Cunningar vs Mcmahons Reef
McMahons Reef is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 54 in Cunningar. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In McMahons Reef, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Cunningar tends to suit older residents, while McMahons Reef suits people living alone, families with children, and couples.
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
- Cunningar is already more of a family suburb (62% vs 50%)
- Mcmahons Reef carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 26/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Cunningar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 24%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
McMahons Reef
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $270/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 20%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Cunningar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (335.1 km vs 343.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Cunningar has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 13%)
- Mcmahons Reef carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 26/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
McMahons Reef
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (19.3% vs 12.4%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Cunningar and Mcmahons Reef 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
Cunningar has more residents (163 vs 68); Cunningar rents higher ($270/wk vs $150/wk).
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 163 +58% vs other | 68 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +12.4% | +19.3% |
| Median age | 54 | 40 |
| Median household income | $69,316/yr +11% vs other | $61,724/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $270/wk +44% vs other | $150/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.3%).
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 (11.8%).
Zoning mix
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% | 100% |
| 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
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 48 across Hilltops same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -47% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 33% of NSW | Higher than 23% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 32% of NSW | Higher than 1% of NSW |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 20% of NSW | Higher than 19% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 63% of NSW | Higher than 33% of NSW |
Liveability
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
Cunningar carries more crime risk (26 vs 14).
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 14/100 | Low 22/100 |
| Crime | Low 26/100 | Low 14/100 |
| 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
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 21 | 7 |
Mobility
McMahons Reef sits further from the CBD (343.5 km vs 335.1 km).
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 335.1 km | 343.5 km +3% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 222 min | 224 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 2587 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 61 postcode 2587 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 (55.9%).
Setting
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 485 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 370 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 31/100 | 24/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 7% 56 premises | 0% 15 premises |
Climate
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 541 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $714/yr same for both | |
| Council | Hilltops same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Riverina same for both | |
| Member | Michael Mccormack same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Cunningar | Mcmahons Reef | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Cunningar
Other comparisons with Mcmahons Reef
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.