Congewai vs Paxton

Paxton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 56 in Congewai. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Paxton, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Congewai tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Paxton 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Congewai carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 69/100)
  • Paxton is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 50%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Paxton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (17% vs 4%)

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

Commuting to the city

Paxton

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (34/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (122 min vs 146 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (157.7 km vs 171.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Congewai

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 13%)
  • carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 69/100)
  • But Paxton is more walkable (34/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Paxton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (29.0% vs 15.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Congewai and Paxton drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Congewai Paxton
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.

Congewai Paxton
Walkability 0 / 34
Congewai — Walkability: 0/100 Paxton — Walkability: 34/100
Safety 51 / 31
Congewai — Safety: 51/100 Paxton — Safety: 31/100
Low fire risk 38 / 83
Congewai — Low fire risk: 38/100 Paxton — Low fire risk: 83/100

Demographics

Paxton has more residents (1,215 vs 206); Congewai skews older (56 vs 33).

Congewai Paxton
Population 206 1,215
+490% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.1% +29.0%
Median age 56 33
Median household income $87,724/yr $87,984/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+1% vs other
 $345/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Congewai Paxton
0-4 1.9% / 7.9%
Congewai — 0-4: 1.9% Paxton — 0-4: 7.9%
5-14 6.3% / 17.3%
Congewai — 5-14: 6.3% Paxton — 5-14: 17.3%
15-19 5.3% / 5.6%
Congewai — 15-19: 5.3% Paxton — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 5.3% / 5.0%
Congewai — 20-24: 5.3% Paxton — 20-24: 5.0%
25-34 6.8% / 15.3%
Congewai — 25-34: 6.8% Paxton — 25-34: 15.3%
35-44 8.3% / 12.3%
Congewai — 35-44: 8.3% Paxton — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 16.5% / 12.9%
Congewai — 45-54: 16.5% Paxton — 45-54: 12.9%
55-64 28.6% / 10.3%
Congewai — 55-64: 28.6% Paxton — 55-64: 10.3%
65-74 19.4% / 8.8%
Congewai — 65-74: 19.4% Paxton — 65-74: 8.8%
75-84 3.9% / 4.0%
Congewai — 75-84: 3.9% Paxton — 75-84: 4.0%
85+ 1.5% / 0.6%
Congewai — 85+: 1.5% Paxton — 85+: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Congewai 43.2% couple families
Congewai — Couple Families: 43.2% Congewai — Lone Person: 40.9% Congewai — One Parent Families: 6.8% Congewai — Group Household: 9.1% Congewai — Other Families: 0.0%
Paxton 48.3% couple families
Paxton — Couple Families: 48.3% Paxton — Lone Person: 23.5% Paxton — One Parent Families: 22.5% Paxton — Group Household: 4.1% Paxton — Other Families: 1.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Congewai 3.6% renting
Congewai — Owned Outright: 59.5% Congewai — Mortgage: 36.9% Congewai — Renting: 3.6%
Paxton 17.1% renting
Paxton — Owned Outright: 29.1% Paxton — Mortgage: 53.8% Paxton — Renting: 17.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Congewai Paxton
England 5.3% / 1.2%
Congewai — England: 5.3% Paxton — England: 1.2%
New Zealand 2.4% / 1.3%
Congewai — New Zealand: 2.4% Paxton — New Zealand: 1.3%
Scotland — / 0.4%
Congewai — Scotland: not among its largest Paxton — Scotland: 0.4%
Philippines — / 0.3%
Congewai — Philippines: not among its largest Paxton — Philippines: 0.3%
Italy — / 0.3%
Congewai — Italy: not among its largest Paxton — Italy: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.3%).

Qualifications

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

Congewai Paxton
Certificate III & IV 25.2% / 22.2%
Congewai — Certificate III & IV: 25.2% Paxton — Certificate III & IV: 22.2%
Bachelor Degree 13.1% / 3.8%
Congewai — Bachelor Degree: 13.1% Paxton — Bachelor Degree: 3.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.3% / 6.4%
Congewai — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.3% Paxton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / 0.9%
Congewai — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% Paxton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.9% / 1.4%
Congewai — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9% Paxton — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Congewai 103.8% houses
Congewai — Houses: 103.8% Congewai — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Paxton 99.5% houses
Paxton — Houses: 99.5% Paxton — Flats / Apartments: 0.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Congewai Paxton
Median house price — $740,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $470,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 44 days
from 19 sales

Zoning mix

Congewai has more rural and farming land (88% vs 53%).

Congewai Paxton
Rural and farming 88% 53%
Residential 0% 39%
Environmental 12% 8%
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

Congewai Paxton
New dwellings approved 719
across Cessnock
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Congewai Paxton
House price — Higher than 25% of NSW
Income Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 80% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 34% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW

Liveability

Paxton is more walkable (34 vs 0).

Congewai Paxton
Grade — C
Score — 34/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Congewai carries more bushfire risk (62 vs 17); Paxton carries more crime risk (69 vs 49).

Congewai Paxton
Bushfire Moderate
62/100
 Low
17/100
Crime Moderate
49/100
 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

Congewai Paxton
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Congewai

  • Congewai Public School Government · Primary

Schools in Paxton

  • Paxton Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Congewai Paxton
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 15 0

Mobility

Congewai sits further from the CBD (171.1 km vs 157.7 km).

Congewai Paxton
Walkability score 0/100 34/100
Distance to Sydney 171.1 km
+8% vs other
 157.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 146 min 122 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2325
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 2325
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.

Congewai Paxton
Car (driver) 69.7% / 78.5%
Congewai — Car (driver): 69.7% Paxton — Car (driver): 78.5%
Worked from Home 24.7% / 14.6%
Congewai — Worked from Home: 24.7% Paxton — Worked from Home: 14.6%
Walked Only 5.6% / 2.1%
Congewai — Walked Only: 5.6% Paxton — Walked Only: 2.1%
Car (passenger) — / 4.0%
Congewai — Car (passenger): not among its largest Paxton — Car (passenger): 4.0%
Bus — / 0.7%
Congewai — Bus: not among its largest Paxton — Bus: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.5%).

Setting

Congewai Paxton
Elevation 306 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 135 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 34.4 km 38.8 km

NBN connectivity

Congewai Paxton
Connectivity score 24/100 68/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
102 premises
 46%
515 premises

Climate

Congewai Paxton
Annual rainfall 804 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Congewai Paxton
Average residential rate $1,405/yr
same for both
Council Cessnock
same for both

Federal electorate

Congewai Paxton
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Congewai Paxton
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Congewai

Rural

Paxton

Acreage Family Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Congewai

Congewai vs Ellalong Congewai vs Millfield Congewai vs Quorrobolong

Other comparisons with Paxton

Paxton vs Ellalong Paxton vs Millfield Paxton vs Pelton Paxton vs Greta Main
Full data on Congewai Full data on Paxton
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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