Elrington vs Neath
Elrington is the younger of the two, with a median age of 51 against 55 in Neath. 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 Neath, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Elrington: a median of $1.95 million, against $615,000 in Neath, though rent is higher in Neath. On these figures, Elrington tends to suit couples, while Neath suits people living alone, older residents, and 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
- is already more of a family suburb (82% vs 35%)
- carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 91/100)
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
- Elrington leaves households under less mortgage stress (27% vs 33%)
- Neath has cheaper houses ($615,000 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 32%)
- has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $255/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Elrington
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (110 min vs 119 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (144.6 km vs 152.9 km)
- But Neath is more walkable (26/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Neath
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (26/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (35% vs 15%)
- But Elrington carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 91/100)
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 -12.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Elrington and Neath 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
Neath has more residents (430 vs 155); Neath rents higher ($255/wk vs $100/wk).
| Elrington | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 155 | 430 +177% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +34.8% | -12.2% |
| Median age | 51 | 55 |
| Median household income | $95,836/yr +57% vs other | $41,184/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $100/wk | $255/wk +155% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.8%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Elrington | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,950,000 | $615,000 |
| Median unit price | — | $360,000 |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Elrington has more land zoned for conservation (58% vs 28%); Neath has more rural and farming land (64% vs 40%).
| Elrington | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 40% | 64% |
| Environmental | 58% | 28% |
| Residential | 1% | 5% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 1% | 2% |
| 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 | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 719 across Cessnock same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -31% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Elrington | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 84% of NSW | Higher than 21% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 63% of NSW | Higher than 5% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 6% of NSW | Higher than 73% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 16% of NSW | Higher than 34% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 34% of NSW | Higher than 42% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 44% of NSW | Higher than 68% of NSW |
Liveability
Neath is more walkable (26 vs 0).
| Elrington | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | high-need area decile 1/10 |
Risk profile
Neath carries more crime risk (91 vs 43); Neath carries more bushfire risk (80 vs 64).
| Elrington | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 64/100 | High 80/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 43/100 | High 91/100 |
| 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 | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
Mobility
Neath sits further from the CBD (152.9 km vs 144.6 km).
| Elrington | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 26/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 144.6 km | 152.9 km +6% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 110 min | 119 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2325 | 0.4% postcode 2326 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 51 postcode 2325 | 56 postcode 2326 |
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 (85.8%).
Setting
| Elrington | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 60 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 43 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 30.3 km | 33.0 km |
NBN connectivity
| Elrington | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 55/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Fibre to the node |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 62 premises | 18% 263 premises |
Climate
| Elrington | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,405/yr same for both | |
| Council | Cessnock same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Elrington | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Hunter same for both | |
| Member | Dan Repacholi same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Elrington | Neath | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Elrington
Other comparisons with Neath
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.