Elrington vs Kearsley

Kearsley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 51 in Elrington. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Elrington, most households are couple families. In Kearsley, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Elrington: a median of $1.95 million, against $770,000 in Kearsley, though rent is higher in Kearsley. On these figures, Elrington tends to suit couples, while Kearsley suits buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Elrington

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 72/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (82% vs 68%)
  • But Kearsley has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Kearsley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($770,000 vs $1,950,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Elrington

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (5% vs 22%)
  • has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $315/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Elrington sits closer to the CBD (144.6 km vs 148.7 km)
  • Kearsley is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Elrington carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 72/100)
  • Kearsley is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Elrington

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (34.8% vs -2.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Elrington Kearsley
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.

Elrington Kearsley
Walkability 0 / 17
Elrington — Walkability: 0/100 Kearsley — Walkability: 17/100
Safety 57 / 28
Elrington — Safety: 57/100 Kearsley — Safety: 28/100
Low fire risk 36 / 26
Elrington — Low fire risk: 36/100 Kearsley — Low fire risk: 26/100

Demographics

Kearsley has more residents (838 vs 155); Kearsley rents higher ($315/wk vs $100/wk).

Elrington Kearsley
Population 155 838
+441% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +34.8% -2.7%
Median age 51 38
Median household income $95,836/yr
+20% vs other
 $76,284/yr
Median weekly rent $100/wk $315/wk
+215% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Elrington Kearsley
0-4 2.6% / 5.3%
Elrington — 0-4: 2.6% Kearsley — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 13.5% / 13.6%
Elrington — 5-14: 13.5% Kearsley — 5-14: 13.6%
15-19 3.2% / 8.0%
Elrington — 15-19: 3.2% Kearsley — 15-19: 8.0%
20-24 2.6% / 5.8%
Elrington — 20-24: 2.6% Kearsley — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 3.2% / 12.4%
Elrington — 25-34: 3.2% Kearsley — 25-34: 12.4%
35-44 13.5% / 11.0%
Elrington — 35-44: 13.5% Kearsley — 35-44: 11.0%
45-54 13.5% / 14.9%
Elrington — 45-54: 13.5% Kearsley — 45-54: 14.9%
55-64 24.5% / 13.8%
Elrington — 55-64: 24.5% Kearsley — 55-64: 13.8%
65-74 14.8% / 10.1%
Elrington — 65-74: 14.8% Kearsley — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 — / 4.4%
Elrington — 75-84: not among its largest Kearsley — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ — / —
Elrington — 85+: not among its largest Kearsley — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Elrington 66.7% couple families
Elrington — Couple Families: 66.7% Elrington — Lone Person: 18.2% Elrington — One Parent Families: 15.2% Elrington — Group Household: 0.0%
Kearsley 45.3% couple families
Kearsley — Couple Families: 45.3% Kearsley — Lone Person: 29.7% Kearsley — One Parent Families: 22.2% Kearsley — Group Household: 2.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Elrington 0.0% renting
Elrington — Owned Outright: 45.7% Elrington — Mortgage: 54.3% Elrington — Renting: 0.0%
Kearsley 14.3% renting
Kearsley — Owned Outright: 40.9% Kearsley — Mortgage: 44.8% Kearsley — Renting: 14.3%
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.

Elrington Kearsley
England 3.9% / 1.4%
Elrington — England: 3.9% Kearsley — England: 1.4%
New Zealand — / 1.1%
Elrington — New Zealand: not among its largest Kearsley — New Zealand: 1.1%
Philippines — / 0.6%
Elrington — Philippines: not among its largest Kearsley — Philippines: 0.6%
South Africa — / 0.5%
Elrington — South Africa: not among its largest Kearsley — South Africa: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).

Qualifications

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

Elrington Kearsley
Certificate III & IV 25.8% / 23.5%
Elrington — Certificate III & IV: 25.8% Kearsley — Certificate III & IV: 23.5%
Bachelor Degree 9.7% / 3.8%
Elrington — Bachelor Degree: 9.7% Kearsley — Bachelor Degree: 3.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 5.0%
Elrington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Kearsley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.2% / 0.4%
Elrington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2% Kearsley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.1%
Elrington — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Kearsley — Postgraduate Degree: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Elrington 100.0% houses
Elrington — Houses: 100.0% Elrington — Townhouses: 0.0%
Kearsley 98.6% houses
Kearsley — Houses: 98.6% Kearsley — Townhouses: 1.7%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Elrington Kearsley
Median house price $1,950,000 $770,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 43 days
from 9 sales

Zoning mix

Elrington has more land zoned for conservation (58% vs 9%); Kearsley has more rural and farming land (66% vs 40%).

Elrington Kearsley
Rural and farming 40% 66%
Environmental 58% 9%
Residential 1% 17%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 7%
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

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

Ranking within NSW

Elrington Kearsley
House price Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 27% of NSW
Income Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 6% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 34% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 44% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW

Liveability

Kearsley is more walkable (17 vs 0).

Elrington Kearsley
Grade — D
Score — 17/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Kearsley carries more crime risk (72 vs 43); Kearsley carries more bushfire risk (74 vs 64).

Elrington Kearsley
Bushfire Moderate
64/100
 High
74/100
Crime Moderate
43/100
 High
72/100
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 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Elrington Kearsley
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Elrington

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

Schools in Kearsley

  • Kearsley Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Elrington Kearsley
Parks & reserves 0 2
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

Kearsley sits further from the CBD (148.7 km vs 144.6 km).

Elrington Kearsley
Walkability score 0/100 17/100
Distance to Sydney 144.6 km 148.7 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 110 min 114 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.

Elrington Kearsley
Car (driver) 76.4% / 79.4%
Elrington — Car (driver): 76.4% Kearsley — Car (driver): 79.4%
Worked from Home 18.2% / 13.6%
Elrington — Worked from Home: 18.2% Kearsley — Worked from Home: 13.6%
Car (passenger) 5.5% / 5.1%
Elrington — Car (passenger): 5.5% Kearsley — Car (passenger): 5.1%
Train — / 0.9%
Elrington — Train: not among its largest Kearsley — Train: 0.9%
Walked Only — / 0.9%
Elrington — Walked Only: not among its largest Kearsley — Walked Only: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.4%).

Setting

Elrington Kearsley
Elevation 60 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
same for both
Distance to the ocean 30.3 km 33.7 km

NBN connectivity

Elrington Kearsley
Connectivity score 29/100 60/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
62 premises
 31%
328 premises

Climate

Elrington Kearsley
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

Air quality (annual mean)

Elrington Kearsley
PM2.5 6.1 µg/m³ 6.3 µg/m³
PM10 16.5 µg/m³ 17.5 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.53 pphm 0.72 pphm

Council rates

Elrington Kearsley
Average residential rate $1,405/yr
same for both
Council Cessnock
same for both

Federal electorate

Elrington Kearsley
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Elrington Kearsley
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Elrington

Premium Rural

Kearsley

Acreage

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Elrington

Elrington vs Abermain Elrington vs Mulbring Elrington vs Quorrobolong Elrington vs Neath Elrington vs Abernethy Elrington vs Richmond Vale

Other comparisons with Kearsley

Kearsley vs Cessnock Kearsley vs Aberdare Kearsley vs Kitchener Kearsley vs Neath Kearsley vs Abernethy
Full data on Elrington Full data on Kearsley
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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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