Chatsbury vs Middle Arm
Middle Arm is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 54 in Chatsbury. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Chatsbury: a median of $2.4 million, against $1.05 million in Middle Arm, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Chatsbury tends to suit people living alone, while Middle Arm suits 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
- Chatsbury carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 49/100)
- Middle Arm is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 60%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
They split
one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here
- Chatsbury leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 29%)
- Middle Arm has cheaper houses ($1,050,000 vs $2,400,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Middle Arm
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($420/wk vs $667/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (27% vs 38%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Middle Arm
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (211.3 km vs 218.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Chatsbury
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 49/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Middle Arm
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (4.1% vs -5.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Chatsbury and Middle Arm 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
Middle Arm has more residents (377 vs 86); Chatsbury rents higher ($667/wk vs $420/wk).
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 86 | 377 +338% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -5.5% | +4.1% |
| Median age | 54 | 46 |
| Median household income | $92,612/yr +14% vs other | $79,612/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $667/wk +37% vs other | $420/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.9%).
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 (25.7%).
Property market
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $2,400,000 | $1,050,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $810,000 |
Zoning mix
Chatsbury has more rural and farming land (93% vs 77%); Middle Arm has more land zoned for conservation (23% vs 7%).
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 93% | 77% |
| Environmental | 7% | 23% |
| 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
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 44 across Upper Lachlan | 332 across Goulburn Mulwaree |
| Approvals change year on year | +175% | -1% |
Ranking within NSW
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 89% of NSW | Higher than 54% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 59% of NSW | Higher than 47% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 47% of NSW | Higher than 58% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 8% of NSW | Higher than 43% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 48% of NSW | Higher than 49% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 9% of NSW | Higher than 17% of NSW |
Liveability
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Middle Arm carries more crime risk (49 vs 0); Chatsbury carries more bushfire risk (71 vs 17).
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 71/100 | Low 17/100 |
| Crime | None 0/100 | Moderate 49/100 |
| 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
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 5 | 17 |
Mobility
Chatsbury sits further from the CBD (218.4 km vs 211.3 km).
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 5/100 | 10/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 218.4 km +3% vs other | 211.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 149 min | 147 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.5% postcode 2580 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 41 postcode 2580 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 (75.6%).
Setting
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 839 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 817 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 33 premises | 0% 97 premises |
Climate
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 860 mm | 658 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 26.0°C | 27.1°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | 1.3°C | 2.7°C |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 4.8 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 10.4 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | 0.36 pphm same for both | |
Council rates
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $636/yr | $1,370/yr |
| Council | Upper Lachlan | Goulburn Mulwaree |
Federal electorate
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Riverina | Eden-monaro |
| Member | Michael Mccormack | Kristy Mcbain |
| Party | The Nationals | Australian Labor Party |
First Home Owner Grant
| Chatsbury | Middle Arm | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Chatsbury
Other comparisons with Middle Arm
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.