Clarence vs Hartley
Hartley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 52 in Clarence. 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 Hartley: a median of $1.37 million, against $1.08 million in Clarence, though rent is higher in Clarence. On these figures, Clarence tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Hartley suits families with children.
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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Clarence
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($1,080,000 vs $1,367,500)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Hartley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($283/wk vs $320/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Clarence
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 5/100)
- has a shorter drive in (122 min vs 143 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (137.4 km vs 158.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Clarence
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 5/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 20%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Hartley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (16.9% vs 0.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Clarence and Hartley 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
Hartley has more residents (478 vs 200); Clarence rents higher ($320/wk vs $283/wk).
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 200 | 478 +139% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +0.0% | +16.9% |
| Median age | 52 | 48 |
| Median household income | $93,132/yr | $99,112/yr +6% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $320/wk +12% vs other | $283/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).
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 (4.0%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.5%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,080,000 | $1,367,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Hartley has more rural and farming land (70% vs 0%); Clarence has more land zoned for conservation (78% vs 23%).
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental | 78% | 23% |
| Rural and farming | 0% | 70% |
| Residential | 18% | 5% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 5% | 2% |
| 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
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 55 across Lithgow same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +0% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 56% of NSW | Higher than 70% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 60% of NSW | Higher than 67% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 64% of NSW | Higher than 45% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 53% of NSW | Higher than 39% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 47% of NSW | Higher than 46% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 59% of NSW | Higher than 44% of NSW |
Liveability
Clarence is more walkable (14 vs 5).
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 97/100 | High 88/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 48/100 | Moderate 43/100 |
| 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 | 2 within 5 km | 1 within 5 km |
Schools
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 2 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 3 |
| Waterways | 11 | 14 |
Mobility
Hartley sits further from the CBD (158.4 km vs 137.4 km).
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 14/100 | 5/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 137.4 km | 158.4 km +15% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 122 min | 143 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.5% postcode 2790 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 36 postcode 2790 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 (73.1%).
Setting
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 1,146 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 761 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 117 premises | 0% 186 premises |
Climate
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,147 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 23.8°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.2°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,150/yr same for both | |
| Council | Lithgow same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Calare same for both | |
| Member | Andrew Gee same for both | |
| Party | Independent same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Clarence | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Clarence
Other comparisons with Hartley
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.