Duckenfield vs Millers Forest

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Duckenfield, about half of households are people living alone. In Millers Forest, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Millers Forest: a median of $1.45 million, against $834,000 in Duckenfield, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Duckenfield tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Millers Forest suits 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

  • Duckenfield carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 64/100)
  • Millers Forest is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 47%)

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

  • Duckenfield has cheaper houses ($833,500 vs $1,450,000)
  • Millers Forest leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 34%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Duckenfield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($315/wk vs $395/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Millers Forest

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (25/100 vs 12/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (119 min vs 126 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Duckenfield

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 64/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 23%)
  • But Millers Forest is more walkable (25/100 vs 12/100)

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

Investors

Millers Forest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.6% vs -14.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Duckenfield Millers Forest
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.

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Walkability 12 / 25
Duckenfield — Walkability: 12/100 Millers Forest — Walkability: 25/100
Safety 100 / 36
Duckenfield — Safety: 100/100 Millers Forest — Safety: 36/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Duckenfield — Low fire risk: 100/100 Millers Forest — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Millers Forest has more residents (357 vs 92); Millers Forest has higher household incomes ($102,492 vs $69,836).

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Population 92 357
+288% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -14.8% +6.6%
Median age 49 47
Median household income $69,836/yr $102,492/yr
+47% vs other
Median weekly rent $315/wk $395/wk
+25% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Duckenfield Millers Forest
0-4 3.3% / 3.9%
Duckenfield — 0-4: 3.3% Millers Forest — 0-4: 3.9%
5-14 10.9% / 8.4%
Duckenfield — 5-14: 10.9% Millers Forest — 5-14: 8.4%
15-19 8.7% / 7.0%
Duckenfield — 15-19: 8.7% Millers Forest — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 — / 4.8%
Duckenfield — 20-24: not among its largest Millers Forest — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 13.0% / 10.9%
Duckenfield — 25-34: 13.0% Millers Forest — 25-34: 10.9%
35-44 10.9% / 9.5%
Duckenfield — 35-44: 10.9% Millers Forest — 35-44: 9.5%
45-54 9.8% / 14.3%
Duckenfield — 45-54: 9.8% Millers Forest — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 10.9% / 16.8%
Duckenfield — 55-64: 10.9% Millers Forest — 55-64: 16.8%
65-74 18.5% / 14.0%
Duckenfield — 65-74: 18.5% Millers Forest — 65-74: 14.0%
75-84 14.1% / 7.0%
Duckenfield — 75-84: 14.1% Millers Forest — 75-84: 7.0%
85+ — / 1.7%
Duckenfield — 85+: not among its largest Millers Forest — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Duckenfield 47.1% couple families
Duckenfield — Couple Families: 47.1% Duckenfield — Lone Person: 52.9% Duckenfield — One Parent Families: 0.0% Duckenfield — Other Families: 0.0%
Millers Forest 58.8% couple families
Millers Forest — Couple Families: 58.8% Millers Forest — Lone Person: 13.2% Millers Forest — One Parent Families: 20.6% Millers Forest — Other Families: 7.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Duckenfield 13.9% renting
Duckenfield — Owned Outright: 58.3% Duckenfield — Mortgage: 27.8% Duckenfield — Renting: 13.9%
Millers Forest 16.7% renting
Millers Forest — Owned Outright: 45.6% Millers Forest — Mortgage: 37.7% Millers Forest — Renting: 16.7%
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.

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Ireland 4.3% / —
Duckenfield — Ireland: 4.3% Millers Forest — Ireland: not among its largest
England — / 1.1%
Duckenfield — England: not among its largest Millers Forest — England: 1.1%
New Zealand — / 0.8%
Duckenfield — New Zealand: not among its largest Millers Forest — New Zealand: 0.8%
Scotland — / 0.8%
Duckenfield — Scotland: not among its largest Millers Forest — Scotland: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.3%).

Qualifications

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

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Certificate III & IV 22.8% / 24.9%
Duckenfield — Certificate III & IV: 22.8% Millers Forest — Certificate III & IV: 24.9%
Bachelor Degree 7.6% / 7.0%
Duckenfield — Bachelor Degree: 7.6% Millers Forest — Bachelor Degree: 7.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.3% / 7.3%
Duckenfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.3% Millers Forest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.1%
Duckenfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Millers Forest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.8%
Duckenfield — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Millers Forest — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Duckenfield 100.0% houses
Duckenfield — Houses: 100.0% Duckenfield — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Millers Forest 90.9% houses
Millers Forest — Houses: 90.9% Millers Forest — Flats / Apartments: 9.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Median house price $833,500 $1,450,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Rural and farming 94% 89%
Environmental 6% 11%
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

Duckenfield Millers Forest
New dwellings approved 1,413
across Maitland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +20%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Duckenfield Millers Forest
House price Higher than 37% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Income Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 38% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 62% of NSW
same for both

Liveability

Millers Forest is more walkable (25 vs 12).

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
same for both

Risk profile

Millers Forest carries more crime risk (64 vs 0).

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime None
0/100
 Moderate
64/100
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
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Duckenfield

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Millers Forest

  • Millers Forest Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Childcare 0 1
Waterways 0 12

Mobility

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Walkability score 12/100 25/100
Distance to Sydney 162.8 km
same for both
Drive time (normal traffic) 126 min 119 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2321
 0.5%
postcode 2324
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 69
postcode 2321
 54
postcode 2324

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.

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Car (driver) 71.4% / 59.1%
Duckenfield — Car (driver): 71.4% Millers Forest — Car (driver): 59.1%
Worked from Home 8.6% / 26.0%
Duckenfield — Worked from Home: 8.6% Millers Forest — Worked from Home: 26.0%
Car (passenger) 11.4% / 6.5%
Duckenfield — Car (passenger): 11.4% Millers Forest — Car (passenger): 6.5%
Walked Only 8.6% / 8.4%
Duckenfield — Walked Only: 8.6% Millers Forest — Walked Only: 8.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.4%).

Setting

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Elevation 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 13.3 km 10.4 km

NBN connectivity

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
41 premises
 0%
137 premises

Climate

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Annual rainfall 996 mm 1,181 mm
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C 28.7°C
Winter min (Jul) 7.1°C 7.5°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Duckenfield Millers Forest
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.72 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Average residential rate $1,908/yr
same for both
Council Maitland
same for both

Federal electorate

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Division Paterson
same for both
Member Meryl Swanson
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Duckenfield Millers Forest
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Duckenfield

Retirees Rural

Millers Forest

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Duckenfield

Duckenfield vs Hinton Duckenfield vs Berry Park

Other comparisons with Millers Forest

Millers Forest vs Raymond Terrace Millers Forest vs Thornton Millers Forest vs Woodberry Millers Forest vs Heatherbrae Millers Forest vs Hinton Millers Forest vs Nelsons Plains
Full data on Duckenfield Full data on Millers Forest
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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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