East Maitland vs Metford

Metford is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 40 in East Maitland. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. On these figures, East Maitland tends to suit people living alone.

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

East Maitland

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (22 vs 4)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (3 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (12 vs 6)
  • But Metford is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 51%)

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

First-home buyers

Metford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($480,000 vs $557,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

East Maitland

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 73/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

East Maitland

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (7 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 14%)
  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 73/100)
  • But Metford carries lower crime risk (82/100 vs 92/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

East Maitland Metford
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.

East Maitland Metford
Walkability 89 / 73
East Maitland — Walkability: 89/100 Metford — Walkability: 73/100
Safety 8 / 18
East Maitland — Safety: 8/100 Metford — Safety: 18/100
Low fire risk 66 / 80
East Maitland — Low fire risk: 66/100 Metford — Low fire risk: 80/100

Demographics

East Maitland has more residents (11,860 vs 4,707); East Maitland skews older (40 vs 35).

East Maitland Metford
Population 11,860
+60% vs other
 4,707
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.7% -1.2%
Median age 40 35
Median household income $73,944/yr $77,168/yr
+4% vs other
Median weekly rent $330/wk $350/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

East Maitland Metford
0-4 5.5% / 5.9%
East Maitland — 0-4: 5.5% Metford — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 11.7% / 14.2%
East Maitland — 5-14: 11.7% Metford — 5-14: 14.2%
15-19 6.0% / 5.8%
East Maitland — 15-19: 6.0% Metford — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 6.1% / 7.5%
East Maitland — 20-24: 6.1% Metford — 20-24: 7.5%
25-34 13.1% / 15.7%
East Maitland — 25-34: 13.1% Metford — 25-34: 15.7%
35-44 12.5% / 12.7%
East Maitland — 35-44: 12.5% Metford — 35-44: 12.7%
45-54 12.9% / 12.2%
East Maitland — 45-54: 12.9% Metford — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 11.7% / 12.3%
East Maitland — 55-64: 11.7% Metford — 55-64: 12.3%
65-74 10.9% / 9.1%
East Maitland — 65-74: 10.9% Metford — 65-74: 9.1%
75-84 6.6% / 3.6%
East Maitland — 75-84: 6.6% Metford — 75-84: 3.6%
85+ 2.9% / 1.2%
East Maitland — 85+: 2.9% Metford — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

East Maitland 43.8% lone person
East Maitland — Lone Person: 43.8% East Maitland — Couple Families: 33.2% East Maitland — One Parent Families: 18.0% East Maitland — Group Household: 3.3% East Maitland — Other Families: 1.7%
Metford 32.4% lone person
Metford — Lone Person: 32.4% Metford — Couple Families: 36.9% Metford — One Parent Families: 23.0% Metford — Group Household: 5.6% Metford — Other Families: 2.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

East Maitland 37.6% renting
East Maitland — Owned Outright: 30.8% East Maitland — Mortgage: 31.6% East Maitland — Renting: 37.6%
Metford 38.5% renting
Metford — Owned Outright: 24.3% Metford — Mortgage: 37.2% Metford — Renting: 38.5%
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.

East Maitland Metford
England 1.8% / 1.1%
East Maitland — England: 1.8% Metford — England: 1.1%
New Zealand 0.9% / 1.3%
East Maitland — New Zealand: 0.9% Metford — New Zealand: 1.3%
Philippines 0.8% / 1.0%
East Maitland — Philippines: 0.8% Metford — Philippines: 1.0%
India 0.4% / 0.8%
East Maitland — India: 0.4% Metford — India: 0.8%
China 0.4% / 0.5%
East Maitland — China: 0.4% Metford — China: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.8%).

Qualifications

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

East Maitland Metford
Certificate III & IV 17.9% / 20.2%
East Maitland — Certificate III & IV: 17.9% Metford — Certificate III & IV: 20.2%
Bachelor Degree 10.4% / 5.8%
East Maitland — Bachelor Degree: 10.4% Metford — Bachelor Degree: 5.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 6.1%
East Maitland — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Metford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.5% / 1.2%
East Maitland — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5% Metford — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 0.9%
East Maitland — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Metford — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

East Maitland 74.5% houses
East Maitland — Houses: 74.5% East Maitland — Townhouses: 17.4% East Maitland — Flats / Apartments: 8.2%
Metford 84.3% houses
Metford — Houses: 84.3% Metford — Townhouses: 12.7% Metford — Flats / Apartments: 2.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

East Maitland Metford
Median house price $825,000 $800,000
Median unit price $557,500 $480,000
Median land price $825,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 190 sales
 17 days
from 27 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

East Maitland Metford
3 bed $786K / $770K
East Maitland — 3 bed: $786K (174 sales) Metford — 3 bed: $770K (51 sales)

174 vs 51 sales

4 bed $892K / $830K
East Maitland — 4 bed: $892K (88 sales) Metford — 4 bed: $830K (33 sales)

88 vs 33 sales

5 bed $1.1M / $895K
East Maitland — 5 bed: $1.1M (23 sales) Metford — 5 bed: $895K (7 sales)

23 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

East Maitland has more rural and farming land (29% vs 0%).

East Maitland Metford
Residential 35% 78%
Rural and farming 29% 0%
Parks and recreation 13%
same for both
Infrastructure and transport 12% 1%
Environmental 9% 1%
Industrial 0% 6%
Commercial 2% 0%
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

East Maitland Metford
New dwellings approved 1,413
across Maitland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +20%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

East Maitland Metford
Houses 3.9%
$660/wk on $890K
 4.3%
$668/wk on $804K
Units 4.1%
$498/wk on $631K
 —

Ranking within NSW

East Maitland Metford
House price Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 28% of NSW
Income Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
Schools Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 6% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 60% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 56% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 27% of NSW —

Liveability

East Maitland scores higher overall (51 vs 31); East Maitland is more walkable (89 vs 73).

East Maitland Metford
Grade B C
Score 51/100 31/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

East Maitland carries more bushfire risk (34 vs 20); East Maitland carries more crime risk (92 vs 82).

East Maitland Metford
Bushfire Low
34/100
 Low
20/100
Crime High
92/100
 High
82/100
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 3
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

East Maitland Metford
Inside the suburb 6 4
Rated above peers 3 0
Rated at peers 2 1
Rated below peers 1 2

Schools in East Maitland

  • Maitland High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • OneSchool Global NSW - Maitland Independent · Combined above peers
  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Linuwel School Ltd Independent · Combined at peers
  • Maitland Grossmann High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Maitland East Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Metford

  • Maitland Christian School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Metford Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Arise Christian College Independent · Combined · Special school below peers
  • Hunter River Community School Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

East Maitland Metford
Supermarkets 6 0
Cafes & restaurants 18 0
Parks & reserves 22 4
Childcare 12 6
GPs 7 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 10 0
Fuel stations 6 3
Waterways 25 6

Mobility

East Maitland Metford
Walkability score 89/100 73/100
Distance to Sydney 160.4 km 159 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 118 min 117 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 326.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 73.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2323
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 2323
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.

East Maitland Metford
Car (driver) 69.5% / 77.3%
East Maitland — Car (driver): 69.5% Metford — Car (driver): 77.3%
Worked from Home 23.0% / 15.2%
East Maitland — Worked from Home: 23.0% Metford — Worked from Home: 15.2%
Car (passenger) 4.2% / 4.3%
East Maitland — Car (passenger): 4.2% Metford — Car (passenger): 4.3%
Walked Only 1.5% / 1.3%
East Maitland — Walked Only: 1.5% Metford — Walked Only: 1.3%
Train 1.1% / 1.2%
East Maitland — Train: 1.1% Metford — Train: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.3%).

Setting

East Maitland Metford
Elevation 32 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 19.6 km 17.5 km

NBN connectivity

East Maitland Metford
Connectivity score 98/100 100/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 95%
6,608 premises
 100%
1,967 premises

Climate

East Maitland Metford
Annual rainfall 996 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.1°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

East Maitland Metford
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

East Maitland Metford
Average residential rate $1,908/yr
same for both
Council Maitland
same for both

Federal electorate

East Maitland Metford
Division Paterson
same for both
Member Meryl Swanson
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

East Maitland Metford
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

East Maitland

Parks Regional Centre River

Metford

Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with East Maitland

East Maitland vs Thornton East Maitland vs Ashtonfield East Maitland vs Chisholm East Maitland vs Tenambit East Maitland vs Raworth East Maitland vs Maitland

Other comparisons with Metford

Metford vs Thornton Metford vs Ashtonfield
Full data on East Maitland Full data on Metford
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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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