Cherry Tree Hill vs Mount Russell
Mount Russell is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 62 in Cherry Tree Hill. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cherry Tree Hill, most households are couple families. In Mount Russell, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Cherry Tree Hill: a median of $400,000, against $165,000 in Mount Russell, though rent is higher in Mount Russell. On these figures, Cherry Tree Hill tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Mount Russell 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
- Cherry Tree Hill carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 69/100)
- Mount Russell is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 57%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Mount Russell
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- has cheaper houses ($165,000 vs $400,000)
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 37%)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Cherry Tree Hill
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $250/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Mount Russell
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (452 min vs 460 min)
- But Cherry Tree Hill sits closer to the CBD (599.6 km vs 612.3 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Cherry Tree Hill
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 69/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (41% vs 16%)
- But Mount Russell is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Mount Russell
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (0.0% vs -25.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Cherry Tree Hill and Mount Russell 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
Mount Russell rents higher ($250/wk vs $0/wk); Mount Russell has more residents (111 vs 51).
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51 | 111 +118% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -25.0% | +0.0% |
| Median age | 62 | 46 |
| Median household income | $77,948/yr +4% vs other | $74,724/yr |
| Median weekly rent | — | $250/wk (not reported on the other side) |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.5%).
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 (22.5%).
Property market
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $400,000 | $165,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% same for both | |
| 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
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 31 across Inverell same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +0% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 11% of NSW | Higher than 2% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 45% of NSW | Higher than 42% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 11% of NSW | Higher than 63% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 92% of NSW | Higher than 98% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 1% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 27% of NSW | Higher than 42% of NSW |
Liveability
Mount Russell is more walkable (14 vs 0).
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Mount Russell carries more crime risk (69 vs 0); Cherry Tree Hill carries more bushfire risk (41 vs 19).
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 41/100 | Low 19/100 |
| Crime | None 0/100 | Moderate 69/100 |
| 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
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
Mobility
Mount Russell sits further from the CBD (612.3 km vs 599.6 km).
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 14/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 599.6 km | 612.3 km +2% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 460 min | 452 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 2360 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 50 postcode 2360 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 (72.3%).
Setting
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 650 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 698 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 18/100 | 28/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 20 premises | 0% 51 premises |
Climate
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 803 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 4.5°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,170/yr same for both | |
| Council | Inverell same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | New England same for both | |
| Member | Barnaby Joyce same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Cherry Tree Hill | Mount Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Cherry Tree Hill
Mount Russell
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Cherry Tree Hill
Other comparisons with Mount Russell
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.