 across Hay |
| Approvals change year on year | -100% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — | Higher than 6% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 47% of NSW | Higher than 21% of NSW |
| Schools | — | Higher than 93% of NSW |
| Walkability | Higher than 12% of NSW | Higher than 29% of NSW |
| Affordability | — | Higher than 94% of NSW |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 7% of NSW | Higher than 67% of NSW |
Liveability
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | C |
| Score | — | 37/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Carrathool carries more bushfire risk (38 vs 26); Carrathool carries more crime risk (89 vs 76).
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 38/100 | Low 26/100 |
| Crime | High 89/100 | High 76/100 |
| 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
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 3 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 2 |
| Rated at peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Carrathool
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Hay
- Hay War Memorial High School Government · Secondary above peers
- St Mary's Parish School Catholic · Primary above peers
- Hay Public School Government · Primary at peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 0 | 2 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 3 |
| Parks & reserves | 4 | 8 |
| Childcare | 0 | 3 |
| GPs | 0 | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 0 | 1 |
| Hospitals | 0 | 1 |
| Police stations | 1 same for both | |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 3 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 2 |
| EV chargers | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 43 | 36 |
Mobility
Hay sits further from the CBD (738.2 km vs 670.8 km).
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 670.8 km | 738.2 km +10% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 427 min | 474 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 2711 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 56 postcode 2711 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 (74.0%).
Setting
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 105 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 93 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 51/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fibre to the node |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 49 premises | 13% 1,317 premises |
Council rates
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $510/yr | $588/yr |
| Council | Carrathool | Hay |
Federal electorate
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Farrer same for both | |
| Member | David Farley same for both | |
| Party | One Nation same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Carrathool | Hay | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Carrathool
Hay
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Carrathool
Other comparisons with Hay
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.